Setting
Iverien is a large Kingdom with the palace situated right in the center of it's thriving city streets. Surrounding the capital city is a lush forest on all sides with a bridge leading to the rest of the Kingdom's lands. Iverien is not only the largest Kingdom in Camdiere, but it is also the wealthiest and holds the largest army under the Queen's rule. Iverien is home to many sorts of races throughout her lands, most of which recognize that the Queen is their ruler.
Minimap
northwest |
north |
northeast |
west |
You are here. |
east |
southwest |
south |
southeast |
Kingdom of Iverien is a part of 
Camdiere.
Her heart lurched to her throat as Raze looked a little irritated by the fact that she'd reacted and covered his eyes. Reaching up, he withdrew her hands and moved over to the woman who was seated in the fire. Once Sakura was calm, she too found the blackened figure fascinating. Edging forwards, she caught Raze's question to her new guardian.
Fotiá gazed up at him with a strange look in her eyes. Was she... confused that Raze asked her what she was? Did she not realize that she was the one who was different? She was sitting in a fire! If anything, she should have been on fire, burnt to a crisp. Fotiá stayed like that for quite some time, watching him as she seemed to be trying to figure an answer for him. Sakura came up and knelt down near them, behind Raze and watched the woman with the fiery hair and brilliant star-like blue eyes.
"I'm not sure if your plane has an equivalent for me since all fire here is dead. But, I believe I would be identified as a fire elemental. I promise not to burn you." she paused between the sentences, thinking briefly before explaining to him.
The young princess glanced between her and Raze, her expression filled with wonder. Her mother had employed this sort of person to protect her. It was rather interesting, at least to Sakura anyway. She wasn't entirely sure what it meant to be a fire elemental, but from the looks of it, Sakura could determine that fire was not going to hurt her. That was fascinating. The princess was going to ask her a thousand questions, all of them bubbling up to the surface but then Fotiá rolled away.
Sakura stopped, her mouth opened and the first words to the string of questions halting as she watched the woman promptly turn from them. Maybe she is tired... Sakura thought to herself as she tilted her head off to the side for a moment. With a bit of a pout on her lips, she lifted a hand and rested her chin there, fingers puffing up her cheek as she looked over to Raze.
"I guess she's tired," she said softly. Glancing around the camp, she sighed, "I suppose we should all be getting some rest soon too, hu? We'll be leaving early I assume. Oh! Raze!"
Sakura nearly jumped up with her excitement as she remembered something very important. Reaching into the small bag that she had carrying her brush, earring, and the white ribbon, she produced the ribbon. For a moment she paused, her fingers hesitating to withdraw from the pouch. Finally, she took a breath and pulled it out. She wasn't sure if he would know what it meant entirely, but she was fairly certain that he would figure it out.
"For you. I... I wasn't sure if I'd ever see you again, and well... When I was told that I was going to go to Truell with you, I thought immediately that you should have this." her voice sounded strange to her own ears as she tried to explain to him without saying too much. Her fingers extended outwards as she handed the white ribbon over to him. She was fairly certain it was a universal sign, she'd read it many books before. Unless that information was outdated... then she'd have to take a different approach... well maybe... Sakura's face burned as the thoughts rushed through her mind.
Relax! I'm sure it's still the same, or at least somewhat close... she told herself and remembered to breathe, "Also, I would like to learn how to use a sword. Could you teach me? I don't want to be a burden to you. You can tell me in the morning, it's really late now." this she was deadly serious on. Recalling the last few times she'd been in trouble, she'd been nothing but a weight to them. If she could fight and hold her own against someone else, then he wouldn't have to worry about her as much anymore. That would make things easier, at least she thought so.
Standing up, she brushed herself off. Shyc -who had come to see the woman as well- smiled at her, "You can sleep in that tent there. I'm over there and Raze sometimes sleeps in the hammock or the tent next to yours. Depends on the night."
Sakura nodded and moved over to the tent that he'd pointed out to her. Once she was on the mat, it felt like all of the days stress just washed away, leaving her relaxed and weary. Within a few minutes she was asleep.
When the woman had stripped and entered the fire, Shyc about had a heart attack. His immediate thought was to drag her from the fire because he was sure she was committing suicide. Which, of course, made no sense really since she'd just said she had been ordered to go with the princess. It wasn't until Raze moved over and asked the question of what she was that had him calm down. Oh... well of course... shouldn't have freaked out if Raze hadn't... he chided himself.
He listened intently to the woman as she described herself as a fire elemental. How... peculiar. Though he himself couldn't say much. He was half daemon anyway. The daemon was from another world too. It was understandable that there were other things aside from daemons out there. Reaching up, he gripped his hand over his chest briefly, wincing at the recollection of his other 'self'. Sakura spoke to Raze then, offering him something that Shyc could only barely see until she moved. It was a white ribbon and he couldn't help the small grin that developed on his face. So... she's finally gathered the courage then. I wonder if he'll get it...
After showing her to the tent that would be hers for the night, Shyc beamed at Raze, "Well, what a strange turn of events. You know, the Queen's going to be even more stringent about this now that she's entrusted us with Sakura," he sighed heavily as he stretched his arms up over his head, curling the fingers into his hair, "Anyway, goodnight, Raze."
Though he'd bid his leader 'night, he didn't go to the tent. Instead he moved to where the firelight just barely reached and pressed his back against one of the trees and slowly slid down into a sitting position. He wasn't sure if Raze had noticed that he'd been doing this since Duun, but it wasn't like he could help it. It was getting easier again, easier to deal with being around the others. A little while longer, he thought to himself as he pulled his legs up, wrapping his arms around them and staring off into the darkness. He wouldn't sleep. He couldn't sleep, not yet.
End Quest Five: Return to Iverien
Start Quest Six: By the Queens Request
The crow of birds had greeted him. Shyc hadn't moved from his secluded spot the entire night. He had drifted in and out of sleep, but woke constantly to the screams in his head and the stench of blood all over him. For the last time that night, he woke again, sweaty, heart racing and thinking that he'd killed mercilessly once more. Glancing around the tree, he noted that the camp was quiet. With a sigh of relief, he realized that he'd not gone on a rampage. With his breath short, he took a moment to calm himself before standing up and running his fingers through his hair.
They would be going soon, he was sure. Sakura wasn't one to sleep in and neither was Raze or Nahv. It was still unimaginably early though. Even the trees were still darkened slightly, only just starting to turn purple from the rising sunlight over the mountains. Stretching, he moved about the camp silently. Going to his tent, he fetched a change of clothes before heading towards the stream that wasn't too far from them. He was worried about Willow and Dinan since they had not come back from whatever they'd been called away for. His other worry, though was what they were going to eat. Willow usually cooked for them, and Shyc was no cook at all.
He blushed slightly as he came to the stream and bent down. I should really learn how to cook, otherwise Raze'll be stuck with all the work he thought solomnly. Reaching up, he dragged off his shirt and plunged his hands into the cold water. Within minutes, he was soaked, all except for his lower body. Brushing his fingers through his hair, he sprayed water all around him as he attempted to clean it from the bark and leaves that had most likely accumulated over him during the night, along with the usual dirt too. Leaning forward, he cupped handful after handful of water over his head as he washed. The morning air chilled him to the bone as the water was already cold.
"Ugh... sometimes I wish we had heated baths or something like they have in Ollian."
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