Return of the Emblem Chapter Fifteen: Alliance

[Nanami Touko]

Ra was always involved... "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited. Been feeling a bit... Well, uninvolved in all of this nonsense. It'd probably be a good thing for anyone else, but for me, just standing around and playing bodyguard... I'm good at it, I just wish I could do... More? I probably shouldn't be wishing for that, yet here I am." Her smile was quite evident, these emblem issues finally coming around to her, even if not directly... Almost everyone here had some involvement, being included felt... Welcoming. This is pretty twisted thinking, isn't it?

[Ether]

"Look, he's... capable of things you couldn't even imagine. I won't knock the efficacy of his methods but... be careful. I underestimated him... it's not something I would recommend to anybody." Angelica warned, concern flashing across her face for a moment.

"Then again, knowing you, it'd probably be over before you even noticed..." 

[Nanami Touko]

"Wow, he's got even you worried? Must be something special." It probably sounded like mockery, but Eva knew better than to actually believe something Angelica worried over was a non-threat. What was that supposed to mean, though? Over before she even noticed?

"What? What does that even mean? How would I not notice? Come on, Angelica, don't be weird. If it's Ra, and he's that intimidating, I'm sure whatever he's thinking up is going to push my limits... Isn't that the whole point of this? I think I got that much from your explanation. Unless I didn't... I might not have. Common is a bit weird." <Now you've got me second guessing things. Ugh, how frustrating. Don't be like that, Angy.>

[Ether]

"I'm poking fun at how thick-headed you can be sometimes." Angelica replied with a sigh, poking Eva's cheek before a grin graced her face, though it was quickly replaced by a frown.

"It's hard to explain, so I'll try to do so later when things calm down, but Ra has a secret weapon he can use on you... and I don't know if you can handle her."

[Nanami Touko]

"Oi, I'm not that thickheaded, now you're just being mean. I'm just... All the conversations are in common around here. If everyone spoke Neviskotian I wouldn't miss anything. Clearly not my fault." She snickered that away, but Angelica wasn't in a joking mood, it seemed. Whatever this was, it was really getting to her, wasn't it?

"Ahh, whatever. I survived a dragon, and that crazy general. Besides, you're the hardest thing I've ever had to deal with. What could be worse? If Ra's servant or whoever wants to present a bigger challenge, then sure, bring it on. That's the whole point of testing yourself, finding that next step. Right? I'm not the only one who thinks like that, yeah?" I might be, around here.

[Phoenix]

Rush Hour

So they found Bert, and he was alright? Malik supposed there had to be some good news. That just left Greta and her trip to the marketplace. Speaking of ... "Since Bert's okay, we should go get Greta and get ready to leave."

"What about that girl?" Amon asked, "She's probably still waiting for us."

"Daichi said he'd speak with them," Malik reminded him, "so while he's doing that, we can find Greta and get ready to leave."

As the guards bowed and saw themselves out, Ra listened to the exchange between Angelica and Eva. It had been somewhat amusing, but something Angelica had said caused his expression to darken briefly. Afterward, his attention shifted to the sancturans. "You plan to travel by night, knowing what you know?"

Slightly confused to hear what sounded like concern--albeit hollow concern--Malik cocked an eyebrow at the apparition. "We're in a hurry. Waiting until tomorrow morning just loses us a whole day."

"Interesting."

[Xinnidy]

"<Well...>" Haruhi had a point, it was pretty inevitable after their previous actions. The group forfeited the chance to keep a low-profile after magically stealing that monstrous ship, they had made a name for themselves, for better or worse, and now they were all involved in it. There wasn't much else to do but to accept this was going to be a thing. "<Better not stay here for long, hope this Hikibain will speed it up.>" Every day wasted would go against their goal, and opened more windows to be bothered by Neviskotia and Ursium. Not something Thales was signing up for, but in the end, unless he could speak to Amon about this kind of thing, worrying so much would be fruitless, only serving to wear himself out.

