The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)
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		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Bondage, D/s, S&amp;M =&gt; Bondage: Exotic Solos =&gt; Topic started by: Calison on 20-03-2014, 06:13:54</h2>
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				Title: <strong>The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>20-03-2014, 06:13:54</strong>
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				Golan is the name of the world, christened after the earth dragon that dwells within the planet's core. The age of exploration has arrived on Golan. Ships constantly leave humanity's cradle on the north side of the world for the lands to the south, across the Leviathan Sea. People come to the south seeking freedom, seeking fame and glory, and seeking riches. After nearly 50 years since the first ship discovered land across the sea, colonies belonging to the northern nations have blossomed all over the southern part of the world. And everywhere colonists have settled, they have always found ruins. Little is known about who these strange structures once belonged to. Many of the settlers hardly seemed to care outside of using what was available to prop up their own towns. In fact by the time prospective scholars arrived to investigate most of the early settlements, too much had been incorporated into the new buildings of the colonies to really study. Most scholars, including the treasure hunters that often accompany them, have hardly given up. There is always more world to explore. <br><br>This tale takes place on the continent of Vastwood, located in the tropics of the southern lands. The land was aptly name because it was a vast reaching forests that, according to cartographers, covers the whole of the land. Many of the trees are as thick as houses and reach up high into the sky. Monsters have been encountered throughout the newly colonized world, but nowhere else have monsters of such size have been encountered. Although not common, the great beasts of Vastwood have been the key limiting factor to the expanse of the sea and riverside colonies. Some colonists have made use of the great trees for above ground building...but even these settlements have their unique problems with giant beasts. Monster slayers see Vastwood as a ripe hunting ground for bragging rights and trophies and have joined the scholars and treasure seekers bound for the continent. <br><br>Audra Malpare (http://www.wallpaperhi.com/thumbnails/detail/20120703/brunettes%20video%20games%20touhou%20red%20dress%20wind%20belts%20ribbons%20scroll%20purple%20hair%20magic%20yellow%20eyes%20reali_www.wallpaperhi.com_44.jpg) stepped off the river boat that brought her to the town of Riverspear. It was one of maybe five out of two dozen towns along the river that fed directly into the Leviathan that was still around. And this was only five years after the first ship from the homeland arrive on the shores of Vastwood. Riverspear had started out as a fledgling hunter's outpost. While the wildlife in Vastwood was dangerous, the price of the furs of many of the exotic creatures fetched fortunes back in the homeland. Not all the treasures were in the ruins. Speaking of ruins, Riverspear was built directly around what, some guessed, was an old temple. Some scholars attributed it to the worship of a river god, given the location, but no one really knew for sure. Audra had come a long way to try and answer some of those questions. Among other things. <br><br>Audra was dressed in very fine traveling clothes. The kind that would get torn to rags in the field. Though it seemed she had enough sense to wear a good pair of traveling boots on her stocking clad legs. She hadn't taken two steps off the riverboat when she noticed she was being followed. The same eyes that had been watching her on the boat were following her even now. Audra decided not to let on that she took notice. She smiled at a pair of guardsmen she passed before taking a sharp left down one of the alleyways between a couple of buildings. She had a feeling it'd be a dead end, and her intuition didn't disappoint. There were five in total when she turned to face them. They were outfitted as hunters of a sort, likely here for some of the big game. She had insulted them on the boat when their leader, a man that stood a head taller above the rest, tried to charm her with brutish come-ons. <br><br>"Still looking for that apology, Missy Highborn," the hunter leader said, practically growling at her. <br><br>She just smiled. "You'll have to pry it out of my mouth." <br><br>"We'll do more than just that with your mouth, you little bitch." The man started forward and Audra just continued to smile. She had more than a few tricks up her sleeve as she waited for the hunter to get closer.&nbsp; 
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				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>20-03-2014, 06:46:39</strong>
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				Hunters of all sorts had indeed started flocking to the land of Vastwood in order to cement their place as glorious, renowned heroes who would bring home huge amounts of wealth and fame with the pelts, horns, and heads that they would bring back in tow. Ferocious monsters that the world had never seen before, epic tales of battle, the lust of adventure, those were just a few of the things that drew some of the most talented warriors from around the globe to this new, untapped land. There were at least three dozen hunters living in the Vastwood colonies now, and each and every one of them had a different story to tell, a different reason for why they were there, and a different goal that they wanted to achieve. As the group of five hunters cornered the ordinary looking woman in the corner, an onlooker couldn't help but take notice of the situation, as it was unusual for five people to all be clumped together in a group as they stalked a single woman from several feet away. "Great..."<br><br>Paying for her meal from the vendor she had been bartering with, the woman that spotted the group turned around and began tailing the squad, keeping her distance and moving slowly so that she didn't draw their attention until they had the other woman cornered in an alleyway, and were harassing her for things that must have happened on the trip over. Perhaps she had just been on her own for too long, but she was always annoyed at the way that hunters could be such arrogant, selfish people from time to time. Their raw strength and power made them think that they were entitled to the world... Then again, had she herself really been so different? No... Not when she first started, anyway.<br><br>Regardless, before Audra could put her plan into motion, the group of hunters would have their attention pulled away from the mage as the clinking of metal colliding against stone filled the alley. "You're in a brand new land, all sorts of new sights to see and places to explore... Yet you spend your time harassing civilians? The nerve of you low ranks these days..." The 'ringleader' of the pack would turn around, and find himself face to face with Natalia Erwin (http://danbooru.donmai.us/data/4691a332970fc79da6052aeb07ce77bd.jpg), a woman who was extremely well known around these parts for having liberated the local river from the Leviathan that Audra's outdated information caused her to suspect was still hanging around. In fact, if Audra were to look, she'd notice that Natalia's azure set of armor, while still mostly metal, did have deep blue monster scales weaved into the design in order to maintain the perfect combination of flexibility and protection around the joints.<br><br>The hunters were oblivious though, as the ringleader stopped insulting Audra for long enough to turn towards Natalia. "Who the hell are you? This isn't any of your business." Natalia responded with a small shake of her head. "You're wrong. People like you give us hunters a bad name. It's my duty as your superior to put you in your place." Natalia's insult seemed to have gotten to the man, a notion made clear by a frustrated growl, and the curling of fingers. "Superior, huh? We'll see about that..." With two of his cronies around her flank, Natalia lowered her head and gave it a shake. Oddly enough, she worked one of her arms behind her back as she leaned forward and suddenly took a quick and powerful lunge towards the speaker of the group, where she rammed her remaining fist right into his stomach. The two that had flanked her tried to close in on her at that point, but all it took was one sweep of her legs before they were both flat on their asses as well. As Natalia got back up to her feet, she pulled her 'behind' arm back out in front of her to reveal that she had put her arm in such an awkward position in order to protect an apple, supposedly one that was freshly bought off the marketplace when she saw the goon squad. "Please, begone."<br><br>Three of the five were on the ground, and while they were unharamed, Natalia didn't seem to have broken a sweat, not to mention that she only used one hand, and she didn't even lay a finger on the colossal sword that rested across her back. With another agitated growl, the speaker of the goon squad scrambled back up to his feet before making his way for the alley opening. "We won't forget about this, you bitch!" And with those final words said, he turned tail and scrambled away, along with the remaining four hunters. "I swear... It's always the scrawniest ones that have the biggest voices..." She paused to finally take a bite of her apple, her blue eyes shifting towards Audra as she did. With a mouth still full of fruit, she shielded her face with her arm as she spoke. "Hruu arite?"<br><br>Muffled, yes, but the message still should have gotten across clearly.
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				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>21-03-2014, 03:40:24</strong>
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				The closer the hunter got, the closer Audra's fingers got to a cylinder clipped onto her belt at the hip. She had another one at her other side and they looked oddly like black stone rolling pins. Whatever they were, Audra wouldn't have a chance to use them. The hunters weren't the only ones surprised when Natalia showed up. And Audra's astonishment only continued to rise as the woman took down three of her five would be harassers. With a hand behind her back to boot. The woman certainly held herself differently than the thugs, that much was plain to see. Audra could only smile as she watched the hunters run away with their tails between their legs. <br><br>"I'm alright," Audra said, offering Natalia. She knew she could have handled herself...though Audra also knew the results wouldn't have been nearly as...clear. Likely just as efficient, if nothing else, but definitely not clean. "I do believe their egos will be confined to full body casts for a while, but that appears to be the only victim." Audra's eyes wandered over Natalia body, paying particular attention to the deep blue scales weaved into her armor. She had seen the practice among hunters she encounter during her voyage. The ship from the homeland she chartered stopped at several colonies on the islands and other lands that separated Vastwood from the northern homeland. All the hunters she met were quite fond of working the skins and scales of whatever they had killed--and particularly proud of--into their equipment. <br><br>"Efficient, clean," Audra started. "...and done with a minor handicap." Audra walked around Natalia, taking the chance to inspect the sheathed sword on the warrior woman's back. She'd poke and prod parts of Natalia's armor, testing the material for its apparent strength and durability. If Natalia let Audra do so, she'd also try to feel up her arms and grip her muscles. "Lean, athletic. Likely <em>very</em> skilled with that hunk of metal on your back..." A conclusion Audra arrived at since Natalia <em>didn't</em> draw it. "Hmm...oh yes. You'll do. Quite handsomely, I imagine." Audra finally offered Natalia an innocent smile, though her eyes gleamed with mischief.
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				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>21-03-2014, 04:00:01</strong>
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				The blue scales in Natalia's armor weren't just there for aesthetic purposes, the fact of the was that monster scales were extremely durable, to the point where a small chunk of dragon and leviathan scales came <em>just barely</em> shy of matching the hardness of man made steel. At the same time, though, they were also significantly more lightweight and flexible, making the tradeoff more then worth it. Making full armor out of monster scales was a royal hassle though, and since they needed to be carved individually off of a monster's corpse, humans still needed chain weaving in order to get them to stick to one another anyway. With that in mind, the optimal practice for armorsmithing became to use lines of monster scales around armor joints where people needed maximum mobility, such as around their elbows and their shoulders, while using iron and steel for everything else. This resulted in optimal defense for the price, as well as an incredibly well rounded set of gear that was able to protect the wearer from most hardships. Naturally, this also resulted in a culture among hunters, an unspoken rule, that they'd only use components that they themselves farmed. It turned the scales into just as much of a status symbol among hunters as it was a shield, though this was all probably well out of Audra's understanding, unless she spent a lot of time around hunters to learn what they were like.<br><br>Back to reality, Natalia found herself rather shocked by Audra's sudden analysis of her, as she roamed around the huntress' body. As a result of that surprise, she ended up remaining still even as Aura took a grip of one of her arms and squeezed her lean, firm, powerful muscles that rested beneath her armor. It wasn't until the woman talked about her 'doing quite handsomely' with that innocent little smile that Natalia found herself worried, and she finally spoke up about her worries. "What in the world are you talking about?" She crossed her arms, waiting for the other woman to answer as she kept on a stern, serious look that didn't buy into that innocent smile of Audra's one bit. Whatever it was that Audra wanted to say, she was going to listen to it with an impartial, balanced, analytical mindset that she wouldn't be able to win over with a few fancy words.
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				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>21-03-2014, 07:24:14</strong>
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				Audra knew very little about hunter culture, aside from the half-truths and rumors that ran rampant in her part of civilized society. That didn't stop her from appreciating the craftsmanship on the armor, the way that metal and scales melded together to form a larger whole more versatile than either was on their own. What she did know for sure, although it was a stereotype, that you could spot the truly great hunters by how no nonsense they tended to be. Blinking at Natalia, Audra broke into a wider smile. "Sorry, where are my manners? Don't mind me just inspecting you like a race horse. My name is Audra Malpare da Caren. I'm a...scholar of sorts. Here mostly for the ruins, surprise surprise." <br><br>If Natalia knew anything about trade, then the name Malpare should have at least sounded familiar. There is a trading company based out of the citystate of Caren by the name of Malpare. To say they were a big company would have been an understatement. At least seven vessels or caravans out of ten you might encounter are linked in some way to the Malpare Trading Company. <br><br>"Not two steps off the river boat and I somehow managed to get myself into trouble. Thank you, by the way. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't shown up." Likely have committed five counts of murder, but the huntress didn't need to know that. "I must seem rather helpless to you. In fact, I don't think I dressed for the weather at all. Likely to get myself killed...unless I had someone capable with me. What do you say? Money's no object, so just name your price." Helpless rich girl out on a dangerous adventure. That was pretty much Audra. Yep. ...maybe she put it on too thick? Hunters were good at detecting lies and intentions. They had to be in order to hunt. Then again, Audra did consider herself to be a good liar. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>22-03-2014, 00:26:08</strong>
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				Natalia cocked an eyebrow as Audra introduced herself, of course, Malpare was a name that she was extremely familiar with. In fact, she often found herself taking jobs from Malpare to protect their cargo shipments while they were in transient. Matter of fact, keeping their boat safe was the reason why she got a free ticket over to this continent in the first place. She had been curious to explore it and try her luck against the local monsters, but the price for regular tickets was somewhat steep. Either way, after that, Audra expressed how she was basically completely helpless and yet had still taken on this dangerous adventure to explore uncharted lands. "Humor me. What exactly does the Malpare family have to gain by exploring these ruins? You've already established secure trade routes to the colonies out here... Or is this a personal endeavor?" Natalia knew better then to just assume that Audra was just here on family business, by all accounts, she could very well just be here on her own volition and on her own adventure, her family name merely being an unfortunate piece of baggage... Or a fortunate one, depending on which way a person wanted to look at it.<br><br>She was buying the story, at the very least, even if a few small things didn't quite add up to her. As far as Natalia was concerned, Audra hadn't given her any reason to <em>distrust</em> her, so she was willing to listen. As she waited for her answer, though, Natalia realized that she had yet to introduce herself even though Audra had given her name first. She'd have to correct that whenever the two had a spare moment in the conversation, she knew the social graces and manners, but remembering to use them was another thing entirely. Natalia spent a lot of time out on her own and away from civilization, and even here in Vastwood, a few of the more detailed and subtle mannerisms of human interaction started to fall at the wayside.<br><br>The Vastwood colonies had only existed for a few short years, yet they were already developing a culture all their own.
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				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>22-03-2014, 04:16:46</strong>
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				It seemed her story was accepted. While she was a Malpare, Audra found it interesting that her heritage wasn't questioned--the two other Malpare women know well as the spearheads of the trading company's operations, Audra's sisters, looked nothing like her. Purple hair and golden eyes were a far cry from black locks and lavender pupils. Then again, Audra was dealing with a hunter--she wasn't convinced of any odds of Natalia having had the opportunity to meet either Lucia or Christina. Continued good fortune to the huntress if she hadn't. <br><br>She smiled at the huntress' question. "It's a personal endeavor. Hearing about all these places beyond the homeland being full of ruins and excitement...how could I just confine myself to the boring walls of my university? I think my research opportunities are better spent in the field. Call it a sabbatical." Well it was true that stories about ruins had brought her to Vastwood, though Audra didn't see a point in elaborating. Hopefully the huntress wouldn't either. Audra spoke with excitement and expression though, a fan of bringing her hands together in a bit of a swoon as she talked about being taken in by the call of adventure. "There's a certain ruin I hear about maybe a day's journey away to the north. I would very much appreciate an escort. And like I said, money's no object. ...and I'm sure we could arrange some 'bonuses' if that's what you're looking for too~" Audra gave the huntress a knowing wink and again chose not to elaborate. Of course, the information that Audra had about a ruin to the north...there hadn't been any reports about a ruin in that direction and that far out. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>22-03-2014, 09:27:07</strong>
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				Natalia crossed her arms and let out an audible groan as she continued listening to Audra's tale, luckily for the young woman, Natalia had never so much as seen a picture of her two older sisters, let alone meet them in person, so she had no way to know about the physical disparity between the two of them and the young, bright, ambitious woman that was now standing in front of her. Moreover, Natalia had also never heard of a ruin to the north, since nobody she personally knew had ever felt comfortable being more then a day's travel away from the colonies, where they had established a zone of security around the huge, dangerous continent. Added on to that, she genuinely had no idea what Audra was insinuating when she gave that little wink about 'bonuses'... Was she trying to suggest something? If she was, it ended up flying right over Natalia's head.<br><br>Something about this seemed extremely, extremely wrong. However, it was a fact that this girl would probably just venture her way into the wild herself even if Natalia didn't agree to come with her as protection. Thankfully for Audra, she had managed to stumble upon the one hunter that would never be able to sleep with herself at night if her refusal to take action had resulted in getting somebody killed, even if she had no hand in it directly and she wasn't at fault. As such, even though she smelled something fishy about Audra's story and her situation, she ended up relenting as she lowered her arms and spoke in a calm voice. "I want a down payment of two thousand imperials. Payment will be one thousand imperials for every day we're out there, two thousand for any large monsters I fight while we're out there, and you're also responsible for my equipment repairs and maintenance cost upon return."<br><br>That... that actually wasn't all that unreasonable of a price. Sure, it was a little bit on the higher end, since three thousand imperials could get a person a few night's stay at a royal level inn, but Natalia wasn't asking Audra to break the bank at all. The typical household back home typically made about fifty thousand in a year.
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				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>22-03-2014, 10:15:44</strong>
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				Natalia had already surprised Audra with her skills in sending the thugs packing. Now the huntress <em>really</em> surprised the scholar by giving such a...well, reasonable was a word for it, but Audra thought 'low' was actually more apt in describing the price the huntress gave for her services. For the typical household back in the homeland the price would have been steep...but Audra hardly came from a typical household. Fifty thousand was a drop in the bucket for the Malpare Trading Company. Audra tried not to let the surprise show too much on her face and redoubled her smile. After bluntly introducing herself as a Malpare, Audra would have thought the huntress would have at least milked her a bit with the prices. Just like simple thuggery, it seemed Natalia was above that.&nbsp; <br><br>"If you would like to take us to a more secure place, I can count out your initial payment," Audra said. She'd let the huntress lead the way. "How is the hunting here? Vastwood's been inspiring so many fantastical bard tales back home about beasts the size of houses and even fortresses." 
