The Golden Age. Act 2: Converging Paths.

[Nanami Touko]

"Great. That sounds wonderful." Telmara smiled and, despite feeling a bit awkward herself, she was rather pleased with things. Kaya would be able to give her some rudimentary lessons in how staves worked, and she would... Well, as long as Kaya was up for it, of course. Giving her some attention like that would be a good thing, wouldn't it?

[Juliette]

"Right you are, Joviana. Apparently one of the raiders had it but accidentally left it behind... no doubt something else they stole. But it would be impossible to track the path of it, so I say we might as well keep hold of it. Some day it may prove useful." Velvet raised an eyebrow at Joviana's suggestion for Yarvus. "While I agree that Lord Yarvus is quite an exceptional spellcaster, I think that something this powerful takes someone truly a master to cast, much like Subzero. Maybe Duke Reid would find use of it should we encounter him? His level of skill is widely known... perhaps you'll reach it at some point, but I have reservations for now, personally."

[Bluedoom]

"Oh, I'd never lay a claim to the tome, Velvet. I don't cast a lot of light magic to be well-versed with it. Its sad that no one in our little group can use it, though."

[riariadne]

Outpost Farewells

"Of course. We thought to see more of the continent for ourselves. We accompanied the Emperor across Dominus before- and an undertaking to see all the lands of the world had never been done before. Estimates to the full size of Titan were shaky at best to us before here," Khan explained. "Indeed you are correct that I am to head to Madrigal next, however. These sort of attacks are things the Emperor and your Commander must be made aware of."

Yarvus nodded at Velvet's assessment. "How extraordinary... still, while I consider myself quite talented, I don't think I have what it takes to cast so mighty a spell quite yet. In time, I hope to prove myself worthy." He smirked, raising his own tome. "I trust that at least for now, I've proved my worth as a member of this team using my magic, and hopefully I well be equally useful in any trials that we face down the line. Well then... I think we've done as much as we reasonably can to help the village rebuild here. I left a few supplies with the home I visited as well- but, we still have an important mission. We must make haste towards Veiro."

"Are you leaving now? Then I suppose it is farewell. You all impress me, and I wish you good fortune in your quest. May we meet again," Khan spoke, raising the Lionheart copy overhead one last time.

...

A Cold Koermese Welcome

January 9th, 963, 10 AM. Veiro, Crown, Koerm.

The battle and aftermath at the Trinite outpost delayed the march towards Koerm's capital, but not too long- rather than the night of the third day, it was the morning of the fourth when the city came into view, its walls towering high- even taller than Fordright's. As the group approached the south-eastern entrance to the city, it became increasingly obvious that also much like Fordright, not all was right in Veiro. For a bustling port town, most lights were dimmed, and there was little chatter- and no less than ten guards stood at the gates. One of them, a younger woman with light pink hair, stepped forwards towards the group, her left hand poised to unsheathe a blade. "It's very recent, so perhaps you haven't heard... but free travel is not permitted in Veiro right now. Security is of utmost importance with the recent going-ons. If you've need of somewhere to stay, to the west the city of Hrevun is open, but the capital is not. If you seek trade, there are forms that can be delivered to you, and any goods will need to be inspected. If you wish to speak with a city official, I can have the message relayed. Anything else would require official word from a Duchy or Madrigal."

Smirking, Yaruvs trotted his horse forward. "Milady, I am Lord Yarvus Johnson. We are a group of travelers investigating the actions of Timaeus, sent here from Fordright by Duchess Ashley- I am one of Duke Reid's students and humble servants. I possess a seal of the Duchess's, if you'd like... it is not notarized for this specific journey, a more general seal of approval, but you can investigate it if you'd like."

The woman frowned, but looked it over. "You. Bring this in to be examined... we can't be too careful," she spoke to one of the other guards, who headed off through the gates. "If we determine it is authentic, we will let you in- but no earlier. I hadn't heard any sort of advanced notice about this... I understand the times are difficult, but it makes things problematic. Why are you not traveling alongside the Duke on his way here if you are from Trine?"

"Duke Mazzarin is headed here?" Yarvus inquired. "He was in Jotun previously. I had thought he would be returning when his business there was complete. Why has that changed?"

"My, you really are all out of the loop. Mazzarin, Glaivor, Rhodes- they are all coming in the next few days. And Duke Bereen is already here. Even Commander Thalia will be appearing, and she hasn't left the Capital in two years. Apparently she found someone suitable to take charge for her absence. That is why the security is of utmost importance right now... there is to be a discussion as to whether or not it is time to intervene on the position of a new Monarch in the wake of Timaeus's actions, and overrule the Council's obstinance." The woman looked to the gate briefly. "It won't be terribly long if it's authentic. You seem genuine, but I hope you understand. Room and board will be provided for your stay if everything goes smoothly. I am Fia Tairn, the Captain here. I suppose I can answer any sort of questions while you wait..."

