The sounds of struggle had gone silent as a neary by alley was filled with uniformed Dalimos and Caelestine soldiers, some hoisting up the limp body's of civilians whom appeared to have been in a significant struggle, their breathing pained. The only noise that was not the guards mumbling among themselves was a Cruentai male bearing his fangs and spouting out expletives towards a Night Stalker on the roof above, having apparently ensnared him and rendered him helpless for the rest of the night's struggle. The way he was nursing one of his hands suggested he suffered some form of injury, and was perhaps the reason he was so trite towards the woman high above. Her response was merely to roll her eyes. The angel leading Vaer and Aiden sighed, "I never get to be a part of any of the excitement... and it looks like the fun started at the tavern." Glancing ahead, some men were righting tables that were set outside a large and lively building as an elderly man swept up broken glass from the street in front of it. Vaer's heart seemed to skip a beat as she realised they had finally made it to their destination. Without noticing she picked up her pace, her mouth watering at the thought of blood, any blood. A moment later she realized how desparate she must have looked, briskly walking ahead of the group, and stopped in her tracks. She felt her cheeks warm as she turned back around to the Caelestine and Aiden. "I apologize for that, I'm just... parched, is all." Then, to the guard specifically, "I thank you deeply and sincerely for leading us to the tavern. I would ask your pardon now though, with regret as your company has been lovely, for I direly need to eat something. My journey has been a long one and with too little nutrition." She glanced over at Aiden, for some reason she was concerned as to what he thought of her hunger. She didn't understand her own emotions for the Cruentai were not a foreign or unusual race in these lands and were rarely judged on their consumption of animals' blood. Perhaps it was knowing that he had never actually met one of her kind, or perhaps it was her own self consciousness around a new man. Whatever the cause of her discomfort she wished it would go away. Well, this was unexpected. Aiden strolled alongside Vaer, slightly lagging behind the guard leading them to the tavern. He peered around at the carnage uncomfortably, grimacing at the sight of some of the more roughed up civilians. He knew that pubs were often sites of altercation between patrons, but judging from the aftermath, this one was particularly brutal. He didn't think he'd bear witness to such a sight in Ceciderunt Dea so soon, especially while he was still in Caelestine territory. Then again, the Caelestine did have to share this city with the Dalimos, and not all of them were on good terms with each other. Still, he wondered what could've caused this mess... As Aiden glanced around the area, he noticed Vaer's gaze. It... wasn't all that flattering, and she seemed to realize this too, for she briskly walked ahead of her companions and apologized. He simply watched her silently, concerned; she truly was starving. How long had she been on the road with Bane? "Er..." He uttered quietly once he saw the Cruentai's gaze lingering on him. She seemed to be quite embarassed, as though she feared that he would reject her for her quirks. Well, he couldn't have that, could he? "Well, what are we waiting for?" He asked, his mouth curling up in a wide smile. The human nodded in thanks to the guard, walked up to Vaer and patted her lightly on the shoulder. "We came here for drinks, and by God, we'll have some drinks." Awe leaked onto the Cruentai's expression as the man portrayed the exact opposite behaviour she had so previously been fearing. As she walked up to her, nodding in gratitude to the guard, she could feel her heart beat a little faster. This was amplified further by his gentle touch on her shoulder. From a few feet away in the shadow of a shop doorway a low growl from Bane struck the air, reminding the man that his eyes and jaws were still around for the vampiric woman. Vaer sighed happily, finally knowing where he stood in the blood red waters of her culture. "Yes, a drink sounds perfect. Shall we?" She said, beckoning to the tavern just ahead. "Oh, my." She had failed to notice just how much damage had been left in the wake of whatever previous tussel that had occured here. "Must have been one hell of an evening." As the two made their way towards the welcoming, wooden doors of the old tavern she looked back at the dark, fourlegged shadow that had quietly followed them the whole way. She paused before leaving Aiden's side and walking over to her dear friend. Kneeling down she retireved a dried pig's ear, a special treat she had been saving, and offered it to the massive animal who graciously accepted. "We'll be nearby my dear, just in there, understand? Keep to yourself and enjoy your treat. You've handled this journey well." Standing again she strode back to meet Aiden again and together they made their way to the tavern doors. The tavern's floor had already been cleaned of any mess that was sent to the floor while burly men were in the midst of bringing in some fresh tables from a room in the back while another pair was in the midst of dismantling another whose top had been splintered rather badly during whatever trouble