fe - meeting: ann, sierra

*Ann walks through a snow-covered forest alongside her pegasus, Spiritia*
Ann: Brr... I hope we find another gate soon, I hate the cold- eep! *caught off-guard as Spiritia suddenly stops, her attention caught by something* Eh? What is it, girl?
Spiritia: *paws the ground and whinnies, her gaze focused on a large rock off to the side*
Ann: Something behind that rock? *looks for a moment* ...Or someone. *addresses whoever's behind the rock* Who's there?
???: ......
Ann: I know you're there, I can see your breath.
???: ... *breathing raggedly and weakly* G-go away...!
Ann: You all right? You sound like you're in pain...
???: ...You're... You're not with them...?
Ann: I don't know what "them" you're talking about, but I'm not going to hurt you.
???: ...I, I'm hurt pretty badly.
Ann: Can you walk?
???: No, my leg's torn up. I can't even s-stand...
Ann: Can I come see?
???: *a fire lights behind the rock* Try anything f-funny and I'll... I'll blow your head off... *the Fire tome's flame flickers, then vanishes* ?! *exclaims something in an odd foreign language, trying to recast the flame* ...No good... *foreign word, presumably "fuck"*
*Ann approaches the rock and finds Sierra slumped against it, shivering, her left leg mangled*
Ann: Oh my god-! *hurriedly pulls out a vulnerary and hands it to her* Here, drink this, it should help with the pain. I'll be right back. *hurries back to Spiritia*
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*cut to Ann attempting to clean and bandage Sierra's leg*
Sierra: Nnh... Th-thank you... I thought I was going to die here...
Ann: 	I'm amazed you didn't bleed out... What happened?
Sierra: A man in a white robe approached me, asked me to join some... army or cult or something... said he was gathering powerful mages. When I refused, I was attacked by his soldiers, alongside... I can only describe them as monsters... One of them managed to steal my Firecracker tome.
Ann: 	...I think I know who you're talking about... My friends and I went through pretty much the same thing.
Sierra: *winces* Aah...
Ann: 	S-sorry! I'm not very good at this yet...
Sierra: N-no, it's... it's fine... I'm just glad to have help... Where are your friends now?
Ann: 	Not a clue. We got separated while fleeing. I'll join up with them again eventually, I'm sure of it. About this tome... Firecracker, you called it? I've never heard of that tome.
Sierra: That's because it's my personal tome... Made it with my parents. I use it for performances.
Ann: 	Ah. That explains the name.
Sierra: I need to get it back from them...
Ann: 	It must mean a lot to you, huh?
Sierra: Well, yes, but that's not the only reason... I'm worried about it being in the hands of the guy that attacked me.
Ann:	Huh?
Sierra: I'm a magician... a performer, yeah? Combat's... really not my thing. Yet I managed to create... one of the most powerful tomes known to mankind, by complete mistake... Kinda ironic, huh?
Ann:	...Excuse me...?
Sierra: Firecracker launches a bunch glowing spheres that explode into fireworks. The blasts are actually pretty strong on their own... but because there's so many of them, it can reduce a man to cinders in one volley, provided all of it hits...
Ann:	Oh. And this is in the hands of that madman now?
Sierra:	*nods* It's locked to my own magic signature, but... The weakness of magic seals: if it can be made, it can be unmade. You just need a skilled enough mage to do it... If they unseal the tome and find out how it works, they could reproduce it...
Ann:	And then we'd be facing an entire army equipped with them.
Sierra: Yes...
Ann:	...There. That should hold until we get to a town.