The voice fell silent as the illuminated smile softened, before eventually it spoke again. “Point number one: I can hear you. Every memory you have, every voice you’ve heard, every person you’ve met; I hear them.”
The soft sound of shuffling could be heard as the owner of the voice moved closer towards Irie, the clinking of chains following soon after. The candle flame flickered for a brief moment before the face of the voice became clear to Irie. Those yellow eyes darted all over him. “Irie Crowley, a Phantom… Your father is a powerful man, that’s good to know. I say that as if it’s even possible for me to enter the Judgement Plains.”
The man nodded slowly as he listened to the other speak. He smiled softly before he sighed. He then tried to think of something to ask this individual who he had no name to call by. “I assume you know Corvus, the one who sent me here,” he tilted his head slightly. “What are you to him, if I can ask?”
“I don’t believe that’s any of your concern.” The voice tutted before sighing. “But I suppose I’ll humour you. Corvus and I have been acquainted for many years, but I wouldn’t necessarily call the two of us friends. He’s misogynistic and rude, violent, and gives me rape-y vibes. I tolerate him to keep the peace.”
The candle flickered again as it was starting to burn down, and eventually the individual resorted to blowing it out. The room was plunged into complete darkness and the sound of footsteps and chains rattled around the space. Everything fell silent for a moment, before a match was struck and a lantern flickered into life overhead. Now, the entire room was clear.
To the left was a small kitchen area with a little table, and to the right sat a simple straw bed. In the centre of it all stood a beautiful woman with dark tanned skin and long white hair that was streaked with wildfire red. She wore simple pale robes that hugged her figure, her shoulders and the top of her chest laying bare while her feet were completely covered. From underneath the robes, chains could be seen leading out, and the same chains appeared to coil around the entire room.
Irie had turned around to look around the room, his eyes widening slightly when he saw just how many chains there were. He blinked a bit before he turned to the figure with a small grin. “I see you have quite the place. I have to say, the decoration is really… something,” he sighed softly before he grinned at the individual. “What are you doing down here all alone, if I could ask?”
“It’s somewhat quiet down here,” she responded with the gentle shake of her head. “I only hear my own thoughts when I’m alone.”
Carefully stepping over the chains, the woman sashayed over to the kitchen area and poured herself and Irie a glass of water. The robes moved apart just enough for her shoeless ankle to be exposed, the shackle around it clinking against the ground.
She sat herself back down and held one of the glasses towards him, clearing her throat. “Sagittarius has requested your help in finding Aphus, and you are not sure where to start.”
The man nodded to both her words and in thanks to the glass of water that he didn’t sip out of immediately. He sighed softly and massaged his temples. “I was told to find her, not to kill her and to try and bring her to Sagittarius’ side… whichever side that may be. That’s a request I’ve never had in my whole life as a mercenary,” he shook his head slightly. “Do you have any advice I might find useful?” He had taken a mental note of the woman’s clothes and where her chains were, having the feeling that she was being kept down here rather than her actually wanting to be down here.
“I’m glad to have been at least one of those people.” Lacerta grinned, his ponytail bouncing as he half-skipped beside Ruby. “As for the work situation, I understand,” he lowered his voice to a whisper and leaned closer to her ear. “Since Cephus became dictator, life in Esnah has never been the same. But it is not wise to talk about such things here in the open.”
As they arrived at the tavern—The Bull’s Eye—Lacerta held the door open and gestured for Ruby to enter first. “Milady.”
(Ack– thank you)
"No, it's not," Ruby agreed, nodding some as Lacerta whispered in her ear, sighing. It seemed to be something she did often, then.
"Thank you, my kind sir," Ruby said, stepping through the door and partially to the side to wait for Lacerta to come through.
“Aphus hasn’t been seen for many years, and it all started when Cephus took control of Esnah.” The woman took a sip of her water and set it down beside her before leaning back against the wall. “Once upon a time, Esnah was ruled by eight individuals; Aquarius, Taurus, Aries, Leo, Libra, Scorpio and Gemini. Each monarch had their kingdoms, and each kingdom lived in harmony with one another. Cephus came from nowhere, invading the kingdoms who were effectively defenceless. So many died. Animalia was torn up and had cities built upon the land, Ocean was split in two and those who tried to escape the half that Cephus had claimed were slaughtered. The tyrant made a spectacle of banishing or executing anyone who opposed him, and there was nothing we could do about it.” She stopped for moment, clamping her eyes shut as if a terrible headache were stabbing her mind, but then she continued talking. “We went into hiding, knowing that nothing good would come of challenging Cephus when so many innocent lives had been lost already. If he finds us, we are captured.”
—————————
After entering, Lacerta closed the door and turned to Ruby with a grin. “Welcome to the Bull’s eye!”
Thick beams and pillars supported the elevated ceiling of the rustic tavern, with polished wood tables and benches filling the space, and empty oil lanterns dangling from the ceiling as they waited for night to fall. At this time of day, only a handful of customers were seen having a bite to eat and a few drinks, all of them at various ends of the room, while a singular woman sat at the bar. Her strawberry blonde hair was braided up from her neck into a bun on the crown of her head, and the simple jade dress she wore covered from her arms to her ankles. She didn’t turn when the two had entered, but she smiled softly as of knowing exactly who was there.