[Xinnidy]

"An estimate of Titan's size... that makes sense." So there was a point to all the troops coming at separate times. Some were scouting and giving information to Alexander first. Raz didn't know if that was better or worse. "We'll have to see how this plays out, then. Until next time." Khan didn't seem like a problem, and with their busy schedule, it was best not to bombard him with too many questions. But now the Planitian treasure is in Aaron's hands... hmm...

---

Their reception as they reached Veiro was surprisingly cold, but as the soldier explained the situation to them it slowly made sense as to why. The city was chosen for an important meeting between the Dukes and Commander Thalia. "Interesting..." Thankfully, Yarvus had a way to show them his authority, and with any luck that meant they would get into the city without much delay. "Duke Bereen is here already, hmm?" She blinked, a glancing look towards Kaya after a moment passed. "Guess we'll be staying for a bit."

[scorri]

Kaya had been listening quietly, slightly annoyed at the situation, but overall not too bothered until the news that the Dukes were coming. She froze, praying that-- The worst outcome. Not only was her father coming to this city, he was already here. Of all the places we could have gone... She sighed, tugging at her gloves to make sure they covered her arms, before quietly asking, "Excuse me, captain, how long has the Duke been here? And where is he staying? I ask only so that we might avoid that location so that we might give him and his men the privacy I am sure that they desire."

She was slipping into the speech patterns that she'd once had without realizing it. Her voice was quiet and slightly higher pitched than normal, and a small polite smile had replaced the anxiety that had briefly shown. Her tone was nothing but polite, but also clearly expected answers. "I assume that all the Dukes will be residing in the same location of course, which is why we would want to avoid imposing upon them if at all possible. They surely have more important things to concern themselves with, as you have already stated, and would prefer to not have their affairs disrupted by travelers such as ourselves. Of course, Lord Johnson might need to speak to his teacher, but that could easily be handled. I'm sure you understand."

[eclipse]

Kolmar arched an eyebrow at Kaya.  She'd mentioned something about being raised as a noble way back when they first started out - something he had a hard time believing.  However, her fidgeting told him that she had been truthful about her upbringing - and that she wasn't too happy with this meeting.  Maybe her father's here.  Huh.  Might be worthwhile to see why she ain't on speaking terms with her old man.

He did his best to look like dumb hired muscle.  The less people paid attention to him, the more information he could gather.  He'd probably run into some of his clients whether he liked it or not.  He silently hoped that their runners had bad memories - or had been disposed of.  The last thing he needed was for someone to recognize him.

[Nanami Touko]

"Duke Bereen huh?" Ohhh, Telmara almost smiled. Almost. "Unless I'm crazy, Bereen is your last name, right, Kaya? Does that make this duke your dad? You should go and see him, then. It's probably been a while... If I remember it's been a long, long while..." Certainly, there was nothing wrong with teasing her like that, right? Besides, it would be good to get a scale of what sort of man he was. No one had lost their mind about the half monster crawling through cities yet... Maybe he would.

---

Mihkaila had no wish to partake in the affairs of lords and dukes, mostly wishing to continue their business. It didn't appear that Kaya wanted to meet with her father either, though Telmara's goading might change that. She sighed, folding her arms, resting on her back foot. How silly.

[SB.]

Duke Bereen... The name was familiar, but it took Kaya’s rather flustered reaction to jog Aaron’s memory. Oh, right. Their relationship didn’t seem to be great, it would probably be better to steer clear of them. Still, the reasoning behind their gathering was far more important.

 

“Are they gathering to decide the next monarch?” Aaron tried his best to keep his face neutral, although his stance grew a little stiffer. Am I running out of time? This had been his goal, and if he was to fall short... Well, he didn’t want to do anything drastic, but it pained him to think that even with the true Lionheart that nothing had changed.

[Juliette]

"The Duchies..." Velvet listened with interest, her sight lingering on Kaya as she made her response, and Telmara confirmed her thoughts. Bereen! Well, it's not a terribly common name, but I didn't actually think... "Isn't this a very sudden decision? We were in Fordright only a week ago and heard none of these plans, and they're already heading here. And wouldn't a more central location make more sense than Koerm- like Madrigal?" All these things struck her as odd, but she thought of one more question. "Oh. Did you say Fia Tairn? Aren't you Sierra's sister? Pink hair, swords, Knights..."

[scorri]

"No!" The word snapped out, shattering the calm facade that Kaya had been presenting for a brief second before Kaya managed to get herself under control, a small glare directed at Telmara the only remaining hint at her anger. "I mean... The Duke is here on business. He has plenty of more important things to be paying attention to than wasting his time talking to us. And I can assure you that talking to me is one of the last things he will wish to do with his free time while here."