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				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>22-03-2014, 10:29:05</strong>
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				Natalia's price had been a fairly reasonable one, she had always been more about the thrill of the hunt and the desire to strengthen herself by fighting monsters then she had been about the money anyway. If she was looking to retire, she'd already have enough money to see her comfortable for the rest of her life, as long as she was somewhat frugal and responsible with her spending. Either way, as she led the way back to the inn where she was staying at, she'd glance back and give Audra one final term to their contract. "Oh, and then there's the obvious liability clause. Basically, if it turns out that you lied to me and my assignment turned out to be WAY more dangerous then expected, you can expect fines and extra fees from there." After that was when Audra asked about how hunting was around these parts, and for the first time since the two met, she'd be able to see a smile crack across Natalia's face. "It's not so bad. Challenging for sure, and the creatures out there force you to stay on your toes, but it's good training. As for the sizes? Heh... well... If we stay out in the wild for long enough, you'll see for yourself."<br><br>Right in front of the inn, just as Natalia was reaching out for the doorknob that would take them inside, she stopped before looking back over towards Audra. "Oh, where are my manners? Forgive me, my name is Natalia Erwin." She turned towards Audra, offering the other woman her hand as she gave her name.<br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>22-03-2014, 19:05:10</strong>
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				"Pleasure is mine, Natalia, truly," Audra replied, taking Natalia's hand giving the huntress a firmer grip than she might have expected out of scholar, especially one supposedly as helpless as Audra was. "I have a quill and some ink on me--I'd like a comprehensive list of those fees and extra charges in writing." &nbsp;She was tempted to also ask for the whole contract in writing, but the huntress really seemed like too honest a person to really screw Audra over. <br><br>Once they were in Natalia's inn room, Audra wasted little time in commandeering the desk and pulling off a small pouch off of her belt. The back of the pouch had the Malpare family crest on it, an ornate coat of arms with a horse on side and a what could only be the figure head of a ship on the other. As promised, Audra reached into her backpack and pulled out some ink, a quill, and some parchment for Natalia. "Make sure to write down everything so there's no disputing later." And with that, she opened up the pouch and started to pull other imperials. The pouch was maybe large enough to store a hundred coins, maybe. At least from the outside, But Audra kept pulling out handful after handful of coins. While not too common a sight, these magical pouches were a favorite of merchants and traders. It allowed them to carry way more money on their person than they otherwise could. Trading on credit was hardly a popular thing to do nowadays, especially in the colonies, so being able to have more money on you was a boon, if maybe also a curse. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>22-03-2014, 19:25:08</strong>
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				Natalia blinked a few times in surprise when she saw the constant stream of money coming from the small and unassuming coin-purse that Audra had on her person. Since she had no such accessory, she ended up needing to make use of the bank that they had set up by the docks. It was frustrating, but it wasn't like Natalia had much of a choice. Either way, while Natalia started pulling out the down payment, Natalia set to laying out all of her terms and fees on paper, pretty much matching exactly what was said on the walk over to her inn room. Under the main terms, which Audra would already know, were a list of potential risks and complications, and how much the penalty fees would run her. The 'danger scale' ran off of a tier list from one to five stars, with each star having a list of conditions under it that would mark a task for falling under that tier. Humorously enough, each star was a <em>multiplier</em> to the contract fee, rather then an addition, each one getting more harsh then the last.<br><br>When she handed the contract back, she decided to say a few words to alleviate a few of Audra's worries. "Don't worry, by the way. Those conditions are usually never met. They're just in place to prevent people from tasking us hunters to go and dispatch of a rat infestation, only to actually send us in against a Wyvern or something. I promise you, unless something truly otherworldly happens while we're out there, you won't have to worry about the danger clause... Here, let me show you why that is." <br><br>She pointed towards a paragraph at the top, where she laid out the specifics of the task that Audra would be contracting out of Natalia. "You'll see right here at the top how I wrote out that we don't know what's out there, and that conflict with A-grade monsters is anticipated right from the beginning. It would take <em>literally</em> the appearance of an S-grade monster for you to start raking in the danger clause penalties... and well..." she paused, letting out a sound that seemed halfway between a cough and a laugh. "That WON'T happen."<br><br>At least they had a talking point for the road, if Audra was curious about what kinds of monsters were marked under what grades.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>22-03-2014, 23:20:39</strong>
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				"Is that a fact or a hope, Miss Erwin?" Audra said, flashing another smile. Even looking over written terms and the possible fees that might accrued, Audra didn't seem to be at all phased. Even after counting the two thousand imperials she owed Natalia as a down payment, the huntress may have noticed that the bag still seemed to be brimming with coins. "Here you are: two thousand. I know even less of what we're likely to find out there...but unlike some other possible employers you may have had, I'm coming along on this one, so I happen to lead you into a dragon's den, it'll be just as much my funeral as it would be yours." She doubt that would have given her much sympathy, but it couldn't hurt to maybe negotiate the fees down after the fact. Not that it seemed she was hurting for money, though. Audra took one more look over the terms of the contract, and picked up her quill. Her signature was as ornate and flourished as one would have expected out of a daughter of one of the most affluent trading families on the northern face of Golan. <br><br>"What, pray tell, qualifies as a S-grade monster?" Audra put away her coin purse, clipping it back onto her belt and getting up from the desk. If there was nothing else to mutually agree on, the only thing they had to commit themselves to was the day's trek to the supposed ruins Audra knew about. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>22-03-2014, 23:30:47</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"It's a fact, lady Malpare."<br><br>With that, Natalia would tuck away the contract securely in her hunter's bag, and she'd take the two thousand coins and place them within another pouch that she kept by her side. In fact, it looked as though she was carrying a bag that operated much on the same principle that Audra's purse did, though since it was designed for hunting equipment and supplies rather then money, she was only able to keep a small amount on her person. After that, the two of them were able to get on the road, and it was on the way out that Audra asked Natalia about what qualified as an S-grade monster. Glancing over in her direction as she set out on the dirt trail that would lead the two of them out of town, the huntress spoke in a relaxed, neutral tone. "Legendary monsters, pretty much. The kind that most people will likely never see in their lifetimes... Natural disasters follow in their wake, and it's been said that entire civilizations have been claimed by their power when unchecked... The most recent one that comes to mind would be... mmm..."<br><br>She put a hand on her temple, shutting her eyes and coming to a stop for a second as she tried to think. "The Talicus. It was a colossal fire dragon that almost destroyed our homeland about a hundred years or so. It took the entirety of the hunter's guild resources and manpower to bring the thing down. You might have heard tales about it, it was the most victorious moment in the history of the Hunting Guilds, and a bookmark moment in the history of Eclesia."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>23-03-2014, 00:35:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Ah, you're from Eclesia," Audra said. "Land of dragon slayers. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that a talented huntress is from there. My family has some strong business contacts in Eclesia, likely from our ancestors' involvement in the reconstruction effort after the Talicus' death." It was rather unfortunate, but many merchant houses were built on the backs of other people's tragedies and disasters, but supplies and wares needed to get somewhere and they weren't going to move themselves. As they made their way along the dirt road, Audra was waiting for the trail to disappear off into a thicket of ferns and oversized plants. Even if Audra didn't know all that much about Vastwood and its colonies, she did know that expansion was slow. Unlike some of the other lands northern ships have landed at, Vastwood seemed to be devoid of any sort of natives. Likely for best, considering how some unscrupulous, though still legal, trades were in full bloom because of the discover of fairly primitive, indigenous peoples. Audra couldn't say that her family had washed its hands of those endeavors, though. Either way, no previous local knowledge and the fact that the monsters were the primary, constant threat, kept colonists confided to the coast and along the rivers that fed directly back into the ocean.<br><br>"Alright. So world-wide calamity harbingers are S-grade. What are A-grades? You wrote on the contract that we're expected to run into those. If S-grades are capable of bringing whole nations to their knees, please tell me it's a rather distantly held position."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>23-03-2014, 00:51:57</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				An amused smirk spread it's way across Natalia's lips as she heard the uncertainty in Audra's voice concerning the difference between S grade monsters and A grade ones. Before that, though, she couldn't help but grow curious about where Audra called home. After all, while it was true that the Malpare shipping industry was renowned worldwide, Natalia knew nothing about where it was based out of. That could wait though, first, she wanted to put a few of Audra's worries at ease. "The disparity between A grade and S grade monsters is quite enormous. In fact, all the grades have rather large gaps between them. A grade monsters are extremely dangerous, deadly for even experienced hunters to fight on their own. However, they can still be handled by a small team if each member pulls their weight, and the highest rank hunters are capable of fighting them alone and winning..." Natalia was never one to flaunt her strength, but Audra could probably tell from the proud smirk on the huntress' face that she was no stranger to handling A rank monsters on her own.<br><br>After that, she was finally able to scratch that itch as she turned her gaze towards Audra. By now the dirt road was starting to face away, as it was overtaken by the roots of gigantic plants, and an innumerable amount of different kinds of foliage that littered the ground. By this point, the azure clad huntress turned towards Audra and motioned into the thicket. "You should lead the way, since you're the one that knows where we're going." Back on the road again, there obviously wasn't going to be much to talk about other then the question that still rattled in Natalia's mind. "So where's home for you, then? You already know that I'm Eclisian..."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>23-03-2014, 01:55:15</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				What apparent concern was on Audra's features melted away with a relieved sigh when Natalia confirmed her hopes that there a large gap in power between the monster grades. "Well, good to know I'm in the company of such a skilled huntress~ I do like to think I have an eye of quality." &nbsp;It would have been impossible for Audra to become an adult in her family without having picked up a few tricks for the assessment of goods and people. "When we make camp tonight, you'll have to tell me about your greatest hunts to date." And yet again, nothing wrong with further ego stroking...especially since it seemed that Audra's offer for potential bonuses had gone over the huntress' head. <br><br>When road ended and she was prompted to take the lead, Audra reached into one of the many pouches on her belt and pulled out a map. The trouble with playing the helpless noblewoman, she couldn't do the usual things that she did to multitask. Oh well. The map was small, but rather detailed. It showed the location of Riverspear as well as the area around it within, about two days of travel. Though most of it was largely marked as forest. A single red X marked their destination, a day's travel north of Riverspear. <br><br>Audra gave Natalia a slightly bewildered look at her question. "I already told you where I come from. ...oh, you've likely not spent much time in the citystates, have you? I'm Audra Malpare <em>da Caren</em>. In trade-tongue that's...<em>of Caren</em>. I'm from the citystate of Caren. Guess you could say I'm a Caren technically. Nice and tidy. It's a merchant city, and being in the middle of the other citystates along the southern coast, it's a <em>the</em> trading hub. And my family practically owns most of it. Sure there's a ruling counsel of all the trading companies, but the Malpare vote counts for a lot. Oh there I go again with silly ramblings about politics." A splash of ditz to her persona. Audra was likely to continue to add to taste.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>23-03-2014, 02:27:34</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Huh... interesting." Natalia simply kept quiet and nodded as Audra explained more about the culture around what she referred to as the 'citystates'. Truth be told, Natalia had never even heard the term before. She had never left her home country before coming across the seas to Vastwood, so most of what Audra talked about ended up flying completely over her head. Still, a small amused smile did spread across the blonde warrior's lips as she listened to Audra go off on that tangent, and it seemed as though she was completely eating out of her client's hand when it came to the purple haired woman's ditsy, helpless persona. Either way, Natalia would be pleasantly surprised by the fact that the two of them had a fairly uneventful day, there were a few small monsters littering the forest trail, but dispatching them barely required Natalia to unsheathe her sword. Around the time that the sun started to set, the two women found themselves closing in on that large red X that marked Audra's map.<br><br>Natalia had no clue what in the world the two of them were looking for, so when she saw that the two of them were getting close, and that the sun was starting to set, she looked over towards Audra with a curious look in her eye. "Alright, what are we looking for here?" No doubt Audra knew exactly what she had come here for, and even though Natalia still had her doubts and questions about the woman and why she was here, right now she was under contract and willing to humor the wealthy noblewoman for as long as was needed.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>23-03-2014, 04:01:52</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The stories of Vastwood told all across the northern continent would have you believe that it was hard to take more than a few steps among the sky-scraping trees without being accosted by some sort of monster ready to tear you limb from limb. What monster they did encounter on the trail Natalia handled without even bringing her sword to bear. Audra concluded that if Natalia found the occasion to actually use her sword then the scholar had every right to be at least a little worried. <br><br>"I...actually don't know," Audra admitted. She let out a bit of a sheepish laugh. It might have served the persona she was putting on, but Audra really didn't know what the map she had was really leading her to. Aside from the fact there were supposed to be ruins at the location, Audra hadn't the faintly clue of what she was going to find there. "We'll just have to go there and see what's there. That's just part of the excitement though, right?" <br><br>The canopy in this part of Vastwood didn't seem to be particularly thick, at least in the way that they could see the orange and red streaked sky made possible by the setting sun. "What's your recommendation, Miss Erwin? Press onto the ruins and make camp there? Or find a place somewhere more immediate to make camp?" 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>23-03-2014, 04:20:12</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				With Natalia being asked for her suggestion about what to do for the remainder of the night, she glanced back over in Audra's direction with a calm, neutral inflection as she spoke. "Rule number one in the hunter's handbook. NEVER set up camp in an insecure location. We'll push on to the ruins and set up camp there, finding a place out here? Out in the open? We'd be asking for trouble, we've been lucky so far that the trip has been uneventful, I'd rather not push it." However, just as she had finished speaking, the two of them would be able to feel a soft *thump* nearby, and looking over to the side, it wasn't hard to see the canopy of trees breaking and giving way to a large, powerful, unidentifiable mass. "Uh-oh..."<br><br>Natalia softly pushed Audra backwards, one of her hands going to the handle of her claymore as she spoke. "Take a step back." Assuming that Audra obliged, Natalia would unsheathe her blade and rest the tip into the ground in front of her. After a second of suspense in silence, the mass finally broke through the final line of trees blocking it from the view of the adventurers, and it's towering form was revealed as that of a bipedal goat-like creature with moss covering the entire upper half of it's body. Aside from that, it swung around a colossal, mace-like tail that would likely take off a person's head if it got a clean swipe off. However, even upon seeing the gargantuan, hulking form of the creature, Natalia let out a sigh of relief. "Oh! It's just a Duram... I thought it was something dangerous for a second."<br><br>She glanced back towards Audra, nodding her way. "Get clear and find a place to lay low. This should only take a few minutes." It was big, yes, but it was dumb and slow. Even as it turned it's head and looked towards Natalia, it took a few seconds for it's brain to register the small human as hostile, and it let out a fierce roar in her direction. However, Natalia was entirely unphased as she lifted her blade off the ground and rushed in. The 'Duram' swung around once, using it's tail as a weapon as it looked to crush the human with a single fatal swipe. However, it was easy work for Natalia to roll gracefully under it, skid to a stop as she came back to her feet, and stab upwards towards the Duram's hip joint, where it let out a howl of agony and hopped back.<br><br>The battle had only just begun, but Natalia looked to be in complete control of the situation.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>23-03-2014, 05:26:31</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Despite the sheer bulk and mass of the creature Natalia called a Duram, Audra found it a little unnerving that the huntress didn't find the creature unnerving. If that sort of creature didn't quality as 'dangerous', Audra was wondering what did. Nodding at the instructions given to her, Audra dashed off into the forest, selecting a thicket of ferns to hide within, but one that would still give her a look at the battle. Audra watched as Natalia easily roll beneath the massive flail of a tail the Duram sported and delivered a brutal stab with her sword, all on one seamless movement. Oh yes, Audra had selected well. The huntress seemed in complete control. Not that it meant she couldn't use a little help. <br><br>Audra reached for one of the ornate, slim rolling pins on her hips and unattached it from her belt. The creature was big and slow and seemed to favor its tail for attacks, even Audra was able to figure that out. Natalia said the battle should take only a few minutes. Well Audra had little patience, especially if she was supposed to just sit back and watch. Gripping the black cylinder in her hand, Audra positioned it parallel to the ground and gave it a slight squeeze. A stream of light flowed out of the cylinder, unraveling and twisting like a scroll. The light itself were words, written in a long dead language, but very much readable to those that studied magic. The words of light twisted around Audra's body, never touching her though. Hopefully the huntress would be too focused on her fight to really pay attention to Audra's hiding spot and the faint glow radiating from within. <br><br>Audra let go of the cylinder and it float right in front of her. "Alright...how best to expedite the process..." Audra reached out and touched the ancient, power-filled words and made a motion as if she were going to unravel the scroll of light even further. The words flashed rapidly before her, but Audra was reading each one, weighing their usefulness. "Ah, I'll take you...and you and you." She 'plucked' the words right from the scroll and assembled them off to the side. The process took maybe ten, fifteen seconds. Smiling at her little concoction, Audra pushed the cylinder floating in front of her to the side and brought the assembled spell before her. She intoned the words, her voice dropping deep and earthy and suddenly growing harsh like gravel. The ground the Duram was stomping on groaned beneath its sheer weight. As soon as it took another step, a gaping hole would open up and swallow up its legs. It wasn't much, but Audra wanted to limit its range of motion and thus limit the use of its tail. She left the rest up to Natalia. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>23-03-2014, 05:41:39</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Everything was about as routine to Natalia as it possibly could be, and she felt herself fall into a familiar rhythm as she dealt with the Duram (shortened name, by the way, the monster's full name was Duramboros). However, in the middle of one of her movements away from the creature, she noticed that the ground beneath it's feet became unnaturally soft, and it actually gave way as the feet of the large creature sunk into the earth a small ways. Bewildered at first, Natalia decided to simply take advantage of it first, and question it later. It was another trick of the trade that one simply came to learn as a Hunter, when life gave you lemons, you <em>made the damn lemonade</em>, you didn't waste precious seconds standing around wondering where in the world the lemons had come from. With that in mind, Audra would see maybe a quarter of a second of hesitation before the blonde huntress fully capitalized on her spell and lunged forward.<br><br>With a single powerful sweeping motion, she sent her blade slicing through the Duram's leg. The large creature howled in pain and ended up collapsing onto it's side. With it's back now exposed, Audra would be able to see a pair of large, lumpy mounds on the Duram's back, similar to how a camel stored water in it's back. With those lumps exposed and within reach, Audra would once again be able to watch as Natalia lifted her cloth covered arm up by her hand with it's fist clenched. The leather would begin to glow a bright red, and just as it flared with energy, she reached out and grabbed the handle of her sword with both hands. The resulting flare caused her gigantic sword to glow a pure, blinding shade of red as the blonde huntress let out a fearsome war cry. Natalia lunged forward with her blade, stabbing it right into one of the lumps before she sliced it smoothly through the flesh of the beast and ripped it out the other side. Another cry of agony, and a few seconds of the Duram thrashing about, and the large creature's carcass slumped over peacefully while the red energy died down from both Natalia's blade and her gauntlet.<br><br>She sheathed it smoothly, before looking around to see where Audra had gone. She had been paying too much attention to the Duram, so she had no idea where her contractor had gone. "It's over. You can come out now."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>23-03-2014, 06:12:44</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				For a moment Audra thought she might have shocked Natalia into submission, but the mage smiled as the huntress decided to not to look her perfectly good gift horse in the mouth. Audra expected to see just a show of sheer brute force once Natalia had her opportunity, but she hadn't expected Natalia's gauntlet and sword to glow as it did as it rend the flesh of fallen Duram's hump and put the beast out of its misery. When Natalia gave the all clear, Audra placed wrapped up her 'scroll' and placed the black cylinder back on her hip. She sprung out of her hiding spot in excitement. <br><br>"That was amazing!" Audra exclaimed running over to the huntress and giving her a wide-eye expression of awe and wonder. It quickly turned sly and knowing and she playfully elbowed Natalia lightly on her armored belly. "You said a few minutes just to really impress me with the quick work, didn't you?" She'd walk over to the now dead Duram and gawked at its sheer mass. "You didn't even sound concern about this thing...I can see why, but gods, Miss Erwin. I'm guessing this wasn't one of those A-grade monsters you mentioned?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>23-03-2014, 06:29:53</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia couldn't help but put on a small, sheepish grin at the way that Audra praised her when the woman came out of hiding. Of course, the huntress herself was still completely oblivious to the fact that it was Audra that had helped her move the fight along so easily. Normally it would have taken Natalia about five minutes of dodging and harassing at his legs before she was able to bring the creature down and deliver the finishing blow. "Yeah. This is what's called a Duramboros. While still deadly, it's dumb and operates on instinct. B grade." She smiled lightly before continuing on her way. "It may may look big and scary, but it's actually extremely easy for a trained hunter to outmaneuver it and exploit it's weaknesses... See these humps? They're where it stores it's energy, and they're connected right to the creature's heart. Meaning, if you stab into the humps, it's the Duram equivalent of stabbing a human through the jugular."<br><br>When she was done with her little lecture, she looked off to the side before shuddering. "A-anyway, we should be moving on... There's a bit of a bad luck charm among hunters about lingering near large corpses..." And with those final words said, she'd allow Audra to lead the way again until they arrived at the ruins. Thankfully, there would be no more interruptions until the two of them arrived.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>23-03-2014, 20:37:08</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The Duran's weakness seemed so obvious and straightforward now that Natalia explained it. Though Audra don't think she could have come up with something a bit more subtle than the sink hole she engineered. If it weren't for the particular circumstances of where they were, Audra didn't think that it was particularly subtle either. The ditzy noblewoman Audra pretended to be nodded with great interest at the huntress' explanation. <br><br>"I did hear hunters are a superstitious lot," Audra said, not judging, but curious to have her assumptions confirmed. "Though, I suppose hanging around corpses, no the matter the size or the circumstances, isn't something people should normally do." Audra's solution would be eliminate all traces of there ever having been a corpse, but she wasn't going to make that suggestion right then. With the lead given back to her, Audra took a moment to re-orientate herself and decided to look to the huntress for direction with a bewildered look on her face. Oh Audra knew what direction north was, but she wanted Natalia to point to it. Once they were back on their way toward the ruin, Audra would say, "You said that Dorumbozo thing was a B-grade monster? What's an A-grade monster you've fought here?" <br><br>The sun would be a sliver on the horizon and the forest floor would be cast in mostly darkness by the time they arrived at the ruins. They'd first discover the nearly earth reclaimed stone road in the earth, the buried beneath a layer of moss and brambles. Audra had pretend to take some care by lifting up her robes a bit to gingerly navigate the brambles. Despite the environment of the forest and the thickets of underbrush they cross through, Audra's clothes, despite, as the scholar had said, being ill-suited for the weather, didn't seem to be any worst for wear. But no matter. Following the nearly invisible road, they'd find just what Audra was looking for. The ruins were built into a knoll, the top of the small hill crowned with what appeared to be a broken, tower sandwiched and crushed between two of Vastwood's great skyscraping trees. The roots of the trees dominated the knoll, weaving themselves down the hill and draping themselves over what appeared to be the main entrance of the ruins. <br><br>It appeared there had been much more to the structure as they approached what was still standing and being molested by the forest.&nbsp; But those buildings, or sections of a greater building had been lost to time. What was left standing was a stone structure with large, open windows. Some ruins, the further you got had evidence of glass, but here it didn't appear the builders had access to that. Or maybe they did and this was a building that didn't require it for whatever reason. Who was to say? The entry way into the building itself was a large and cavernous doorway, propped up by stone pillars teeming with vines and moss. "I think you should lead the way inside, Miss Erwin."&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>23-03-2014, 21:05:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia took a few seconds to muse on Audra's question when she asked about A grade monsters that she had fought here, and when she gave her response it was in less lively a tone then Audra might have expected. "I've only fought one. And it was... not fun. You might have heard on the boat ride over that some of the local rivers were being claimed by a leviathan like creature, right? No hunter wanted to fight it, because nobody had a lot of information about what it was like." She stopped along the road, motioning towards the azure scales that Audra had been checking out earlier in the day. "These scales actually came off it's back, interestingly enough. The creature was what's known as a Lagiacrus, a fearsome sea dragon that has lightning magic running through it's veins. I was able to kill it, but it was a hard fought battle. The creature was extremely fast, and obviously following it into the water was a deathwish, so I needed to find ways to constantly lure it back onto land. Eventually, when it got weak and tired, it retreated to a small cave by the riverside, where I was able to deliver the finishing blow."<br><br>With her story finished, she went quiet while the trail forward continued to grow more and more overrun by nature, until the two of them finally broke into the clearing of the ruins. Awestruck by what she saw, Natalia took a few steps forward. She never had any idea that there were actual traces of civilization in this place, though it must have been so long ago that whoever it was had probably died out by now. After all, they'd have been found by now, since these people would have continued to enhance their civilization and evolve right alongside the modern world, right? Either way, at Audra's insistence, she would nod and start to lead the way into the ruins. "Once we're out of the wilderness, I suggest we find a safe place to set up camp for the night and save the exploration for tomorrow, the last thing we need is for fatigue to get the better of us while we're in there, don't you agree?"