<div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote"><a href="https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=209038.msg10298304#msg10298304">Quote from: Sinestra on 24-07-2014, 12:32:02</a></div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote"><strong>"Ignacia? Ignacia?"</strong> Makoto says with a faint ponderous pause to her voice. It took her but a moment to remember the name, there was a poster in the garrison of the castle, a handful of them in fact on a single board, pronouncing the bounty on the woman's head for countless acts of banditry, robbery and assault upon the nobility. Makoto had always wondered though, why non of her instructors or the senior guard captains, ever seemed concerned with such a powerful bandit. They would talk of her exploits but would never form parties to seek her out, always waving off her questions and insistent pleas on how she could lead a small group of guardsmen to bring her in... but always was she rebuffed with dismissing statements and how the bandit would be caught eventually, to focus on her training.<br/><br/>But now she stood, some sizable distance from a woman proclaiming herself the bandit queen herself. The legend was true, confirmed when she pulled her hood down to reveal her face, a perfect match for the drawings she had seen. Makoto's resolve hardened, her grip on her maul tightening quickly. She didn't know what was going on, but if the town she had just come from was suffering from an unstoppable thief, here stood the bandit queen Rei Ignacia herself.<br/><br/><strong>"Surrender, Bandit! I know who you are, and this town has suffered enough from thievery. Even if you're not responsible, it is my sworn duty to apprehend you for the crimes you've committed against the Solarius Kingdom! The lands suffer enough under Beryl's rule, I won't have these people suffer! This is your last chance!"</strong> she called with rising power, as if readying herself for the woman's obvious answer to surrender...<br/></blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br/>Rei stood off from the knight who was calling for her surrender for the crimes she committed against the crown. What the strong-hearted knight didn't realize was that those who had fallen victim to her bandit ways had been officials who were stealing and exploiting the common people all to fatten their own pockets. It had been part of the reason she had remained on the loose for so long. She was doing the job that the actual knights another guardsmen couldn't do because of the protected status of nobles. In essence she being outside the law gave her the advantage of playing by a different set of rules than the knight across from her.<br/><br/>A warning kaw from Demos made her shift her eyes as she reached up and gave his head a gentle pet. "Do not worry Demos I will be alright." she said to the black winged animal before turned back to Makoto. As her amethyst eyes met the other girl's emerald green orbs she felt the crystal under her shirt pulse with power once more. "I am not your enemy this day Knight nor do I wish to quarrel with you. I seek an audience with the Priest of the Church on the matter of the stolen goods. But if you need further proof you and I come from two different paths seeking the same man. Now I must ask you Knight of the Realm how can I have stolen anything?" she said  as she slowly and non-threateningly drew the two long swords from hip. "However if you wish to continue your mission then I as a Priestess of the Spirit of Fire I will meet your challenge Knight of the Realm. The choice is yours" she said as she placed the two swords point down in the ground but still in hand and ready to be used.<br/><br/>As she stared down the knight she could feel the fire within her rising. She and had come from the mountain villages where they still worshiped the ancient spirits of the elements. Rei's passion and determination had garnered her the attention of the Spirit of Fire who bestowed upon her the crystal that hung under her shirt. She could feel the resonance with this Knight somehow, what that was she could only guess. Though she was quickly forming an idea in her mind how all this was connected together, she was after all a priestess.