She took a deep breath and returned to facing the captain. "I apologize for that, but as I was saying. Assuming that we are allowed into the city, where would be a good place for us to stay?" Hopefully far away from her father. No matter what Telmara thought, she was not interested in even seeing him, much less talking to him.

[Bluedoom]

Joviana raised an eyebrow at Kaya's reaction. So there is bad blood between the Duke and his daughter, hm? Avoiding the Duke would be best, but I somehow doubt it.

"Pardon us for not arriving with the Duke, but apart from the man that you've just taken in, the rest of us are travelers. We fought Timaeus' goons at Fordright and were advised to come here to find out more about him. We've learnt that his people were sighted at different places, taking some towns under siege. We've already battled with his forces twice; I think we might have painted ourselves as a target now, but that's all we know about the situation. We would appreciate any advice that you could possibly give us."

[riariadne]

"... You are Duke Bereen's daughter?" Fia gathered from the conversations. She took a few moments to think given the party's mixed reactions. "As I said, room and board will be provided. Though, if you object... we will not force you to stay with Duke Bereen, but... I would say it is unlikely you will avoid him entirely. Duke Argalian will probably want to speak with you if you've been sent by Duchess Ashley- and the other three are yet to arrive. Duke Mazzarin and the Commander are expected tomorrow evening, while Duchess Rhodes and Duke Glaivor will be in two days." Her voice sounded slightly less confident than before. "I don't think it's anything so sudden as approving of a new Monarch. Besides, even if they were all to miraculously agree on someone, without the presence of the Council it wouldn't be final. A-and yes, Sierra is my sister." She seemed off-put that it was brought up, flushing about as pink as her hair. "Apparently the Commander managed to convince her to come back to Madrigal while she's gone as a favor. Wh-which will probably go well. Sometimes people don't respect the Commander's authority, but lots of people like Sierra. Though I'm not sure how her public relation skills with Dione will go." 

She was saved from further embarrassment when the guard who had left with Yarvus's seal returned with it. "Captain Tairn, the document seems to be a genuine one. Shall I open the gates?"

"Yes, of course. Apologies for the inconvenience." She removed her hand from her sword, turning to face the gate as it opened. "You won't find too many people outdoors, nor are most stores open. Sorry, but after so many valuable things were stolen and people harmed, security for everyone here is our top priority. You are free to visit the places that are open, but be prepared to be summoned at some point by Duke Argalian." She paused for a moment before speaking up again. "As for your quest... I saw this time mage. When he was here, I nearly caught up to him, but his spells made it impossible. He took five weapons that we had on display- ceremonial ones that were mostly of decorative power, or at least we thought... but whatever he plans with them, I can't say. A blade, a spear, an axe, a bow, and a tome were what he took. We haven't seen signs of him or his forces since, but we've been on the lookout. That's all I can really say, but I hope this knowledge is of use to you."

Veiro is on the sheet now.

also alignment stuff:

 

Kaya: +3 animism +4 light -1 darkness
Joviana: +3 animism +1 light +2 darkness
Telmara: +2 animism +1 light +3 darkness
Aaron: +3 animism +6 light -1 darkness (-> Light aligned)
Kolmar: +3 animism +0 light +5 darkness (-> Darkness aligned)
Raz: +3 animism +3 light (C light) +7 darkness
Mikhaila: +0 animism +2 light +3 darkness
Velvet: +4 animism (D anima) +1 light +3 darkness (C darkness) (-> Non-light aligned)
Yarvus: +0 animism +3 light +2 darkness

Edited December 2, 2017 by Reinfleche

[Nanami Touko]

Telmara flinched under the snap and glare, listening to Kaya's reasoning, and keeping her trap shut after that. "S-Sorry..." Bad blood, or something? I'd love to talk to my parents right about now... If they're even still alive. What happened? O-Oh... Telmara realized what it must've been, and she was fine with that. Doesn't want her father finding out she's getting close to a monster like me. That makes sense. He'd probably deny me on the spot. Heh, I can picture it now... Telmara's wry smile was all that was left of that little exchange.

[Juliette]

"Oh, sorry..." But Sierra is so nice. "Well, thank you for the information. We'll have to keep an eye out for those weapons if he valued stealing them, I think..." Velvet remarked, walking towards the gates. "I haven't been to Veiro in a long time... if the market in the bay is open I'd like to visit there. Or, there's a blacksmith that could let us do useful modifications to stuff we have available. Anyone want to come with me?" She unconsciously twitcher her tail, brushing aside her cloak before hiding it away again. "Err.. what about you, Kolmar? There's probably plenty of interesting stuff around here."

[Xinnidy]

As far as their entrance was concerned, the group wouldn't have much trouble. In fact, they had better chances of finding out the meeting's purpose by staying, though Kaya didn't seem as interested in meeting her father than others would hope. It did come back to that vision she spoke of, huh... "Well, if our journey brought us here, we might end up seeing Duke Bereen eventually. It probably won't be for long." She shrugged, not quite as sympathetic of Kaya's predicament but trying not to sound rude.

