"They're nothing when compared to the cities here. I mean... If you measure them by size. They're special though, our cities, they were intricate. The streets were woven together like threads to create astonishing networks and homes were built anywhere there was space." Nadya began to smile and her voice picked up a slightly lighter tone. "You could walk outside your door and everything you needed was right there around you, or above you. A spice peddler might live a door down, or a butcher might live and work in the house above yours. In Vandalos the buildings were built so tall and tightly packed together that 50 families could live comfortably in their own homes, but the space their collective homes occupied was miniscule. No planners or master builders were involved in building our cities either, they were just simply built out of necessity by normal people. They felt human and were filled with human conveniences and practicalities." Nadya turned towards Talaitha and allowed he voice to raise slightly. At this point it seemed as if she were advertising her home-city rather than simply speaking of it. "For instance, when I was young I lived 2 levels up, our house was part of the highest level in our commune and it was quite hard to visit neighbors who lived across the way because we'd have to either jump from our landing to theirs, or we'd have to climb down from our side then climb up on there's. So my father and brothers got together with other families who lived high up and they built wooden walkways over the streets so that we could all simply walk to each others' homes." Nadya gulped as she finished her final piece of lamb. It appeared as though remembering the quirks of her home may have raised her spirits slightly.

"In your community, did you have anyone you thought of as family?" Nadya's voice returned to its usual, less invigorated tone. "It's common among our people to live with adoptive families, my father for example adopted me and many of the children I call my brothers and sisters. He raised us to help him in his profession and more specifically he raised the girls to care for the younger boys."

Talaitha was fascinated by Nadya's descriptions of her home. She could imagine standing on one of the higher floors and having to walk across those wooden walkways. The noises she might have heard popped into her head as she wondered what kinds of good would have been peddled around where she would have lived. She finished her second kebab as she pulled herself out of her daydreams.

"I was born to my mother, but I have no idea who of the many men within the community was my father. They swore never to tell in order to prevent favoritism during childhood, but there was always one who I believed to be my father because of how he treated me." A small smile appeared on her face as she thought about him.
"His name was Tobar, and he was the one who taught me weapon forging and enchantment. I assumed he was my father because he seemed to care the most for me in his own special way. He always gave me a treat after a meal and defended me several times when I made childish mistakes. He was the one who tried to salvage my childhood because there were no other children to play with. Those who did not work hard or were not talented enough were sent away to who knows where and I was the only one chosen to stay and study. I think the reason Tobar taught me was to ensure I wouldn't be sent away."

After hearing Nero's advice to Lucia, Erratus decided it would be best to keep his distance. For that reason, he was hesitant to make the first move. Unfortunately, his opponent seemed determined to wait for him to take initiative, thus forcing him to draw close. The girl was certainly clever. That, or he was over-thinking things again. Regardless, he would have to strike sooner or later, and later would be a waste of time. Cautiously, the thief approached his sparring partner and gingerly swiped at her scabbard, hoping to prompt some kind of retaliation.

As Khast cautiously swiped at her with his scabbard, Lucia was less quick to strike back. Rather, she swiftly tilted the angle of her scabbard, turning his scabbard away from her body as it slid up the length of hers, as she circled in the opposite direction, trying to keep form. If she were faster, or stronger, she would have used the opportunity to lunge at his unprotected side, however she was neither, at least not yet.

Erratus scowled as Lucia deflected his blow and circled around him. Her decision not to strike back was probably a wise one, and it had essentially put him back at square one. As it became more apparent that beating around the bush would get him nowhere, the thief decided to adopt a different strategy. He would simply give his opponent exactly what she wanted.

In the blink of an eye, Erratus closed the gap between the combatants. With a reckless display of sheer force, he thrust his sheath directly toward Lucia torso in hopes of taking her by surprise.

"I see..." Nadya hesitated and for a moment, instead of speaking, she just looked at Talaitha. "Might I ask, what happened to those you raised you? Why did you split ways and come north to the kingdom. To this land." Nadya's words seemed to carry a chary undertone of spite.

_______


Just as Erratus had begun to lunge, Lucia began to feel something odd inside her body. The feeling was familiar though, a lightness, a racing feeling of power followed by warmth, numbness and ebullience. It was just like what she felt inside academy, it felt just like the teal pulses of energy that emanated from the carving Gonye had given them to unlock the vault. Unlike last time though there didn't appear to be any pulses of energy, instead the energy seemed to be saturating the air. Lucia couldn't see it, but she feel it in every breath. It was an unexplainable feeling, her lungs were no longer just breathing air, they were breathing in something thicker than air, something with more substance, and yet her breathing remained steady. The air continued to grow thicker and thicker and each moment in time seemed longer and longer until the ambience of energy started to overwhelm the girl. Lucia began to feel slightly sick. A slight churning in her stomach took precedence over her initial senses and time immediately came rushing back to its normal flow... But Lucia remained in her overwhelmed state and the air remained filled with otherworldly energy.