"<Practice, huh...>" Haruhi was always focused on her magic, at least. "<At least you are dedicated.>" As usual, Thales couldn't tell much about magic. To him it still felt like cheating a bit... but at least when it wasn't used to fend him off, it was visually interesting. "<You know, heard people use dark magic to make... stuff.>" That's right, it was something Thales heard once, the nature and principles of alchemy eluded him, but he knew what purpose it served at least. "<Can you do that, too?>"

[Mercakete]

With the soldiers on their way, -- and therefore one of his pressing obligations handled -- it was easier to focus on the other concerns at hand. Given the description the guardsman had given him of Norbert's clothes -- particularly that they were torn and perhaps a bit bloody -- Daichi's concern for his son had grown. He wanted to find him in the stables and assure himself that the rider was alright...but, given the boy's reaction to him before, the Hikibain wasn't confident that much would come of the encounter. Besides that, he had a meeting to finish. So, as difficult as it was, he began to push his personal worries aside. It became easier as he reminded himself that he technically now had a duty to question those potentially involved in the incident outside of town. Even though his excitement felt a little underhanded, Daichi couldn't help looking forward to speaking with Norbert again. Until then, there were others who would be more prudent to question, once he got the meeting straightened out, if only because they were nearby. First, though, the meeting.

Stoically, the Hikibain reentered the meeting room and shut the door behind him, this time having a seat at the table. Then, his eyes moved from one person to the next, as he asked, "Are you all ready to continue our meeting, now? I have many questions."

[Phoenix]

Ready-ish

Amon could only sigh in resignation at Daichi's prep question. "We're as ready as we're ever going to be, I guess."

Malik glanced over at Jamilla as stealthily as he could, silently warning her to not say anything else to compromise them. Ra could still pose a problem, either way, since the golden ghost didn't seem to like secrets much.

Hello!

Second run completed, Greta was now loaded up with the last of Lexi's rare finds from her adventures, and was ready to sell those off. She wasn't quite making a killing, but the group would have money to spare, even after Greta got herself a new wagon. It was just a shame that she hadn't had time to put in an order, just yet. It was almost the end of the business day, too ...

"Hello~" The voice was familiar, a young woman, but the tone was pretty alien. When Greta looked over her shoulder toward the main road, she saw Nena approaching from the east.

"Nena? They didn't send ya to haul me in, did they?" Greta smiled nervously.

"Nope," Nena shook her head, closing the distance between the two women and lowering her voice, a little. "I've been giving this a lot of thought, and ... I'm starting to think the best thing for the group would be if Canaan and I go search for the gate on our own. As risky as that is, there's no telling how long we'll have to keep him hidden. At least if he and I are traveling alone, he won't have to be hiding in that chest all the time."

Greta frowned at the thought of just Nena and Canaan traveling alone, together. There was a lot that could go wrong with her plan, too. "How is that supposed to work, exactly?" Greta asked, lowering her voice, to match Nena's.

"I already asked about it, and Anna's willing to help me smuggle Canaan out of town, tonight. She'll even give us a horse and cart to use. From there, we just have to get as close as we can to the gate so I can mark it on a map. Then I'll find a way to get that map back to you. When it's safe for him to be out of the chest, his usual 'disguise' should do. And if bandits try to attack us or something, we can handle ourselves. All I'm really worried about are other demons."

"Okay, I guess that could work ...? Just wanna make sure you're not just gettin' nervous with all the guards around here."

Nena shook her head. "If we don't have someone go and find the gate, we'll lose weeks of search time, right? So this is probably the best way to split the group, right now."

"Hmm ..."

[Mercakete]

Daichi took a moment to silently review what he knew and what he thought he knew before beginning. "Here is what happened, according to how I understand it: the demons invented these warp gates and intended to use them in a large attack on Ursium, Kigen, and Neviskotia. One of their princes, Steinn, was opposed to it, and traveled to Ursium, where he convinced Professor Weyland to help him. The professor hired <Kai's Mercenaries> to capture a demon and take her back to Europa. The demon prince, Badimaa, attacked Europa, Professor Weyland hired you messengers, and sent you to warn us about the demons' plans. On the way, there was a Neviskotian attack on Urquium. During the battle..." Daichi's brow furrowed. This was where things got confusing. "you used a warping device that chose what it would move using a manifest and light magic. This was used on the Neviskotian flagship to make it appear and then disappear. Badimaa also has this sort of device, and you plan to use his against him, as you lost yours. The northerner navies were intrigued by this device, and so chased you to Arugai Minato. Then..." he turned his eyes to the Avians and Angelica. "after my son fled, eventually you three went to find him. There was a conflict outside of town involving light magic... Now, you are returned."