"Hmm, so the time mage took all this..." Raz had to question how much of their power was ceremonial, then. It came without saying that while it was amusing to imagine Timaeus to be as vain as to steal decoration, there was no reason to attack a city for that. "Did these weapons serve a purpose?" She threw the question at the guard, hoping for a quick answer before she got inside the city proper. Speaking of, she had to throw a curious glance at Mikhaila, wondering how much was she out of it, after a smirk to her favorite fighter, Raz turned to the guard again.

[scorri]

Kaya sighed as Telmara flinched, realizing she'd gone too far. It seemed like everything was sorted as far as them getting into the city, so she turned back to Telmara and quietly tried to explain. "Look, Telmara, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled. But I just... There's plenty of bad blood between me and my father, and as far as he's concerned, it would be better if I didn't exist anymore. He sent me to the Order because it was a way to get rid of me without causing questions, not because he wanted me to learn about my powers and everything. And the feeling is plenty mutual. I would be perfectly content if he were dead. So I have no interest in seeing him."

Hopefully that would clear things up. She rubbed a hand across her face before trying to smile at the other woman. "Still. Hopefully it's a moot point. Did you have anything that you wanted to do here in town?" Maybe changing the subject would help things...

[Bluedoom]

"Thank you for telling us that, Captain. We'll try to find out about Timaeus' plans with the weapons, if possible."  Joviana smiled at the captain before following Velvet, seemingly disinterested in the rest of the discussion that was taking place. It wasn't her place to talk about Kaya and her dad. "I don't mind tagging along, Velvet. You seem to know more about this place than I do. Its not like we have anything else to do right now"

[riariadne]

"The weapons were ornamental, from ages past, kept on display rather than used. Not that they were useless weapons, but pointless when more efficient ones existed," Fia explained to Raz. "But if the time mage is taking them, then there is probably more to them that and we just didn't know about it. That's probably the most worrisome part, unless he was just planning to send a message by taking something useless... but in that case it probably wouldn't be weaponry." She shrugged. "I don't pretend to understand this man, personally, just do what I can do stop him from harming people here. I guess I'm doing a good job at that part. Even though things were stolen, there wasn't actually anyone injured in the process." She gave a nod to Joviana too and an awkward wave as she left.

[SB.]

Aaron nodded, a little faster than perhaps was necessary, but hearing the monarchy was still up in the air lifted a weight from his shoulders. Thievery of the relics was unwelcome news, and an oddly familiar situation for Aaron, but things were different this time. Timaeus was no ordinary thief. 

"Do you know what was so special about these weapons? Aside from their history, that is." The Lionheart was a mighty axe in its own right, but if the weapons were really as unremarkable as Fia seemed to be suggesting, he couldn't get his head around it. The time mage made a lot of confusing decisions. "Actually, what were they? To cause them to be stored in the first place, there must have been something notable about them."

[Juliette]

"Hm hm! Well, let's not wait too long for Slowmar to make up his mind, then, Jovi." Velvet poked the lancer on the shoulder as she guided Joviana through the open gates. "Seeing as you don't use weapons, I doubt the blacksmith would be of that much interest to you, would it? Let's go to the market instead, then, since they always have something new and interesting to find there. Even though the city is quiet, there's no way the market is completely closed, since that would make it very hard for the city to function without goods from the other provinces. It might require a bit of convincing to let us trade but I'm sure it'll work!"

Velvet goes to the Bay market

Edited December 15, 2017 by Juliette

[riariadne]

Phantom Thief

"Well... that's part of why it's so confusing. They've never seemed to have much of a purpose- they were displayed here in a museum, not for anything actually related to their usage in battles." Fia frowned. "Whatever their power is, I'm sure he knows how to use it if he targeted them... so we'll have to be careful if confronted with such power."

--

Bay of Life

There were a few murmurs as Velvet and Joviana approached the bayside market after walking through the quiet city- here was the first place they saw with activity, and indeed it was still bustling with activity, what with food and good being exchanged. There were plenty of stands- some with standard weaponry, others with odd baubles. "Well, here we are," Velvet remarked. "Where to start? Do you even have money? If you don't, then this is a pointless venture..." She scratched at her cheek, mumbling after a few moments, "maybe I can put some aside for everyone to use... y'know, greater good, stopping the time mage and all that..."

Bay of Life Wares revealed. Also, the party now has 7000 communal gold in the convoy. Kaya/scorri gets final say on its usage if there are disagreements.

[eclipse]

Rather than follow Velvet (and get roped into yet another purchase he didn't need), Kolmar chose to wander down Zacharias Avenue.  Perhaps there'd be a pub or something open.  His booze supply was once again running low.  Can't wait for summer.  Won't have to use so much alcohol in my cooking.

