Solitary Fishing ((Open))

[Deleted]

Aria walked along the stone beach; her bare feet finding the larger rocks with ease. Her nose scrunching up as her toes scrunched through the mass of sea weed that clung to the rocks. Her blue green eyes curiously looking into the small tidepools that formed on the beach. She was heading for a larger rock pier that would be a perfect base for fishing. The cool sea air feeling nice in comparison to the hot summer day. Yes she could go fishing at her home turf, but she didn’t have the same stock of fish available to her in the warmer tropical waters. So here she was with a wicker basket on her arm, a fishing pole over her shoulders, and bait in her basket. Her bait being some fish chunks that was left un eaten from the castle. No point in letting that fishy goodness go to waste.



She wasn’t in her normal attire; as it was very unpractical to be going bouncing from rock to rock in all the finery that was expected of a noble woman. Seriously how was a girl to fish when she was tripping over skirts and such, and forget about what would happen if god forbid she slipped and fell in deep water? Those long skirts would make for a difficult time swimming. Her hair was mostly left to wildly blow in the breeze; all but a portion of it that was braided back. Her clothes consisted of her bathing suit that was becoming more and more of a fashion choice for beach goers. Usually the new beach fashion consisted of a pair of form fitting pants, a breast band, and a wrap around. Aria preferred to go for a looser pant option; the pants being a dark blue green that hugged her hips tightly and billowed out before once again growing tight at her calves. The breast band was goldenrod yellow in color, and her wrap around was the same green as her pants.



Aria made her way, way past the hustle and bustle, and further along the coast. Once she found a good spot she undid her wrap around and placed it on the ground to use as a seat as she sat on a rock a few feet above sea level. The water’s here were calm enough she didn’t have to worry about waves, and she could dip her feet into the cool water as she waited for the fish to take the bait. She cast her line and listened to the satisfying plunk as it sunk into the water.

[Deleted]

After the sun goes down (open)

Alren Snowchaser

The ocean was something which Alren had become convinced he would never get used to. It was so vast, so endless, so powerful. The mountains he had called home were massive and impenetrable. Yet for all that, they had always offered him a feeling of comfort. They were like a wall around him. You could see and understand snow. The ocean was simply limitless and unpredictable. One moment, it would be perfectly calm, almost flat and then the next, he had discovered at his own cost, a wave would come out of nowhere. Some claimed it was relaxing and so, that was why he found himself out here on the rocks looking out over the water.

At the moment, he found himself rather unconvinced. Everytime a wave hit the rocks, he found himself fighting the urge to escape from it. Unlike many of the Hyundren tribes where he came from, Alren had never been in contact with water that much. It had been one of the first things that the locals had let him know he had to change about himself if he wanted to avoid people remaining withing a certain smell-free vacinity. The ocean smelt strange to him, the salt didn't feel quite right. He backed off slowly. His feet were used to standing on the rocks barely even registering that the ground was uneven. The only thing he was cautious about was the water. He had no idea how deep it was. His eyes weren't used to it yet. In truth, he found the great expanse to be a little daunting, very in fact. He felt small odd considering he had grown up in the company of mountains. 

Letting out a sigh, the man backed off very slowly. He headed across the rocks slowly, taking care to stay away for the water least he slip and end up in the ocean. He was almost broke and would have to find work soon if he didn't want to return back home having failed his life out here in the big old world. 

It was as he walked along that he caught sight of the stranger on the rocks. She frowned wondering just what was going on. Curiosity made him stare. Just what was that stick thing she was holding and why was she so close to the water? Intrigued, he glanced back over to the city and decided it could risk. Walking slowly, he made his way over to the stranger being very careful as he did so. Finally, he stopped a few feet away. "Excuse me miss... Uh... What are you doing?" He asked hoping not to sound either naïve or like an idiot. 

Tag: Open
Word Count: 446

Made by Zirnitra of Template HQ

[Deleted]

Upon hearing an unfamiliar voice call out to her Aria leaned back, tilting her head far backwards to look. Her deep red locks which glinted in the sun pooled behind her and upon the rocks; more so as she leaned far enough back to look at the stranger. Though seeing him from her upside down perspective was amusing non the less. As she leaned back he could probably see that her stomach was well toned and was decorated with tattoos of throwing daggers; the series of tattoos wrapped around her mid-section like a belt. She also had another black dagger imprinted upon her right forearm. The dark ink standing out against her pale complexion. As always the scar that blazed across the right side of her face was also ever present. The scar was large, taking up most of the right portion of her face; it blazed up like a flame starting from her chin and ending just barely on the left side of her forehead. She knew it made some people feel uncomfortable, and she had the full ability to hide it. She just never felt like doing so.