<br><br>Once she had Audra's answer, she would do as her client asked and step in front of Audra as she ventured headfirst into the ruins. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>23-03-2014, 23:06:15</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia's story had Audra applauding earnestly before the more immediate discovery of the ruins. Following the huntress inside, Audra could only marvel at the interplay between ancient structure and nature's slow reclaiming of it. The further the pair traveled inside, the higher the ceiling climbed above them and the less of nature's encroaching grasp seemed to making it side the ancient place. The vines and the moss and occasional plant that managed to sprout from between the lines in the stone floor faded into pristine stonework. Eventually they emerged out into a highly vault stone dome of a ceiling. The floor was chiseled marble and the walls were embossed with what appeared to be depictions of what appeared to be buildings and people. The detail worked into the carvings must have been painstaking. Or done some other way than by hand. Audra's first thought for anything grand or intricate was magic anyway. In the center of the room were four torso-high slabs. They appeared to be barren altars of a sort. The stonework carving worked into them were especially intricate. While the carvings on each of the altars were different, they all shared one thing in common: they all had reliefs in the dead center on their surfaces.<br><br>"Very curious," Audra said, her ditzy facade falling away for a moment as she took in the sight of the room and the four altars it seemed to house. "Perhaps this was once their equivalent of a cathedral?" It definitely had the hallmarks of a holy site. The sheer grandness meant to transport all those who entered into the realm of whatever god or gods they were to pay tribute and pray to was definitely a giveaway there. "Would this be an acceptable place to make camp then?" Audra didn't think they were going to find a relatively cleaner, flat place to settle down for the evening.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>23-03-2014, 23:22:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia, again, found herself awestruck by the cathedral that the two of them had managed to stumble into. She had to admit, she found herself somewhat curious about what the people living in this region. What were they like? What were these gods that this very cathedral was dedicated to? What happened to them? Were they simply overrun by monsters? That didn't seem likely, considering that there were still ruins like this standing strong even after what looked like an extreme amount of time had passed. She had never been very curious about other cultures, all she ever cared about was furthering her own strength and maturing as a hunter, but this ruin sparked her imagination in a way that it never had been before.<br><br>It wasn't until Audra asked her about the camp site that Natalia snapped back to reality. Looking back at her companion and having completely missed the lowering of the ditsy persona, she nodded. "Yes. This would work." Taking to her knees, Natalia pulled out the roll out pack that she kept on her back just alongside her waist and beneath her sword. Opening it up, she broke out a bedroll as well as a few sets of dried and packaged rations. "I assume you packed appropriately for the trip?" If not, Natalia would have to improvise, but she'd find a way to make it work.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>24-03-2014, 07:19:36</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I sure hope I did," Audra said, not sounding at all concern about the possibility that she hadn't. Most people packed their bedroll and tent into tightly bound bundles that went over or on top of their backpacks. Audra set her backpack down and soon revealed that whatever magic operated on her coin purse had been upscaled on her backpack. She pulled out her bedroll right out of the pack and set it down. Audra then committed herself to further rummaging and reached her whole arm into the backpack, looking like she was pawing around for something very specific. A look of triumph lit up her features and she retracted her arm, bringing up with her an oil lamp. Devoting her arm again to another trip into the seeming pit that was her backpack, Audra found the oil for it as well, and a matchbox.<br><br>"There we are,"Audra said, loading the lamp with some oil and striking a match to set it alight. A nimbus of light surrounded them and fought against the darkness of the great domed chamber. Their shadows would flicker and play on the walls. "Can't say I have the fixings to make a fire in here, but we'll have some light for now." A light that Audra was all too eager to pick up and bring with her to the far wall of the massive room. There were other other doors way that fed into the domed chamber. But Audra didn't go wander off to investigate. There was plenty in domed room for the time being, what with the embossed images on the walls. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>24-03-2014, 16:18:46</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				With the lamp hanging overhead to give them a little bit of light, Natalia was easily able to set up the rest of the camp without any difficulty. Of course the rest of the camp didn't exactly consist of much, only a few perimeter traps that would give the two of them some time to get ready if anything was able to sneak up on them in the middle of the night. Natalia wasn't expecting anything of the sort, seeing as how this building didn't have any signs of being inhabited by any living thing thing, but it never hurt to be prepared. With the perimeter set up, the blonde huntress went about shedding the dark blue armor that she wore. Underneath she was wearing a simplistic, sturdy leather outfit that seemed designed for comfort rather then durability, which made since seeing as how it was a buffer layer between her bare skin and pure steel. With her gear set off to the side of her bedroll, she stretched her arms over her head and let out a soft groan. "Nnnn! Alright..."<br><br>With nothing better to do, she looked off to the side and turned her attention towards the rations that she had pulled out before, which consisted mainly of dried fruit and jerky. It was designed to last for a fair bit of time without turning bad, so all of it was dried out and tightly packaged. Before eating, though, she'd turn her attention towards Audra to see what she had brought along for the trip. Natalia often packed enough for a couple of days on the road, so she'd have rations to spare, but it wasn't going to last them more then a night or two if that was what it came to.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>25-03-2014, 05:11:21</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Audra held the light of her lantern up the images on the walls. And with her other arm she fumbled with the clasp on a belt pouch and pulled out a piece of charcoal and a sheet of paper. How did normal people manage without magic? Keeping up this ditzy, normal act had it's disadvantages, and one of them was that she couldn't multi-task properly. Setting the lantern down, Audra pressed the paper against the images and rubbed the charcoal over the paper, producing the carbon copies she wanted. She didn't have nearly enough paper to do all of the images in the room, but Audra settled for the ones that caught her eyes first. <br><br>She'd get five images in total copied onto paper before moving back to sit at their camping spot. "I could spend weeks here," Audra said. "And that's just in this room alone." Audra appeared to be absolutely elated to be in the ruins. Most of that wasn't a front either. Though the reason for Audra's eagerness to explore the place beyond for its own sake couldn't be known. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>25-03-2014, 05:22:53</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia would look towards Audra with an amused smile on her face, and the stark contrast between the two women could be put on full display right there. Natalia worried herself with eating dinner, keeping herself strong and ensuring that she kept up her energy. Meanwhile, Audra pursued knowledge as she transcribed a series of images onto pieces of paper. She had pegged Audra for the airheaded scholarly type, the kind that was academically brilliant but had little to no real world experience, and so far that assumption turned out to be exactly right. As she ate, she looked up curiously towards Audra, who had come to join her and voiced her musings about the cathedral and how long she'd be able to spend here. "It's truly fascinating... I've never seen anything like it. I don't know if I'd be able to spend entire WEEKS here though, what exactly is it that you're studying? Did you find what you're looking for?"<br><br>Come to think of it, there was a lot about this task, and about Audra, that Natalia knew nothing about. Well, now was as good a time as any to start learning. Natalia wasn't quite tired enough to go to bed yet, and judging from her excitement and wonder, Audra wasn't going to be getting sleep any time soon either.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>28-03-2014, 04:54:29</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I'm not looking for anything in particular," Audra said. "Nor am I really studying anything specific. Many of the scholars back home have talked about visiting some of the other colonies and attempting to research the ruins there, but thanks to the lost expeditions, and the survivors of the few that didn't go completely missing, Vastwood is firmly off a lot of lists. Not much was really found in the other ruins, so why risk it in Vastwood if all they're going to find is a whole lot of nothing other than the occasional impressive structure." With that Audra gestured widely to the giant chamber they were in. <br><br>"It's just fascinating to think there were whole societies that just faded out of existence. It should be rather humbling to the nations of today. When they're reduced to empty buildings overgrown with ivy, what will people discover of them." Audra wasn't sure where that bit of philosophical musing came from, but she honestly couldn't agree more with it.&nbsp; "I think there's something in this...temple? Temple. We'll have to go looking for it tomorrow." 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>28-03-2014, 05:08:56</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It seemed more and more likely that Natalia's assumption was hit right on the head with Audra. Brain smart, head dumb. With the other woman's speculation on this temple, and her philosophical tidbit on the societies of today, the swordswoman couldn't help but smile a little bit. To think that this woman would be willing to put herself in incredible danger for the sake of exploration and progress, it was impressive to Natalia, to say the least. She was suddenly a lot more glad that she had decided to come along on this little adventure, since she was confident that the two of them were not through their trials just yet, and Natalia would have to perform her duties as the bodyguard at least one more time before they got back to the colony. "I agree. If you're prepared, we should get to sleep. You'll want to start early tomorrow, I assume?"<br><br>Natalia's gaze lifted up towards the ceiling as she said this, and while it was hard to see at this time of day, she could make out several cracks in the ceiling where the sunlight from tomorrow's first light would be able to break through and wake the two of them up. Natalia was grateful for that, truth be told, she often found it unnerving to camp in caves where she had no way to track the time.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>30-03-2014, 02:52:58</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"As early as I can," Audra said, putting on a cheery smile and letting the eagerness ooze through word. She settled onto her bedroll, content enough it seemed to sleep in just the clothes she was wearing. Where as Natalia might have though that the cracks in the ceiling were good for letting the light in, Audra was concerned about rain. While she seemed eager to be out and exploring, Audra couldn't have felt more at home in the study she kept at one of her family's villas. She reminded herself she was here for a reason, even Natalia didn't know what it really was. <br><br>It wouldn't take much for Audra to fall asleep. In fact, she snored a little. While their journey to the ruined temple was, relatively, uneventful, their night within its walls would be anything but. Early morning, still dark out, and Natalia would be alerted to one of her perimeter traps being set off. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>30-03-2014, 03:04:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia's body had been trained for five years to identify the sounds of her perimeter traps going off, and as soon as she heard the metal rattling against each other with the snapping string line, her eyes snapped wide open and her hand was instantly on the hilt of her sword. She had gotten to sleep not long after Audra called it a night, but while she had always been a light sleeper, her time as a hunter kicked it up to an extreme that didn't seem normal for most people. As such, while she wouldn't be in her armor, she would be ready for whatever snapped that trap. <br><br>While standing guard and waiting to see the culprit, Natalia glanced out of the corner of her eye towards Audra, curious to see rather or not the somewhat soft metal rattling had been enough to wake her up as well. She wouldn't blame the noblewoman if she had been able to sleep through it, it took a long time for Natalia to adjust the way she had, after all.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>30-03-2014, 03:52:39</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Audra had waited for Natalia to fall asleep for her to set up her own security measures, namely wards that she went to place nearby the huntress' traps. She wouldn't have been able to hear them go off, but she'd know through a magical link if they were triggered. Her golden eyes snapped open, but she didn't move from where she was. Natalia had already gotten to her feet to stand guard. Her wards were basic, namely because she had to cast them multiple times, so she didn't get a whole lot of information from them. The only thing she did know was it was person that triggered them. And that, considering the time and where they were, wasn't a good thing.<br><br>Whoever had the idea of approaching the temple by stealth suddenly realized their cover was blown, because they decided to drop the pretense. The sound of heavy boots and the links of chain mail could be heard approaching them from down the corridor the women had used to enter the temple in the first place. Before the figures could come into view, a billowing cloud of smoke rushed through the corridor and into the room. <br><br>Audra decided to 'wake up'. "W-what's going on?" She asked, letting out a yawn. Seeing the smoke she blinked and quickly got to her feet. From out of the fog a group of heavily armored men, four holding halberds and two holding crossbows, emerged. Their faces were covered with cloth, to shield themselves from the smoke. Behind them a man, lightly armored in leathers came to stand behind them. He had the look of a nobleman about him, standing tall and in command. His hair was dark and his eyes a sharp green. They met with Audra's and recognition registered for both of them.<br><br>"Retrieve the lady," he said to his troops. "I'll deal with the warrior." Audra immediately broke into a run, and headed down one of the other corridors. She needed to find...whatever it was that was in here. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>30-03-2014, 04:15:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia had expected some breed of small monster to be the culprit of the trap breaking, and as such she was not prepared for the smoke to come roaring into the room. Her guard dropped immediately, and she began coughing heavily as she ingested the smoke. After that, she saw the group of armed soldiers rush into the room, four of them pointing halberds at them with another two wielding crossbows. "The lady?" She looked towards Audra in confusion, only to see the woman sprinting down one of the corridors with the six soldiers in hot pursuit. This left Natalia alone with the commander of the group, and as she started to recover from the smoke bomb, she got into a stable stance and pressed her blade into the ground in order to not let the weight affect her arms for too long. "Who are you? What's going on here?" Natalia had a lot more questions then that going through her mind, but those two would be a good enough place to start of he was willing to answer them.<br><br>She just wished she had enough time to put her armor on, she felt naked just standing here in her simple leather tunic and trousers.<br><br>........................<br><br>Through the corridors, the other six people that answered beneath the mystery commander were chasing Audra, and while a few crossbow bolts would occasionally zip by and narrowly miss her, she was likely able to keep the distance between her and the squad as long as she kept running and didn't hit any dead ends. Whatever she was looking for, though, she'd need to find it fast. The odds of her being able to outlast a group of trained and skilled soldiers in a contest of stamina weren't exactly high.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>30-03-2014, 06:28:04</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The green-eyed man had a pair of swords sheathed at his side. As well as what appeared to be a holster of some kind. He drew his swords and revealed them to be a pair of single-edged longswords. Both blades shone with a greenish tint that eerily matched the color of his eyes. He twirled them briefly and pointed one at Natalia and slowly advanced. <br><br>"That's privileged information," he said. "This whole place is privileged information. If anyone should be asking those questions, that would be me...but I've a fair guess at what Lady Audra intends." He stopped his slow advance and stood still for a moment. He swayed to the side before striking out from the other, leaping forward with both blades to cut at Natalia. <em>Fast</em> was the only word to describe him.<br><br><hr><br>They were actually <em>shooting</em> at<em> her</em>? What the <em>hell</em>?! Given the circumstances, Audra imagined their employers were none too happy with her, so a kill order might have gone out. They could be such bitches. An athlete Audra was not, but her legs could carry her quick if she put her mind to it. The guards, being weighed down by their armor. The corridor twisted and wound and Audra found herself passing by a few rooms, never managing to get a good glimpse into them. If there was anything important in this temple, Audra figured it would be tucked away deep. That just how it was, wasn't it? The important artifact was stored in the deepest room of the facility?<br><br>Audra pulled one of the black cylinders from her side and activated it. The stream of light coiled around her as she ran and she frantically found herself searching through the entries and pulling them out, and navigating the corridors as best she could, nearly crashing into a wall more than once. She found a set of stairs that led down eventually, opting the slide down the railing and stumbling on her dismount at the bottom. To find that she ended up in a complete dead end.&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>30-03-2014, 06:38:34</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia would parry his attack with grace that was surprising considering the size of her weapon, thanks to the fact that he taken to the offensive and telegraphed his attack while giving her enough time to retaliate. He was fast, but she had fought faster in the past. Compared to the icy predator of the frozen norths, this guy was nothing. With her blade standing firm and blocking both of his blades at the same time, Natalia glared at him right in the eye. "I wouldn't do this, if I were you. Do you know who I am?" Natalia shoved back against his dual swords, knocking away his attack before she rose her blade overhead and brought it down with a descending slash. "What gives you the right to attack me out of nowhere like this? I've done nothing to provoke you, and why does my client's plan matter to you? If she's doing something dangerous, I need to know."<br><br>Natalia kind of had a thing about putting lives in danger, even now she felt her hands shaking gently, fearing the possibility of having to end another human life.<br><br>...............<br><br>The chase was up once Audra came to that dead end, and once she arrived she'd be able to hear the sounds of boots scrambling down the stairs that she had just slid down. Upon the realization that Audra was cornered, the second in command of the group stepped forward, his halberd pointed out towards Audra as he spoke in a strong, serious tone. "Please, my lady, surrender now and come back peacefully. We have orders to bring you back alive so long as you cooperate, however, if you decide to resist, we do have permission to kill you."<br><br>He took another small step forward, his crossbow comrades at the ready just in case she tried something. "So which do you pick?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>30-03-2014, 07:31:06</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Oh, I'm well aware of who you are," the green-eyed man said. Even as he was pushed back, he kept his eyes fixed on Natalia. He side-stepped her blade and darted in close, faster still...and past her, attempting to hook his leg around one hers and make Natalia lose her footing. His swords would in help to further destabilize her. Natalia might have had qualms about killing this man, but he had none when it came to killing her.<br><br>"If you live long enough for my men to come back with her in tow, you can ask Lady Audra yourself."<br><br><hr><br>Audra smiled a wicked grin at the second in command. "You do know that's no real choice at all. You take me back alive and you might have just as well killed me here. You're just giving a stay of execution, that's all you're doing." Her eyes were alight with a keen, almost vulpine slyness that Natalia had yet to see out of her. She was a Malpare after all. And she could see that fact was acknowledged in the faces of each soldier there. The arms of the crossbowmen were trembling. She was Malpare, and therefore, very dangerous. It made her grin all the more. The word of light swirling around her were just about to reach the section she need to be in. <br><br>"But if you must have an answer. Here it is," Audra said. Her free hand gripped the other cylinder at her side and her eyes spotted the word she needed. Her eyes fixed on it, she moved it to join the rest of ones she pulled. "Zeh-kal-ra!" The words flashed and a gale of a wind manifested right in the middle of the group of soldiers, forcing their formation apart and blasting them to all sides of the room. Audra panted from the effort, her hands shaking. Second spell of the day. She shook her head at herself. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>30-03-2014, 07:41:50</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia was used to fighting hulking beasts who used raw power to overwhelm their opposition, and as such, the grace and martial skill he used to sweep her legs and cause her to fall to the ground caught her off guard. As such, she ended up falling to the ground and would likely have been a victim to whatever attack he wanted to land on her while she was downed. However, that was the point where things started to get a little bit... weird. When she saw his blade coming down to finish her off, Natalia threw herself into a roll out of the way, but she rolled so hard that she had no choice but to sink her blade into the floor in order to stop her momentum. From the green eyed man's perspective, she would look more akin to a crossbow bolt then a human as she tumbled across the floor.<br><br>When she got back up to her feet, her head would be lowered and her breathing would be slightly heavy, though he could also take this time to note that her sword had sunk into the foundation itself. Natala had just stabbed through concrete. "I will not die..."<br><br>Did he really know who she was? Because it was turning out that Audra wasn't the only one keeping secrets between the two of them.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>06-04-2014, 03:26:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Audra deactivated her scrolls and placed it back on belt. Glass cannon was an apt term...especially since the weapon itself wore down with each shot fired. <em>Highly impractical in close quarters and too much set up time...</em> Audra thought, evaluating the cylinders at her side. She panted, moving among the bodies and knocking away their weapons before checking their pulses. Audra turned her attention to the wall she had ran into. She looked around her and noticed alcoves with statuettes of people resting in them. The floor had patterns carved throughout the stone tiles. It was a lot of work to put into a space that was essentially a dead end. Or merely a storage area at the bottom of some stairs. She glanced at the cylinders at her sides. She shook her head again at herself. Not again today. Walking closer to the wall, Audra kept her eyes open and looked for...well, anything. It didn't take her long to find what she needed. <br><br>----------------------------------------------<br><br>The green-eyed man took several measured steps toward the heavily breathing warrior. His eyes went from the sword embedded in the stone to woman herself. "I don't believe you get to declare such things--" Before he could say any more, a flash of purple light filled the room. In the center of the room, where the altars were arranged, the space among them had opened up and released a violet beacon. A section of the roof above seemed to have retracted, and allowed the light to travel into the sky beyond. "Well. I guess my soldiers are dead," the man said, without much concern, merely stating fact. What appeared to be a pellet dropped out of the man's sleeve and the space around him filled with smoke. When it cleared, he'd be gone. Leaving Natalia before the great purple light. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>06-04-2014, 03:57:42</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				With the attacker gone, Natalia's breathing got more intense, her body shaking gently before she was able to compose herself and straighten back up. His soldiers were dead? How was that even possible, they all chased after Audra... wait, was Audra okay? Natalia realized that she'd have to go and find her, it was her duty to make sure that the noblewoman was safe, after all. Before she could do that, though, she sheathed her sword and turned around to face that bright yellow beacon that stretched out into the sky above. "What's happening here?" Before anything else, Natalia took a few moments to dress herself in her armor before she walked forward with a few uncertain steps to investigate the purple light. Audra's fate could wait, there was no telling what was going to come from this light, and Natalia needed to make sure that it wasn't going to draw forth anything dangerous before she went and searched for her client.<br><br>Still, after being attacked by that man, she got this stronger and stronger feeling in the pit of her stomach that she was starting to find herself out of her depth. She wasn't what she would consider stupid by any means, but she felt so incredibly ignorant at what was going on in this temple. Did Audra know something that she wasn't telling Natalia? So many unanswered questions... Was she a fool for not pressing Audra harder?
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>06-04-2014, 05:01:55</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The beam's radius seemed to be no larger than one of the columns holding up the entrance to the domed ruin, about the size of a regular tree trunk. Any attempts to interact with the light itself wouldn't yield much. Natalia's hand would pass right through the bright purple column. It appeared to be what it was: a light. After about another few minutes the light would evaporate into nothing and leave the room dark once more. Audra meanwhile had discovered the mechanism for getting the wall to reveal its true nature and was in a small circular room just beyond the bottom of the stairs. If and when Natalia managed to finally arrive, she find the guards in a messy, bloody heap. All dead. A discarded bloody halberd lay not too far from them. Beyond a double doorway carved into the wall, the circular room held another altar, where Audra was examining what appeared to be a crystal of sorts. It radiated a purple glow, not unlike the beacon that had appeared in the domed chamber. On the far wall a complete mural of the carvings on the four altars in the domed chamber had been assembled, depicting what appeared to be some sort of battle.&nbsp; <br><br>When Natalia arrived, Audra would look up and wave like nothing was wrong, "Ah, hello there!" Audra knew there wouldn't be a way to play off the pile of dead bodies, but that didn't mean she wouldn't try. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>06-04-2014, 05:11:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Once her investigation of the purple light yielded her no results, Natalia let out a sigh of relief and went down the corridor where Audra had run away. Seeing as how Audra had chosen a seemingly random series of hallways to run through, it would take her a long time to finally join Audra in the small circular chamber, and she had obviously passed the disgusting, bloody heap on the way there. Sick to her stomach, she was quick to approach Audra with a harsh, serious glare. "I want answers. You never said anything about soldiers chasing you." Natalia had clearly been far too lenient on Audra when making the contract, because she just assumed that it was another ordinary expedition out of the city and a simple bodyguard job. However, it was increasing more clear that such a thing wouldn't be the case, and that bloody pile out by the entrance of the room cemented it.<br><br>She wasn't backing down, not this time. It didn't matter how powerful Audra was, previous actions seemed to indicate that she had run herself somewhat ragged by casting two spells in a single day. Did she really want her bodyguard pissed off at her? And that was a detail that Natalia <em>didn't</em> know about.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>06-04-2014, 09:24:50</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Audra already knew there was no way she could maintain her ditsy noblewoman front anymore. She knew there was a spell...or at least the components for a spell in her cylinders for invisibility fields, but that wasn't an available option. The cheery, air-headed countenance shifted seamlessly into a sharp-eyed, almost vulpine-like smirk. "I did not. And they weren't here for me. They were here for the temple. They might have had orders to retrieve me if the opportunity arose...no, they certainly had orders." She shrugged. "I wasn't trying to mislead you, but I honestly didn't expect them to have caught up already. Now, if you excuse me, I think we should head outside. I suspect something was triggered." Audra made to move past Natalia, walking at leisurely pace up the stairs and back to the domed chamber. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>06-04-2014, 10:52:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia was somewhat caught off guard when Audra's demeanor shifted as suddenly and jarringly as it did, and it only made her feel like an even greater fool for being manipulated. However, Audra's words about 'something' being 'triggered' did catch her attention, so after a simple growl to vent some of her frustrations, she followed after Audra. "Here for the temple? What are you talking about? Is there some kind of secret here? Some kind of power? What is in this temple that would make those men..." She shook her head, figuring that Audra probably wouldn't answer her anyway. "You know what? Nevermind. I'll probably see it for myself once we're outside." Whatever it was that Audra had triggered, Natalia had decided to hold judgement until after she saw it. After all, there had to be <em>some</em> kind of reason for why Natalia was here, right? Judging from this new demeanor of hers, Natalia had a suspicion that she was the kind of person who would be able to handle herself out here.<br><br>So then why did she want a bodyguard?