Lacerta gestured for Ruby to follow him to the bar, standing a little ways way from the seated woman. “What would you like to drink? This place does a mean Cherry Surprise, if you’re interested.”
Ruby nodded some as Lacerta spoke, looking around the tavern. She didn't take much note of the other people present, and what little she did was just making note of where people were. He followed Lacerta to the bar, nodding.
"I think that sounds good to me," she said. "I'm always interested in trying the recommended drinks of a place."
The man nodded to her story before he sighed softly. “Something tells me I won’t necessarily like this Cephus dude. By that I mean I’d probably really hate him,” he said with a gentle shake of his head as he finally took a sip of the water he was given. “Tell me, more about Aphus… who she is and all that,”
With a firm nod, Lacerta craned his head around, calling for an individual by the name of Tori.
From a door at the back came a tall, voluptuous woman with mouse brown hair that just about touched her shoulders. She wore a tight blue jacket that was cropped around the stomach, each movement causing the fabric to tighten around her toned biceps, with a plain white tunic and simple black cotton trousers— all of which seemed to fit a little tightly on her. The ring in her septum caused her breath to whistle slightly, and each piercing in her ear looked like they had been freshly crafted and polished. “Hey kiddo,” she smiled, glancing at Ruby. “I see you have a friend with you?”
————————————
The woman sat in silence for a moment as she took another few sips of her drink. Even as she set the glass down again, she didn’t speak. A few minutes passed with only the lantern flickering to be heard, until eventually she let out a soft sigh. “Aphus… Queen and Sorceress of medicines. She’s a charming woman who doesn’t hesitate to defend what she believes. She is on her own team. Once a woman who was beloved by all, now she is merely a memory to those who will soon be too old to remember her. She was driven into hiding after Cephus banned the use of sorcery in Esnah, but rumour has it she will visit the temples to bestow medicines upon the monks and give them the recipes to make them so the suspicion of using sorcery is avoided.”
’Temple and monks… Got it,’ he thought as he continued sipping from his glass. “What would be your opinion if I were to go to the temple and wait for her there, outside of the temple?” He asked with a slight tilt of his head.
Hot. Tall woman hot. Ruby blinked a few times, offering a smile when she was glanced at. She was here with Lacerta, she wasn't going to jump ship so soon. She'd have that drink, and a fun time with her day, too. She didn't say a word, turning with her smile to the one she'd came in with.
“I’d say that’s very creepy.” Vulpeca spoke without hesitation, giving the mercenary a disapproving stare. “You’re free to do as you wish, of course, but as a woman that’s actually very creepy and I don’t think she would be inclined to listen to you if she knew you were going out of your way to wait for her.” She sighed softly and shook her head before adding. “You also don’t know where each temple is, do you?”
————————————
“This is Ruby,” Lacerta smiled at Tori while gesturing to the woman beside him. “I met her all of ten minutes ago and already I know she’s going to be great company.”
“Your judgement in people is never usually wrong my dear,” Tori nodded as a warm smile grew on her lips. “So what can I get you both?”
Lacerta ordered a ‘Cherry Surprise’ and a ‘Party Cake’, and as Tori set to work making them, he gestured for Ruby to sit at the bar with him. “So,” he turned to her with a polite smile. “Tell me more about yourself, I’d love to know where you come from.”
Irie shook his head. “Unfortunately, I don’t. I’ve got a map from Corvus but other than that I’ve got nothing. I know of this place by its name, but no… I don’t know much more about this… Esnah place,” he said with a soft sigh, gently shaking his head. “Would you be able to tell me those who are on my side? The Constellations or people who reside on same side as I, could you list them?” He asked, now getting out his map to start planning his moves. Knowing that his target was a moving one and that she was likely not to stay in one place, he had to start moving, at least faster than her. A place he knew would be relatively good start was to begin by the shores and make his way in. Despite that, he wanted to do so. Judging from the structural drawing, there seemed to be cliffs and rocky structures by the ocean. Perhaps he could start there, though traveling will be one hell of a ride. As he waited for Vulpeca’s answer, he started tracing his route with the ink and quill he had
Ruby moved to sit with Lacerta offered the seat to him, smiling some still as he ordered.
"I didn't really learn the name of the place I grew up in when I was there, and I didn't bother learning it after I left," she said, shrugging some. "I was nomadic, though, I know that, and we traveled around the desert. Even after leaving, I haven't really stopped moving around, going wherever I can find enough woke to substance myself."
“Ah the desert!” Lacerta chimed in a dreamy tone as he looked off into the distance. “A butterfly storm in the stomach and an enchanting oasis to the eyes. I miss the desert very much, and the closest thing we have to sand here is the Western Shore, but one day I shall return.” He then turned back to Ruby with a bright smile. “You should come with me, it would be fun, no?”