She analyzed the stranger; he was tall, black hair blue eyes, almost a foot and a half taller than she was by her estimate. So taller than her Garrett. She blinked as he asked her a question…did he really not know what fishing was? Surely even in the most remote locations it was a basic tool for survival…well she suppose spears were common as well. Or bow fishing….well she supposed there were several ways to catch the tasty aquatic beasts. But she was pretty sure a pole with a sharp hook on it was somewhat common. A large smile spread across her face as she tilted her head slightly.

”You don’t know? See this here?” Aria sat straight up and turned her body so she could look at the man straight on. When she asked him to look at something she held up the deep blue green cloth of her wrap which she was sitting upon. ”This pretty green? Its basically the same color as the water see, well us Novanians simple dip the thread we wish to use into the harbor here and the water has special algae in it that dyes the thread this wondrous color. Only problem is it takes a few hours so I’m sitting here waiting for this white thread to turn the color of the sea. Aria sounded convincing enough; her tone explaining it like it was something of fact. There was a chance that the silly question really was just a poor attempt to start a conversation; if it was then her very odd response would certainly be an ice breaker.

[Deleted]

After the sun goes down (open)

Alren Snowchaser

The stranger's appearance surprised Alren a little. He wasn't going to deny that scar was hard to ignore. It didn't bother him all that much. Many people he knew and had grown up with bore scars or at some times disfigurements of one kind or another. He hoped that he wasn't being rude and forced himself not to stare. That must have hurt at the time. It was a strange way that she chose to look at him. As such, the Hyundren responded in turn. He bent over, so that he was looking at her upside down and thus could see her the right way up. He let out a soft laugh amused by her actions. 

Alren had no real reason to doubt the stranger's explanations. He had heard of fishing but never using rods. Any image he had of catching fish was with either a bow or in shallow water with a spear. He'd never seen any one using an actual fishing rod before so didn't know that there was a hook at the other end. He approached the edge of the water very slowly. "Really?" He asked contemplating it. The ocean always seemed to be changing colors to him. He knew that it was because of the weather and sometimes due to what was in the water. He found it hard to understand the way that it worked but trusted the stranger. "What do you do with it afterwards? Must be worth a lot of you spend so much time waiting for it to change colors." 

Alren's people had never really grasped the art of tainting items of clothing or creating paint. The best they managed was a form of ink which they used to give themselves the impressive and distinctive tattoos which marked their skin. He pondered the ocean for a while longer before turning to look at the stranger once more: "If I were to bathe in there long enough. Would I turn green?" It was a genuine question. The young man blinked a few times as he fixed her: "I'm Alren by the way." 

Tag: Open
Word Count: 349

Made by Zirnitra of Template HQ

[Sakai Nagamasa]

Hawkeye breathed in deeply as he stood near the edge of the beach, allowing the tide to was water over his bare feet as he took in the smell of salt water on the breeze. The smell was soothing to him, reminding him of his home, and the time he'd often spend on the beaches there. For once, he was not dressed in his armor, instead wearing his white shihakusho, or loose robes with voluminous sleeves and wide trousers that went down to his ankles. His hair hung loose around his shoulders, well groomed and straight, even silky smooth. The robe was somewhat open, and if one looked carefully, he sported several scars on his chest and arms. He was not shy, and did not hide these battle scars; if anything, he was eager to tell stories about how he got each one.

He breathed again as he drew his sword with a flash, dropping the scabbard in the sand as he held naked steel in both hands. The massive, even ridiculous blade was six feet from tip to handle, taller then the 5' 4'' man wielding it. Despite this, he seemed to have no difficulty in swinging the blade at blurring speeds, chopping down in angular motions, swinging from side to side...and even managing some upswings despite the size. As he was practicing his form, he heard some faint talking from somewhere nearby. Stopping, the samurai looked a little puzzled, not sure who would be out here in a place like this. Sheathing his murder demon blade, he made his way over....and caught the conversation partway.