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>06-04-2014, 11:12:21</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				To all of Natalia's questions, Audra would simply shrug. "I don't even know myself. All I knew coming out here was the location of this temple. And that's as far as my expertise goes." She tucked the purple crystal into one of her many belt pouches and started up the stairs, ignoring the mess of bodies she had left in her wake. Audra was honestly surprised that Natalia wasn't outraged by the gruesome display. Maybe she hadn't realized that Audra had finished whichever ones that were still breathing off. She hardly felt any sympathy for the men though. Mindless sheep following orders. "You survived your encounter with Reynolds. I really did pick well." <br><br>Once they were outside, they'd see immediately what Audra had triggered. Splitting the early morning sky were four pillars of light, not unlike the purple beacon that had erupted out of the center of the domed chamber. The colors of the lights were gold, red, blue, and green respectively. It was hard to tell how far away they were, but unlike the one in the temple they were in, these ones were sticking around. "Not exactly discreet," Audra said, sighing. "I don't like feeling like moth being drawn to a flame, but I'm guessing we have to go to those beacons. For whatever purpose." 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>06-04-2014, 11:23:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It took a lot of Natalia's self restraint to stop her from bringing up the dead soldiers to Audra, but she was able to justify it by saying that they were trying to do the same thing, and that Audra was only acting in self defense. Even then, though, she still got the shivers when they passed by them again, and she had to turn her head away in order to keep herself composed. When they were outside and saw the four pillars of light, Natalia crossed her arms and spoke in a slightly irritated voice. "Not only are adventurers from all over going to be flocking to those pillars, but I don't even want to consider what kind of monsters will be drawn to those lights. Disregarding monsters, even, that man, Reynolds, will be back in full force eventually. And according to you, you don't even know what we're looking for. Are you sure you really want to do this? What do you hope to get out of this, even?" More then anything else, Natalia was testing Audra's resolve on this matter. Even when everything else went above her head and seemed out of grasp, if Audra saw these discoveries as being so important that she was willing to risk her life in order to uncover them, Natalia was willing to continue trusting her.<br><br>Most people had a tendency to flake out when they weren't committed enough to their goals or ambitions. If Audra was willing to see things through, so was Natalia. Perhaps it made her look like an idiot, and perhaps it made her look easily manipulated, but it had worked out well enough for her thus far.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>06-04-2014, 19:25:51</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				All of what Natalia had said already crossed Audra's mind. She couldn't say which she was more concerned about, the monsters, adventurers, or Reynolds and his associates. But as far as Audra was concerned, none of those things mattered. She directed a hard look at Natalia. "I don't care what it is at the end of those beacons. I don't care what it takes, but I'm going to there. If this is out of your scope of confidence, I'll pay you to leave now. Whatever is out there, <em>they</em> can't have it."<br><br>It was still early morning. The sun wouldn't be up for a couple hours. Her spells had left her drained, but Audra a feeling unlike battle lust surged through her. How many people had seen these beacons already? How far away could these beacons be seen? She doubted their head start would last long. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>06-04-2014, 22:31:45</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia listened carefully to Audra's words, before she took in a deep breath and gave a soft shake of her head. "Alright, fine. Lead the way." Natalia still had no idea what she was getting into, and she knew that she was still far out of her depth, but she was willing to see things through as long as Audra still had that conviction as well. When they started to head towards one of the pillars, Natalia would turn towards Audra and once again try and get more information out of her. "So here's a question you should probably be able to answer. Who are those guys, and how do they know you? They were referring to you as though you were some kind of nobility to them... But after that, they attempted to kill you. Not to mention the man... Reynolds... He has strength, strength that isn't normal. Who are they, Audra? At least give me that much."<br><br>Then again, she was the last person to talk about people who have unnatural strength, but Audra hadn't been there to see that little detail.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>07-04-2014, 08:00:03</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Audra headed back into the temple to grab her things. "The soldiers...or should I say former soldiers," Audra said, not a shred of pity or concern in her voice for the men she had killed. "They are from a very affluent, well regarded, and far reaching trading company based out of the citystate of Caren. Sound familiar? That man Reynolds is a lieutenant that reports directly to Lucia Malpare, my sister and leader of the Caravan Guard, a personal security force that protects the company's overland routes. A private army, really. Well paid, well disciplined, well armed. Though, Reynolds didn't bring his usual squad it seemed...I should count myself lucky. I might be dead now instead of them." She shrugged. <br><br>Once she had her things, all stuffed into that magical backpack of hers, Audra would led the way proper out of the temple. She had no idea where she was headed, other than toward one of the beacons. She selected the gold one, to the east. They had to pick one, start from there. Audra had her doubts that they would be the first on the scene to all, if any of them. There was no telling just how far away the beacons were and how far they were from each other. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>07-04-2014, 08:29:59</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia nodded, listening intently to Audra's explanation about who the attackers were. "I see... I can only assume that means that you somehow came across the information about the temple that your sister is looking for, and you set out to stop her. Am I right? If I am, I suppose the only question remains... What do THEY hope to get, and what do they hope to do with it? You're trying to stop them, so it can't be anything good, but do you have any specifics?" At this point, Natalia was more just trying to get on the same page as Audra, rather then ringing her for information and trying to test her out of lack of trust. As far as Natalia was concerned she was in it for the long haul, payment or no.<br><br>Either way, once Audra went into the specifics, Natalia nodded lightly and went quiet for a little while. She was still trying to figure out exactly how she felt about the way that Audra killed those people. However, looking back, would she have treated Reynolds any differently had he not decided to retreat? As much as she didn't want to admit it, she was willing to fight him to the death, had the need arise, morals be damned. Did that mean that all of her growth and lessons were for nothing? Maybe... Perhaps it would be best for her to just forget about it and think about it later. Play it by ear, improvise, and deal with it when the situation arose, made sense to her.<br><br>So she turned towards Audra with a bit of a humored smile, speaking in a tone that was slightly more casual then normal. "Sorry if I'm bombarding you with questions here, this is my last one, promise. Do you have the provisions for this kind of trip?" It wasn't a big deal if she didn't, Natalia prided herself on being something of a survivalist, and being able to live off the land for weeks on end without needing to return to civilization. Sure, it would be a slightly larger pain feeding for two, but she could make it happen.<br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>07-04-2014, 08:52:09</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Audra couldn't help but flash Natalia an amused smile. "Oh, I acquired the information about the temple, alright. I stole it from Lucia herself. Along with a few other things. I have no idea what they hope to get out of this expedition. I just know they're going all in on it. And that's reason enough. They wouldn't commit the resources they were planning without there being some sort of expected payoff...and it's smelling more and more like magic to me." It was just a feeling she had. And considering the cylinders resting on her hips, Audra felt like it was a good hunch. She gave Natalia another fox-like smile. "Of course, you seem to be asking these questions from a place that thinks I'm doing this for 'the greater good' or something like that? How do you know I'm not planning on just stealing whatever it is for myself? And then using it? It could be anything. I'm not of course, but you've been quite prone to trusting. Though, I've had many, many years of practice in deceiving people. Don't feel too bad." <br><br>She'd let that sink in. And then answered the last question the huntress had given her. "I honestly expected this little adventure to end at this temple. I only brought along supplies for...about a week in the field. Any more and I might have started to feel the weight from the backpack." 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>07-04-2014, 09:26:26</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia shook her head, knowing full well that she was placing a lot of faith in Audra during this operation. To be perfectly honest, even in her new demeanor with her somewhat more aloof persona having been dropped, Natalia didn't mark her as a bad person. Sure, a bit more devious then Natalia initially expected, but not directly dangerous. It didn't sound like Audra trusted her sister all that much, but that was going to be a question for another day as Audra then went into further detail about her provisions and how properly she had packed. "It'll be fine, if this trip ends up taking us longer then a week, which I expect it will considering the scope of it, I'll be able to keep us fed." Again with the silence as the two continued walking. Strange, it seemed like the golden pillar off in the distance wasn't getting any closer, no matter how long the two of them walked. It was probably just Natalia's imagination playing tricks on her though. She knew how these long trips could feel when you were looking at goals far off in the distance.<br><br>Come to think of it, Natalia still knew basically nothing about Audra other then that she was a Malpare, that she didn't trust her sister, and that she was pretty good at deceiving people. Then again, did Audra really care about that? Natalia was basically just hired help, not a friend, or anybody to be respected for that matter. That much had been made somewhat clear from Audra's last choice in words. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but those words about how Natalia had been prone to trusting hit her particularly hard, and it made her feel like Audra saw her as a fool. Then again, Audra did have a point, perhaps Natalia was overly trusting. It wasn't like she had ever had to deal with this kind of thing before, before this mission it was always as simple as 'person in danger, see monster, kill monster. She never had to worry about her clients being double faced, or having some greater ambitions, or anything of the sort.<br><br>Either way, it hurt more then Natalia cared to show. She wasn't a genius by any means, but she <em>hated</em> the feeling that she was just here as dumb muscle. She wouldn't say anything, and her soft-spoken and neutral demeanor would remain mostly intact, but there would be a few tiny subtitles in her movement and her slightly more downcast gaze that could potentially tip off that she was bothered by Audra's words. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>09-04-2014, 06:47:05</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Oh, I trust that you will. Capable huntress that you are," Audra cheerily said, giving Natalia a smile, allowing a bit of her formerly assumed persona to show for a bit. Before it vanished at the drop of a hat. Audra, keen-eyed when it came to social cues, more than noticed the small, almost invisible ticks of someone being bothered. She wouldn't say anything though, much less apologize. Live long enough and you'll be made a fool several times over. Audra was no stranger to that sentiment and she doubt that such a capable warrior would let something like a few words bother her for long.<br><br>The pillar of gold light seemed to be <em>far</em> away. Audra wouldn't be surprised if it took them a week just to get to it. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>09-04-2014, 07:40:31</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia would merely give Audra a small nod, before she continued down the road alongside the smaller woman. "Of course." It was her job, after all. Even though Audra put on a little bit of that cheery persona of hers again, Natalia knew that it was just an act that this point, and she didn't fall for it this time as she turned her head forward and focused on the road ahead. As Audra expected, she didn't remain somber on those few simple words for very long, but it did cement in place the way that the swordswoman saw their relationship. Natalia was here as a bodyguard, no more, and maybe a bit less, Natalia couldn't really tell. Either way, their trip through the woods continued, and the golden pillar still seemed leagues away.<br><br>It wasn't until the middle of the night when they set up camp that things would get out of hand. One second everything would be quiet and peaceful out in the forest canopy, none of the traps being so much as tested as the two women slept. Then, the next instant, the sounds of steel colliding against fang would ring through their small makeshift camp, and Audra would essentially be given no choice but to wake up and take in the sight of Natalia being pinned against the ground, her blade being the only barrier between her and the large, curved fangs of what appeared to be a panther with batlike wings folded in to it's forearms. It's pitch black fur would make it extremely hard to see, to the point where the only real sign that anything was there would be the glowing red eyes indicating where it's face was.<br><br>What had happened? Natalia's bootleg strings were one thing, but this creature had managed to bypass Audra's magic wards as well.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>17-04-2014, 07:11:54</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				What happened? was the question of the moment. As quickly as Audra got to her feet, her mind was going much, much faster. The huntress' traps were certainly one thing--this beast had wings, but her wards? no that's not possible, their magic extended both above and below ground. Had there been a hole? The huntress likely needs helps with this, Audra finally thought as she pointed her right middle and index finger in the direction of the winged big cat. The sleep she did get would allow herself to use what she naturally had. Audra's fingers were slightly splayed, and in the space between the digits a dark, purple light coalesced rapidly into a small, concentrated ball about the size of a marble. Audra held the purple marble between her fingers for a second, taking aim. She snapped her fingers back together and the purple energy shot out, streaking through the air as a beam trained on the beast's neck.&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>18-04-2014, 01:46:24</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Audra would quickly discover that not every creature in the wild was entirely made of brute strength and speed when she fired the tiny marble of purple energy at it. She'd see a bright red eye snap over in her direction, although with the speed of the marble he wouldn't have any time to dodge, and Audra would think that his fate was sealed. However, when the magic connected with the neck of the monster, the entire creature would flash a bright shade of silver for about half of a second, and instead of shrieking in pain from where the marble would have sliced clean through it's neck, there was simply a small growl before it turned towards Audra and pushed Natalia off to the side with one of it's feet. While it could perhaps be written off as a trick of her imagination, but Audra would have the privilege to see the black cat's fangs grow slightly larger, as it's eyes glowed with an almost surreal red energy.<br><br>Perhaps it could be considered magical?<br><br>The cat would give Audra about a half-second of mercy before it pounced forward, it's claws extended and it's fangs bearing down on Audra. If Audra took the chance to flinch or turn her head away, she'd never see what happened as a metal fist smashed into the side of the beast's face and sent it catapulting into a nearby row of trees. As the beast recovered, there would be a huge indent in the tree, one that hinted that the tree was about to tip over just from the raw force of the creature that had been launched into it, and the power behind the strike that sent it launching in the first place. Natalia's sword was resting against the ground, and she stood firm with her clenched fist extended forward, again glowing that bright shade of red that Audra would have seen during her battle against the Duram a few days prior. Her breathing was heavy, and her voice was a bit louder, more intimidating then Audra would have heard previously. "Just my luck..." She would glance towards Audra, continuing to speak in between small gasps of breath. "Don't feed it any more magic."<br><br>The cat interrupted before Natalia could say anything more, as it rushed forward and feinted with a forward attack before it vanished into what seemed to be moving shadows in the darkness and reappeared behind Natalia in an attempt to blindside her. For it's efforts, the creature was rewarded with another fist crashing into the top of it's head. The cat would collapse to the ground, and the earth would tremble from the force of the attack. As the dust settled, the cat would be letting out a small growl, though it seemed more like a cry of pain then a warning, and Natalia was standing right by her dropped sword. Collecting it, she wielded the colossal weapon in a single hand as she sprinted forward towards the downed opponent. "HRRRRRAAAAHHH!!!!!" Without breaking her stride, she spun the sword in her hand and held it with a backhanded style and stabbed her sword right into the base of it's spine before continuing forward, dragging the sword through the creature's body as it let out a final howl of agony. Natalia didn't stop until it's head split into two halves, at which point she'd turn her sword upright again before collapsing to one knee and stabbing her sword into the ground.<br><br>Although the battle was over, Natalia's breathing got even more intense, as one hand went to grasp her chest while she turned her head towards Natalia again. "Hng!!! S-satchel... bring me... the... ugh!!! Hurry!" Natalia was referring to her travel pack, which had apparently gotten knocked off during the beast's ambush and laid cast off to the side right by the edge of their clearing. Thankfully, one of Vastwood's enormous trees had managed to catch it mid-flight, from the looks of it.<br><br>While Natalia's strength had obviously been on a level that normal humans were not capable of, it looked as though she was in an incredible deal of pain, and now wasn't the time to be asking questions if Audra wanted to keep her bodyguard around and in good health.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>24-04-2014, 03:10:40</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Audra watched the rest of the encounter unfold with academic interest. Her Dark Bolt had only proved to make the winged beast stronger...but whatever Natalia was doing, with her glowing red light--lightly a manifestation of the something she was doing--wasn't proving to empower the beast. If magic made the beast stronger...then whatever Natalia was doing was <em>not</em> magic. Curious. Very curious. It'd become clear that Natalia would have the situation under control--Audra supposed that she could just attempt to sleep through future encounters, much less work on her part. <br><br>The mage took her time, despite the huntress' insistence, walking over to the satchel and tossing it over to the Natalia. "Well done," Audra said, still looking at the huntress as if she were a specimen in a petri-dish. "So. Not magic? Some sort of inner energy power or some sort honed through martial arts? I've certainly know of those, and some practitioners." Not so much as an 'are you okay' from the mage it seemed. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>24-04-2014, 06:07:33</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia was still in pain even when the satchel was thrown towards her, and the moment it landed at her feet she tore through it until she found what looked to be a small bottle of purple liquid, which she'd break open and drink hastily before her hand dropped back down to the ground, crushing the glass beneath her grip. "Haaaah.... haaaah..." Her breathing stabilized after a few heavy, ragged breaths before she shifted so that she sat on her ass instead of her knees. It was around that point that Audra started asking her a series of questions.<br><br>As Natalia looked up into Audra's eyes, Audra would see a bitter scowl on the swordswoman's face, likely her time seeing anything that wasn't neutral and contained out of the blonde huntress. "..." Natalia rose to her feet, and as she pulled her sword from the earth she had just stabbed it into, Audra could potentially notice a bit of strain in her arms, and the fact that it took her a couple of tugs to break it free, far cry from wielding it in her backhand as she had a moment ago. "Wrong."<br><br>Apparently Audra had put Natalia in a BAD mood when she took her casual stroll over to collect her satchel, and then didn't even show her any kind of manners. Compared to the well contained, even tempered, patient, seemingly dull woman that she often came off as, this Natalia was like night and day. "Don't pretend that you know me! And don't assume that you know everything about everything, for that matter! You might not have noticed, but that ego of yours almost got you killed, you're lucky that I was able to keep you alive. Vastwood isn't a place for you to have that kind of arrogance you self important little..."<br><br>Natalia trailed off in her rage, clenching her fist in the process. Everything up until this point she had been able to tolerate, but Natalia had no idea that 'dumb muscle' to Audra meant that she didn't even need to show concern... That she was somehow above caring about another human life, one that was actively defending her rather then trying to take hers.<br><br>That was where she drew the line.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>24-04-2014, 06:37:25</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Creatures that actively absorb magic. Because those are <em>so</em> common in the Homeland. Excuse me for <em>trying</em> to assist after seeing my bodyguard being pinned down. Would you rather I let it make a meal of your face? I managed to get it off of you, regardless," Audra said, narrowing her own eyes at Natalia. Was she arrogant? Maybe. Was that the issue this time? Audra blamed her own ignorance when it came to these beasts...though, the person responsible for knowing everything about them was... Audra shook her head, deciding not to point the finger back. After all, she had just outed herself as a mage not a few minutes ago. <br><br>"Don't think I claim to know everything, because I don't. This forest and its creatures are under your expertise. And now you know I'm a mage. Not that you bothered to ask when you came across that pile of corpses I left back at the ruins. So there. You know what I can do. As for you...whatever it is you do, it's not magic if it didn't make that creature the size of a flagship. Unlike you, I'm just trying to understand what's at our immediate disposal." She crossed her arms. Being accused of arrogance and a large ego wouldn't have phased Audra normally, in fact she would have reveled in it, but being blamed for such when they weren't even the issue, as far as she saw it, was a completely different matter. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>24-04-2014, 16:18:12</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"You know what? You're right! I did make a mistake when I didn't ask you about what happened to those soldiers. I should have known better. But you ALSO know what? That doesn't excuse the way you've been carrying yourself, not in the slightest!" She took a moment to take in a deep breath and collect her thoughts. Truth be told, she was extremely bad at yelling at people, she didn't have a whole lot of experience with it. "You know what REALLY pisses me off about this whole thing? It wasn't that you tried to use magic on that Narga, you were just trying to help. Whatever. But when I was on the ground, obviously suffering, you took your sweet time getting my medicine to me and didn't even bat an eye of concern. I'm not asking to be your friend or anything, but there's a certain level of humanity that you should have, especially towards the person that's the only reason you're still alive out here! You're so wrapped up in your own self importance that you don't even care about what happens to anybody else, as long as you get what you want!"<br><br>Another pause, though if Audra tried to speak up, Natalia would cut her off. "So answer for me. What's the value of a human life to you?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>25-04-2014, 02:58:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Audra didn't hesitate with her answer. "The same value that every Malpare holds: a human life is measured in terms of its usefulness." Even if she spoke the words without pause, Audra's annoyance toward the huntress didn't mask the well-practiced, almost scripted way she had given her answer. "I could have just as easily not retrieved you medicine at all. If I'm such a horrible person, then why are you still here? You can quit at any time and I will pay you for your time. Or are you hoping to rack up the bill a bit more before deciding to call it quits?" 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>25-04-2014, 04:26:15</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia shook her head in disbelief when she heard Audra's answer. She knew there were people out there who saw people as nothing more then mere resources, but to meet one in person, and hear them speak firsthand, and even endure a little bit of their treatment, was a different matter entirely. More importantly, was she <em>serious</em> with her response just then? It was wrong on so many levels that Natalia couldn't believe that Audra was saying it with a straight face. "So I should be thankful to you for saving my life? And if I stop being useful to you, what happens then? You leave me to die? That is nothing short of monstrous. And then you have the gall to ask me if I'd like to quit? What would you do if I did? How long would you last out here on your own? I'm not out here for the money, shocking as that might be to you. I'm out here because, unlike some people, I don't like throwing away lives because they inconvenience me."<br><br>Natalia's rant continued after a single breath. "It's people like you that cause this world's problems! If people simply respected one another, and didn't see their fellow humans as tools, I'd have never-" She cut herself off, glancing over towards the monster corpse. "... Forget it." Rather Audra decided to rebuttal or not was her own decision, but Natalia turned her back to the other woman and started getting her bedroll packed. "We've spent too long here. If you've got something to say to me, save it for when we're on the road. Our fight isn't worth allowing the <em>devil of vastwood</em> to catch our scent."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>25-04-2014, 05:40:29</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"You're the one that's been talking at length, Huntress," Audra pointed out. It wouldn't take Audra long to pack up her things, as the enchantment on her backpack allowed her to just throw everything she had used to make her part of the camp without a care. She had raised an eyebrow when Natalia almost divulge some about herself. She never have what? Again, the mage's curiosity was born from the interest of knowing rather than a place of concern. Just as it had to be. <br><br>She wouldn't say another word as they got back on the road or rather back to the trailblazing. Audra wouldn't have been surprised if people had gotten as far as they had into the jungle. Though it appear that not enough of them have gone the way to clear a road. The "devil of Vastwood" Natalia had mentioned perked Audra's interest but Audra was more than content to allow a tense silence to fall between them. Well, it wasn't tense for her, because she give a damn about anything, right? 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>26-04-2014, 19:47:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It would be about an hour on the road in that tense silence before Natalia finally snapped and turned towards her. They were far enough away from that monster's corpse that the devil wouldn't catch their scent by this point, so there were a few other things on Natalia's mind. "What? You've got nothing to say? Nothing at all?" She stops, turning around to face Natalia as she once again resumes her rant. "You... You don't feel any desire to clarify yourself to me? Apologize? Make ME apologize? Nothing!?" after everything that had transpired this morning, the feeling growing in Natalia's stomach about her client was driving her insane, and even though Audra wasn't doing anything to instigate her, Natalia found it agonizing to simply leave things the way they were.<br><br>"How is it even possible to live like that!? How can you just not care?