Lucia was prepared this time around, she would dodge the thrust and in turn it would be her opportunity to go on the offence. That is, until she was suddenly hit by a sudden emanation of energy.

Even before Khast had the opportunity to strike, she collapsed to the ground onto her knees with her hands on her chest. She barely noticed as the scabbard flew over her head as she struggled to breathe, it was as if that key Gonye had given them in the academy had multiplied and now lay all around her. All the sensations she felt, they were almost too much to bear. How could no one else feel it?

Time seemed to slow as she suffered, drowning in the energy that surrounded them, until gradually she felt she could hear herself panting as she lay hunched over the ground. Her physical senses seemed to reorient themselves: her vision blurred with tears, the feeling of the rough ground underneath her fingers as she braced herself, she could hear someone asking her if she was alright. She wasn't, the pressure, she could still feel it all around her, crushing her.

Erratus was prepared. He was prepared for a parry. A side step. A counterattack. Lucia was almost certainly expecting this from him, so he had little choice but to anticipate her reaction in turn. In spite of all his preparedness, however, he hadn't predicted that his opponent might spontaneously collapse. Unfortunately, he had put too much momentum into his assault to change directions.

I'll have to account for that in the future. He thought as he tumbled ungracefully over the girl's crouched body. The thief curled up as he struck the ground, rolling and nimbly returning to his feet. He whirled around to fend off any subsequent attack, but quickly noticed that Lucia was still doubled over. Hesitantly, he lowered his scabbard and approached her.

"Hey. You alright, kid?" Erratus asked, bending down as he tried to figure out what might be wrong. He was certain that his shot hadn't connected, so that couldn't be it. The nausea she had exhibited back at the academy came to mind, but that had only manifested after considerable magical exertion on her part. Clueless as to what might be ailing Lucia, something vaguely resembling concern began tugging at the thief's mind.

Nero almost burst out laughing as he watched Erratus tumble over Lucia, but he quickly stopped himself when he realized something was wrong. After a bit of fumbling Nero joined Erratus as Lucia's side. "Are you alright? I didn't realize you weren't well, I wouldn't have had you do this if you weren't well." He nervously rambled as he looked to Erratus for answers. "Did something happen on the way here? Was she hurt?"

"When I came of age I was told to leave and ply my trade," Talaitha replied, finishing the last of her kebabs. "I left for a city and opened shop as an enchanter, hiding my background to prevent my business from being shut down. I haven't seen any of my old caravan in years, but more importantly, I had not seen any of our kind until I was run out of that city and arrived in Harengoth."

Erratus shook his head without returning Nero's glance.

"Not to my knowledge. I've never seen her like this before." The words felt odd as they passed his lips. He barely knew Lucia, and could hardly be considered an authority on her well-being. Her discomfort could be of a mystical origin for all he knew. Did she need immediate attention, or would she recover on her own? The thief didn't even know where to begin. But perhaps someone else would, someone who'd gotten to know Lucia better than him.

"Gonye." Erratus mumbled. "Gonye might be able to help."

Nero nodded and slowly backed away from Erratus. "I-I'll go look for him..." He paused as he tried to gather his wits. "You should take her inside, Khast. This rain can't be good for her." He turned and ineptly began running for the alleyway-exit but was quickly stopped when he collided with another body which was just entering the clearing. Nero absentmindedly gathered himself together before he prepared to spit out a quick 'sorry, excuse me' but stopped short when he realized he wasn't on the street and there was no reason for another person to be back here.


"What's the rush?" A soft and articulate voice spoke to him... it was a familiar voice.

Nero hastily jumped away from the figure and prepared to draw his sword, that is, until he saw the figure's face.

Long flowing white hair, narrow, pale blue eyes, pale skin, a sharp nose and an incredibly feminine face... It was the mercenary commander who served under Gonye, Pitt. Somehow he had crossed river and followed the group to Atriast and now he was standing before the group, lightly armoured in decorative plate with a slight, smug grin on his face.

"You're the mercenary from back at the camp!" Nero exclaimed in a slightly hysteric voice.

Pitt initially seemed interested in Nero but his interest almost immediately faded, instead his eyes wandered far beyond the swordsman, to Lucia... For a moment he simply watched her, his eyes stayed fixed on her as if he were a falcon and Lucia were his prey. As Pitt observed Lucia his eyes began to widen, but not in surprise. His face bore no emotion, yet his eyes were filled with strange intent.

"We should retire inside." He finally spoke. "There's much to speak of and so little time." As Pitt turned to head for the front door of the Inn, Lucia began to feel the unexplainable stress she was enduring diminish. Before she knew it the feeling had almost completely vanished and the air about her was beginning to settle and thin. By this time though, Pitt had already vanished from the clearing and was well inside the Inn, more than likely heading for the rooms upstairs.