[Xinnidy]

Secret Keepers (Aboard the ship, Late afternoon of December 25th)

Spoiler

The ship was so boring. Being surrounded by water and with so little room to move about made Velvet anxious, so she spent most of the time napping in the crow's nest or climbing on the shrouds until the crew got annoyed at that. But come the late afternoon of the first day, she'd grown bored of that. Instead she found herself approaching Raz, who she hadn't talked with as much with despite being rather interesting. "Do you like ships, Raz? I can't say I'm very fond of them... water and cats, we don't mix very well. But maybe water and archer mages get along better?"

---

That had been a surprise interruption from Velvet, though it wasn't like Raz herself had much important to do on the boat. "Ships?" She turned to the demicat, "Hmm... can't say I have much of a feel for them. I've only been in a ship once, just to cross a river. I suppose the rocking is a bit bothersome..." It was especially so the longer they had to be on the boat. Ah well, it was their best shot this time. "Nothing quite like a cat's issues, I assume." Raz smirked. How things worked for Velvet was a fair curiosity. How much more was she cat than human?

---

"It's horrible... water is on all sides, sometimes it splashes on, and the boat being unstable... I don't even want to think about it any more!" Velvet shook her head, frowning. "Well, anything else on your mind recently? I'm sure there is, seeing as you always seem to have plans and preparations for different scenarios. You're from Trine, right? Did you like to be home- or somewhere similar of sorts?"

---

Raz giggled, imagining the situation Velvet was picturing. Poor cat. "Yeah, I can imagine it isn't pleasant at all for you." Anything else on her mind, though... "Hmm, I'm just hoping we can get to the bottom of this mess with Timaeus soon. Our first objective was to find the gifts, so I hope we don't get too sidetracked..." It would definitely be unpleasant if somebody other than Kaya got their hands on the Fire Emblem, by the looks of it.

"Hm... I am from Trine, yes." A nice job from Velvet, when did she pick that up? "But I wasn't born anywhere as interesting as Fordright, my village was pretty remote, but our surroundings were beautiful. We had a beautiful forest not too far from there." Now, where did Velvet want to go with this, Raz wondered...

---

"Well... we found the Crusader's Calling in Uvara, so that is a success. And I personally suspect... well, maybe our new quest isn't so different from our old one," Velvet hypothesized. "Timaeus is looking for mystic artifacts, so in a sense, he might actually lead us on the right track. But, it is a dangerous game that we'll have to be careful to play. I just think it's unrealistic to expect this to sort itself out easily with how powerful he is, especially with that power growing." She sighed. "Regus said he couldn't seem to permanently harm him or Camellia, and he's the second or third most experienced spellcaster in the world. If there is a solution, it'll have to be creative."

"Ah, so you must be from west of Fordright. Well, everything else in Trine is west of Fordright, anyway, so it's not as if there are more options than that. I haven't visited that far myself, personally, so I'm a little curious. Visiting new places is always fun... well, I'd never leave Titan, but anywhere here. The thought of being on a boat for that long is sickening."

---

"Hmm, the Crusader's Calling was a success, still..." Raz shrugged, perhaps she was expecting to strike gold much too readily. Even one gift was a great boon, and they technically possessed two. "I don't know what we can do against Timaeus at this time, but we surely have to try something different, or find something new about him. Unfortunately, I have no idea if there's ever been recorded history on him." It was unfortunate, but such was the nature of the Lost Age.

Raz was about to point the same quip about 'west of Fordright' until Velvet corrected herself, simply nodding back, amused. "If we pass through, I can at least show you throw the more interesting landscapes. It's mostly forest, but there is some landscape, high mounts. You can see the edge of the sea from the highest ones."

---

"I think it's silly to think we'll find something as impressive as the Crusader's Calling any time soon! You have it, don't you?" Velvet poked at Raz's shoulder. "It's one of the most powerful objects in the whole world. There's no room to complain that it's not the strongest exactly. The Fire Emblem has been gone for centuries... if Kaya says we must find it, then we will, won't we? But we will be challenged along the way."

The demicat shook her head at the suggestion. "Nooo! None of the high mountains for me, thanks, if all I'll be looking at is more dreadful water... I'm sure it's lovely, of course," she teased, before her face becoming more serious. "Oh. I wonder if why we've never heard of Timaeus is that maybe he's not from Titan? He claimed he's the most powerful mage on Dominus, which is very bold if he's not accounting for anywhere across the ocean. Maybe it was hyperbole, but he seemed very certain of himself. It's hard to say."