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>27-04-2014, 04:41:17</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				How much of the verbal lashing would she have to endure, Audra thought as Natalia decided to lay into her. If knowing this was how Natalia was going to be, Audra might have gotten her the satchel with some haste. She just stared at Natalia, wanting for her to finish. Audra kept her eyes ahead, but she preoccupied herself with the golden beacon on the horizon, keeping tabs on it through her periphery. And then Natalia asked the golden question. <br><br>Audra's eyes snapped to attention and the listless, unconcerned gaze narrowed in a glare. The mage's body became outlined in an amethyst glow--same color as the purple beam she had tried to shoot the winged-beast with. Audra's aura wavered and flickered, appearing like a purple flame. "You would do well take your own advice," Audra said, voice low and shaking with anger. "Do not believe that you know anything about me. Caring is not advantageous. Case in point: you're still here because you care whether or not I die. A woman that clearly values you as a rancher values its livestock. You care about someone like that?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>27-04-2014, 11:13:58</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia shook her head, not understanding that Audra was answering her more out of annoyance then a desire for clarity. Though the hunters she had spent her life around were more rash, ignorant, prideful and annoying, one thing that they made sure to do was resolve conflicts whenever they arose. Caring wasn't advantageous? How in the world could she even live like that? Perhaps Audra was right, and perhaps Natalia really was just too much of a bleeding heart, but she simply couldn't wrap her mind around it. "So... what, then? I'm supposed to simply abandon you? The simple fact remains that you are alive right now. That's the most important thing." Natalia took one step backwards, as she decided to give Audra just a little bit more space.<br><br>It wasn't hard to see that Natalia got under Audra's skin with her words, and while Natalia did want Audra to come forward and be more vocal, she wasn't trying to antagonize the other woman. When she spoke again her voice was more level, and seemed more fueled by curiosity rather then anger. "Was that how you were raised? To care only for your own interest, and take advantage of others, or just see them as resources? I understand that the Malpare family is well off, but still..."<br><br>Natalia was starting to smell a rat here, something wasn't right with the way that Audra treated other people, as well as her mistrust in the rest of her family judging from what she had said a few days before. Though maybe now that Audra's shell had started to crack a little bit, Natalia could draw a little bit more information out of her, and why she felt the way she did. It was true that Natalia still despised the idea of being regarded the way she was by Audra, not valued or respected outside of her talents, but understanding came before resolution, and now that she had some time to cool down, she was able to remember that fact.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>27-04-2014, 17:34:34</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia may have been asking questions, but all Audra could hear were assumptions. And after she just told the huntress to not assume anything about her. She was already angry, the flickering, wavering aura that surrounded her intensified; if the purple had come further into being it would seem like Audra had encased herself in an amethyst shell. "You're thinking that just because I lived a life of luxury, that I had the <em>opportunity</em> to develop this view?"<br><br>Audra directed a finger in Natalia's direction. The purple gem was already formed at the tip of the digit. "You want me to make you apologize for something? Apologize right now for not heeding my advice to take your own advice. And then leave." 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>27-04-2014, 18:28:29</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia was alarmed by Audra's sudden outburst, which only made her suspicions all the more realized, though she was genuinely surprised by what the other woman was telling her to do. Natalia rose her own voice again, though this time it wasn't out of anger and instead out of a desire to make sure that she was heard. "That's not what I was trying to say at all! You told me that I should assume I know nothing about you, and you're right, I don't know you at all. So instead of just letting things sit the way they are, I'm trying to fix that."<br><br>Judging from that purple tip at the edge of Audra's finger, she was preparing to attack the huntress after nothing more then a few simple words. Natalia was expecting SOME kind of response out of Audra, but not anything this dramatic. "Take a moment to calm down, put you hand down, and then <em>talk</em> to me. That's all I want to happen here."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>29-04-2014, 07:45:17</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I don't have to explain myself to you!" Audra said, finally shouting. She trembled with anger and the condense gem of energy began to pulse. "All you need to know is I hired you for additional protection. Beyond that you require nothing else to do your job unless I deem it advantageous and necessary. Now. Apologize and we'll be on our way."<br><br>Whatever button Natalia pushed, it managed to rouse the mage from her detached demeanor--for better or for worse. With her finger aimed right at Natalia's center of mass, it seemed Audra was poised to attack her if she didn't get what she was demanding.&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>29-04-2014, 08:06:25</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The prideful hunter would have kept going, would have stood her ground, would probably have eaten whatever magic the angry and desperate noblewoman wanted to throw at her. However, the prideful hunter was often one of the first to die when things started getting out of hand and monsters started getting more powerful. Instead, the hunters who were able to climb to the very top of the rankings, those who survived long enough to wear the kind of armor that Natalia donned, knew when to back down and when to pick their fights.<br><br>Natalia had made one too many mistakes already, she wouldn't make another one. "... Fine. I apologize for my careless words." Natalia would apologize for her words, for speaking recklessly and making it seem like she was making some kind of wild assumption about Audra when she wasn't. However, as of right now Natalia refused to apologize for the intentions behind those words. The blonde huntress remained convinced that her heart was in the right place, but that she had just been overly careless in her execution.<br><br>Their trip was destined for failure at this rate, and if Audra didn't see that coming, then it feel upon her hired guardian to take the necessary steps to prevent that. There was a lot about Audra that Natalia still didn't understand, and flat out disliked, but rather Audra liked it or not, the two of them DID need to at least understand one another, and gain a basic level of trust if they were going to see this journey through to the end.<br><br>But just how the hell was Natalia going to make Audra see that, when the noblewoman was either freaking out, or completely slamming the door in her face?
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>13-05-2014, 07:12:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The gem of energy at the tip of Audra's finger flickered and dissipated into nothing. The noblewoman lowered her hand and said, "See to it that you choose your words with more care." That might have been as close to a 'apology accepted' as the huntress was going to get. The anger, at least any sign of it on Audra's features, were gone at the drop of a hat, and the huntress would be treated to the usual detached apathy, made most apparently by the dulled, bored-out-of-her-skull glaze in the mage's eyes. "Onward then."<br><br>It was hard to lose your bearings when you had a way point in the distance. The trek would be fairly quiet, at least on Audra's end. Any attempt at small talk would have the mage given token, canned responses to the huntress that were feigned amusement...though Audra managed to make herself sound genuine without much effort.<br><br>When they made camp for the night, Audra would roll out her bedroll as usual. This was the first night she'd do something different while the huntress went to set up the perimeter. When Natalia returned to their spot, Audra would have the cylinders she had on her belts on the ground in front of her. They were shoulder width apart and between them flowed golden words in a language she likely wouldn't recognize. When Audra's hand was maybe a couple of inches away from touching the 'scroll', but with a simple flick of her wrist, the text flowed into one of the cylinders while the other cylinder dispersed a set of new words.&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>13-05-2014, 16:09:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia shook her head when Audra turned away from her. She despised the feeling that she was on the defensive despite the fact that she was the one being manipulated and bossed around here. However, the fact remained that if Natalia were to leave now, there was no way that Audra would be able to survive out here in the wilderness. It didn't matter rather or not Audra 'deserved' it, Natalia didn't know if she would be able to endure having any more blood on her hands, or on her conscience. Another detail on Natalia's mind was that Aurda wasn't a total monster, she had her flaws and her hot buttons just like any other person. The most frustrating thing was that she wasn't willing to accept that, or see them for what they were.<br><br>So how in the hell was Natalia supposed to talk to that? It was like bashing her forehead against an iron shield, the one time she managed to get through the skin and make an attempt, she was threatened with her life and had to apologize.<br><br>The situation put her in a pretty downtrodden mood for the entire rest of the day. When camp was set, Natalia would be far more diligent while setting up the perimeter for the camp. After all, that creature that had attacked them the night prior was known for it's ability to glide, meaning that it had made it's way into the trees before hitting her small tripwires, and used it's natural magic cloak to bypass Audra's own defenses as well as it pounced down on the two of them. When she came back, she would glance over towards what Audra was doing out of the corner of her eye, but she wasn't going to waste her breath speaking to the other woman any longer. God forbid she say something that pisses the other woman off again.<br><br>She'd have taken off long ago if she had the heart for it. Audra was lucky for that much.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>18-05-2014, 19:20:36</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Audra didn't pay any mind to the huntress and the foul mood she was in. The mage continued to look through the scroll, visibly scrutinizing the 'page' of light-formed words. Making mental notes in her head, the nature of the cylinders were becoming more apparent to Audra. Not that Natalia would have any way to know what Audra was doing. <br><br>The sky was streaked orange and red with the sun's steady departure--nightfall was upon them by the time Natalia finished. It wasn't long after Natalia had set up the perimeter of the campsite that one of the tripwires was tripped.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>18-05-2014, 19:27:22</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia had yet to even lay her head down to sleep when she heard one of the tripwires get triggered, and she was quick to ready herself in her armor once again as she grabbed her sword. This would also mark the first time since their spat in the morning that Natalia actually looked over and addressed Audra in any way, shape, or form. "... Something is coming." With that she would stand up, ready to defend herself and her client from any potential attackers. Oddly, though, the tripwire sounded as though it was triggered by something much softer and weaker then the monsters that were normally living around these parts. Could it potentially be another person?<br><br>Didn't matter though, they were too close for comfort and if they had plans on harming Natalia and Audra, they had another thing coming.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>18-05-2014, 20:19:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Audra hadn't placed down her wards just yet, so Natalia was the only one, with her trained hearing, to picked up on their approaching 'visitors'. At the mention though, Audra was quick to move. She ran her hands down the cylinders and the 'paper' between them vanished as the mage picked them up and placed them back on her hips. While Natalia brought herself into a defensive stance, Audra didn't do anything to prepare. If they were dealing with people...well, she'd rather keep the fact she was a mage a secret from them. And even if it was some sort of monster, it would take her long to conjure up another gem of energy at the tip of her fingers. <br><br>Emerging into their campsite were three very haggard-looking travelers. Who were quite surprised to see a huntress baring a naked sword at them. "Whoa, whoa, whoa," one of the travelers, a short, lithe woman exclaimed, holding up her hands, palms facing Natalia in pleading. "We mean no harm!" Her companions, another woman about Natalia's height with shortly cropped black hair, and a taller man with a well built frame sporting a sword and shield on his back, tensed at seeing Natalia and were looking like they were more than prepared to do something if there was going to be trouble. All three of them looked travel-worn and exhausted though, with no short of sweat from a long day of walking through Vastwood.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>18-05-2014, 20:35:32</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Upon seeing their fellow travelers, and the fact that they meant no harm, Natalia let out a small sigh of relief and placed her large sword back in it's sheath. She hadn't expected tidings of peace from anybody this deep onto the vastwood, but it seems like that was exactly what they ended up getting. "Of course." With her blade now sheathed, Natalia took a few small steps towards the trio, her hand well off the handle of her blade&nbsp; and back down by her side as she continued. "You'll forgive me for being prepared for anything out here. Trip wires don't tell humans apart from beasts. That aside..." She was alright with allowing her guard to appear dropped in front of these people, no doubt that they were oblivious to the fact that Natalia's client was a mage, a detail that would give the two of them the element of surprise should something end up happening between the two groups. For now, though, Natalia was more then happy to continue opening the lines of communication, avoiding conflict if at all reasonably possible.<br><br>After all, human lives were precious. "What brings you to our camp this late at night?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>20-05-2014, 05:11:43</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Natalia," Audra said, voice already alight with the well practiced, genuine kindness she had started their journey with. "Don't grill the poor folks for details. Invite them to sit already." The noblewoman for her part was already seated around the small fire they had built. "You all look so tired. Please." She gestured around her and the travelers couldn't help but smile. <br><br>"Your ladyship is too kind," the group's spokeswoman said. Looking to Natalia, she said, "Perhaps we can explain once we've had a chance to rest our feet?" <br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>20-05-2014, 05:33:58</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia glanced back at Audra, a look of clear surprise in her eye at the fact that SHE was the one being scolded for her poor manners after everything that the two of them had been through today. Still, she merely nodded and moved over and took a seat by the fire, all the while unslinging her blade and setting it off to the side so that it didn't strain on her back any longer. "Of course, my mistake." She kept quiet again, allowing for Audra to do the talking as she merely tended to the fire and cast the occasional glance between the travelers, more out of curiosity then anything else.<br><br>She wondered just how Audra was able to keep her disguise up without so much as a flinch even when she was lying to people's faces. It made Natalia curious, but she didn't know if it was a good idea to bring it up in conversation again... Talking to Audra, after all, was an extremely difficult and thorny affair. Maybe, just maybe it was worth a shot though. At the very least she was disguising her true feelings at the moment, so maybe when the two of them were alone Natalia could bring up a civil, calm conversation where the two of them could talk like adults.<br><br>It was worth a shot, right?
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>02-06-2014, 07:22:24</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The travelers settled around the campfire once Natalia agreed to Audra's suggestion to allow them to rest with them. The two women and the man freed themselves of the burden of their traveling packs and made themselves comfortable--though Natalia would be able to see that they kept their weapons either on their persons, or directly at their sides in the case of the man and his sword and shield. Audra welcomed them with a warm smile, not unlike a welcoming nun. Or saint, which Audra was decidedly not. After giving the travelers a moment to rest their feet and to warm themselves by the fire, Audra said, "My friend and I haven't come across too many people during our own travels, so do forgive my curiosity..." <br><br>The lithe woman serving as the group's spokesperson cleared her throat after taking a swig from her canteen--which from the angle she had been tilting it made it appear almost empty--and nodded at Audra. "We were tracking some monsters through the forest. Just some small monsters. Our settlement didn't get lucky with soil, so hunting is how we mostly get fed. We, uh, my this is embarrassing. We got lost while hunting and we've been trying to get a decent heading back to our village since." <br><br>"You poor dears," Audra said, not skipping a beat as concern seemingly developed more and more on her features. "I'm surprised you could maintain your focus on your hunt without letting these lights distract you." She gestured to the beacons that streaked brightly across the night sky. "I thought you might be heading toward them." <br><br>"Oh, no," the lithe woman said. Her eyes briefly shifted toward her companions. Audra noticed that. "Some things are more important. Like feeding our settlement. ...are you heading toward the lights?" <br><br>"Oh yes," Audra said. "You could say that curiosity is driving me toward them. But I guess I have nothing better to do. Your settlement most be small if they've only sent three people out." <br><br>"Well, we're not the only hunting party," the woman said, with a bit of laugh. Audra could see she was sweating a bit. Their spokeswoman was a bit flushed too...and Audra wasn't convinced it was because of the fire. <br><br>"Oh but of course," Audra said. "Well, we have some rations we could maybe spare. Some clean water too. Natalia, could you come give me a hand." The not so elegant way of saying 'we need to talk', but Audra didn't think she could be too obtuse.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>02-06-2014, 08:01:05</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Audra wasn't the only one that noticed how a few things were amiss with the party. Particularly, Natalia kept the corner of her eye on the swordman's sword hand, since it was thankfully to the side that favored her. It was nothing clear, nothing that most people would notice, but she did see his hand softly shift towards his blade about a centimeter before going back to it's regular position. It was a natural tic, one that Natalia herself had whenever she was getting tense and expected things to get violent. While it was natural to always be on edge in a place like this, did it really justify being so tense in a place like this? Among non-hostiles? When Audra asked for Natalia to give her a hand, the swordswoman needed no further convincing to give a small and obedient nod of her head as she rose from her seating. "Of course."<br><br>From there she would follow Audra to wherever it was she wanted to lead, seeing as how she was the spokeswoman and leader of the group anyway. When they arrived, Natalia would press her back up against a tree as she unslung her sword. Thankfully, it was only natural for a warrior to always keep their weapon on them in a place as ruthless as vastwood, so no eyebrows were raised... None that Natalia was able to see, anyway. "Alright. What's your decision?"<br><br>Natalia wasn't going to try and fight Audra right now, at least, not until it became apparent that she was going to try and kill them if that was on her agenda. As far as Natalia was concerned, Audra could be thinking about any number of things, so it was wrong of her to jump to conclusions. If Natalia was going to try and work on being more forgiving towards Audra, and patching up that bridge, she needed to start here. Even with that though, though, she couldn't help but find it funny how back and forth she was on the topic. It wasn't even an hour ago that she gave up on the goal of patching things up with the crafty mage.<br><br>Forget it, that didn't even matter right now anyway.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>03-06-2014, 00:00:04</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Audra raised an eyebrow at Natalia when the huntress asked what her decision was; she had thought it was obvious what she thought on the matter of their guests. The mage decided she was too tired to really be abrasive about it though. "I don't trust them. I haven't heard of many settlements this far inland. At least one that is a Day's travel to where we are. Unless you count the ones that made a home in the canopy, but from what I hear they like staying up in their trees." <br><br>She had led them to where they had stashed their backpacks and was busying herself with taking out her canteen. "I get the feeling you didn't appreciate how I handle people who are in my way. What do you suggest about handling this?" 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>03-06-2014, 00:20:16</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia was genuinely surprised that Audra was asking for her feedback, though after the initial shock wore off, she would put on a light smile as she glanced back at the camp before kneeling over to assist Audra with filling up their canteens. "Well... There's a couple of different things we can do. Do any of your spells that simply incapacitate them? If you don't, I should be able to handle it... I want to avoid going all out if possible though. Coming uncaged too frequently is dangerous to me."<br><br>She then went silent for a few moments, before continuing. "Speaking of which... I suppose I owe you an explanation. It'll have to wait until we take care of business though. When it's over with, though, you have my word, you'll have it."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>18-06-2014, 08:30:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Audra stared at Natalia. "I don't recall asking for an explanation just now," the mage said, warm as an ice elemental. "Nor do I require one. As long as what you do works." She dug out two of the canteens of water Audra kept tucked away in her pit of a backpack. "These should do. I have a few spells that might do the trick. Nothing fancy. Can't exactly whip out the scroll for times like this." She shrugged. "Let's play along for a while longer. I'd like to see if they slip any details about what they're actually doing so far in the forest." <br><br>With that Audra made her way back to the fire, suddenly all warmth and smiles at the drop of a hat. She handed the weary-looking travelers the canteens she had, as well as a pack of rations.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>19-06-2014, 07:06:55</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia's gaze dropped, nodding gently when she heard the half-scold out of Audra while they put together their plan. "Yeah, I understand." With the canteens filled, Natalia would take the lot of them before heading back to camp and distributing the canteens. At the very least, absolute minimum, Audra was heeding Natalia's requests and would hopefully honor them. Even if it was just a small one, it did open up the opportunities for dialogue in the future once they got out of this situation. For now, though, she merely set her blade off to the side as though she was letting down her guard, and looked towards the group. Just like before, she was going to trust Audra to do the talking, she had proven several times before in the past that she had a talent for it.<br><br>Natalia would have to be careful that she herself didn't get duped again. Though from the looks of it, Audra knew that the jig was up when the two of them were alone.<br><br>She would say a few words though, she could muster that much without coming off as unnatural. "Sorry about my suspicions earlier... I've spent too much time in these woods..."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>19-06-2014, 08:17:09</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Hey," said the sword and shield bearer of the group. "No need to apologize. These woods will keep anyone on edge." He accepted a canteen from Natalia, as did the rest of the group. They down the first few gulps greedily. They seemed nice enough, even if their story did smell funny. Audra retook her seat around the fire. She was still all smiles, her current persona happy to see that she could help some people in need, but Natalia might have been able to see the way the mage was looking at their guests--sharp, discerning, analyzing. <br><br>"How's the water?" Audra asked them. <br><br>"Refreshing, thank you," said the spokeswoman. "Honestly, we can't thank you enough." <br><br>"Well, perhaps you could repay me with telling me why you're really out here in this god forsaken forest," Audra said. <br><br>"What do you mean--" the spokeswoman started to ask, but she was cut off just by the look of no nonsense that Audra was giving her. The good natured look the woman had been sporting dropped and was replaced with a scowl. "We're here to return you home, Miss Malpare." <br><br>With a quick draw that would put gunslingers to shame, the other woman, with the shortly cropped hair produced and fired a small crossbow of sorts. The 'bolt' that was loaded appeared to be some sort of chain. Audra had no time to react, her finger tips just glowing with purple energy before the chain wrapped itself around her neck. And secured itself with a locking 'click'. The magical energy Audra was attempting to summon immediately vanished from her hand. "What...the..." was all she managed to say before all her lips were doing was moving and no more words were spoken.<br><br>The warrior man was on his feet, sword and shield at the ready. He charged forward at the huntress.&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>19-06-2014, 16:07:13</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia had set her sword off to the side because she didn't think she was going to need it. After all, she wasn't planning on going for the kill, seeing as how she had just requested that Audra restrain herself from ending their lives herself. Still, she had hoped that Audra was able to at least disrupt them if things turned out violent, so she was also caught mildly off guard when the chain wrapped itself around her throat and sealed away her magic. Still, even if that detail surprised her, it didn't change her response as she quickly snapped to her feet with speed that would likely catch this group off guard, yet would be old hat to Audra by this point. She swung her fist right towards the stomach of the sword and shield wielding warrior, confident that even if he blocked the hit with his shield that the unexpected force from her attack would give her enough of an opening to capitalize on. Truth be told, Natalia was relying a lot on the surprise factor of her strength at this point, seeing as how she was outnumbered and Audra was silenced for the time being.<br><br>Credit to these guys though, they came prepared. The idea of 'tapping in' for a second time in a single day made Natalia uneasy, but right now she didn't have a choice. Besides, she should still be under the effect of her last 'inhibitor' dose, right? She only took it that morning... Either way, she knew what she had to do. Depending on rather or not Audra was trying to deal with the chain around her neck, and how much effort she was putting into helping regardless, she could potentially notice Natalia's eyes starting to turn from their deep blue to a more bright shade of purple as she swung her punch.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>28-06-2014, 23:06:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The warrior raised his shield just in time to block Natalia's first punch, and as expected the sheer force of it was enough to push him back a few feet. The man wasn't a pushover though, as he managed to maintain his balance well. "Blasted hunters," he growled. His eyes widened as Natalia's eyes shifted color and she came in again for a follow up punch. He was hardly alone, however. The crossbow woman already had loaded an actual bolt and repositioned herself into where the huntress' blind spot would be. She fired, aiming for the back of Natalia's neck. <br><br>The feet of the spokeswoman glowed with a bright yellow light as she crouched down. She propelled herself up with an explosive jump, leaping high into the air. And right into Audra, who was still tugging uselessly at the chain around her neck. Audra let out a silent scream as she was slammed into, the other woman forcing her to the ground. "You didn't even recognize me, you monstrous bitch," the woman screamed at her. "Even Lucia has the decency to remember the people she's wronged." The woman wrapped her hands around Audra's neck, thumbs briefly running over the chain. "I should kill you for what you did to my family, you sorry, pampered witch!" 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>29-06-2014, 19:21:39</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia was completely focused on the swordsman, and as such she wasn't able to respond to the crossbow user until it was far too late, and the arrow was already in flight. As such she was only just barely able to dodge it, and the crossbow ended up sinking into her shoulder. Seeing as how she had yet to put her armor back on, it sunk right in and caused Natalia to let out a cry of pain as she reached back and ripped it out, blood already streaming from the wound. She gasped in air, glancing over to see that Audra was still going to be no help to her at all, the spokeswoman of the group still talking about how Audra somehow wronged her, going so far as to say how she should kill the mage woman.