[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/231109/0ba929c62ce0023295985d603785fcba.png[/img][/center][right][sub][@Raijinslayer][@Hero][/sub][/right][hr]Ionna spent the entire trip with her face pressed to the window. She couldn’t help it, she’d never seen anywhere quite like this, not in person at least. Rodion was beautiful in its way, of course; it was cold and harsh, but also statuesque and resolute, instilling a safety that was in itself a form of beauty. But Riva del Garda was [i]breathtaking[/i] in a very traditional way, the kind that left her with starry eyes and mouth agape. Several times she pointed out pretty things that jumped out to her, be they forested mountaintops or colorful birds flocking into the air. 

She was just as amused by the city itself, though they never stopped to see it. Quaint, lovely, she could imagine having a house on one of the cliffs, spending her days walking on soft, warm grass and watching the sunrises and sets. Maybe she’d keep a farm, or at least a little coop of chickens. Or maybe just one or two chickens, as pets. 

The outpost was more familiar. She’d never been on a warfront, but rustic militarism was common all throughout Rodion, and uncle Dragomir’s home didn’t look much different from a command tent. 

“[color=E40040]Asher![/color]” she gasped, waving excitedly to the man in charge. “[color=E40040]I would’ve made something, but the trip was a little long. Don’t you worry though, I’ll find an oven somewhere.[/color]”

She couldn’t help smiling at the look he shot Bianca—and her reception to it. It occurred to her then that she didn’t know much about her fellow Templar outside of, well, the obvious stuff they all knew. Maybe this would be a good chance to start getting acquainted with her coworkers. 

Hold on, did Asher just say the harpies were [i]dropping[/i] monsters into the city?

“[color=E40040]Dang, and I left my umbrella back at the castle,[/color]” she said, resisting the urge to nudge Bianca with her elbow. Professionalism and all that. “[color=E40040]But, uh, yeah—definitely weird that they just started acting all different. Hey Justinian, you ever see anything like that before?[/color]”

She turned her attention to the Scion of Earth, who, among the four of them, doubtlessly had the most experience with monsters. Asher was probably the leading authority, but then again, the city had reached out to the Scions for a reason, right?