Daichi turned his head back to the table, his eyes closed and his brow furrowed. "I am...very confused. Please, someone explain all this."

[Nanami Touko]

Well, the birds and Angelica had made their way into the meeting room. Eva had stepped outside to speak to the woman for a minute, and when everyone else had filed in, she kept herself outside. She'd been a bit frustrated about keeping in touch with everything going on with the group, but right now, she wanted to deal with another frustration. "Stables, stables..." Bert. She'd been thinking about this for a few days now. Thinking about how she'd been treating him, even if he was frustrating... And talking to his dad had been pretty eye opening. Scratching at her head with how to deal with this, what to say, how to say it... Would he even care, at this point? He did seem pretty detached with the group, and with this drama over his family... Well...

"If he says fuck off, he says it. Nothing gained without trying. Time to find the stables."

---

"<He might. He also might slow everything down. Didn't sound like things were going well when we bounced~>" Haruhi twirled the sphere around in her hand, spinning it around a finger for a moment. These were getting a lot easier to cast, though holding them out for extended periods of time was still taxing. At least getting the principles down was good...

"<What, with tendrils and stuff? No, I don't know near enough to do something like that. I have enough trouble keeping this going... I'd love to learn, but I don't think I'll have a good moment to sit down and get started any time soon. Still... It would be really convenient. Probably take a few years, though.>" It was a lofty goal, but Hoshi seemed like a good teacher. "<Wanna get that nosferatu magic working before I think that far ahead. Will make me a lot more useful in combat.>"

Edited June 2, 2018 by SnakeMomMelissa

[Toogee]

The combination of Eva and Shiny Amon/Ra explained the rest of the story (more or less) of the emblem magic they wielded. Though initially worried she said something she shouldn't, Jam was feeling pretty proud that she got the ball rolling on that front. Keeping all these secrets was becoming a real pain in the butt. And this wasn't even everything they were keeping secret. Still, now that they were on the same page, they could move ahead with actually saving the world.

Malik was giving the silent Rexian expression that said "shut your hole", specifically to Jam. This seemed to be a good time to duck out and cause trouble elsewhere. While Daichi was addressing Angelica and the bird people, Jam got up and left the meeting.

[Phoenix]

Details

Ra, standing just in front of the far end of the table, produced the two headed dagger, the same one he had forged from the Regalia, and set it down gently. Amon took a long hard look at the blade, wishing things hadn't turned out this way. With the Regalia like this, he couldn't bring back Haythem and Isis ... and he had no idea what had become of them, either. Ra didn't seem to care.

"Behold, the 'device' that wrested control of the Basilisk from their hands and bestowed it to Queen Aisha." Ra gave a satisfied smirk that felt unearned, given what he'd just done. Amon wasn't sure why he seemed so pleased with clearing up such a minor detail. "Should the need arise, you could surrender the Regalia to your pursuers. Raquel has endowed it with enough power for that purpose."

"It's working, again?!" Malik had to stop himself from running over and swiping the blade. Instead, he leaned forward sharply, gawking at it like a starving hound. Amon had to admit, the prospect of getting Haythem and Isis back, or at the very least confirming that they were still alive ...

"It is fit for that purpose, not yours," Ra noted dismissively, "Now, I will tell you about my test, Kazemi Daichi ... that 'conflict.'"

More of the Same

The more Greta thought about it, the more Nena's plan made sense. It was still dangerous, but there was no talking their way out of it when Canaan was inevitably discovered. There was also no telling how long they would be held up at the capital. Just imagine, Kayoyama, the heart of the Kigen Empire, and Canaan being discovered there. They would start off surrounded and would be speared and burned to death before they could even plead their case. Still, it would probably be better to let Amon and Hoshi know about this before Nena and Canaan actually left. It was safe to use the latter's name, right? That alone shouldn't tip off anyone ...