<br><br>Her chest pounded with fire, the heat from earlier today building up and surging back to the surface. She had been able to ward it off before with that tonic, but this time she didn't think she was going to be so lucky... She didn't even know if she <em>wanted</em> to be that lucky anymore. Sometimes the only answer was to go all out, and cast self-control to the wayside. She could feel it in her veins, the fire that she hadn't channeled in years, pent up pressure just <em>begging</em> to be released after years and years of being built up and controlled. She needed to do it... After all, for as exceptional a hunter as she was, not even <em>she</em> would be able to make a difference here. Not against two opponents without backup.<br><br>The change would take about one second from the time that she ripped out the crossbow bolt, during which time her head had been down, she had been on her knees, and she was struggling for breath. However, any attempts to capitalize on her downed and 'weakened' state would be tragically, tragically turned around. Assuming that the duo had a shred of honor and decided to wait and see what would happen with the blonde huntress, she would speak with a low, deep voice, almost a growl. "Walk away... Right now. If you don't, I'm not... *hurk*... I'm not responsible for what happens to you."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>07-07-2014, 01:09:34</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The warrior and the woman wielding the crossbow exchanged a nervous glance, but the former took a step toward Natalia, prompting the other to load another bolt into her crossbow. They seemed to have made their decision. <br><br>The spokeswoman, a fellow mage, surprisingly, was blocking Audra view of the battle between Natalia and the warrior and crossbow woman. ...who was the mage? Audra felt the hands on her neck beginning to tighten, the 'should' becoming a 'will'. Whatever orders the woman had received, either the 'or dead' was attached to 'bring back alive' or she was willing to forsake them for revenge. Audra was going to be very annoyed with herself if she was strangled to death with such a nagging question on her mind. So Audra decided that she wouldn't succumb to such a fate. Besides, the mage had left herself open: she was straddling Audra and with her arms on her neck, Audra's hands were free. While the woman screamed at her, Audra grabbed one half of her 'library', one of the cylinders on her hip, and clubbed the mage in the head. <br><br>"AH!" the spokeswoman screamed. It was enough to get the crossbow woman to look in her direction, to see Audra, chain still around her neck, standing over their comrade. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>07-07-2014, 03:21:53</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Tragically, because the crossbow woman decided to turn her attention away from Natalia, the chances that she'd actually be able to see what was about to happen were minimal. Natalia lifted her head upwards, a pair of red eyes replacing her normal deep blue pupils. It was more then just that though, rather then being round and, quite frankly, in line with the pupils of every other human on the face of the earth, Natalia's were thin, slanted vertically, more comparable to a more reptilian gaze. "Enough!" She lunged forward with speed far, far surpassing that of any normal human as she swung a fist right at the exposed, vulnerable, squishy face of the swordsman. Considering the fact that it was, for all intents in purposes, a normal punch, the swordsman was liable to feel as though he got smashed in the face with a block of cement should he end up being unable to avoid it. <br><br>Assuming that the attack landed, the crossbow woman would be next as Natalia sprinted towards the other woman, with the intent of grabbing her by the back of her head while her attention was focused on Audra, and slamming her down into the dirt.<br><br>Pure euphoria! This was the power that she had locked off, the strength that she had denied for so long! It was like a drug addict getting his first hit after years upon years of trying his hardest to remain clean. With both of the hunters in their current state, it would be so very easy to finish them off, to execute the poor hunters who dared to think they stood a chance against her. All she'd have to do was reach down, give a little squeeze, and pop goes the throat... But no, that was wrong! Didn't she swear to herself all that time ago that she wasn't going to do that anymore? That she wasn't going to be that person? These people... they were alive, they had hopes, dreams, motivations and ambitions... Strengths, flaws, stories and loved ones all their own... She wasn't going to be that person anymore, she refused!<br><br>But, it would be so easy... So simple... Just a little pop, just like all the others.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>07-07-2014, 04:52:51</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The warrior was barely able to react to Natalia, but what few milliseconds were afforded him, he turned what would have been his face being collapsed in to a severe concussion as Natalia's fist went right for the side of his head. He went down with a clattering thud as gravity relieved him of his sword and shield. The crossbow woman, turning around to see what had happened to the warrior let off her shot, but even her hands were shaky in the face of the lizard-eyed Natalia. The crossbow bolt flew over the huntress' should and the jungle swallowed it up. She let out a cry as her head was smashed into the ground. The crossbow woman struggled beneath Natalia, one hand desperately trying to get at one of the knives in her boots, the other for the crossbow that was now several feet astray. <br><br>Audra looked down at her fellow mage--she was still cursing the youngest of the Malpare. "I'll have your head on a pike. Your sister wasn't specific on how she wanted you brought back--" Audra brought down her cylinder on the mage's skull, knocking her out. The crossbow woman might have silenced her, but considering how much of a grudge this woman had against her, no doubt she wanted to keep the source of Audra's vocal freedom on her. Sure enough she found the trinket, a finely shaped key pulsing with a magical aura on the woman. Audra pressed the tip of the key to the chain around her neck and gave a ninety-degree turn. The chain fell off and Audra could feel the magical potential in the air around her once more. <br><br>Turning to where Natalia was, Audra scanned the situation. The huntress' eyes. What on earth was happening? <em>Land of dragon slayers</em>. The thought came to her, but the implications were hardly important right then. The huntress appeared as though she was going to finish off the crossbow woman. Very uncharacteristic of what little she knew about Natalia. She seemed like a woman less possessed and more unhinged. Letting her finish off the trio off would have been the easiest way out of the situation. But she needed her bodyguard in top form--and that involved her not feeling possible regret. <br><br>"That's enough," Audra shouted. "I think they've gotten the message." 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>07-07-2014, 05:09:26</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia's breathing would continue to be labored for a few seconds as her mental struggle continued, two sides of the same mind that were telling her two completely different things. She felt her hand hovering slowly towards the throat of the struggling crossbow woman, before backing off and repeating in a seemingly endless cycle. That was, until she heard the voice of her client speak out to her, telling her that they had gotten the message. She looked Audra dead in the eye, her red, reptilian glare staring the mage down before it relented. She remembered the moment that she swore she would change, she swore that she would become a better person, that she'd make up for all the tragedy and loss that had been caused by her hands. She swore that she wouldn't do this any more, even if it meant denying who she truly was... Hell, for the last year or so, she had even gotten pretty good at controlling herself, using her 'god given' power only in short bursts during battles.<br><br>She got up, backing away from the downed woman as she walked calmly back towards her satchel and picked up another purple vial. She only had 2 of them left after this one, so she had to use them sparingly before she could go back for a refill. Drinking the substance, her red glare died down and was replaced with the far more familiar, soft, blue gaze. The fire in her veins died down, and were this encounter not taking place in the dead of the night, onlookers could potentially see her skin become more... well... skin-like as a result as well. It wasn't the sort of thing that anybody would be able to point out on the first go-around, but her skin clearly became softer and weaker once she drank the potion... Perhaps, considering the track record with the blonde huntress so far, less scaly would be the right term.<br><br>Now back to normal, Natalia would look towards Audra and give a small nod. "Okay..." These people were lucky that Audra didn't enable Natalia's primal, ruthless instincts... It would have been so very, very easy. Physically and mentally. And while Audra's own motivation could have been purely practical and without a hint of compassion or empathy to be found, the end result remained the same nonetheless, and Natalia did greatly appreciate her for it.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>07-07-2014, 06:07:06</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It was that easy, Audra thought, breathing out through her nose in relief. Though...now they had two unconscious bodies and one...scared hired crossbowman. "If you're going to knock people out, at least save the one with the most physical strength for last," Audra said, speaking only for the particular circumstances of the moment. She approached the crossbow woman, who was still on the ground. Her finger tips ignited with purple flames as she stood out of arm's reach of the downed woman. "You three are going to send Lucia a message. And I swear if you follow us, I'll let my bodyguard rip your throat out. Or I'll set you alight. Neither are particularly dignified ways to die. Tell my sister, that she and Cristina can take their soldiers and their ships and go home. Because there is nothing here for them that doesn't already belong to me."<br><br>The crossbow woman nodded furiously. "Good," Audra said. "Natalia. Grab our things. We're leaving." Audra didn't move from her spot, sustaining the flames in her hands, letting them coalesce in her palm and then pulse out into five equal sized wisps to her finger tips. She locked her eyes on the woman, letting her know that if she decided to pull anything while the huntress went about collecting their things that Audra would make good on her promise to burn her alive. Once Natalia had their things, Audra would lead the way into the forest until they were far away from the campsite. <br><br>"...nope," Audra would suddenly say. "No idea who that other mage was. This is seriously going to bother me..." 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>07-07-2014, 08:11:46</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Once the situation was settled, Audra threatening to 'unleash' Natalia on the group of them should they give chase before ordering the bodyguard to pack up their things, Natalia would offer a single nod before packing up the camp quickly, her head hung low and her eyes towards the ground even once they got back on the road towards the beam of light. During the trip, the silence between the two of them was almost palpable, though this time it wasn't because of anger, or tension, or anything like that. Natalia was ashamed of herself, the fact that she <em>had</em> lost control full out after all of her hard work, all of her dedication, ground her face into the dirt harder then either of the bodyguards that she had sent onto their asses just a few short hours ago. She had almost killed again, were it not for Audra's interference she probably would have, truth be told. Even now there was a small voice in the back of her mind, telling her how wonderful it had felt, how easy it would be to simply hand the reigns over. Who was she to hide from herself? Her true self?<br><br>It wasn't until Audra spoke up out of nowhere that Natalia snapped out of her near zombie-like trance, and she cast her azure colored eyes over towards the brunette. "Your family is pretty cut throat, huh? No wonder you don't trust them with whatever rests in these beacons..." Natalia wasn't about to press the matter any further. For all she knew, she and Audra were actually in the same boat. Natalia had fought long and hard to change the person she was, and shake off the stigma of the past. Perhaps Audra was less obvious about it, but wasn't it very possible that she was doing the exact same thing? It certainly went along with the previous freak-out, when Natalia had accidentally thrown Audra in with the rest of her kin.<br><br>How hilarious would it be if the two of them turned out to be kindred spirits? The humor wasn't lost on the warrior woman.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>07-07-2014, 08:46:39</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I'm sure the cutthroats wouldn't appreciate you lumping them in with my family," Audra said, flashing Natalia a smirk. Speaking of the beacons, they split the night sky with their light and stole away some of the stars. The moon overhead was only half full, but the blue beacon was filling in for its missing half for the time being. Audra didn't want to address the current elephant in the room between them or rather what Natalia must've thought was the elephant in the room: her powers and her momentary loss of control. The mage bemoaned the fact that she might have to comfort the huntress...and may even have to offer up something genuine to do so. Though part of her said it wouldn't have minded. The rest of her told that one part to shut up. <br><br>Realization dawned on her. "Sophia Agani," Audra said. That was the name of the woman, the mage of the group. Well. Audra couldn't exactly blame her for wanting her head on a pike. "That brings back memories." And then she decided to address the elephant in the room, rather quickly. "Aside from slaying dragons, what else is your homeland known for when it comes to dragons?" Not the subtlest performance of Audra's, which should have highlighted her want to move away from the matter of Sophia Agani. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>07-07-2014, 16:01:24</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia was surprised that she managed to come up with a name, but she wasn't allowed to dwell on it before the subject was actually flipped against her, with Audra asking about the origin of her unnatural strength, and hinting that it had something to do with the fact that her home was renowned for being heavily involved with Dragons. "It's a long, long story. Do you really want me to go into full detail? Or would you prefer that I just gave you the short version?" As much as Natalia tried to make it sound like she was doing Audra a favor by leaving out the 'boring details', truth was that Natalia didn't know just how comfortable she was revealing that information just yet. Besides, the quicker she was able to get through her information, the quicker she'd be allowed to ask about Sophia Agani again. It was a subject that Natalia didn't plan on dropping.<br><br>At least it seemed like Audra felt remorse about it, right? Otherwise she wouldn't be trying to change the subject so suddenly.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>08-07-2014, 03:22:54</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Audra knew she wasn't going to get away with dropping the name of the mage and not elaborating on the history. So it was in her own interest to keep Natalia talking, especially now that she turned the tables. Press every advantage, or so she had been taught. <br><br>"I should doubt that we'll been making camp again for several hours," Audra said. "So please, weave me a saga of your circumstances." She was already placing bets with herself of which theory of hers was correct.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>08-07-2014, 04:11:23</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia would lower her gaze, taking in a deep breath before she decided to give in to Audra's request. It seemed that for the time being, the talented and shrewd businesswoman was going to get her way for the time being. "Remember how I told you that about a century ago, my home was able to kill the Talicus? That legendary dragon? Turns out they kept parts of it for studies, research... When I was a child I was very sick, very frail... It wasn't expected that I'd live to see my tenth birthday. A group of doctors took me away, said they'd make me better with revolutionary new research, innovations... Heh... They succeeded. They succeeded really, REALLY well."<br><br>Okay, so that was a lot more sparse on the details then Audra might have been expecting, but Natalia wasn't about to unload her entire sob story just at one simple prompt.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>08-07-2014, 05:19:04</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Definitely far sparser of an account than Audra was expecting, but then again she didn't need the <em>whole</em> story to understand. It was the first that she heard of such research being conducted in Natalia's homeland, however. "So what did they do exactly? Infuse you with some of the Talicus' blood, thus granting you these odd, extraordinary abilities I've seen you use?" &nbsp;Similar blood experiments were conducted in Caren. A fact that Audra was keenly aware of, though she had no inclination to say it. <br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>08-07-2014, 05:33:23</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia shook her head, responding in a swift fashion. "Not exactly blood infusions... It was more comprehensive then that. They never gave me the details, but basically... When Talicus died, his heart went cold and turned into some kind of crystal. They had kept it, and researched it ever since, along with collecting the rest of his remains. My heart got infused with some of the crystal, and I've got Talicus scales lining my arms and legs. Along with that, my skin had to be reinforced with some kind of magic that prevented my body from falling apart from the intense heat of harnessing the strength of Talicus. Apparently the first of their subjects melted the moment they tried channeling their newfound strength. So, yeah... A bit more in-depth then a simple blood transfusion, but it's the same concept at it's core."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>08-07-2014, 05:54:54</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				What Natalia was telling Audra was simply astounding, though ultimately not that different from some of the research currently being conducted in some of the university in Caren. Though the source of their infusions was definitely of note. "Seem I really do know how to pick them," Audra said, feeling particularly smug about her choice of bodyguard. <br><br>"And that medicine of yours? What role does it play exactly?" The more Audra understood about Natalia's strengths and weaknesses, the better she could prepare and react during encounters. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>08-07-2014, 06:14:03</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The response came just as swift as last time, though Natalia's head was still directed forward. It seemed more like she was speaking out of a sense of obligation rather then to do any kind of meaningful venting. Then again, wasn't that exactly what Audra was looking for? Well, aside the secondary objective of keeping the subject away from herself, that was. "It's an inhibitor of sorts. It gives me back control every time that I get riled up like that. I'm sure you saw what I almost devolved into without it. And that was while I was still able to fight back the urges. I'd say I was able to keep about... 30% of my control when you pulled me back and told me to stop."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>08-07-2014, 07:21:05</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"...that's a bit troubling," Audra said, after hearing just how little control Natalia had before Audra commanded her to stop. At least Natalia could be reigned in, but that meant over half of herself was given into her baser instincts, into that of a dragon famed for the destruction it wrought. "Your doses of that medicine are limited, yes? I do hope you're able to make more while we're out here." Audra had no desire to turn back partway when they were maybe only a few more days from reaching the gold beacon. <br><br>Of course, by the time Natalia responded to her latest question, Audra would have run out of things to ask. She was a master of small talk, but she hated employing it outside of social gatherings that required her to be agreeable. She'd be grasping for another line of conversation, anything to not let the conversation shift back to her. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>08-07-2014, 16:12:36</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"No, I can't. I still have two vials left, but after that things are going to get dangerous. It'll be fine though, we just have to be more careful moving forward, both with the battles we decide to fight, and when it's time for me to use what little tonic I've got left." After that the two of them went silent again, though Natalia was able to pick up on the fact that Audra didn't want to talk about herself. It was hard getting a read on the woman sometimes, but considering how quickly she had managed to bounce things over to Natalia, and how persistently she was trying to keep things there, it wasn't the most difficult thing to figure out.<br><br>Well, if she didn't want to talk about it, Natalia wasn't going to push it too far. Probably wasn't her place anyway. She would go quiet, keeping her attention focused ahead unless there was something else around them that needed her attention.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>09-07-2014, 04:17:36</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Well, that didn't exactly inspire much confidence in Audra, but all it meant was that they had to be a bit more careful with how they approached their problems. Of course, the mage considered what retaining spells she could conjure and what the scroll would allow her to craft. <br><br>An unexpected silence fell between them. Audra was sure that Natalia was going to press her for information on the mage woman that had come after her. But it didn't seem Natalia's curiosity ran that deep. Well...that was a blessing. Right? Some how it didn't quite feel like it. Was it disappointment that she was feeling? <br><br>Audra shook herself free of the sensation, whatever it was. It would another few hours yet before they arrived at what Audra would declare as their new campsite, for however much night they still had left. It was a grove, hidden within a thick copse of trees. The grove was dominated by what appeared to be a iridescent purple willow tree. It had thick pink bulbs attached to the ends of its dropping branches that flickered and blinked like wisps. Audra, for the first time since the temple they first search, had a look of pure, genuine awe on her features. "Here will do."&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>09-07-2014, 04:29:32</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia was rather curious, but she did know the limits of her curiosity and the last thing she wanted was to brew any kind of animosity between she and her client again. As a result, the trip fell silent once more while the two of them ventured further into the forest. However, once Audra determined that the campsite would be in the purple grove, Natalia found herself instinctively nodding in agreement. She had seen a great deal of things since she began wandering the world, but <em>nothing</em> quite like this. "I agree."<br><br>Not only was it an oddly soothing little grove, all circumstances considering, but the fact that the grove only had one entrance also meant that it would be easy to defend, and it would mean that for the first time in forever, they would be able to get a full night's sleep without getting ambushed by something! As quickly as she could while still being thorough, Natalia set up camp and placed both of their bedrolls right beneath the purple tree's canopy. Perhaps it was just the magic, but this place was so oddly soothing, like it was a small sanctuary locked away form the rest of the world where nothing could go wrong, and where they weren't in any danger.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>09-07-2014, 07:34:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The fact the grove could easily be defended didn't even cross Audra's mine as she settled onto her bed roll. She stared up into the purple canopy of the tree. It definitely held some sort of magic within it. Of what nature, Audra wouldn't be able to determine without further study. However, it was obvious that it didn't mean them any harm--unless it was able to mask its own maliciousness. Letting out a long, silent yawn, Audra decided that she didn't have the energy to really care. <br><br>"Good night, huntress," Audra offered, before turning on her side and curling up. She stilled eyed the low branches of the tree and their blinking bulbs even as her eyes grew heavy. The last thing to fill her mind's eye was the flash of a purple light. <br><br>When Natalia finally got around to falling asleep, she would startle awake suddenly and find herself standing up right in the hallway of an extravagant home. The walls were a dark wood and the floors were tiled marble, and the ceiling was vaulted. Portraits and landscape lined the walls. From down the hall, Natalia would be able to hear the sounds of voices, not hush, but far away. The clinking of glasses could also be heard, as well as the sound of a string quartet playing for the room. The ballroom the hallway would funnel her into was backed with well dressed men and women, talking and drinking from fine glasses. What might have caught Natalia's attention was the appearance of a young girl, maybe no older than ten with purple hair and golden eyes dancing with a gentlemen, well into his forties. The young girl was all smiles, but there was something...precocious about the smile. While not exactly forced, it was hardly real.&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>09-07-2014, 07:54:04</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia felt genuinely at peace for the first time since her arrival in Vastwood when she laid her head down to sleep, though that feeling of serenity was cut short when she suddenly snapped awake to find herself in a large and overly extravagant mansion. Drawn to the ballroom, mainly because there was nothing else TO be drawn to, Natalia could only look on as a tiny Audra, who she was able to recognize even though she was just a child, danced with somebody about four times her age. At this point, the huntress crossed her arms and leaned against the nearby pillar, watching how this scene was going to play out. Oddly enough, she had passed a few servants in the hallways leading to the ballroom, and she had already been able to spot out that she was essentially a fly on the wall, a ghost, for what was about to transpire. As she waited for things to happen, her mind focused instead on what could be happening. Sure, this <em>could</em> be a dream, she laid down in her bedroll and she could distinctly remember nodding off... yet... this felt very real. It was a strange sensation, one that she couldn't quite put into words, but something in the back of Natalia's mind was telling her that she wasn't asleep, that this was real.<br><br>She didn't understand it though, but it wasn't like she had any influence in the scene other then to stand by and watch. And so that was exactly what she would do.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>10-07-2014, 05:38:21</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The song the quartet played ran its course and Audra and her dance partner, as well as everyone else who partook in the song, relinquished themselves. They exchanged bows and curtsies and, save for a few lingering glances between some couples, parted and went their separate ways. Audra tugged on the sleeve of the man she had been dancing with. "I do not see my father anywhere," she said, sounding quite concerned. "Master Agani, won't you help me search for him." The man smiled, "But of course, young Miss Audra. It would be my pleasure," Agani said and walked with the child Audra out of the ballroom, through a pair of double doors on the far side of the room from where Natalia had entered. <br><br>The manor opened up in a grand entryway after a couple of turns down the hallway. A large, pale crystal was suspended from the ceiling with chains of gold--it was about as large as a person and it bathed the whole room in light. Audra and Agani scanned the floor below, searching for Audra's father. By the time they reached the foot of the stairs, Agani scratched his chin in thought. "That's strange. Seems like he up and left the manor. This <em>is</em> his party. It's unlike him to just leave the guests." <br><br>"Perhaps he's outside?" Audra suggested. The gentleman nodded. "Let's go check," he agreed. The doors out of the manor took them to front gardens, where a road wound its way around a fountain and up to the manor itself. Horse-drawn coaches line the edge of the road all around, their drivers seated at the reins and chatting loudly with each other. It wasn't ten seconds before a pair of guards emerged behind the two.<br><br>"You there!" One of them shouted. "Just what do you think you're doing with Miss Audra?!" Agani turned and looked at them wide-eyed. "There's a misunderstanding here, gentlemen," he started to say, but Audra suddenly ripped her arm away from him and hurried over to the guard, hiding behind one of their legs. <br><br>"I...I don't know where he was taking me! He told me to be quiet and not to say anything...or else something bad would happen. I was so scared!" She hugged the guard's leg tightly and sobbed, actual hot tears running down her cheeks. <br><br>"Audra?!" Agani said, clearly shocked. "Look, I was just--" <br><br>"Shut it," the other guard said. "Her sisters have been looking everywhere for her. We knew you liked them young, Agani, but this...is just sick." Agani protested, but other guards showed up. They bore the crest of the city of Caren, rather than the house of Malpare. They bound Agani in manacles and walked him over to a stagecoach, commandeering from the driver. And he was taken away, still screaming his innocence to deaf ears.