---

"I do, yet--" Raz squirmed a bit as the demihuman poked her shoulder, forcing a smirk as she was reminded of the Calling's power. "I know. It's just I worry... the longer we take, the harder it will be to get the Emblem --and as far as I know, that's Kaya's final goal. So even if it seems we're fated to find it..." It'd be nice to pay no price for it. If it came to that. Raz shook her head, "If we are going to be challenged, that means there's a chance for us to fail, isn't it?" It wasn't a challenge if you always succeeded, that wasn't how challenges worked!

"Aww, I'm sure you'd like it. It's not just water. It's a nice view." Raz chuckled. It was curious how sincere Velvet could be, while still not showing all that much of herself. And then, of course, the topic gravitated to one of the many elephants in the room --if current Titan were a room--, the mysteries surrounding the self-entitled Time 'King'. "Hmm, maybe so. It doesn't seem like there is much about him, but with his supposed mastery of time magic, I doubt it's him getting over his head... too much. He'd already be aware of the Three Magi at least, which is a high enough ceiling." The thought of an incognito time mage with no know past but of this notable power was a bit curious, nonetheless. "I feel that somebody like him would be hard to miss, even across the ocean. The fact he's been silent until now is the question that needs an answer." A time mage recovering his power... perhaps he's not meant to be from this time at all? Wouldn't that be interesting...

---

Velvet twitched her ears in amusement at Raz's reaction. "What, my fur isn't so bad, is it? And, well, maybe we can fail... but Kaya's visions haven't yet, have they? Even if we will succeed, it can be challenging. Depending on what we do, our actions will surely have consequences, but we can do our best to be sure they're not so severe," she reasoned. "It's important to find the Emblem, of course, seeing as it's been gone for hundreds of years, and who knows what it could be used for in the wrong hands? Even if it were just some common thief that saw it first, they would become a real threat to others very suddenly. And those who we are racing up against are no mere bandits. I just think it's as much about stopping them as finding what we're looking for, if not one and the same."

Velvet leaned on the side of the ship. "Well, I'm kidding! I don't hate looking at water from afar. Maybe you can show me when we're less busy, or if we end up there along the way, and I'll show you Kair Valley in Grunan if we go there!" Raz's points against why he might not just be foreign seemed fair to her, though. "I guess so... I just don't even know what time magic entails other than that strange sort of freezing spell he used. But I guess with how much he's confusing everyone else, I'm not alone on that. And he obviously has some way to travel much faster using his magic that makes tracking him difficult if not impossible. The Magi can all do that, I think... well, I know Regus can travel anywhere on the continent in a few minutes, or even take longer time and bring others. Shylah does her... birdy thing, and she definitely goes places faster than a real animal would, but I'm not sure if she teleports. And Noctus, well, he's supposed to be the best of them all. Regus said you met him, didn't you?"

She leaned forward a bit, smiling. "Funny how in our small group, a lot of us seem to know extraordinary people, all three of the Magi among us! I lived near where Regus studies, and he was very interested in me when we met. But he said you learned magic from Noctus! What was he like? Almost nobody even meets him, much less gets to study from him..."

---

"I'm just... not used to it." Raz tried to remain neutral, hoping her reaction did not offend Velvet. As far as Kaya's prophecies went, Raz figured it wouldn't hurt to err on the side of caution, but that wasn't worth continuing arguing. "I suppose Kaya hasn't failed us for now..." That point she conceded, but nothing wrong with steeling themselves in advantage. "Our objectives might be mutually helpful, but I just worry our foes are growing stronger faster." That'd be a tricky predicament, for sure.

"I am not awfully familiar with time magic either... Noctus didn't teach me like a student or anything. We just met when I was young... I thought he was much older than he actually said he was." He was truly a mystery, considerably different to his siblings in disposition. Still, the similarities with Shylah's appearance were there. In a sense, his reserved nature was probably why Raz pestered him so much back them. "He made me learn the basics of spellcasting, at a very fast pace. He has a deep understanding of magic... no wonder he can write so many tomes." What an exceptional guy, indeed...

---

"Hmm. I guess so... Trine probably has the least demihumans in it, what with Grunan being so far away from it. But we're not so different, mostly just a bit fuzzier." Velvet smiled, putting her paw onto Raz's hand before continuing. "Maybe you're right if they're off stealing such valuable objects. I wonder what it was... we didn't really find out, except for that rare tome, but that's probably only scary for us if we run into Timaeus. If Morris is the best mage he could post in Fordright, magical talent doesn't seem plentiful among his allies."

She giggled at Raz's explanation. "White hair doesn't exactly give off a youthful look! He seems really amazing when it comes to spells. Regus is always studying nature or traveling, and Shylah... well, I've only seen her a few times, but she seems to like showing off and being mysterious, so I have no idea how she learns her magic. But it sounds like Noctus is in tune with the spells themselves, and that's why he knows almost everything about it. I'd love to meet him too. I wonder what his personal magic is like... Regus showed me his once. Did he do much casting himself when you saw him?"