"Okay, before ya go through with this," Greta held up a finger, "why don't we talk it over with the others? You're leavin' after us knowin' my luck, so ya don't have an excuse."

Nena grimaced. "Do we really have to pitch this to the whole group? It seems like the obvious way to handle the situation."

"Not the whole group," Greta shook her head, "Just Amon and Hoshi should be enough ..." Greta glanced down and frowned, "... I guess. Look, I don't want everyone to get worried when it eventually comes out that ya took off with Canaan. They're gonna be lookin' at me wonderin' why they were kept in the dark. It's not gonna lose us anymore time, so just relax and let's do this right. For now I need to finish up out here and maybe go ahead and give Lexi her cut, so why don't we use those looks of yours to speed this up, while we're out here. I did hire ya like ya wanted~"

Nena crossed her arms, feeling a tad annoyed. Was this really the time? Well, considering the situation ... maybe?

"You're gonna need spendin' money for parts of your search, right? Well, here's how you're gonna earn it~"

Obviously defeated now, Nena sighed. "Alright, fine. Let's get this over with."

[Mercakete]

Things were still a little confusing, but at least some things were cleared up. For one, the device was not lost, but had ceased to function. It also probably didn't belong to Professor Weyland, but belonged to this golden man. He was called a "clod," wasn't he? Perhaps this was clod technology, and Badimaa had managed to get a hold of it. Maybe that was why Ra was here: to reclaim the technology stolen form his people by the demons. That would explain why his goals were different from the humans', and yet he was still opposed to the demons. If this technology was of the advanced warping variety, it would also explain the gates. Perhaps they were clod technology as well. Could it have been that the demons managed to travel across the sea to wherever these clods came from? Or perhaps, Ra and other clods like him were explorers, and had recently discovered Sardius. That seemed to make more sense, especially if clods were advanced in their warping technology. For being so foreign, Ra certainly spoke Common well. Perhaps he had a gift for linguistics.

Speculation aside, it seemed that the device would not work for what Weyland's messengers wanted to use it for...whatever that was. However, it was safe to give to the northerners, if that was what they chose to do with it. However, certain names were coming up... Daichi didn't know who "Raquel" was, or even if that was a person, but who- or whatever it was, it gave the object its power. Perhaps "Raquel" was another of Ra's people, one specialized in the use of this technology. Their names were somewhat similar, if that was the case... Perhaps Ra was a vassal of Raquel's, and "Raquel" and "Ra" were actually titles, and not names at all. All of this would have made more sense had the name "Queen Aisha" not come up. Daichi was fairly certain that that was the name of a powerful woman who lived in the southern lands. He didn't know as much about the southern culture or nuances as he did about the northern ones, but it would, in part, explain all the southerners in this group. Perhaps the clods arrived in the south first, and after their technology was stolen, they sought aid from the southern queen. That could have very well been why Ra looked so much like Amon: perhaps clods look very different from humans, and in order to belay alarm, they chose to imitate the appearance of humans. Perhaps Amon was among the first people that Ra met in Sardius...but what were the demons doing that far south? And, really, the device looked like an two-headed dagger. Where was the manifest to be written upon it? And just what was it an emblem of? Perhaps dual-bladed daggers were the symbol of the clods...and evidently, known as "regalia." Well, if a southern queen stole the Neviskotians' ship, then it didn't involve Kigen. Daichi was under no obligation to move in either country's favor. They could work that out themselves.

As for the present, Ra said something interesting just then. There was a test of some sort...and, evidently, it was what the conflict that the guardsmen of Arugai were looking into had been. So, Ra had been there as well... Well, considering the clods' proficiency in warping technology, his transportation wasn't entirely surprising, and explained his sudden appearance in the room. This foreign warping magic could certainly compromise necessary privacy, such as military strategy meetings, and so was somewhat dangerous...but Daichi chose not to think that far into it yet. For now, he simply acknowledged that it existed...and it was time to learn about one of the matters at hand. He gave Ra a nod. "I am most curious about it."