The one eyed man stared in bewilderment at the man who, apparently, had no idea what the flying hell fishing was. This was inconceivable to him; in his country, fish and rice were like the air he breathed, vital to his everyday life. This man seemed like he was dead serious, but he could tell Aria was not. He recognized the woman, and seemed to recall her habit of messing with people. Sakai grinned as he leaned against his sword, planting the point of the sheath in the sand so he could use it was a support.

"What strange waters you have in Nova that dye cloth green. Ours has the color red."

The samurai would take the time to wink at Aria when he thought that Alren wasn't looking, letting her know he was in on the joke.

"Well met, m'lady. It has been a while. And greetings to you stranger. I am Sakai Nagamasa. But you can call me Hawkeye if you wish. Many do."

He pointed to his one eye with that comment, the other one permanently shut with a scar over it. Hawkeye then proceeded to continue in his native tongue.

"<What a stupid man who does not know what a fishing pole is.>"

[Deleted]

Well the man had a sense of humor; her grin only grew as he tilted himself over to match her perspective. At least she wasn’t talking to a stiff in the mud; and by her guess he was fairly new if he hadn’t recognized her. Which was fine by her, less chance of it getting back to the castle she was out here dressed in just her bathing suit. Also less chance of an angry Noku glare later because of it. Though in her defense at least she was wearing clothes this round. She made sure her fishing pole was wedged in the rocks as she gave the man her attention. It really was hard to believe that someone would actually believe her about the water turning the string green. Aria ended up having to hold quite a bit of laughter in as the man fallowed up with questions on how the process worked and what happened afterwards. ”Well once the string is dyed green, the string is then brought to the weavers. Though it’s mostly used as embroidery thread; and with how long the process takes no wonder nobles tend to wear green. Most commoners simply don’t have the time for this. Though a smart commoner may combine a hook at the end of their string and obtain lunch while waiting.”

Roundabout way of saying it was a fishing pole; but it was her small bit of mercy upon a gullible person. A chuckle finally did escape her lips when he asked her if he’d turn green if he stayed in the water long enough. ”A humans skin is not absorbent like a piece of string is; it doesn’t absorb the algae as easy as the string does. So I don’t think you’d be able to stay in long enough for the process to actually take an affect. Least without freezing to death. Then you turn a whole different color” Aria smiled; being completely serious on that last part.

”Nice to meet you Alren, I’m..” She trailed off as she heard footsteps approach; it did not take her to recognize the man as the caretaker? No wait the word was body guard; of the Baroness Yuki. Word had already been spreading about his part in the riot; to Aria he sounded like a loose cannon. Kinda like how Roxy was in battle…..but the courts had deemed it self-defense due to the circumstances. So at least he was not a wanted man, and Yuki did not have to pay the fines that would be associated for allowing someone under her to commit such deeds. Though in that situation, everyone knew anything went. At least until the guards broke up the fun. Her grin was back on her face however when he quickly joined in on her little ruse. ”Oh I know; such lovely red waters. How do you think I got my hair so red” Truthfully she hadn’t been to his land, where ever it was. She nodded a greeting to the man ”Greetings Mr. Nagamasa; a pleasure to see you alive and well all things considering. Where have you been lately? The baroness showed up at my home a few weeks ago, along with twelve men, yet you were not among them.” Aria had been wondering where Yuki’s main guard had been. ”Traveling to a distant island with unknown inhabitants would have been something I thought you would have been all onboard for….Though I’m sure if she had you, she wouldn’t have brought so many people over….” That day was really inconvenient; 12 people on no notice was a lot to entertain. She had a whole new section of housing built on her island because of it.

She blinked when Nagamasa spoke in an odd tongue ”May I ask what language that is?” Her curiosity was peaked; she had no clue what he was saying….but she wanted to know. It sounded interesting whatever it was. Aria turned her attention back to Alren; realizing she didn’t get to introduce herself. ”I forgot to finish what I was saying; my names Aria Wurud, Duchess of Palico, and Champion of Saden. Once more it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

[Deleted]

After the sun goes down (open)

Alren Snowchaser

Alren contemplated the waters with wonder. Very carefully, made his way across the rocks and closer to the ocean. He peered down able to just about make out his own reflection. He stretched out his fingers, running them through the water. Despite the stranger's assurances, he found himself rather relieved when his skin didn't turn green. That would have been rather difficult to explain although perhaps he could have passed it off as just another tattoo. "It must take a mighty long time..." Alren agreed casting his glance over the waters. The comment about the lunch escaped him however. Did fish actively bite at hooks? Perhaps if you put some food on the end... Maybe he should try it some time but what if he caught something? He would have to figure out how to kill and gut a fish. Oh well, he lived for learning.