---

"I guess you aren't..." It's not like Raz had anything against demihumans... but it wasn't like she was used to them either. Once Velvet put her paw on top of Raz's hand, she froze up, trying her best not to squirm or remove her hand. "Uh, they are probably after other valuable tomes, for Timaeus. At least that is what I'm thinking right now. If any of the gifts further his objectives... I guess it'd be the Emblem." Maybe he'd like the Lazarus gem, but it didn't seem like a priority.

"Nocus is very serious, I don't know about Regus as much, but all the time I remember Noctus was busy with his spells. Not that it stopped young me." She almost laughed, reminiscing about it. "He certainly is a man of patience once something catches his eye... I remember he was on a journey for the sake of writing a light tome, doing some research on the nature of light magic. He could light up the whole forest as if it was daytime, from the waterfall to the edge of the village. Sprinkles of light floating about like fireflies... it really impressed me, as a kid. Of course, he wasn't just a light mage, he knew a lot about anima and dark magic, but that was not what he focused on in that journey." Between the three siblings, he was definitely the most devoted to magic.

---

"Magic is a mystery to me. Regus said that I have a lot of potential for it, but I've never really figured out tomes much myself. A light spell that bright... it must have been so pretty, huh?" Velvet smiled as she imagined it. "Maybe he's not so different from Regus if he was doing his research out in the wild to understand the spells better. If the Magi do that, I wonder why schools for magic are so popular instead of that sort of environment? Well, not everyone can be journeying off to random spots of Titan, I suppose." That question sort of answered itself. "Did he do lots of spellcasting of the other types? Regus does lots light magic, I know, mostly that staff he always uses. It heals pretty much anything, so he uses it for just about anything wrong at all. Don't staves have a limited amount of power? I wonder how he does it."

Velvet's sillier expression did fade a bit as she noticed how tense Raz was. "What's wrong? If it bothers you, then you can say it..." Her ears and tail drooped somewhat. "I like being with people... but not everyone is very receptive towards someone like me. Sorry..."

---

"I think it's not as easy to understand how much magic depends on nature as you begin. When you're learning from the ground up, just being able to cast a spell consistently is a breakthrough." Raz conjectured, adding onto the answer Velvet had given to her first question, and nodded back at her second. "He seemed to know just as much about the other schools of magic, he didn't show me much, though --mostly because I could barely understand it, and he didn't need to use it." She remembered some of his words, her affinity for light magic was abnormal for someone her age, of common birth and with so little access to magic. Still, as young as she was, grasping magic was enough of a challenge that branching out was out of the question.

"Ah..." And it seemed Raz's reluctance had been felt by Velvet, which made things a bit awkward. "It's more... I'm not used to it. It's not just a matter of fur... you are a touchy per-- cat, and I'm not." Seeing Velvet's usual happy self down was a bit guilting, still. "Do you like it?" It wasn't something that Raz really understood, that.

---

"Sounded plenty touchy with... that's, er..." Vevlet's face turned red and she covered her ears with her hands, shaking her head. Talking magic seemed to have left her priorities completely. "Sorry! I can't help it... my hearing's very sensitive, I don't mean to be intrusive like that. Heightened senses aren't always perks. But... I do like being with people. I'm catty, of course, but I'd like to think I'm pretty human too. If humans understood animals more, I think they'd find we're more similar than they think. Sure, different priorities, but fundamentally... I adjusted easy enough when I became a demicat. It feels nice to be cared about or have people be friendly to me since that's not all too common."

---

... Oh, of course she heard that. Raz closed her eyes, a restrained sigh escaping her lips. "You're pretty nosy, huh? Couldn't help yourself?" She shook her head, a hint of bemusement as she scoffed at how the situation devolved. "Well, well, would you mind keeping your lips sealed about that?"

The demicat was holding back and trying to explain herself, which at least gave Raz some space to poke back. "I'm sure plenty of people would befriend a cat like you, even without the 'demi' part. Aren't you worrying a bit much?"

---

"No, I can't help myself... even if I tried not to listen. Which I did!" Velvet insisted, ears drooping. "I really am sorry. But I definitely can help that I won't be chatty about it. Your secret's safe with me, Raz- I'm good at keeping those."

Velvet leaned back, eyes shifting away as Raz asked more questions. "You might think that, but... not everyone is very accepting of demihumans. And some people like me even less when they find out I wasn't even born human. That's why I travel so much. Until I met all you, I've never found any group that was so accepting. Regus was always nice to me, but even some of the other scholars there were very rude, and said that he only likes me because I'm unique for studying... I like you people. Being pushed away has a sting to it... one that I certainly don't like."

---

"You can't... huh." That was intriguing, and inconvenient for certain. Was there anything she could do to help? Probably not at that moment. "Well, I trust you enough to keep it safe. No messing that one up, okay?" As much as Raz was certain Velvet would behave on that end, she couldn't help but ask, even if it came out automatically.

