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<span>Spoiler: <span class="bbCodeSpoiler-button-title">Velmaia's Face Claim</span></span>
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</div><br/>David was escorted away, and Leara raised a hand in farewell. There was something unsettling about this moment, as if she wanted to go with him to ensure he would be safe, but that twist of unease quickly fluttered away. Clearing her throat and taking a deep breath, Leara turned to Perathon.<b>"Thank you again for the escort, my friend. Please enjoy your time in Neria. I must go freshen up and change into something more suitable. I am sure we will meet up again before I journey home."</b>With a bright smile at her winged friend, Leara took a few steps around him and walked through the streets of Neria to the inn.<br/><br/>As soon as she entered the building, the voices of the patrons surrounded her. There were many people who were drinking, laughing, and carrying on with their lives. It always surprised Leara how clueless the citizens of Neria were. The council was meeting under their nose, dealing with a threat that could affect their very lives. If it hadn't been for people such as Leara, Eldorath would be in ruin, but luckily, there were people like Leara around to prevent that from happening. She plopped herself on the counter to wait for the man behind it to give her a second glance. He was older, graying around the edges, but still strong and muscular. Leara didn't know his name, but she'd met with him on many occasions for Council business. He would have things set up inside a room from what she knew.<br/><br/><b>"Ah, Leara, I hope your journey went well?"</b>His deep voice asked her out of kindness. Leara nodded quickly to answer his question.<b>"It did go well indeed. Would you happen to have a room prepared for me?"</b>The man handed her the ancient looking key and gave her directions - second floor, fifth room on the right. With a smile that didn't touch her eyes, Leara gave him her farewell and took to the stairs to escape the sea of people. She would need to refresh herself and get some sleep. The events of the last day had been more than exhausting for the young, female warrior.<br/><br/>Meanwhile, David met with the council and found himself privvy to information that even Leara didn't know. The fact that the council wanted her to join him and train him for his journey was not the information she had been given. Then again, if it had been, Leara might have refused. Her self confidence was not high enough to support her on a journey to save the world. She was not ready for such a task, her training was not nearly complete. She could not be a Warrior of the Realm if she did not know how to be one, but the council had other thoughts. They believed she had been born ready to be a Warrior of the Realm. Perhaps during her unexpected journey with David, she would discover that belief in herself as well.<br/><br/>She slept restlessly for what only seemed like half an hour, but in reality, had been several long hours that brought the height of the day down to early evening. The smells of food being cooked in the lower hall of the inn should have been the rousing energy that brought her back to awareness. Instead, it was the sound of yelling in the hallway, a mix of male voices intermingled with that of a female. She sounded familiar to Leara, and quickly, after pulling on her proper breeches, she dashed out to see what the commotion was.<br/><br/><b>"Give it back you, Thief!"</b>A man who towered over Leara bellowed at a white haired, demon-looking woman. The woman sneered at the man, which encouraged him to move closer to her. Leara quickly assessed the scene before recklessly jumping in between two men, including the one who was yelling at the other woman, and the demon-like humanoid that stood closest to Leara.<b>"What is the meaning of this?"</b>Leara asked, her hand holding onto a dagger that she'd found stashed in her pack of weapons.<b>"This is a place of peace, not one of strife. Explain why you've disrupted the harmony here."</b>The man looked at Leara as if she had three eyes as he spoke.<b>"Do you not see what this...this succubus is doing? She's stolen our gold and now wants our lives! She deserves to die, just like the rest of them!"</b><br/><br/>Leara narrowed her eyes at the man before advancing a few feet on him.<b>"You'll not harm her. Stand down or I'll report you to the council personally."</b>Whipping around, she looked at the horned woman with honest curiosity. Her name was Velmaia, a mage from the Zaesan Empire, an unlikely alley to Neria and the kingdom it lived in. Her role within Zaesan was an impressive one, and the two brutes were likely confusing her for a member of the roguish land known as Cridor.<br/><b><br/>
"You fools - this woman is an ally!"</b>Leara shook her head at them, the blade she held pointed at Maia with precision.<b>"You're assaulting a magic user from Zaesan, not an assassin from Cridor! Look at her markings! Apologize for your ignorance or I will let her burn you to ashes without hesitation."<br/>
</b><br/>It wasn't too long before Leara found herself sitting at a table with a mug of ale and laughter spilling from her lips. Maia sat across from her, the seriousness of her acidic personality long gone.<b>"The savior of Eldorath is called David? How strange. The phonetics of his name is rather odd."</b>Maia commented after Leara explained why she was in Neria. As it turned out, Maia's father was here to meet with some merchants to take some goods back to Zaesan. She had tagged along to get out from under her mother's boot.<br/><br/><b>"Indeed. His name is odd but it's rather nice. Suits him, I think."</b>Leara was quiet as she thought of David. She wondered where he was and what he was up to. Surely, the council wouldn't have sent him away just yet.<b>"But enough of David and all of that, how has life suited you, Maia?"</b><br/><br/>Together, they chatted in hushed voices about the realm, how Maia and her family had seen villages and communities wiped off the map.<b>"Something is not right, Leara. When I return home, my next journey will be to fight whatever this is. Perhaps I will meet this 'David, savior of Eldorath' you're so fond of."</b><br/><br/>Leara shrugged,<b>"Perhaps. But I am not fond of...."</b>She looked toward the door as it swung open to see the man she conversed of walk in.<b>"David? David! Over here!"</b>Leara stood and gave him a wave.<br/><br/>Tag:<a class="username" data-user-id="82" data-username="@Manaan" data-xf-init="member-tooltip" href="https://blackdahliaroleplaying.com/members/82/">@Manaan</a>