[Phoenix]

Trial By Emblem

Ra slowly waved his hand, seemingly indicating everyone else in the meeting room. "These are the ones, the self appointed saviors of Kigen and all of Sardius. Are you impressed? Do you see their willingness to challenge the fallen ones and their demons as bravery or foolhardiness? Are their skills up to the challenge or merely unorthodox? Are their methods just, or unjust? Whatever you think of them, Kazemi, they are the ones that will challenge Valdimarr. Raquel and I believe they are foolhardy, merely unorthodox, and unjust."

Amon couldn't hide his disdain for Ra, right now. He only ever seemed to stress the group's importance when he wanted to point out their flaws. It was irritating.

"She and I have resolved to make certain that they are ready, for Valdimarr, and every other challenge the fallen ones will set against them. To that end, the weakness infesting this gathering is being weeded out, little by little. Whether an individual overcomes our challenges, flees, or dies, what remains will be stronger."

"Yeah, take note of that," Malik jutted a finger at Ra while addressing Daichi, "he's perfectly fine with some of us dying before we even fight the fallen."

"You are addressing a Hikibain, Malik," Ra smiled pityingly, "He and his brethren have been subjected to far worse than any of you ever will ... and for the same purpose. It is better for you to die by my hand than to become nourishment for demons, but if you believe otherwise ... flee ... find your captain and hold her close for as long as you can. I have no wish for any of you to perish, but if you choose to remain here, then you will be put through the fire. Each and every one of you in time."

Malik had more words, a lot more, but he seemed to realize that any time he spoke out against Ra, he was going to get smacked with the Lexi card or embarrassed in some other way. The man obviously had a bit too much on him at this point. Comparing their 'testing' to the training of Hikibain was a point neither of the Sancturans had a frame of reference for, but Ra made it sound like Daichi and the others with that title had a particularly hard life ...

Edited June 6, 2018 by Phoenix

[Mercakete]

The clod seemed to be well-versed in the happenings of Sardius, as well as in some of the subcultures in its major countries. Perhaps he didn't come from across the sea...but if that was so, then where did the clods come from? Or, perhaps, they had been living in Sardius in secret for a while, now? Maybe not even in secret... Maybe Daichi himself was just that out of touch with the goings-on of the other countries. He would have to ask Ra for clarification on that later. For now, yet more surprises were being revealed...along with more challenges to his barely-passable Common vocabulary. And, once again, Ra was also displaying respect. In fact, he seemed to be one of those who understood Kigen's subcultures the best, despite being so different. Throughout the exchange, Daichi's expression remained studious, taking in and sorting out as much information as he could. In the following pause, he began lightly, slowly nodding to himself.

Looking up from his thoughts, Daichi spoke. "I do not understand why another group is necessary. Our soldiers are already trained, and have experience against the demons. We Hikibain are even better prepared than our other soldiers. Why should the lives of these others be disrupted with such hardship? They should leave the fighting to Kigen, and enjoy the lives they have the opportunity to live. Committing to something this dangerous will rob them of what they could have had... They may never find peace again."

Daichi thought of that day's same morning, watching people going about their business, and only needing to care about the most mundane problems. Even if they didn't realize it, their lives were peaceful, and full of happiness. It was that happiness that others enjoyed that Daichi fought to protect. And by watching them, he could enjoy a little bit of it for himself. Fathers passing down their trade to their sons, children playing simple games, people busying themselves with picking out what they would eat for their coming meals... It was so simple. So innocent... So different from the battlefield, where the closest one got to tranquility was quiet unrest... Fighting when necessary, to protect these peaceful lives, was honorable. But throwing away your blessings in an attempt to live out a fantasy of grandeur and glory... It was a tragic destiny.