had occured in here. It seemed the stools at the bar counter had escaped any damage... or had already been replaced if they had. The barkeep stood behind the counter, still serving whatever patrons had remained throughout the tussle whilst baking out orders to the other workers who were cleaning up the mess. Behind him sat a selection of wines, most being imports from around Ceciderunt, and a few had labels that some fron Nexulai may be familiar with. The man finished commanding his workers and turned towards the newcomers at the door, and then calling out to them in a clear, deep voice "Only a small disagreement, won't make me shutter my doors to business." Vaernya chuckled lightly, "Small eh? I'd hate to see a serious one." She felt herself calming as she approached the dark wood bar and claimed one of the few untouched seats, brushing a bit of dust off of it before seating herself. She looked up at the cheery bartender, smiling as she waited for Aiden to take his seat. "You wouldn't happen to have any cattle blood rations in stock would you? Anything will do but if you have it I'm keen on long horn." She felt a little odd expressing her preference of cow's blood in front of Aiden, though he had already made it clear that he didn't mind. Vaernya echoed Aiden's sentiments exactly. This certainly did not seem anything like a small brawl. Fortunately, the chaos had subsided, so the two were free to drink in peace. He took a seat next to the vampire, settling in and letting out a small sigh of contentment. Once she ordered cattle blood, the explorere glanced over at her briefly with a raised brow and a slight smirk. It sounded so silly to him, but things were different here. He'd have to get used to the fact that there were those who survived on the blood of other creatures. "How does that taste?" He asked, curious about the Cruentai. "The cattle blood, I mean. Does the taste differ per creature?" The slender woman was a bit shocked at this question; she didn't think he'd care to know the actual details of her life source. "Uh, well, it tastes like blood... I guess." She grinned, realising it wans't much of a description. "I don't really know how to explain it, it's very rich, and creamy and the flavor varies more in the way of an aftertaste than anything. Cattleblood is not as-" She stopped, choking on her own words as she realised she had almost openly compare cattle's blood to the blood of a man. "Argh! How stupid can I be?" Regaining her composure she played it off like she had choked on a bit of her drink instead. "Uh, cattle's blood is not as good as predator's blood." She looked over at him to guage his expression. "Uh, sometimes we'll have hunters save the blood of their kills for us. A mountain lion has a high protein diet and so their blood tastes alot better than a cow's, which lives off of vegetation, a far stretch from our diets." Aiden leaned a bit over the counter, resting his head in his hand as he listened closely to Vaer's explanation. He nodded slowly as he took the information in. Cruentai looked so much like humans, but their underlying physiology was so radically different. They didn't seem to require any form of sustenance other than blood, which made him wonder... Then she stopped herself, choking on her words and looking panicked for a second. He straightened up, alarmed at the interruption. She probably choked on her drink, but the way she watched him gave him the sense that she was still hiding something. It disturbed him; what could she be hiding from him? If he prodded for information, though, he'd only alienate Vaer. Obviously, it was very sensitive information, but maybe she would tell him in time... "I see... remarkable. So it's not much different from the way we humans describe our food, then, textures, flavors and all. You don't require solid food, though, correct?" His expression told her that he had caught on to her little lapse of verbal control, though he didn't look like he knew what she had stopped herself from saying, he knew she was hiding something. She brushed a dark dreadlock from her face and took a long drink from her glass, emptying it before politely asking for another. The cheerful bartended answered her plea and supplied her with another glass of longhorn blood. "I don't need solid food. I can eat it, but it doesn't do much for my body nutritionally. Though once in a while I do enjoy a rare steak, for variety's sake." As the blood began to work its way through her system she felt her stress melt away and her body relaxed. She was feeling like herself again, the paranoia slipped away for the most part and her mind cleared. "Ah," she said happily, leaning back in her chair. "This was much needed." "So, what brings you here Aiden? Surely it can't be to sit and listen to a Cruentai woman's dietary explanation. Are you on a vacation? An adventure?" She hoped by changing the topic he would forget about the glimpse of the skeletons in her closet he had recieved. His gaze flitted downwards and he thinned his lips as Vaer took a long swig from the glass. She was aware that he knew that she was hiding something, and it was clearly making her feel quite uncomfortable. Not good, Aiden didn't want to make her feel like he was prying for details that could potentially condemn her. Fortunately, after her drink, the Cruentai seemed a bit more relaxed. He smirked; she truly