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>10-07-2014, 16:02:19</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia watched the scene unfold like the ghost she was, unable to interact as the young Audra lied to and manipulated the older man and ended up getting him falsely put into prison. As much as she wanted to be judgmental and harsh towards Audra for her treatment, she really couldn't. Compared to what SHE had been doing at that age, this was child's play. Then again, Natalia never had a choice in the matter... Was it any different for Audra? With that frame of mind, Natalia would continue to follow the young Audra, and the guards, through the manor. Even though she was willing to be understanding ever since the 'incident' earlier today, the question of motivation still sprung to mind, surely she wouldn't just falsely get a man thrown in prison for the fun of it.<br><br>Not to mention the question of just what in the world she was looking at to begin with. Was it a memory? A dream? Some kind of distorted alternate reality? Thinking about it, that purple tree was giving off some odd vibes when they both laid down for the night, did that have something to do with it.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>11-07-2014, 03:42:37</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The two guards that 'saved' Audra returned her inside and led her down one of the hallways on the first floor. She was brought to a room where two raven-haired young women, perhaps seventeen and sixteen respectively, were waiting for her. Their lavender eyes lit up with relief as the girl Audra was brought into the room. "Audra," the younger of the two cried, rushing over and pulling the girl into a tight hug. "We thought something horrible had happened to you." "I'm okay, Lucia," Audra replied, though her voice was oddly quiet. <br><br>"I trust it is done," the older of the black-haired sister said, stepping up to the guards. They nodded and the older sister, Christina, deposited a small sack of gold coin into one of the guards' hands. "Anything to keep the peace, Sisters Malpare. If you'll excuse us." And with that they saluted and exited the room. Audra's sisters wore gowns, though while Christina's was a full hoop dress, Lucia's was a slimmer number that didn't hide or exaggerate her figure. Christina had a more motherly look about her, her hips and bust helping with the image, while Lucia, was leaner and was visibly tone. <br><br>Christina gave Audra a smile. "Good work, sweet sister. Father will be most pleased--the Agani shipping company will surely topple with this latest transgression by Mr. Agani." <br><br>"He looked really upset," Audra said, staring at the ground. "What's going to happen to his family and--" <br><br>Lucia stepped up and grabbed Audra by the chin. She lifted the girl's head up to look her in the eye. "Those are things you need not concern yourself with, <em>baby</em> sister. You put on a great performance tonight--don't sully its memory." Audra looked up at her sister, terrified. She let out a slight cry, feeling her chin being pinched by her sister's grasp. <br><br>Christina touched Lucia's arm and she promptly let go of their younger sister. Christina knelt down in front of Audra, much like a consoling mother would a child...but her eyes were far from warm. A stern coldness held Audra dead center. "You said you wanted to help father. Well, Audra, you did. And you can continue to help him by testifying as you did tonight--that Mr. Agani threatened that something bad would happen to you and the rest of us if you didn't go with him." <br><br>"But it's such a flimsy story," Audra shouted. "Who is going to believe this--" And with that, Christina backhanded her. Audra clutched at her cheek, the sting throbbing and causing tears to well up in her eyes. <br><br>"Money solves many problem, Audra," Christina said. "Including plot holes. And adding a bit of color to your cheeks will no doubt help just now." She stood back up and nodded at Lucia. "We both think it would be good if you didn't rejoin the party. You are supposed to be in shock from the whole ordeal. Be an angel and stay here." <br><br>They left her in the room, locking it from the outside. Audra took a seat on one of the couches, closest to the hearth in the room. She buried her eyes in her hands, and she wept. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>11-07-2014, 04:33:08</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia was shocked by what she saw when she entered the next room, Audra interacting with the both of her sisters. While it looked as though Christina was trying to help her at first, it was clear that both of them were looking out for nothing more then their own best interests, as well as those of her father. To think that the two of them would be able to speak that way, and use a young child to their own ends like that... Natalia's gaze hit the floor, those two sisters were no different from the three devils. It seemed that she and Audra had more in common then Natalia first anticipated, and if Audra was campaigning to keep those pillars out of the hands of people just as malicious and self-absorbed as the three devils used to be, then Natalia would follow her to the ends of the earth until it was done.<br><br>She looked around, wondering if there was anything else to see in this strange not-quite-a-dream realm that she had been brought to. By this point, she had a fairly good idea that she was somehow peering into Audra's memory, though the exact methodology behind how that was possible escaped her. Perhaps it had something to do with that tree? And wait a second, if <em>she</em> was able to peer into Audra's mind, would it go both ways? She'd find out when she woke up, she supposed. It would be at that exact same time that she found out if these were memories, or if this was all just some kind of absurd dream brought on by the stressers placed upon both her body and her mind of late. It had been years since she channeled her strength that heavily.<br><br>Her powers were something along the lines of a wild dog on a leash. The closer you get to granting it freedom the harder and more tiring it was to reign in and control, and once control was completely lost and the 'leash' was released, while there wasn't any more stress or fatigue, there was no longer any hope of getting that leash back.<br><br>..........................................<br><br>On the other side of the 'memory tree', Audra would be able to answer Natalia's question as she ended up appearing briefly in a small, unassuming village hut. It had a total of three rooms, two bedrooms that housed what looked like leather hammocks that hung from the wooden walls, and a few plants by the small windows. In the room she found herself beginning inside, she would be able to see a tiny blonde girl, couldn't even be in her double digits of age yet, letting out a tiny groan of pain. Her face looked pale, and she had heavy blue bags under her eyes. For all intents and purposes, the girl looked to be damn near on her deathbed. In the central room, she'd see a pair in their early twenties talking to a man dressed in clothes that looked far more expensive and well tailored then the simple leathers and rags that the couple wore. The woman, a slender raven haired woman, spoke in a soft, almost uncertain voice.<br>"And... and what are the odds that it will work?"<br><br>The man would have a look on his face that Audra would be extremely familiar with. Empathetic, understanding, kindhearted, and perfectly fake.<br>"I'm not going to lie, ma'am... It's a bit of a long shot. But... well... what other options do we have?"<br><br>There would be some nodding between the two of them as the hut started to fade away into the blackness. However, the dream tree wasn't done with the trip it was about to take Audra on.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>11-07-2014, 05:39:32</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Audra cried into her hands for for several minutes until her sobbing ceased and only sorrowful sniffles were left. She lowered her hands and revealed that her eyes were puffy. She slid off the couch and approached the hearth. Her hands were balled tightly as she stared into the hearth, currently unlit and having a stack of logs piled within. <br><br>The eyes of the young girl emptied themselves of self-pity and sadness...and a fire replaced them--a dark anger that no child was ever meant to feel. She let out a scream and punch the air. And a jet of purple flames erupted from her fist and flow directly into the hearth. The fire set the logs ablaze and left a young Audra stunned and staring at her own hands in disbelief. Instead of fearing herself, though, Audra regripped her fists. She made a silent declaration as she stared into the fire.<br><br>-----------------<br><br>Blinking and looking around the small hut, Audra needed several moments to get her bearings. And to determine what was going on. Her eyes found the tiny blonde girl. It wasn't hard for her to notice the resemblance, but Audra still couldn't say what it meant. The voices led her into the central room, where a couple, the girl's parents, spoke with a man that Audra instantly narrowed her eyes at. The well-faked sincerity she'd know from anywhere. <br><br>Audra walked more fully into the central room. And noted that no one noticed her, no even tilting their head to look her way even. She reached for the well dressed man's shoulders...and found that her hand phased right through him. Whatever was going on, she wasn't part of it. All she could do was see how the drama unfolded. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>11-07-2014, 06:04:23</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				When the darkness faded away, it would be with a couple of nearby voices, though at first they sounded hazy and distant. However, with each passing second, the voices would grow more and more clear.<br><em>"It looks like the Crystis took properly, at least."</em><br><em>"Hey, she's actually waking up!"</em><br><em>"Then that's part one, accomplished. As soon as she recovers to an acceptable level, we'll begin phase two. The fact that she survived at all is huge, I've got high hopes for the new formula."</em><br><br>Darkness again as the voices vanished. However, this time it would only be for a few seconds until a series of lit torches indicated an end of the darkness. Audra would find herself in what looked like a gladiatorial arena, one that was completely barren save for a few blood stains spattered across the walls. On one end was a young boy that looked to be about ten wielding a dagger in his hand. On the other side would be the blonde that she had previously recognized in the hut. However, any sign of sickness had completely vanished from the blonde. Both children could be spotted out as having a pair of bright red reptilian eyes. While the gates on either side were locked for the two children, Audra was bound by no such gates, and she'd have full permission to head up into the overseeing podium, where a trio overlooked the two. Rather Audra decided to join them or not, their voices would ring clear as day through the arena as a bright blue flame erupted in the middle of the arena, and both kids sprinted at one another with wild growls.<br><br>Blades clashed, and the two tykes darted around with unreal speed and grace, considering their size. Of course, they still wouldn't be a match for anybody that was of appropriate age and experience.<br><em>"Wow! She's actually keeping up with subject 37, and he's our 'champion'."</em><br><em>"I'm telling you, this new formula might be the perfect balance."</em><br><em>"We've had troubles in the past with giving subjects too much Crystis, with their bodies rejecting it. Are you so sure that your new 'formula' can justify the huge amounts of Crystis?"</em><br><em>"Absolutely. We learned a lot from subject group C-3, it's because of them that subject 42's still able to move at all... and... you know... the whole 'flesh not melting' thing."</em><br><br>brief chuckles filled the podium, as the sounds of a struggle came to an end. The blonde girl, Natalia, ran her knife clean through the throat of the kid from before, dropping him to the ground instantly as she sucked in a series of deep, ragged breaths.<br><em>"Incredible! 37 never even got to scratch her!"</em><br><em>"She may just be the one after all. See? Aren't you glad you gave me a chance now?"</em><br><em>"More combat tests still need to be done, of course. One fight doesn't prove a thing. Still... Gentlemen... we may very well be looking at tomorrow's soldier right now."</em><br><br>More heavy gasping, the blonde's hands visibly shaking as her opponent's blood continued to stream from her blade, as things went dark once more. Over the next few minutes, Audra would see brief snippets, some only a few seconds long, of Natalia continuing to fight other reptilian, red pupiled kids her age, none of them could be any older then 13. Most of the snippets were nothing more then kill strikes, visions of the moment that Natalia's blade crashed into their flesh, and ended them. In between each snippet would be a small, almost instantaneous blink of darkness while the setting shifted. During one of those routine 'set' transitions, rather then the torches coming back to life and Natalia killing another 'subject', voices could be heard again, these ones very loud and commanding.<br><br><em>"I'm telling you! We have authorization from the office of- hey! You have no right to be in here!"</em><br><em>"Sit still! All of you, ALL THREE OF YOU, are under arrest for crimes against humanity! How can you look me in the eye and tell me that you're doing nothing wrong!? Look at what you've done here! Have you no soul?"</em><br><br>Finally, light and color would fill the scene again, as a now early-teen, roughly 14 or 15 year old, Natalia looked up and made eye contact with a steel clad soldier, the crest of Eclesia proudly displayed on the heavy shield that rested across his back. <br>"... Young lady, are you okay?"<br><br>Natalia would look shocked, almost confused for a few seconds, before she nodded.<br>"Yes, I'm fine."<br><br>The light would fade again with the soldier offering Natalia a hand, helping the young woman to her feet. Except this time, it would not return.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>11-07-2014, 06:31:10</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				And Audra snap awake once the light faded and darkness overtook the scene of the soldier offering Natalia the first scrap of humanity in many years. Audra sat up in a cold sweat. She had joined those men in their place overlooking the arena and had heard them speak and watched as Natalia claimed each victory. Though Audra was certain the huntress saw each of those kids killed as a sin worthy of its own cross to bear. Audra was certain, as she looked up at the blinking bulbs of the tree that what she had seen was not some jungle-fever induced dream or the exhaustion of her mind. She had been looking at memories. Very fractured memories.<br><br>Of course. If the tree allowed Audra to peer into Natalia's mind...then what did the huntress see? She looked over at Natalia to see if she had also been roused from her sleep. The sounds of the jungle stirring at the dawn of a new day could be heard from beyond the enclosed grove. Though it could have easily been mid-morning. Audra couldn't tell. It was then that she noticed that her hands had been balled up into fists. <br><br>For all that she had done, for all that her sisters had done, they had never done something like what those men put Natalia through. Audra still hated her sisters, but in some ways Audra couldn't help but admit to feeling petty in comparison.&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>11-07-2014, 06:38:50</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia would be sleeping peacefully, amazingly, and would let out a light groan not too long after Audra snapped awake from her nightmare. When she sat up and looked over towards Audra, Natalia would stretch as she slowly and uneasily got back to her feet. Truth be told, despite the odd interruption in the middle of the night where she had somehow peered into Audra's mind, that had been the most restful sleep she had enjoyed in years, bed or wilderness. For the first time since leaving town she felt like she woke up completely refreshed, and ready to tackle the day. Of course, that could be yet another effect of the strange tree that overlooked the two of them, Natalia didn't know enough about it to be sure.<br><br>However, when her mind actually clicked on, and she recalled what she had seen in the dead of the night, her neutral and tired look curled into a bit of a frown. Sure, it had been nowhere near as extreme as what she had been put through, but the fact remained that Audra had been lied to, manipulated, and truth be told, abused by her two older sisters. "Audra..." She glanced from side to side briefly, wondering if she should or shouldn't bring up the odd visions. Did Audra see something as well? If so, it would be easy to tell. Natalia's history wasn't a pleasant place, no matter where the tree decided to set her down. "... sleep well? Any... uhh... odd dreams?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>11-07-2014, 06:52:52</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Audra saw through Natalia's words the moment the blonde opened her mouth. If Audra had also slept well, her mind was too focused on what of Natalia's memories she had witnessed...and worrying about what Natalia might have seen her own past. While the Audra Natalia had first met would have beat around the bush and even evade the question, the Audra that looked her right in the eye with dead-serious expression wasn't in the mood for games. <br><br>"What did you see?" Audra said. It was softly said, without anger or accusation. Audra just wanted to know. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>12-07-2014, 00:19:37</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The no-nonsense look in Audra's eye told the whole story, so there was no longer any reason for the two of them to try and beat around the bush any longer. Visions were had, memories were shared, and both of them had clearly experienced it. As such, Natalia replied just as quickly and with just as neutral and non-aggressive of a tone as Audra had just initiated with. As she spoke, she would go about tearing down the camp, a procedure she had since gotten quite comfortable with and was able to perform in only a few minutes. "I saw your sisters manipulating you, and you putting a man in prison... You were about... 9? 10? I also saw that you didn't approve of it, that you didn't want any part of their plans. That was about it."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>12-07-2014, 03:18:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Being manipulated and putting a man in prison weren't exactly good points of reference for narrowing down what Natalia saw. The age helped though and Audra soon realized what the huntress had seen. "That had to be Samuel Agani," Audra said. She sat where she was, on the bedroll while Natalia went about tearing down their campsite. "Before that they had me dropping off packages and delivering message veiled in riddles. Even gathering information. That was the first time they had me cause direct harm to someone." <br><br>And thus began the making of her masks, to fool her targets and her own family as to her eventual goals. To royally screw Lucia and Christina over. Audra sighed though and looked up at Natalia. "I must seem awfully pathetic to you though. I saw you taken from your family and forged into a weapon, made sharp by killing other children. Until those men were arrested and a soldier set you free. My sisters had me kill people too, but never in such brutal ways." 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>12-07-2014, 05:42:45</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia would go about packing up the camp at a smooth, comfortable pace up until Audra decided to bring up what she had seen during the dream. Even though her work still needed a few finishing touches before it could be considered done, she paused and turned around, taking a seat on a stump as she looked Audra right in the eye for about a second, before her conviction wavered and her gaze drifted towards the ground. "... Saw that, huh? Yeah... That was... well... it was the beginning of me. The me you see before you, anyway. Anything before that might as well have never happened..." She went silent for a few seconds, before she came unglued a tiny bit and began to speak in a slightly more shaky voice. "I went back later, you know. Back to that hellish lab... About a year after it was all shut down. It wasn't until then that I learned the full extent of their evil. I wasn't the only victim, of course... Sick kids like me... Poor kids off the streets... They even bought out an orphanage."<br><br>She took in another deep breath, stiffening up as she continued after that tiny pause. "Well... that's the worst of what my mind has to offer. Now you know."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>12-07-2014, 05:56:42</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Audra wanted to be more shocked, to be more disgusted with what the men she had witness in Natalia's memories had done. But it wouldn't have surprised her if similar things were happening in the universities and research labs in Caren--they were just better at hiding it. Seeing it all first hand though...<br><br>"I'm sorry I didn't fetch your medicine after that beast's attack the other night," Audra said. If Natalia wanted to see Audra being sincere, this was it. "And I apologize for my behavior. My sisters they...no, I push you at arms length so I don't get attached. Please understand that they made me do things to people I actually liked, even loved. It's just easier to accept that people just become targets and marks. Makes it all hurt less. What you saw of my mind wasn't the worst of it. The night they took Agani away, I resolved to end my sisters. And yet I couldn't do anything about it until a couple months ago." <br><br>She paused. And actually blushed. "I'm sorry. Even now I'm so self-centered." 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>12-07-2014, 06:08:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia was taken aback by this new, sincere Audra. For the first time since the two of them met, Natalia simply <em>knew</em> that this was the real Audra, that there were no more lies, no more walls of deceit, no more fake smiles or defensive lines, just a woman having a heart to heart with what was likely the only person in the entire world to fully understand her. Natalia's only response to Audra's apology would be a soft smile as she rose from her stump, and finished off the packing of the camp. "... Let's get a move on. Lots of ground to cover, and not a lot of time to cover it."<br><br>Once Audra joined her, and the two of them began to depart, it would be Natalia's turn to begin the apology train while the two of them were walking. "You're sorry for mistreating me... And I'm sorry for misjudging you. I should have never lumped you in with the rest of the spoiled, self serving creatures that you were raised with... Hells... The other night I even lumped you in with the three devils from my own past. You didn't deserve that, and I'm sorry." Hopefully that was about the extent of it. At least, Natalia didn't <em>think</em> that either of them had anything left to apologize for. So, it was time to change the subject to something a bit lighter, though honestly, ANYTHING would be lighter from here on out.<br><br>"Oh... If you're curious about the specifics of my medicine. Basically, as you learned last night, my heart is pumped full of Crystis, some kind of crazy crystalline energy that heats up my blood to a broil, and activates the primal, Talicus part of my mind. Whenever I'm in danger, the Crystis kicks on, and I lose control. What the medicine basically does is forces the Crystis to shut off and cool back down. It's... uh... It's a bit rough, but it's the only option I've got. I know you didn't ask or anything, but I figured you might be curious."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>12-07-2014, 06:33:44</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Audra couldn't help but feel that familiar pit in her stomach beginning to form. Natalia was the first in a long, long time that Audra honestly opened up to. It was not too long from this point that her sisters would cause something to happen that would a) make them distrust Audra, b) get them sent to jail), c) have them killed or ruined, or d) all of the above. But once she got it off her chest, she couldn't help but feel the weight of the masks she had been wearing be liberating. Audra smiled at the the admission that Natalia had given, that the huntress had lumped her with the three 'devils' that had stolen her childhood and make her into a weapon. It was really no less than Audra deserved from how she had been acting. <br><br>Listening to Natalia talk about her medicine and how it interacted with her unique physiology, Audra couldn't help but be curious. "You'll have to let me take a look at your medicine then. Maybe I can help make you some alternatives." If keeping that energy of hers cold was what kept Natalia in control, then Audra would have to find a way to allow the huntress to control it better. For both their sakes. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>12-07-2014, 06:44:21</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				At the offer from Audra to help her look into her medicine to hopefully make some better and safer alternatives, Natalia would give her a genuinely surprised, grateful smile. "You'd do that? I mean... yeah, when we're done with this pillar business I'll hand over the research documents I grabbed from the labs. You can look them over, along with a medicine sample, and if you feel like you can find a way to do it better... well..." She smiled more genuinely, offering the first laugh since their adventure began. "Heh, next time you had a huge monster that's giving you a problem, it would be on the house... Um... It's not much, but considering my life choices up until now it's... uh... It's kinda the only thing I've got."<br><br>Amazing how a simple heart to heart could do so much to lift a person's morale. For the first time since meeting Audra, hell, probably even before that, Natalia felt like she was genuinely happy. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>12-07-2014, 08:01:51</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Audra laughed good naturedly at the huntress' counter offer. "I appreciate it, truly," Audra said. "If you've got the notes on you now, I don't see why I couldn't take a look at them tonight. And I think I could use the Scroll on my hips to examine the medicine if I get creative enough." The first step was figuring out how the medicine worked after all, a bit more in depth than it 'icing over the flames' or whatever flowery speech one wanted to use. <br><br>The gold pillar of light was still a few days in the distance. But at least Audra's footfalls were now a little lighter. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>12-07-2014, 19:36:58</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Alright, I'll hand over the documents when we set up camp for the evening." Another first for their day of traveling would be the first time where the two of them would be able to go through an entire day without being attacked by either some huge monster, or a group of people. Perhaps it was because they were closing in on the pillar, but it seemed like the forest around them was growing less and less inhabited the closer they got to their goal. As a result, if there was anything else Audra felt like talking about now that she and Natalia were on good terms, now would be the time to do so. Otherwise, the air would probably be filled with small talk to keep the time passing until the sun set, and Natalia went about setting up the camp as usual.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>12-07-2014, 20:09:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It would seem that even being on good terms, the pair wouldn't have much to talk about as they made their way through the jungle. What Audra would add to their small talk would mostly be commenting on the sights, more open than she had been before. Despite the danger that the jungle had already thrown at them, it was still undeniably beautiful. It wasn't dangerous that day, thankfully. <br><br>But amid her gratefulness for an uneventful day of travel, Audra couldn't help but be concerned. The stories had talked of a jungle filled with monsters behind every tree and even of predators that stalked in your very own footfalls, but out of sight. While she took much of it as exaggeration, the fact that they hadn't had to literally fight their way to make progress, made Audra wonder what the beacons had truly done. They moving toward it, like moths to a flame--what else had it attracted? <br><br>As they made camp again, Audra would ask again for the research notes Natalia had promised and would be begin looking them over. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>12-07-2014, 20:30:27</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				For the first time since their trip began, Natalia wouldn't be at camp for a little while during the evening, meaning that Audra would have plenty of time to herself to look over the research notes in peace and quiet. Natalia would return after about 45 minutes with a deer carcass hanging over her shoulder, which she'd skin, carve, and season with an almost masterful hand before putting two slabs of venison over the fire after impaling the pair of them on a metal steak spit that she kept with her packing. "Ran out of rations, so this is going to be our diet for the foreseeable future... spot anything interesting?" Most of the technological information flew right over Natalia's head, so she was going to have to trust Audra to dissect it better then she could and figure it out. If not, well, it wasn't like Audra was the <em>only</em> friend Natalia could count on to help her out, there was somebody else out there that had a copy of those documents and was researching it in her off time. After all, Natalia didn't magically get that medicine of hers magically out of thin air, did she?
