[color=95A5A6][b]> "Are you Aika?" <[/b][/color]

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	You watched as this woman briskly kept herself moving back and forth, still energized from the fight-or-flight adrenaline pumping events of the last minutes. She seemed more frustrated at the situation itself as she kept looking back towards the hallway, as if she would take off towards the lower level of the temple again. Your hand raised slowly, an effort to ground her and draw her attention away from the spiders. [color=95A5A6]"Hold for a moment,"[/color] you urged her to caution. Her antsy nature paused, and in the dim light you could see her wrist flick again to give you both a small magical light to converse under. She released a long huff as her arms crossed in front of her, and the mixed feelings of her gaze locked with your eyes. [color=95A5A6]"Correct me if I'm wrong, but you must be, Aika Lennone?"[/color]

	Her expression faltered, widening of her eyes a show of surprise as you spoke her name. Confusion and then suspicion pursed her lips, her hand falling less than subtly to the handle of her sword. [color=7ea7d8]"How do you know my name?"[/color] She spoke more flatly than before, a controlled and lower tone in her voice.

	[color=95A5A6]"Your master tasked me to find you. You had not sent word in quite some time, he feared for your safety and directed me here."[/color] Your explanation seemed to calm her down; Aika's posture relaxed, her fingers letting go of the sword as she let out a breath of relief. [color=7ea7d8]"Ah, I see,"[/color] she shrugged and looked out towards the exit, the gleaming white mountaintops outside against the midnight blue sky. [color=7ea7d8]"It's quite hard to send a letter from atop a mountain, isn't it?"[/color] She gave a small and closed-lipped [color=7ea7d8]"hmm,"[/color] as she mused to herself the notion, before looking back to you. [color=7ea7d8]"I must thank you for saving me, by the way. The floor in that hallway gave out when I tripped over something- I don't know what- but the fall was more than enough to leave me for dead. Luckily, I hadn't broken my right arm, so I was able to keep those giant spiders at bay with my magic. But then..."[/color] she shared with you a look of mutual understanding.


	[color=95A5A6]"My arrival must have stirred them again."[/color]

	[color=7ea7d8]"Mhm, but either way I would have been a goner, spider-food eventually either dead or alive. Getting swarmed like that is a different beast than scaring them away before they get too close. So... thanks."[/color]

	You accepted her thanks with a nod, and your curiosity pulled your own attention back down the hall. [color=95A5A6]"If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing up here anyway, and by yourself no less?"[/color]

	Your question poked at a spot she didn't readily seem willing to disclose to someone she just met, and she shook her head slightly. [color=7ea7d8]"It's... research, for my master. As you know since you seem to have met him, he's quite old. He's taught me invaluable lessons about magic but he simply can't hike up here like we can."[/color] Aika shrugged as she continued. [color=7ea7d8]"I'm his only student, so here I am doing his field-work. Not really my place to say what it is, though, wizards with their secrets and all,"[/color] she cracked a smile as she lowered her arms again. [color=7ea7d8]"So, you know my name, what's yours?"[/color]

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[color=95A5A6]
	• Introduce yourself.
		[Write in: choose a name, gender and race.]

	• Withhold your name.
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