Edited June 6, 2018 by Mercakete

[Ether]

"Because Valdimarr, their current leader, has something that the Hikibain have never had to deal with before. Something you could never be prepared for without first hand experience. When Ra called our skills unorthodox, that is what he meant, at least in part. I do not know the workings of his mind fully enough to say that is all, but that first hand experience... it is something that we do have." Angelica interjected, stepping forward from her position resting at the door frame. If Ra was going to tell Daichi everything anyway, may as well build some level of rapport by giving at least a portion of their own accord.

"Ra's methods... they are harsh, at times obtuse, and difficult to fathom, but... I cannot speak ill of their efficacy. I'm walking proof of that, now." Angelica noted, her eyes beginning to glow in gold as she invoked her ability... the only thing she saw was what she expected... those words would draw the attention of those present who were aware of what Ra had been doing, and those who were curious. The signature glow would be proof enough for them, though for Daichi, perhaps not.

"If he can succeed, in molding us to something stronger than we are, then we can strike at the heart of Corvus, remove it's head. As admirable as Kigen's efforts against the fallen are, Kazemi-san... you've never managed more than to hold them at the border. Imagine, with some help... perhaps with the right sort of help... you could finally make ground into Corvus, wipe them out at the source, rather than contain them?"

[Nanami Touko]

Eva rolled her arm and stretched a bit as she walked. They'd had that little scuffle on the boat, but without a proper fight, or time to unwind, she'd be all stiff. The bath had been nice but nothing beat a real warm up session. Will have to take care of that when I've got time... For now...

There were the stables... And there was Bert, with his temperamental horse. Eva didnt want to spook the thing again, she she stopped a few meters away, giving him a weak wave. "Hey... Bert? You got a minute to talk?" Just hope this is the right idea...

[Mercakete]

When he arrived at the building's stables, the soldiers following him chose to stay outside. It was a quick and easy matter, getting permission to stable Rizen from the couple stable hands around, and supplies -- such as brushes -- were provided in each stall. Several other equines were already in their stalls. Specifically, the closest on either side to the entrance, three on one side and two on the other. All of them were mounts belonging to their own group, including Luca and Star Hunter. As soon as they'd stepped in, though, Rizen tensed up, nostrils flaring. It took Bert some time to figure out what, specifically, was wrong. In the back of the stables was Sasha. Bert still held his belief that equines and wyverns needed entirely separate facilities, but the fact that the gap between the wyvern and the group's other mounts was as wide as possible while housing all of them didn't escape his notice. Given his recent conversation with Angelica, he was a little surprised at first, wondering if Eva was actually making an effort to show the equines some courtesy. But then he figured it was probably the stable hands who'd had the idea and directed her to house Sasha as far from the equines as possible without making him stay outside.

Well, getting Rizen to relax wasn't easy with wyvern scent in the confined space, but she wasn't digging in her hooves, so that was something. After that, he'd set to removing the armor, bags, and tack that the Pegasus was wearing...and indeed, it was worn, after that clash against Ra and the other Angelica. He'd have to talk to Hoshi about getting it repaired. It'd done its job, so he wasn't going to complain. Armor was meant to take the blows so you didn't have to, after all.

Bert had just about finished removing the stuff when he heard the Kigenese guardsmen talking amongst themselves. He'd only just leaned out to have a look when he heard them all walk off. A few more steps brought them enough into his field of vision to see them, too. I guess they were convinced to leave us alone. He was glad for that, a little proud that his plan had worked out. So, he set back to his business: taking care of his pegasus. Getting her fresh food and water was quick and easy, thanks to how well-kept and organized these stables were. Then, it was time to brush the winged equine. He'd only just begun to get into it, too, when someone else entered the stables.

Eva's opening was downright surprising. So much so that his first response was to stare blankly at the wyvern rider for a second. He shook it off quickly enough, though. "Uh, sure. You don't mind if I keep brushing Rizen while we talk, do you? I'm trying to get her used to this place, and brushing helps calm her down. Besides, she hates being dirty, and we were just in a fight."