The arrival of yet another stranger drew his attention. Apparently, this was a day for people with impressive facial scars. Yeesh, was there some kind of gruesome club or something around here? What Alren did notice was the massive sword he had with him. As a Hyundren, that automatically made him a little suspicious. Where he came from, lone individuals (especially males) carrying sharp items coming wondering up to you was rarely a good sign and usually a pretty strong indicator that you had better find something offensive of your own. Fortunately, it would seem to newcomer had no intention of fighting. As such, Alren only saw it fit to give him a warm greeting: "Hi. Nice to meet you."

Red waters? The notion sounded rather more concerning than beautiful to Alren. "Red? Like blood? Can you drink the stuff?" He asked both the stranger and the young woman whose name he still didn't have after she'd been interrupted. These two seemed to know each other, the young Hyundren wasn't about to question it any more than that. Give it a little while and he might very well have some friends or at least a few more acquaintances of his own. Given how recently he had arrived, the fact that he didn't know anybody didn't come as much of a surprise.

The stranger's comment in another language flew over the Hyundren's head who simply stood there puzzled for a moment and blinking before shrugging it off. Alren turned to face the young woman when she introduced herself. It wasn't so much the name as the titles, if that's what they were which intrigued him. "You're a Duchess? And a Champion?" He was a little hazy about just what a duchess was but was pretty sure it was something important, a little bit like nobility. Again, that was a notion which was alien to the young man.  

Tag: Open
Word Count: 462

Made by Zirnitra of Template HQ

[Sakai Nagamasa]

Hawkeye stared blankly at the young man in disbelief. It was a funny joke...but the fact that this man did not see at as humor was simply stunning to him. He sighed and shook his head, shrugging his shoulders. He certainly didn't seem like a bad lad to the samurai. Perhaps he would teach him how to fish. He would address that later, however, as Aria had asked him about his involvement in the riot. Sakai frowned at that; he wasn't all too proud of the incident, even if he admittedly had quite a bit of fun letting loose since he had arrived in Nova. He sighed. No avoiding it he supposed...though his smile did reappear when he heard that Yuki had twelve guards at one point, a smile that was a mixture of derision and humor.

"Only twelve guards to replace me? I should feel insulted. I'm worth at least twenty. But to answer your question Duchess...I felt it prudent to lay low after the many deaths in the riot. I returned home to see family. And due to my long absence, I am no longer Yuki's bodyguard...though she was gracious enough to hire me on as a combat instructor. No lessons yet, but I think she'll find I'm not one for pampering her and empty praise just because of her station. I'm a very hands on teacher."

He blinked his one eye when she asked about his language. If memory served him correctly, she was the very first person to ask about it since he arrived here.

"It's the language of my home land. Very different from what you Novian's speak. If you want to learn, I have no qualms teaching you; it would be nice to have someone else to talk to in my mother tongue in this distant land far from home."

With that addressed, he turned to Alren.

"Most of the water we drink comes from the rivers and lakes. My country has much salt water, much like this water here. Green, red, or purple with yellow dots, I wouldn't recommend trying to drink any ocean water regardless."

[Deleted]

She watched with amusement as the man named Alren dipped his hand in the water. As he did so Aria turned her attention back to Sakai, chuckling when he mentioned the guards. ”Did I say guards? If I did I misspoke, only two of them were needed to replace you. The rest were a sail crew” She teased him slightly. ”The deaths were unfortunate; but the people in the third district know the dangers of a riot just as much as the rest, the people who started it are as much to blame. I was ill during the riot and delirious with a fever….so much so when I escaped the infirmary Yuki was able to stop me from helping by simply sitting on me…..” She sighed, the infirmary staff was extra diligent with her after the old woman had ran to go get help to contain her. She totally could have helped ….would have scared the shit out of an already troubled city, but totally would have stopped the riot. She scratched the back of her head with a smile, glad to hear that thing seemed to work out for Sakai.