_____________________

"Very few of our people feel welcome here, they avoid crossing the northern border. Despite not being an autonomous territory, Aitos is far too different when compared to the main kingdom. Some of our people practice different religions and our cultures are largely incompatible." Nadya took a final bite of her last kebab before stretching her arms out and yawning. "Most of us in this country are part of the Moonshire Covenant, a special guild we built for what the people in Harengoth called 'monster hunting'. There's very few threats as far as dangerous creatures go these days, but every now and then strange beasts still cross the Doltry border and attack helpless farmers and their families. Our members were usually hired to capture and kill the beasts or create wards which could be used to fend them off. Over time we became less of a Covenant and more of a guild... A business. I suppose our success made us forget the important things..." Nadya was tired and speaking with Talaitha only proved to conjure up ill feelings and disappointment within her which served to only tire her further. "Are you ready to go back to the inn?" She yawned once more

OOC: Just gonna borrow Nero for a ride >.>

Suddenly Lucia gasped for air, as if she had come up from the depths of a watery abyss. She was being held like a child as Nero carried her into the inn. Her mind still felt foggy, though the overwhelming pressure that she had succumbed to ebbed away slowly, and she could feel her strength slowly starting to return. She wanted to tell Nero that she would've been fine to walk herself, but in all honestly, she did not quite trust her own faculties. Who knew, perhaps she would be faced with another wave of whatever energy that she had been hit with initially. She needed answers. Perhaps she would get the opportunity to ask why it was always her who sensed whatever it was. She mentally sighed, another weakness she could add to the list.

Lucia shifted her position, by now Nero would have noticed that she was awake, nevertheless, she closed her eyes tightly and clung to him. As someone who had no family, he was the closest person she now knew that she could trust. Well, she supposed she was beginning to trust Khast as well, even if he had tried to rob her. Life-or-death missions faced with husks tended to form an unusual bond among individuals.

((Hijacking other peoples' characters is fun.))

Erratus failed to register Nero's instructions, once again lost in thought. It was only natural that the thief had a lot on his mind. His time with the caravan had nearly caused him to forget his reason for being there in the first place, but now it came rushing back. Could Lucia's affliction be a side-effect of the hollow soul that had infected her? Would he himself eventually begin to exhibit the same symptoms? It seemed unlikely, but the possibility of it began to fester in his mind.

Nero returned sooner than anticipated, and he quickly realized that Erratus hadn't done as he said. Muttering a few cross words, the younger man opted to carry Lucia inside himself, making sure to give a parting glare as he disappeared through the doorway. The thief lingered for a few moments as the rain continued to drench him.

I've done something again, haven't I? He reflected, then joined the others inside.

((Feel free to take over characters or create dialogue whenever you need to, it matters not to me))


It felt nice being useful... It was a menial task, carrying Luica that is, but it gave Nero a feeling of usefulness. Since the journey's beginnings Nero felt that he had done nothing but get in the way of others and thinking of himself purely as a burden was beginning to break down his self-confidence. So what if he was slightly annoyed with Khast's inaction! and so what if Pitt had made a fool of him! For the moment he was helping and to him that's all that mattered.


With Lucia in his arms, Nero rounded the inn and made for the door. Upon entering the building he noticed Kechts standing about. He must've just arrived. He thought about stopping for a moment to converse with his new companion but a sudden spell of movement in his arms made him think twice. Trying his hardest to keep Lucia still, Nero climbed the steep and creaky steps in the corner of the Inn and once he reached the top floor he looked down the long candle lit hallway, which comprised most of the floor, for any sign of Pitt. Almost instantly Nero spotted a soft pale light contrasting heavily against the dim and warming light of the candles. His eyes gradually followed the light down the hallway towards its source, a door which hung just barely ajar at the very end of the hall. Cautiously Nero approached the door and pushed his eye to the opening to investigate the inside.

The room was fairly small looking; four beds, two on each side of the room. A small aisle way in the center of the room and a window, the source of the light.

Convinced that the room was safe, Nero entered and gently placed Lucia on the nearest bed before he turned to the door and pushed it back to its original, slightly opened, position.


"Is she awake?"

Nero spun around and once more postured for his sword but stopped short again when he noticed Pitt's form faintly in the corner of the room. From the crack in the door Nero must have just barely missed the mercenary's position in a chair just beside the window. He exhaled in relief as he nodded an affirmative to the white-haired man.

"Good." Pitt paused. For a moment he simply watched Lucia through the dim light of the room. The moments of silence seemed unnatural to Nero and he was unsure whether or not Pitt was waiting for Lucia to physically respond to him or if Pitt wanted him to leave.

"Lucia..." The individual sounds that made Lucia's named faintly rolled off Pitt's tongue before they softly seeped through his lips. "You're quite remarkable, quite gifted. Your senses are adept, an impossibility without training, and yet there is no one who could train you. Who are you, Lucia? How can you exert such energy, how can you feel mine..." As Pitt spoke his voice gradually slipped into a more sinister tone. "What lies dormant inside you that I cannot see and where does it come from?" Pitt's questions felt vague and unclear. Just what exactly was he asking?

"What you felt earlier... I suppose you weren't able to pin-point that I was the source of the force that afflicted you, right?"