[Nanami Touko]

"Sure... I'm not gonna scare here if i get closer, am I?" She stayed put anyway, waiting until Bert gave her the go ahead. She didn't want to scare his horse again, and set him off that way. "So... Uh... I talked to that, Kazemi guy a lot. I won't step into your personal affairs, not gonna tell you what to do about him. Just, talking to him made me think. And I'd already been doing a lot of thinking, so adding more, its been making my head hurt. Heh..." It felt awkward as all get out, but at least it was calm and the truth. She scratched at her hair as a tiny smile started oit.

"I... Honestly, I thought you were just a jerk, at first. Touchy and loud at things, but... I wasn't really thinking about what I was doing. Of course your horse would get upset if a wyvern was brought near it. Doesn't matter if the wyvern or the horse is trained. Just how things are. So... Sorry. For being stupid, for one, and for fighting you on it. You can be pretty testy, but this was... All my fault. And not something you deserved. From what I gather, you've got enough on your plate." 

By the end of things, Eva was blushing a bit, out of embarrassment for having to admit her idiocy. "Just been thinking about it a lot. We're both riders, even if we're not best friends, we should get along. Would suck to both be flying about and getting into an argument in the middle of a fight. And... Ahhhh, I'm really bad at these. Just, sorry. Really sorry. For all the trouble and stress." Eva sighed, hoping she wasn't about to get a huge talking to on top of what she'd already said... She was ready for it if it happened, though.

Edited June 6, 2018 by SnakeMomMelissa

[Mercakete]

Norbert shook his head at her first question. "Nah. I mean, you might smell like a wyvern to her, but this place already has that scent in here, so it probably won't get much worse. She won't attack you when I'm this close to her unless you're about to attack us or steal from us, either, so you don't have to worry about that. Besides, the stall's door's closed, so there's only so much she can do to someone standing outside of it."

Eva then began talking about someone named Kazemi or whatever. That name sounded kind of familiar, but it was so foreign that it was impossible for him to figure out who it was. ...Maybe it wasn't a name, but a local cuisine or something? She did say "Kazemi guy" after all. But then who...? Ah. He remembered. She was talking about the guy who claimed to be his father. It was a good thing he was already brushing Rizen; she wasn't the only one calmed by the chore. Evidently, Eva had been doing a lot of thinking lately. Thinking so hard it made her head hurt, even. He'd had that experience in the past, too. Some things were just difficult to understand.

She went on, talking about her first impressions. He nearly loosed a puff of a wry laugh at it. He'd started out neutrally toward her, and even tried to get along on a couple occasions. But as she went on, he was surprised at what he heard. As she went on, he stopped brushing entirely, and just stared at her in a stupor while she apologized. Said stupor continued for a couple awkward moments after she was done talking, too. Finally, he snapped out of it...kind of.

"Uh... Yeah, I... Thanks," he blinked a few times, trying to collect his wits. Then, he got back to brushing Rizen's coat. That helped to refocus his thoughts. "I was just trying to protect Rizen. I didn't mean to single you out or anything. Would've said the same thing to any other wyvern rider who spooked her. … You know, just...trying to say that I... Well, you'd protect Sasha if something was bothering him. It's the same thing. I never wanted us to be at odds, you know. Urgh… Sorry, I'm bad at this, but... I guess I'm just trying to say that your situation matters, too. Of course there are some things that we just have to work around, like predator animals stressing their natural prey, but that's just how things are. Doesn't mean I don't want to be your friend."

It was kind of ramble-y, but it was as good a start as he could manage. Just a short while ago, he'd been certain that Eva wouldn't want to talk cordially to him under any circumstances, and here she was, breaking the ice? It was a truly stupefying development. Is this a trick from Hypnos or something?

[Nanami Touko]

"Yeah... I would. So I get that. That's why I'm apologizing, I... Thought about it and if I'd react the same way, why should I be getting mad at you? That's just... Er, whats the word... Hyper classy? <Hypocrisy?> I don't really know that word in common." She shrugged and slowly made her way over to Rizen, taking Bert's word that the horse wasn't going to get upset with her getting closer.