”It’s fortunate that you took the time to visit family; and Yuki was able to give you a job as well. I’m sure she’ll be appreciative of your strict instructions. My teachers growing up were very much the same way; a soft teacher does not do the student any good.” The gods were not nice teachers…. Her expression brightened at the prospect of learning something new, how long had it been since she studied another language. ”Yes please! I would love to learn. Let me know a time and a place and I’ll be there.”

Aria nodded, fully agreeing on not drinking the sea water ”…..It gives you a tummy ache …..really don’t try it....goes horrible in teas” She was speaking from experience. She shook her head and turned back to Alren as he asked about her titles. ”The champion title came first, but yes. I talked my way into being Sadens champion last year; the last rounds were canceled due to the falling of the goddess of passion so I never got to actually show my skills off as a fighter. The other champions though put on some good fights.” Actually come to think of it. ”Alren I get the feeling our not from around here.”

[Deleted]

After the sun goes down (open)

Alren Snowchaser

He felt a little awkward standing there. It probably showed as he rubbed the back of his neck. He didn't know where these two knew each other from or how close they were but for a few moments, he felt a little like a third wheel. It would have been better for him to back off, build them farewell and leave them be so that they could talk in peace and in private without his standing there like an idiot. As much as he liked to socialize, he didn't enjoy the feeling that he might have been getting in the way of others and was quite conscious of it. He remained standing there for a moment, equally not wanting to risk appearing strange or rude for leaving so quickly. He stood there, listening to their conversation and not quite understanding. Obviously, it related to something he didn't know about or particularly understand.

They spoke to him once more. The stranger mentioned the waters of his country. This was when Alren started to think that something might have been up. Whilst he could imagine water being green or red, the prospect of it being "purple with yellow dots" seemed a little far fetched to him and whilst he wasn't one to generally pass judgement on lands he'd never seen and would usually believe even if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he found it almost impossible to picture such waters. He glanced at the stranger, a little perplexed, trying to figure him out but failing. He did know that he was telling the truth about the salty waters... "Yeah... I uh, figured that one out for myself." He muttered thinking back to when he had tried to fill his gourde with sea water and had promptly regretted it. 

It took Alren a couple of moments to remember just who Saden was. He had heard the name before and could remember his parents even praying once or twice to her. Sadly, he himself hadn't paid much attention to it. Finally, it clicked just what they were the god of. A little embarrassed, he hoped that if the deity was aware of his loss of memory then they would forgive him. "Well, I'm sure you're a mighty warrior." He told her with a broad smile. 

Usually, it took people about five minutes to figure out that Alren was a stranger to the lands. The duchess seemed to have worked it out in less than half that. The young Hyundren laughed a little nervously, rubbing the back of his neck with embarrassment. "I'm that obvious, huh?" No doubt he was, even he was aware of his own cluelessness from time to time. It was something he was working to improve on a day to day basis but was taking some time and causing him to lose face a fair amount. Fortunately, he didn't have quite the same sense of pride as some of his kind did. That allowed him to avoid being completely mortified. "Yeah... I came down from Heaven's Pass not that long ago. Still trying to figure out the lay of the land if you know what I mean."

Not everyone had heard of the Hyundren. Hardly surprising, they were quite a reclusive bunch and didn't get many tourists as such he didn't bother pointing out just where he was from, curious to see if either of these strangers would be able to guess.

Tag: Open
Word Count: 552

Made by Zirnitra of Template HQ

[Sakai Nagamasa]

Hawkeye smiled brightly at Alren when he mentioned he was a foreigner. They had that one thing in common at least; they were both in a land they did not understand fully. He could probably get over Alren's naivety and ignorance based on that. The samurai decided to approach closer, finding a segment of rocks not covered with sand as he sat down carefully, both feet firmly planted in the sand, his sandals and toed socks barely visible under the trousers he was wearing. His sword was leaned against his shoulder by the handle, the other end of the sheath planted in the ground. The sword seemed to vibrate and pulsate as he did, the feeling of murderous intent palpable. He pretended not to notice, shrugging off the feeling that, by now, he had felt so many times before, the sword demanding that he draw it so that it could feast on the blood of these two.

"From over the mountains then, eh? I've not been to Heaven's Pass. Are all people from your tribe this large then? You must make fantastic warriors, assuming the large blade on your back isn't for show. It would be....interesting fighting someone your size."