must have been famished. "Heh, well, yes... I guess you can say I'm on an adventure." The human smiled proudly. "A very important one, at that; I'm here to document a Caelestine's pilgrimage for my people. I will be the first Akreausian to witness such an event. The VIP hasn't arrived yet, but I'm ready to leave as soon as she shows up..." His smile faltered a bit, making him look sheepish. "Of course, I, uh... don't really know what she looks like yet. My companions do, but we've split up for the time being. Oh well, I'm sure they'll inform me once the time is right." "How intriguing... a Caelestine eh? She must be very beautiful, I think they're genetically destined to be so." She shook her head; the Caelestine's were by far the fairest race of the lands, their grace and beauty near impossible to equal and their history was proud and majestic. Though she would never admit it, she had often wished she was born under a different race. The Cruentai were so easy to look down on. "So you'll be departing soon then?" She realised she was disappointed at the idea of him leaving so soon, and at all. Her pale cheeks flushed at the realisation and she looked down, taking another drink. Aiden was so easy to talk to, despite her insecurities, and though she was out on a destinationless journey of her own she wasn't keen on departing his company so soon. "I'm sure your journey will be filled with excitement and adventures of all sorts." "Heh... I'm sure she is," He said somewhat quietly as he looked away, embarassed, remembering the Seer's description of her. "Evolution certainly treated them well." He then looked upon her again to find that her expression had fallen. He would've asked what was wrong, but then he noticed the flushed cheeks. The human blinked. "Um." She tried to hide it with another long swig while Aiden wondered just what she was thinking at the moment. Her next statement forced him to brush it aside and focus on the subject at hand. He frowned, understanding that she had nowhere to go after this. "So... what about you? Where will you go after this?" The woman's blue eyes lifted to meet the human's gaze. "Well," she said as she sat up in her chair. "I don't really know yet. I don't exactly have a destination. I just woke up one day feeling like my life had become idle and decided that I needed to find a new path in life. It's been a long journey so far and I can't say I've learned much except to pack extra rations, but I figured making it to Keranlus would be a good place to start." "Ugh, I can't believe no one had oranges!" came a frustrated shout from outside the door. Shortly afterwards, a winged and horned woman of fair complexion stormed into the tavern. Just behind her, a young man with enough equipment on his back to be mistaken for a pack mule struggled inside with a woman white as alabaster helping him along. "I know you were looking forward to it," said the statuesque beauty. "But Tal here could use a rest for a moment." She then bade the young man to offload the packs and rest on the nearby chair before turning back to the frustrated Dalimos woman, "Perhaps they have some of it here?" "This place doesn't serve fruits! They serve things like...steaks and pot roasts, and stuff like that... but not standalone fruits," Eraslyn cried out. The barkeep then informed the woman, "We actually do carry orange juice... if you'd like?" The woman's pointed ears perked at the sound of this and turned her attention to the man behind the counter. "They make juice from it?" She then dashed for the counter and immediately ordered some and waited with an excited expression across her face. "Ah-" Then came the shout, and the door swung open. Aiden spun around to see a group of strange individuals entering the pub; a loud, irritated horned woman, a young man carrying far more gear than it looked like his back could hold, and... And... "Whoa." Aiden's eyes stopped over the third member of the group; a young woman with steel blue hair and skin as white as marble. She was gorgeous... maybe too gorgeous. She almost looked like a marble statue... a living, breathing one at that. Her unnatural, radiant beauty ended up unnerving the explorer almost as much as it amazed him. She had to have been a Caelestine, and the horned woman, a Dalimos. Said Dalimos proceeded to sprint for the bar, stopping right beside him and nearly causing the explorer to to fall off of his stool in shock. "Guh-!" He ended up tilting and falling back into Vaernya, unable to stop himself. After turning to see what the shouting was about, Vaer felt her pale skin shift to an unnatural white as she saw a remarkably beautiful Caelestine woman enter the tavern with a dalimos and a man carrying their luggage, as if summoned by their very words. Aiden's jaw practically hit the floor boards and she felt a bit of jealousy rising up from within her. "Oh? I'm jealous now? How does that make sense?' She shrugged off the feeling and returned her gaze the the Caelestine woman but was ripped away from the sight as Aiden came toppling over on to her. The two crashed to the ground, drinks and blood spilling all over. The fall itself wasn't enough to knock the wind out of her; it was the weight of Aiden's body landing on hers that did it. "Ugh," she choked out. Trying to take in what had just happened. The demoness glanced to the side as the young man fell over onto