Lance hadn’t originally been exactly sure what he was getting into with seeing Kyna. Not before the first visit. Though he admitted he needed help after the injuries he had sustained in Coerthas. As well as the mental and emotional wounds of the past. War is hard and painful in many ways.
Two visits later… And now they had even talked about a first date. Still the caution remained though. Partly because of his family. Partly because of old emotional wounds.
Yet there was just something about Kyna that he felt drawn towards.
Kind and understanding. Patient. Beautiful in both body and soul.
She was his healer though. So when she had suggested the Springs in La Noscea he voted for the Hot Springs in Bronze Lake. They were supposed to be healing. As well as it would be a relaxing time with Kyna. It was both healing and a date.
Perhaps this was Halone’s doing. Sending him some much needed healing in many ways. Time would tell. He was willing to take a chance. So was she. The only way to find out was to try.
Destiney paused on the small bridge over the river in the lower part of Central Coerthas. Looking up at the falling flakes of snow. Letting the flakes settle in her hair and on her clothes.
Closing her eyes she took a deep breath of the frigid air. Slowly exhaling before repeating. Focusing on the aether around her and within her. Not going for anything particular today. Nor difficult. Just simple aether control practice.
She had learned a lot between her time working for the Order and the efforts her brother made to teach her. Forming a small ball of water aether between her hands. Letting it go. A favorite of Oni’s. Though she had a feeling he much preferred when the aether wasn’t water based.
Now the part she was trying to get the hang of. It was half the reason she came out here. She wanted to try and grasp the ice aether. Water had always been easy. Ice was just frozen water right? The step between shouldn’t be that hard right?
Wrong. It didn’t come that easily to her. Yet it wasn’t nearly as hard as working with fire aether. Fire was still the most difficult element for her to use when she had to cast spells. Red magic did not use a full array of elements either. At least not that she had learned anyways.
Destiney sighed softly. Maybe she just wasn’t in the right mood for this today. Maybe it was too cold. Fingers without gloves was a bad idea for long in this icy chill. Rubbing her hands together to try and warm them a little. If she didn’t succeed today she’d just keep trying another day. Maybe one that wasn’t so bitter cold.
Alex did his best to hold still as for the second time in his life the needle neared his eye. The first had been when his mentor had marked his face with the red flowing tattoo. Now he was changing that red to black.
His mentor was dead. No love lost there. Never would be. But he was no longer owned by that monster who taught him to be a killer. This was his way to declare his freedom from that binding. It was easier to have it recolored rather then try to change it to some different design.
Another show of his defiance. Just like the dragon tattoo over the scars on his back. Defiance towards the nation he had no love for. Nor the lords that ruled it. Brume born and abused by one of those who held power till the man was murdered. Murdered by the man he had called mentor for many years.
Each scar was a reminder of where he’d come from. What he had survived. Marked him as someone who wasn’t ready to die yet. Each tattoo another show of his strength and will to keep pushing forward despite whatever hell the gods threw at him.
The newer scars? The ones Anata had given him? Badges of pride more then anything. Marks of hard work and training against someone he considered better then him. He’d keep improving. Keep showing his defiance and will to survive. Gods be damned.
That reminder helped him to relax and let the person work on recoloring the tattoo.
Rei smiled absently at the ijin Elezen. He couldn’t mark where the bow came from, but it certainly wasn’t Hingan. Or Doman. And it wasn’t a salute he was familiar with in Eorzea either. His ears twitched lightly at the man’s full name which he already had forgotten.
“I…shall call you Lance,” he said decided on his own. He really had forgotten the man’s name. Ishgardian titles and names were so long and wordy. Though that wasn’t the reason he never went there. For most of his adult life, it was a snowy wasteland and Rei could not handle the cold. “I guess you can just call me ‘Rei’, then, since we are being so informal and familiar,” he laughed, “Plus it’s easier for me if we’re not screaming the Sekiro-kai’s name out loud every few seconds.”
He watched as Lance knelt by the dead man and canted his head slightly, “While kneel before them?” he asked, raising an eyebrow, “He tried to kill you and kami knows the GInro-kai are all horrible and deserve nothing short of death,” he frowned, his arms crossed even tighter, “In this case, I think they were no one’s enemies in particular. They were causing trouble in our territory and you are easy pickings,” he shrugged.