To hear that not everybody treated Velvet well was insightful on the girl. "Well, I hope you're feeling welcome here... it's not like you have much difference from a human as it is. Just a tail and ears from what I know." She pointed out, "I guess having people tell me my one good use is being a study topic would leave a pretty sour taste in my mouth too." Raz smirked, "I have no plans to kick you out of the group. Not that I could anyways. I'm sure Kaya appreciates you being here, and I think you've been of great help."

---

"Study topic was on the brighter side! I don't even want to think about it too much... I'd much rather be with all the people here. I'm sorry that I've been insensitive about things by accident, but I like all of you! I hope you can like me too... well, I think Telmara doesn't like me too much, but I'm not exactly sure what I can do about that. It feels like more of a passive dislike to me... too much of an active kitty for her tastes." Velvet shrugged, stretching her arms before sitting at Raz's feet. "I don't dislike her, but so long as she isn't outright mean, then I don't have any problems. But I hope you still like me, Raz. I feel like there's still so much we have to learn from each other... don't you?"

---

"On the brighter side..." That was a bit of a grim viewpoint, but it seemed Velvet was used to it, so best not to tread on that topic too long. Like she had said before, she was happy enough with the group, except Telmara. "Heh, I guess your personalities don't mix. It happens." It was an amusing thought to imagine the two of them at odds, but probably pointless. It wasn't like Velvet was going to step on Telmara's metaphorical toes... Raz hoped not. "Hmm, much we have to learn from each other?" Raz lowered her gaze to follow the catty cat, sitting at her feet, still neutral, but clearly trying to keep her puzzled thoughts to herself. "Mmm, I suppose we do." She reached out, half-way through a smile, patting Velvet on the head. Was that what the demicat wanted?

---

Velvet closed her eyes as she sat down, giggling when Raz touched her hair. "Heehee! You're a good friend, Raz. Even though I was just saying that people don't always treat me as much more than an animal... sometimes it's still fun to embrace the part of me that's still a cat." She purred softly before yawning. "Ah, and I need to sleep a little more than humans, too... mm. Do you mind if I nap here?" She fluttered her eyelashes in her best attempt at playing cute.

---

"Mmhm... I can see that." Raz chuckled, petting the cat once more for good measure. However, the line between cat and human that Velvet stepped on wasn't one to get used to immediately, it was a bit strange to be asked for a nap. "Hmm, didn't get enough sleep? Go ahead, Velvet." Raz was a bit amused, letting Velvet get what she wanted, only a small grin in reaction to that display of cuteness. What a curious cat, so well traveled, but also fairly childlike... I wonder if she ages like a human or a cat... uh, I could ask later...

---

Velvet smiled and purred more at the contact, curling up in a circle and then giving a cheerful little sigh. "Thank you, Raz, for bearing with my silliness. Can I ask you... mm..." She couldn't help but yawn again. "Ah, it doesn't matter. Nap time..." Heehee... I have lots of questions. I'd never get to sleep if I wanted her to answer them all now. It wasn't too long before she stopped fiddling with her paws and drifted off to sleep.

---

"I see..." The more Fia explained those weapons, the more it seemed nobody really understood what they were at all. The one thing Raz could tell was that they were certainly not just for show. I wonder in what Age they were crafted... Sighing, Raz tilted her head as he watched Aaron and Fia talk, trying to work out this riddle in her mental cogs. "Well, all we can do for now is to keep that in mind, maybe visit the Museum. But otherwise... we'll just have to keep in the back of our minds that Timaeus knows quite a bit about Titan for somebody who showed up from nowhere." How bothersome... if only he wasn't so bent on this usurping nonsense. "I'll go give the place a look. I'll see you around, Aaron. Until next time as well, Fia." Waving goodbye, Raz parted ways and decided to explore the city proper.

Raz goes to visit the House in Vert.

Edited December 20, 2017 by Xinnidy

[riariadne]

Strolling the Ave

There were only few people on the normally booming Zacharias Avenue, most of them paying Kolmar no attention as they passed by. Almost everywhere seemed to be closed, but one place of probable interest stood out- Raymond's Retreat, named after yet another Koermese king, and with a sign mentioning the inn's alcoholic options.

(a few Raymond's Retreat wares revealed)

Entertainment House

The House in Vert wasn't dissimilar in design to the House in Noir Raz had visited before, though the interior played out quite differently. "Excuse me, madame," a man in a suit spoke up to Raz when she entered, two guards approaching. "Weapons are prohibited in the House of Vert after a recent break-in, where several displays were stolen... if you wish to enter still, you will need to hand over your bows to the guards for the duration of your stay." There were some conspicuously empty display cases near the front of the House, and a nearby staircase that was labeled to head up to a music room.