At the mention of violence, the sword's aura seemed to swell and Hawkeye's grin changed ever so slightly, curling upward, a gleam in his solitary eye, getting an excited look. His hand twitched, his thumb playing with the hand guard as it seemed to shake, slowly getting steady again. It was clear that he was serious, and no small part of him would have looked forward to a duel, one with bloodshed. The moment lasted briefly as he shook his head, going back to what Aria had requested moments ago.

"Ah, you wish to learn? I am willing to teach. I can be found at the castle, or the third district tavern when not working. I have heard that the language is somewhat difficult for non native speakers to learn."

[Deleted]

”Yes; and my guess is from an isolated area, or from somewhere that is far enough that the culture is drastically different then it is here” It was obvious do to the lack of reaction he had towards titles. Any native would have had more of a reaction to her title as duchess. Though she certainly wasn’t offended by the lack of reaction; it just simply served to give her a bit more information about the stranger. His answer however wasn’t something she was expecting; he lived in heavens pass? That mountain range was vast, and hard to transverse. Usually requiring the assistance of wildlife specifically suited to transvers some of the steeper cliffs side meant there was a large possibility of a large settlement that was isolated from the norm. But even then, certainly they should have shared some knowledge about the two kingdoms land they happened to be on. Since it seemed like they were able to leave the location…certainly that had to mean they have had visitors from the outside as well? ”Heavens pass?” Aria stood up from the set of rocks she happened to be sitting on and went over to where Sakai was standing. She bent down and traced out a rough sketch apart of heavens pass. Since she had flown over it multiple times she had a good memory of the aerial layout. ”Could you show me roughly where the location of your village is?”

She really wanted to know for curiosity’s sake; plus it was good to know where there was human life in such a large expanse of harsh land. ”The villages located in Heavens Pass are not well documented yet; I’m afraid my knowledge of the people of the mountains is limited. I would love to learn more if you’re willing to share” Aria looked over at Sakai with a deadpan expression as the bloodlust clearly showed on his face…now she admitted every now and then she go stab happy, but that was only when there was a life threatening situation, or the bitch had it coming. EITHER WAY, seemed odd to go into blood lust mode now. Her eyes slid down to the sword that he was holding….was it like Diamonds? ”This may or may not come across as odd…but does that sword tell you to stab stuff to?”

When he asked if she wanted to learn she nodded ”It’s been a while since I learned a new language, I look forward to the challenge. I can meet you at Calix’s if you wish, I’m familiar with the bar keep there. That or I can meet you in the castle; I’m sure you and Yuki can come visit me on my home island if you two decide to travel there….frankly I’d prefer just two of then the crew that came with her the last time. I would offer use of our private training ground….but if you kill Yuki I’d rather it not be on my land. Responsibility of land owner and all that stuff…..Besides that what would you like for compensation for your service?” She didn’t expect to receive lessons from the goodness of his heart. ”As for my learning curve, I do think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”

[Deleted]

Solitary fishing (open)

Alren Snowchaser

The Hyundren shifted slightly, this all still felt odd to him be it the salt in the air or these people who were so different from his own kind whom he was used to mingling with. Up in the mountains, they were all rather similar, although not blood relatives a certain build and stature had always been prominent about his people. To suddenly find himself in the company of so many who differed from that was something that he sometimes found himself struggling with. It was all about realizing that everyone had their differences and learning to live with it, still, the people here seemed so short too him... Like they hadn't quite finished growing yet. Bizarrely enough, it often lead him to believe that others were younger than they actually were. Fortunately, he had enough sense to generally keep his mouth shut about such matters.
 

He watched with interest as the duchess drew a familiar set of mountains. Well... Familiar was perhaps not the right word. He'd never seen them like this, although knew what she must have been referring to. Instantly, he saw the mistake that she had made. Evidently, they had never encountered another member of his kind, either that or they had never thought to discuss the matter with them. He found himself reasoning that there had to be some other Hyundren around here somewhere. After all, he wasn't the first to make this trip. "I would be more than happy to tell you." He informed her with a warm and obliging smile. "But you see... We Hyundren are a nomadic people. We carry tents with us and set up camp for sometimes a few weeks on a mountain side before moving on. As far as I'm aware, there aren't any settlements up there. At least none that I know of." 