Rei moved a few steps forward, painfully aware his geta were now gone and his feet were frozen against the cobble stones, “Samurai are…” Rei’s voice trailed off, “Interesting?” he forced a smile. The Sekiseigumi hated him and he hated them, “Wha is a Skyfire Locks?” he asked, “Is that where you’re headed? I did say I’d escort you there…”
Lance knew all too well the political struggles and rivalries. After all Haillenarte was the least liked of the four Houses. Even if the rivalries between the Houses was more subtle in Ishgard.
“I was merely taking the blood from my blade. I will properly clean it later but they were the ones that sullied the steel. So it is only right to borrow their fabric to clean it. I am still alive. Halone’s justice guides me like it always does.” Lance said with a calm air. Clearly facing people trying to kill him wasn’t uncommon. A shake of his head at Rei’s question of his destination. “No. Skyfire Locks is my post when I am on duty as a knight. I am not here on business for Ishgard. I was here more for personal reasons. After all, the best defense is to learn about other forms of fighting and the best ways to combat against them.”
“ To
stab an apple?! Ser Knight, it’s not a foe! Let me show you how it’s
done!” Auriaune teased back. Of course she’d take THIS opportunity
to have the Rose Knight hanging over a bucket while bobbing his head
and trying to get an apple out of it with his teeth. The thought
alone made her giggle snort, “ Now, while I’ll show you how it’s
done, you’ll repeat after me, will you not?!~” Said as she clapped
in her hands for her manservant to come and tell him what
she was in need of. Like always, her manservant questioning his
Lady’s lady-like-behaviour.
It
didn’t take long for the boy to come back with a bucket filled with
water and red apples in it. Auriaune pointed to the table and for him
to place it on. Slowly she lumped over to the table while leaning
onto her cane and eyed at Lancefer with a grin tugged on her red
painted lips, “ Take notes, little Lance!!” As if she made it her
life’s goal in bobbing apples out of a bucket of water, she was quick
to take an apple out of the it and proudly showed it off to the Rose
Knight. She took a bite out of the apple and joyfully beckoned for
Lancefer to try it too. Hopefully he was up for some fun.
Lance crossed his arms lightly as he leaned against a pillar while he watched. If this amused Auriaune, he’d gladly at least give it a shot. Raising a brow when she called him Little. Especially since he was far from small. He was clearly taller then her even if not by a lot. There were still others taller then him. Just not Auriaune.
“Such a show off, my lady.” His tone teasing and light as she took a bite of the red apple she’d plucked out. He walked over and looked down at the bucket. Trying to decide how best to approach this task. Giving it a shot, he went to try and snag a apple in similar fashion to Auriaune. And failed. Blinking water out of his eyes as he came back up empty with a frown. This was harder then it looked to catch an apple with your teeth in water. “Are you sure I can not just stab one?”
Valen paused to look around before sighing. This was just not his moon. First he got lost early in the moon. Now he’d lost his prey. What had he done to deserve such bad luck?
Worse part was… His prey had vanished without a trace. Or perhaps he had simply missed something glaringly obvious. Either way this was no a good sign. He needed the gil from this Bounty unless he planned to try and sing for his supper.
He really did need to sit down and have a talk with Virae. Especially about some of the activities he got himself into at times. Her opinion and feelings were important to him. It was why he had gone more into the hunting lately over the singing. Not that he didn’t still sing. He just wasn’t sure some of his other ‘preferred’ activities that went along with that would be okay with the small raen woman.
Valen adjusted the strap to his quiver before deciding to look around again. Surely he just missed something stupid. Then it dawned on him… What if his prey had used magic to give him the slip… Wouldn’t that figure… Another sigh but he kept searching anyways. It was that or back to square one on this hunt.
I feel like all my prayers have been answered. T_T ♥
I am both disappointed and excited. Mainly due to the fact my close friend and her husband play on Faerie. But I am excited to remain with Goblin an Mateus. An excited to see people from Diabolos (my server for the Beta until they let Legacies have their characters) and Malboro.
Spirit of the Warlock 