"But, really, you want to be friends? After I yelled at you like that? Not really sure i deserve that, but... Well, if you're okay with it, sure. Much rather be your friend than hate you." Eva managed a real smile, looking over Rizen. "She's beautiful, you know? I could never see myself riding one, but there's a certain grace to pegasi that a wyvern will never have. It's good that you take such good care of her... Can, I pet her? Or is the smell going to get on her nerves?" Her questions about what battle he'd gotten into could wait a moment. This was a good thing they had going, now. No reason to slap it with seriousness and take it away.

[Mercakete]

There must have been a lot of things on Eva's mind at once for her to shuffle topics like that, but it wasn't like it was impossible to work with -- not by a long shot. Did I just make friends with Eva? It was kind of amazing how suddenly it had occurred, too: something he hadn't thought possible, and so recently, because he thought she'd always turn her nose up at him... He also decided not to focus on Eva's Common at the moment. She was usually so fluent in it that it was surprising to hear her struggle with a word. He'd help her with it later, if the opportunity came up.

"Sure, you can pet her. She's calm right now, and she knows I'm letting you. Riz trusts me when it comes to letting people near her. She might start a bit, but don't let that scare you," Bert replied to Eva's question about petting Rizen. He watched carefully to make sure Eva wasn't going to accidentally agitate Rizen, and to help compensate for the pegasus' wariness of she who smelled of wyvern. The brushing certainly was helping to soothe Rizen, so she was only a little wary of the woman. She began to relax some more as nothing bad happened, though.

"Thanks for the compliments, too -- toward Riz and me. I didn't think you liked pegasi. But yeah, I take care of her. She relies on me for a couple things, you know? It's not like she can brush herself, and she's too vain to go without it," the Pegasus rider gave Rizen a familiar grin with the bit of teasing, but Rizen was ignoring him at the moment. "She was my first friend, so I guess looking after her just comes naturally. For a long time, she was my only ally, too, when I lived in the wilderness in northern Ursium. Rizen means a lot to me, so I don't mind that she can be a bit demanding, let alone all the practical stuff."

There was another topic he felt he needed to breech, too, so he added a little bit to a topic Eva had previously brought up. "And as for the yelling... I think I yell at people more than you do, so it's not like you yelling at me's going to make me hate you forever or something. Actually, I kept thinking about what a great team we could be if we could get along. I really hope this lasts, and we don't start fighting again like we used to. That wouldn't be good for anyone, especially not us...unless you liked that or something. Can't speak for you, but based on what you're saying now, I don't think you enjoyed any of that either."

[Nanami Touko]

"I only like fighting-- real fighting --when it's against someone that deserves it. Yelling at you just stressed me out. Probably stressed you out more, so, yeah. Not a good thing. We've got enough people we have to fight anyway, it wouldn't help to keep barking at each other. You think the fallen will give us the time to?" She chuckled a bit, grave as the situation was, and gently put her hand out for Rizen's face, giving her a gentle pet. "She's a lot softer than I was expecting. So used to Sasha... I feel you when it comes to taking care of them. That idiot lizard would curl up and die if I didn't wait on him. But, he's never been in the wild, and hasn't been professionally trained, so it only makes sense he'd rely on me so much." Eva smiled at Rizen once more and pulled her hand away, rather impressed by the creature.

"Nah, I don't hate them. They're interesting. World gave wyverns and pegasi wings, but they're so vastly different, it makes you wonder how they got like that. I wonder if they were a lot closer looking, long ago. Who's to say?" She shrugged at that, turning towards Bert and holding her hand out to shake. "Friends, then." She gave him a smirk, wondering why she'd disliked him so much in the first place.

[Mercakete]

That was an interesting thought. Wyverns and pegasi, once looking like each other? It seemed more likely to him that wyverns and dragons would have been more similar, and pegasi and horses being more alike. But Mercy created pegasi, while Nature created the others, so he supposed that they were never actually related to one another anyway. It was also interesting to hear a little bit about Sasha. It sounded like he'd been raised more as a pet than a mount, but given how Eva talked about him, it did make sense.

Bert's calm smile took on a more action-ready look when Eva offered the handshake, and he paused in his task and passed the brush to his other hand in order to accept it, giving her nod. "Yeah. Friends."