—————————
Vulpeca fell silent as she watched Irie scribble on the map, listening to his train of thought while she processed his question. “The same side as you…” she mumbled to herself before her narrow eyes drifted from the map up to the man. “What side are you on exactly, and why are you on that side?”
“I uh…” Irie went silent for a bit before he gently sighed. “As a mercenary, it is my duty to side with whoever hires me. In this case it will have been lady Kiyoshi and lord Varne,” he stated as he looked back up at Vulpeca. “As far as I know, I have quite a number of soon-to-be teammates. I don’t know who they are and where I could find them,” he stated as he looked back down at the map, setting down his quill after he was satisfied with the route he was to take.
Ruby watched as the other reminisced of the desert, smiling some herself at the thought of returning.
"I do think that would be fun," Ruby agreed. She had not returned to her home for what felt like decades, and it would be… refreshing.
“I see. I personally don’t get involved in these sorts of conflicts, especially where Scorpio is involved, but if that man has convinced Sagittarius to be on his side then I suppose it’s already a won battle.” Vulpeca sighed softly and picked herself up off the floor for a good old stretch. “If you’re looking for allies then there’s Aries, Orion and Draco. I couldn’t tell you where they are exactly, I haven’t seen them in over a decade, but last time I saw them they were around the eastern city. I’d be careful travelling there, however, since Cephus’ patrols are based in all the cities. You also want to watch out for Lupus and Leo, if they smell evil intentions on their territory they will rip you to shreds.”
—————————
A soft chuckle floated from the woman sat further down the bar. “You’re so impatient, Lacerta.”
The man pouted as he set his drink down. “I miss the warm sands of Niaps.”
“I know you do, but do you know how to get there?” The woman turned to look at the two, her fern green eyes narrowing as she smiled at the defeated expression that stretched across Lacerta’s face. “Don’t worry dear, I said I’d guide you and I will.”
Her eyes drifted to Ruby before she stood up from her stool and shuffled closer. “Circi, a pleasure to meet you.”
“Understood,” Irie replied before he looked down at his map again, gently shaking his head as he folded it neatly and placed it back into his bag. “Thank you,” he simply said before he smiled to Vulpeca. “Is there anything else I should know before I start trying to find… at least one of the people you’ve just named? Anything at all that might be useful for me to know, I’m willing to listen,”
“Don’t allow others to persuade you.” The woman spoke firmly as she sat back down. “Trust only yourself and your own judgement. Everyone has their own opinions and they will try and tell you what they think you should do. Only you can decide what it is that you must do and why you must do it.”
Irie nodded before he slowly stood up. “Will you be here if I needed to ask about other things in the future?” He asked as he made his way to the door, his mind already planning out the path he was going to take to head near the shore. Despite having never been here before, he was sure he was going to at the very least not get lost.
Ruby watched the interaction between the two, somewhat interested. He didn't know his own way back? Not to mention Ruby had never heard of that desert before.
"Ruby, it's nice to meet you too." The woman looked properly to Circi, finally taking her in properly.
“I will always be here.” Vulpeca smiled softly. “Now go, and try not to get lost. The coast is quite a long way from here.”
—————————
“So I hear you’re wanting to return to the desert?” Circi asked, leaning her cheek on her fist as she tilted her head. “Is that Arahas? Biman? Or perhaps Amacata in Southern Acirema?”
Lacerta stared at the woman in wonder, his jaw agape. “Wow, I wish I was as clever as you, my lady, I didn’t even know those deserts existed.”
“That’s why I’m teaching you, my dear lizard. Soon you’ll be able to travel anywhere you like without my help.”
Lacerta seemed discomforted by that thought for some reason, but he knew that he wouldn’t be able to rely on Circi for help forever. He turned to Ruby with a small smile. “Which desert would you like to go to?”
"I've never heard of those places either," Ruby said, looking to Lacerta as he spoke. It made her suspicious, some, but she was suspicious of most things she didn't know about. She thought for just a moment.
"They all sound interesting."
“Then we shall go everywhere.” Lacerta grinned and knocked back his drink.
“I do wonder what will become of the world in millennia to come,” Circi sighed, drawing circles on the counter with her finger. “Imagine if all the countries of the world stayed the same, but the names were all changed so you read them backwards. Esnah would become Hanse, and that just sounds wrong.”
“How do you think I feel?” Tori butt in with a snort. “I’m originally from Ynamreg, and the thought of future mankind calling that place ‘Germany’ makes me feel gross. Who wants to be associated with a place that is essentially called ‘Many germs’?”
Irie nodded to Vulpeca with a bright grin before he left through the door, quickly but quietly closing it on his way out. He then went to where he had left his horse. After he had untied the horse from where it was, he immediately got on the horse and started on his long travel.
Along the way, he found himself getting a bit lost when he entered the pathway leading into the forest. He had slowed the horse down to a slow straddle, cursing quietly to himself as he looked around for anyone or anything that could help him. He eventually got down from the horse, pulling it along as he tried to maneuver around the slim pathway in hopes of finding… something, someone at all.
(I will get a response up, I swear XD)
(any way this can be rebooted?)