Aria seemed alright. Nice even. The other stranger Alren was still in two minds about. There was something about him which made the young Hyundren feel a little unsettled. It was probably nothing, just nerves, after all he'd hardly been hostile. Although his next comment caused the blue eyed man to wonder... He found his eyes focusing on the stranger's blade for a moment, it was peculiar as far as he was concerned. Still, unless it was blunt and purely for show, it would no doubt be more than capable of killing a man. As such, he measured his response as much as possible, starting off friendly: "Yeah... Big and dumb that's us." He rubbed the back of his neck a little awkwardly. He continued on with a little bit of humor but tried to maintain eye contact so that the stranger could understand he wasn't joking about his following statement "Don't worry though. We're more than capable of bringing a fight."  

He remained silent as he witnessed the exchange between Aria and Sakai. Choosing to let them talk. Linguistics had never really been his strong point in any case and he would settle for yelling loudly but slowly at anyone who couldn't understand him. After a moment, he turned his gaze back to the mountains, curious at how she had chosen to represent them. "How do you know what Heaven's Pass looks like from the sky?" He questioned the stranger. "Have you been there?". 

Tag: Open
Word Count: 552

Made by Zirnitra of Template HQ

[Sakai Nagamasa]

Hawkeye managed to settle himself down as the two others talked, breathing deeply like he had been taught by his mentors, centering his mind. He was VERY concerned about the near outburst however, and frowned as he thought a bit to himself. These urges of violence had increased in number since the day of the riot. He had always been prepared for what the sword had done to him in the last few years, but it seemed like the demon inside the blade was intent on not letting him rest easy. He frowned, thinking of a solution. Killing some bandits might help ease the murder cravings, but it would only last for so long; the riot had been like a banquet to the blade, and it was no doubt not sated. He shook his head to himself. He would think of a solution another time, when he was alone.

"Apologies, Alren-san. I got a little caught up in the moment. I get lost in a very dark place of tho-"

He stopped suddenly when Aria mentioned the sword, whipping his head in her direction. His expression was of awestruck fear, his good eye wide open, his brow twitching as he sweated. The hand around his sword sheath clenched, and the other hand flew toward the handle out of instinct, which he stopped halfway. Fear was not an emotion he was used to feeling, yet he could not deny that feeling that gripped at his heart like an icy hand...all because of what Aria had said. All without being TOLD what his sword does....followed by another startling realization.

"....What did you say? How can you POSSIBLY know about that?! And what do you mean 'to'?! You mean to say there's ANOTHER demon blade?!"

[Deleted]

Aria had an ‘Ahh’ look as he explained his people were nomadic. ”There is a village or two but they are few and far in-between. But it is interesting to hear that nomadic tribes are also up there. What is your prime mode of travel?” She was curious if they used those giant raccoons. When he asked how she knew what heavens pass looked like from the sky and if she had been there she nodded. ”I’m the head dragon trainer for the Palico drake army. I see heavens pass from the air a lot. I’m sure you’ve seen a few of the flights I trained fly above you. Parts of the mountains are too high for the drakes to fly over, but imagination fills in the rest.” That and she could turn into a dragon herself and just fly over it, but that was another explanation for a later time.

Aria became alert however when Sakai had an unexpected reaction to her question. She tensed up, her hand ready to summon the dagger that was tattooed on her forearm. She recognized when she needed to defend herself. Her eyes sliding over to the hand that was on his blade ”Rethink those actions before you put that hand on that hilt Mr Nagamasa, raising a sword to a noble in itself is a punishable offense.” That and Noku would freaking freak….so would Garrett…and Lucinda………it just wouldn’t end well. Her head tilting when he asked how she knew about the sword…so it was another like diamonds. ”Champion of Mylee has a sword like that, I stole it from him once and he freaked out thinking I’d go and murder everyone. However I use to possess a sword that wasn’t possessed by a demonic spirit but a spirit none the less. Kind of use to talking swords so when I had gotten ahold of his and it went all blood lusty I ended up just yelling at it for its behavior. I’m sure the fact I’m part of an angelic race didn’t hurt my case against a demonic blade either… As for how I knew about yours, I guessed. Your behavior mimics others I have seen with similar swords.”

Now the question was……was this important to hide? ”I’m curious about your reaction to my question thought. Is a demonic blade really something that one needs to hide?” She suppose it would make a person more unstable. But she met plenty of loons that needed no swords to go off the deep end.