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>13-07-2014, 21:00:17</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It was clear from what Audra had witnessed of Natalia's memories that those 'devils' were trying to create the perfect specimen from their process. From a business and resource management standpoint, Audra couldn't help but think their methods were ultimately wasteful. If nothing else, the materials they have of the legendary dragon had to be finite. Even if there was a lot to go around, the stuff had to be priceless. Audra was so engrossed with the notes, that Audra didn't really notice her go and return until the smell of venison roasting over the camp fire wafted over to her. <br><br>"Your captors are less clever than they likely thought themselves," Audra said. "The management of their facilities and resources is laughable. They keep good notes, however." She smiled up at the huntress. "I'm sure you know what adrenaline is, yes? If you don't, then I'm sure you've felt it whenever you're in the middle of battle--when things perhaps slow down and everything is just action. Two specific actions really: fight or flight. It's a chemical your brain releases into your body when you're in danger or under other forms of physical duress, but fear or a sense of being threaten are rather specific emotional states. My theory is once adrenaline floods your system under those circumstances is when Crystis activates. Some of the notes support this, but it doesn't really do much than confirm it." <br><br>She shrugged. Audra really needed a lab in order to do much extensive research on the matter, but she felt the pressure to arrive at a solution as quickly as possible. "We either find a way to help you control your adrenaline release or a way to inhibit and control the activation of the Crystis when you do get into battle. Ideally, I'd like to give you some form of 'switch' you can activate." &nbsp;While it was as much of a liability, Natalia's power was still an asset they were going to need.&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>13-07-2014, 21:15:22</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia nodded in agreement, listening to what Audra had to say about how her abilities were triggered, and what it would take to control them. "Yeah. I already know that much... I've tried things like meditation and emotional control, but they don't work. You see... Audra... The problem doesn't come from me not being able to turn off the 'switch' or put the Crystis in a state of sleep, I can, of my own free will. The problem is <em>wanting</em> to. When I harness that power, when I feel that heated blood flowing through my veins... It's... there's no feeling in the world quite like it. In order for me to be able to reign in my more dangerous side, we need to change something about the way my mind takes it, if you get what I'm talking about?"<br><br>Her gaze lowered at that point, as she continued. "Sorry, I'm not making a lot of sense, am I? What it comes down to is that I already have the switch, it's just that harnessing that strength feels so good that I have a hard... impossible... time doing it."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>13-07-2014, 21:38:01</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ah. Audra was beginning to understand the situation more fully. It wasn't a physiological question really; it was a mental one. "Believe me, I completely understand," Audra said. She tapped lightly on one of the cylinders on her hips. "Casting the spells from these...it makes you feel like a god. My own natural magic doesn't come even close to what this 'Library' can do. But it's exhausting to keep using its power and it takes forever to craft a spell from it. It's very impractical, even though it has its benefits. But none of those things are within my control. Which might be what we need to do with your problem." &nbsp;<br><br>She looked Natalia straight in the eye. "If you think there's a chance that you might be unable to reign yourself in, then someone else has to be able to activate your switch for you. Your fail safe needs to be external." &nbsp;Audra already had an idea of what she could do. But it'd require a bit of time and, again, a decent magical laboratory set-up. Audra reached into her backpack and pulled out the chain that had been used to silence her the other day, as well as the key that she used to free herself. "We'll need something like this that can be turned on and off, and will be able to do something to force you to come off your power high. And you'll need to trust me to use it on your behalf." 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>13-07-2014, 21:52:42</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia nodded yet again, fully grasping what Audra was suggesting. "I had never even considered that. It's actually quite brilliant. And as far as me being able to trust you to use it for me goes? Honestly... I think I'd trust any person on this planet to have control over my power high more then me. At least with you, there'd be a <em>chance</em> that it gets shut down... And I do appreciate you looking into this for me. It's been bothering me for a long time, and it's something I considered to be insurmountable." After that she would offer Audra another thankful smile, as she pulled the venison off of the spit and tossed them onto a pair of wooden plates, with some silverware to go along with them. "Here. I couldn't find any decent herbs for a side dish tonight, so this is all we've got... Better then starving though, right?"<br><br>She couldn't help but laugh, going back to their previous conversation. "Come to think of it, I don't know how fond I am of wearing a collar... Perhaps we could come up with something a bit more... subtle?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>13-07-2014, 22:21:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"The rations were beginning to get too familiar, so this is just fine," Audra said, accepting the plate of venison. She took her first bit and savored the juices and the flavor the campfire had added. Herbs or no, meat was still meat. Looking up at Natalia's laughter, Audra couldn't but smirk impishly. "Who said anything about a collar? Unless that's what you really want Natalia? No shame in that." Audra wasn't sure if Natalia would get the implications she was alluding to; when they first met, the huntress was oblivious to her proposition of paying for her protection with carnal currency. <br><br>She'd shake her head though. As much it would have to be thematically appropriate, what with Audra would be doing, literally calling Natalia to heel, there no need for the inhibitor to be a collar. "It'd be most effective if it was around your neck though. A necklace is what I'm thinking. Likely one with a pendant or something to hold the bulk of the magic." Of course, what were necklaces if not gloried collars? 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>13-07-2014, 22:36:05</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Humorously enough, it seemed that Natalia was able to catch on to what Audra was suggesting this time, though she chose not to address it. Nevertheless, there would be tells that Audra could spot out, such as the swordswoman averting her gaze, and a small flush in the cheeks as she muttered something along the lines of 'shove off' under her breath. While she might perhaps be a bit bashful on the subject, was the potential there for Natalia to be interested, were Audra to press something? Unlikely that she'd be willing to get intimate right at the first proposal, but was the potential there? Possibly... It all depended on how much 'research' Audra was interested in doing concerning Natalia's preferences and her private life.<br><br>Thankfully, after that Audra shifted the subject, as she talked about it being a necklace of some kind. "Alright, that's fair. Better then nothing, anyway... Perhaps that's something we can handle after we get done with this pillar business? I can't imagine that your sisters will be too happy with you after we get back... And I've done bodyguard contracting in the past. That is, if you're interested."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>13-07-2014, 23:16:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Audra was more than able to pick up on the subtle hints that Natalia had indeed got her meaning. It was adorable, really. Where the matters of intimacy were concerned, Audra would push the subject right then. Though if she were honest with herself it wasn't far from her mind now. <br><br>Of course, when Natalia mentioned about her sisters not being too happy with her return to them, Audra's eyes turned serious and what other teasing she might have inflicted on the huntress flew away. "You're speaking like I want them to able to be upset at me once this is all over. By the time I'm ready to leave Vastwood, I want to leave behind two unmarked graves for the beasts of this jungle to find."&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>13-07-2014, 23:26:26</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia felt like she had accidentally stepped on a landmine again, and the moment she heard Audra's rather harsh words, she nodded and spoke in a light voice. "Right. I apologize for bringing it up... Just so you know, as averse as I am to senseless violence and death... Well... I do understand that some people in this world are just better off gone. It's hypocritical after everything I've said this far, I know, but... it's who I am. Do you feel comfortable talking about it more? We can drop it if you like."<br><br>The two of them were on good terms now, and truth be told, Natalia wasn't keen on doing something that would hinder this newly fostered relationship of theirs.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>13-07-2014, 23:49:33</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"There not much to say," Audra said. "I want to rob them of their goal and I want to bury them. That's all there is to it. As for why...well, you've already seen one of many reasons." &nbsp;The contradiction in Natalia's words didn't bother Audra--the mage could easily see how wanting to avoid senseless violence, but also putting down people who were deemed too dangerous to exist could coexist as ideas. "I have many more reasons for wanting them dead. The deeds I carried out on their behalf, the lives I unwittingly and wittingly ruined directly or indirectly...the list is a mile long."<br><br>Audra might have said there wasn't much to say on the matter, but she could have went on. She continued to eat her roasted venison, not letting the talk of her sisters ruin her appetite. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>13-07-2014, 23:55:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia decided that now would be a good time to change the subject, seeing as how Audra was still pretty sour about the subject of her sisters, with understandable reason. While it wasn't exactly on the same level of severity, Natalia could fully understand and respect how Audra would want to get even with the people who had caused her to do terrible things in her past, and turned her into the person that she was today. "Well then, what are your plans for after you leave this place? I can't imagine the rest of your family will approve of what you've done, or that you can simply go back and resume your life as a Malpare... So where are you going to go? What are you going to do?"<br><br>It seemed like a fairly harmless question. Potentially enough to get her out of this slump of hers, right?
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>14-07-2014, 01:47:05</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"The rest of my family is my father," Audra said. "And no, I don't imagine he'd approve, but he hasn't been involved in the day to day operation of the company for several years now. As for what I'll do after all this...I've given it thought several times. And I don't know. I just don't have any idea." She smiled, half amazed at herself and a bit sad about the prospect. Like she said, it wasn't as though she never thought that far ahead, but rather she couldn't. She didn't want the power that her sisters craved. She didn't want to stay in Vastwood any longer than necessary. And the world didn't call to her for sake of exploration in of itself. She may have been good at magical studies, but doing something that wasn't on its way to resolving her issue with her sisters didn't seem to be interesting at all. Even the offer she extended to Natalia was to help make sure things go smooth in the end, even if it would help the huntress out a great deal. For nearly 11 years, over half her life, she had been plotting for the moment that she would bury her sisters. And she wasn't entirely sure what she was getting out of it. <br><br>"How did you end up here after being rescued from that compound? Out of all the things you could have done, why hunt monsters?" Maybe if she knew how Natalia managed to get to where she was, to continue past what had happened to her, maybe that might give the mage some ideas of what to do with herself. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>14-07-2014, 02:03:42</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia nodded, listening as Audra talked about how she didn't have any plans for the future, before she asked Natalia herself how she had gotten to the point where she started hunting monsters. "Well, basically, I stayed with the soldiers for a few months while I recovered from my time at the compound... But I got bored before too long, impatient. I was able to slip out one night and run away, and from there I just kind of wandered alone for a while. Life was difficult, I didn't really know where to go or what to do. I stole what I needed, either from people or from the wilderness... About a year later I met a Hunter, he became something of a mentor to me. Um... At that time I didn't really appreciate life in the way I do now. I wasn't some kind of psychotic killer, but I didn't... I didn't really care, you know? Well, that hunter left a lasting impression on me, he changed my life. Well, things happened, he died, and... well... Something changed. I think it all just kind of clicked in my mind, you know? Either way, after that I realized what I wanted to do. I... I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to help people, I wanted to justify why I was still alive after years and years of fighting, and killing... I wanted all of that sacrifice to be worth it. So I became a hunter in full, and ever since I've made it my mission to help people."<br><br>Perhaps that had gotten a bit too personal, but after having dwelled on those thoughts for years, it felt great to get them off her chest. "I know it probably doesn't help you much... But sometimes all it takes is one person to make an impact, and make you realize what's really important to you."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>17-07-2014, 03:52:50</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"For someone with a demon living in her blood, you're far more noble than any nobleman I've met," Audra said. Something to justify all of her suffering and her sins. Being altruistic to the point of envying angels wasn't what Audra saw as immediately fulfilling. She understood why it would be. But for her? The notion that it would take just one person to make her realize what was really important to her didn't fill Audra was much confidence. "Why should I need someone else to show me what I really value? That seems...dangerous." For someone that had manipulated people's wants and desires, Audra didn't like the prospect of being on the receiving end. Even if it was filled with good intentions. <br><br>"I'm sorry," Audra offered. "Your well-intentioned words are lost on someone like me." 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>17-07-2014, 04:57:50</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia would respond with a simple nod, her face understanding as Audra spoke about how the advice Natalia gave her would be lost on somebody like her. "You've spent your entire life lying to others... being lied to... Manipulating... being manipulated. I understand why it might be hard for you to accept that your life, and your decisions, might be influenced by one other then yourself. It doesn't work for everybody." Shrugged at that point, deciding to be a bit more on the optimistic side for Audra's sake. "It's not like you don't have time to figure it out for yourself anyway, right? You've got this entire journey ahead of you, and then the rest of your life after that. Right?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>18-07-2014, 05:14:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				At least the huntress understood Audra's scruples. But while Natalia could look on the bright side, Audra could only force a smile--though considering it was Audra, the smile might have appeared genuine if it weren't for what she said. "We'll see. I do think the only thing I'll learn here is what the business is with these beacons, this Scroll, and what my sisters want from them." And that was what she had set out to do. And, well, destroying whatever it was. <br><br>Audra finished up her venison and casted the bones into the fire. Night was nearly upon them. Audra went over to settled down on her bedroll. "We're not that far away from the gold beacon. I hope my theory for why our travels have been relatively uneventful is wrong." &nbsp;She bid the huntress good night and closed her eyes. Sleep found Audra quickly, a combination of a lack of sleep from the night before and the exhaustion of travel that day being a potent sedative. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>19-07-2014, 20:36:27</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The next few days of travel would be surprisingly uneventful for the two of them. Sure, there would be the occasional encounter with a large creature of some kind, but it wasn't anything that the two of them, or even Natalia alone, couldn't handle without any actual danger. It was only a matter of time and patience before the two of them arrived at the golden beacon, it's radiant light high above their heads as they finally broke into a clearing deep within the forest and was able to admire it in full. Despite the potential danger, Natalia couldn't help but break into a soft smile when they broke free at long last. It was like they had just achieved their first worthwhile goal since setting out on their trip across the forest.<br><br>Nevertheless, despite the feeling of success, she made sure to keep her eyes sharp and glance both ways carefully. There could be any number of dangerous creatures, or people for that matter, waiting for them here. Despite Audra's warning to the mercenaries that had gone after them a few days back, Natalia had no doubt that they had reported to their employers, employers that weren't going to give up because of one simple warning. It was very possible that another band of mercenaries were waiting for them here, potentially even more dangerous then the last.<br><br>Anything could go wrong, and Natalia needed to know WHAT was going wrong as soon as possible.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>29-07-2014, 07:00:12</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia and Audra would soon find out what was going to be the hitch in their otherwise uneventful last leg to the golden pillar on the eastern horizon. The beacon was so close that the two women had to crane their necks up to look at it directly--it wouldn't take long for them to be directly beneath it. Their trailblazing would bring them to a wooded ridge. The underbrush and the thick trees would give them plenty of cover to hide behind as they peered into the valley below. <br><br>The golden pillar was being emitted from one of Vastwood's colossal trees--thick as a manor and piecing the sky at a height engineers of the day could only dream of. Peering up, the beacon cut a solid swath across the sky and a dull, faint hum could be heard. The hitch was what was in the valley below--it would prove that it was little wonder why they had managed to get this deep into Vastwood relatively unmolested by the wildlife. Animals and monsters of all sorts milled around in the valley. Not just that, they were behaving oddly. Predators were not going after prey, but instead strolled past, uninterested; the prey ate at the foilage without much concern. There had to be hundreds, maybe even thousands of creatures between them and the base of the tree. <br><br>"This is not what I had in mind," Audra said, staring down with wide eyes. "Seems like the beacon has quite the security detail," she added, with more agitation than humor. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>31-07-2014, 04:54:40</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia frowned as well, once she got a good look at the the opposition that the two of them faced on their way to the pillar. At this point, there were so many questions working through her mind that she didn't even know where to begin. Such as how they were going to get down there in the first place, what Audra was planning on doing once they arrived at the beacon, what they were going to do AFTER Audra did her thing with the beacon... Quite a fair few details that they had yet to work out during their relatively simple game plan of 'get there as soon as possible'. And so, with a curious and somewhat nervous gaze, Natalia turned towards Audra in hopes that she'd have some kind of plan. "So... what do we do? It doesn't look like the predators are hostile, so we might just be able to walk up to the pillar... but... That's when things get dangerous."<br><br>Truth be told, Natalia was pretty stumped. She was strong and all, but even if she completely let her powers run wild, she couldn't beat <em>that</em> many hostile creatures mobbing her all at once. There was only so much that a mortal body could do.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Calison</strong> on <strong>04-08-2014, 05:19:19</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Audra's jaw went slack when Natalia asked what their plan was for dealing with their little situation--a veritable wall of monsters and their claws and fangs. Plans for getting in and out of places in order to carry out an assignment was what Audra generally planned for, but combat situations of this nature were well out of her expertise. Looking down at all the monsters in the valley, Audra took a few deep breathes to refocus herself. The first step was to do a quick inventory of what she had at her disposal: she had Natalia, herself, and the Scroll. Monsters were well out of her knowledge base, but thankfully she had an expert on hand. <br><br>"What sort of distraction would all of these beasts generally go for? I don't think they're going to let us within spitting distance of the pillar--I suspect the moment they see us--or smell, hear, or whatever it is these beasts do--that they'll be on us. We need to draw them away. And haul ourselves to the pillar." <br><br>It was simple, crude plan, but Audra hoped that if she could simply whip up an illusion or other distraction to preoccupy the monsters long enough, then the two of them could just slip by. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Ruins of Vastwood (Toughie and Calison)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>SargentToughie</strong> on <strong>04-08-2014, 16:08:19</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Natalia went silent as Audra asked her what kind of distraction they'd need to get the attention of the monsters. "That's the thing, usually they'd be preying on the herbivores and smaller creatures littering the area, but right now they're just leaving them alone. I mean, I suppose we could try cooking some meat without the scent catches to try and lure them away, but I'm not sure if that will work or not." But, it wasn't like they had anything else to go off, right? Natalia knew that just as well as Audra did, so she didn't try to complain or object before she slipped away to find another creature in the woods for her to put down and carve. Seeing as how this had become something of an evening ritual for the huntress, it took her only about an hour before she returned to the camp and was ready to begin cooking. "Alright, I'm going to light the fire, throw a few slabs of meat over it, and we need to get into position, <em>away from the fire</em> as quickly as possible."<br><br>She just hoped this worked. They were taking a number of gigantic risks with this little gamble of theirs. The question remained, though, what were they going to do even when they got to the pillar? Did Audra have some kind of plan for that?
			</dd>
		</dl>
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