the Cruentai, then chuckled. "Were you too busy admiring that young woman over there" inquired the Dalimos woman. "Eraslyn, stop teasing everyone you come across," pleaded the Caelestine woman near the door. "Ow..." Aiden groaned in reply, shifting off of Vaernya's body and pushing himself up. He shut his eyes tightly, rubbing the back of his head, before opening them and looking down at Vaernya. "... Oh shit! Vaer, I'm so sorry, I didn't..." Her breath returned to her lungs as the man pulled his body off of hers. She looked up at him and blushed as she realised how awkward he must have felt being pressed up against her after learning so much about her diet. An apology sputtered from his mouth and she chuckled lightly at the situation, "It's alright, I'm okay. I know that wasn't your fault, I was staring at her too." She teased and winked at him knowingly, laughing again she propped herself up on her elbows and assessed the situation. Here she was, in a completely foreign place, in a room filled with strangers, a man recently on top her, and her clothes spattered with her drink. This was indeed an adventure. A sigh of relief. "Okay, good... if I'd injured you, I don't think I-" He stopped once he realized that there was something... wet splattered onto his face. Wiping it, he looked down at his hand and saw sticky crimson fluid... blood. His eyes widened in horror. Oh god, oh man, oh GOD- wait a second, this is silly. The drink. Of course. Aiden let out a hearty chuckle at that. He'd have to get used to the sight of blood in bars very quickly. In any case, it was time to address the demoness and her friends. Vaer's staring comment flew completely over his head. Eraslyn's didn't. He opened his mouth to say something to the horned woman, but paused, struggling to come up with a decent answer... really, there was none. The whole situation was rather awkward. "No," He lied somewhat nervously, before narrowing his eyes in irritation, "What's your deal? You knocked us over and spilled our drinks. Very impolite, you know." "I'm a Dalimos... manners aren't a popular thing among us unless it's a Supercian." She looked over the pair, "awefully fancy clothing you got there. Shame you got it all bloody kid." "The least you could do is apologize," demanded the Caelestine as she walked up to the counter. She then turned her attention to the young man and the Cruentai seated next to her companion. She bowed and spoke humbly, "I'm terribly sorry for the troubles Eraslyn has caused you." The demoness rolled her eyes before turning her gaze towards the oranged colored drink the barkeep put on the counter before her. "No, no, it was an accident. These things do happen, but thank you for your apology nonetheless." Pulling herself up she brushed the dust from her clothes and flipped her dreadlocks back over her shoulders, fastening them again by tying two around the bulk. "My name is Vaernya, I'm a traveller, this city seems to be filled with excitement tonight." She offered a modest bow in the direction of the Caelestine and her companions. "It's fine, it's fine..." Aiden breathed as he stood up, examining his clothing. Indeed, some of the blood splattered onto his coat. It was dark, which helped mask it somewhat, but still. He cringed. "Damn. Hope this doesn't stain," He muttered, before turning back to the Caelestine and putting on a smile. Her stunning appearance still baffled him. "Not a problem." He looked between the young woman and her companions. "You all look like you've had a long journey. Can't blame Eraslyn for her, er, strong reaction." He shrugged and smirked. Once Vaernya introduced herself, the explorer followed suit, starting with a deep, respectful bow. "And my name is Aiden, Aiden Toft. I'm a certified state explorer of Nexulai. That's in Akreaus, by the way... I jumped through the portal very recently." "It's a pleasure to meet you," she said, bowing courteously, "My name is Seraphina Lunasdiei," she then said, introducing herself. No way. No way in hell. This was far, far too coincidental for it to be true. "... Hold on." Aiden's smile immediately disappeared, replaced by one of growing awe. "You... you're telling me you're Seraphina Lunasdiei."He then winced. That was a fine way to start things off. He had to identify her by something more specific. "I mean, er... you're the one about to embark on her pilgrimage?" This wasn't working. He was certain that there were quite a few Caelestine who embarked on their pilgrimages very recently. Eraslyn raised her eyebrows as Seraphina's face became filled with confusion. "Yes she is... don't tell me she's already got admirers in Nexulai?" Seraphina blushed a little at the thought. It was bad enough the prince constantly attempted to impress her. So it really was her. Aiden's mouth slowly curled up into an ecstatic grin. He'd finally met the woman at the center of this entire mission. "No... no, of course not! Oh, this is brilliant!" He straightened himself up, clearing his throat. "Mm, apologies. I know this is sudden, but I have been tasked with accompanying Lady Lunasdiei on her pilgrimage, along with a few others, by Grand Ambassador Sokolniki. I am to record the events of the Pilgrimage and bring my findings to my people... in fact, I will be the first Akreausian to do so!" The human brought his hands up to clasp them together. He certainly was enthusiastic. "Ah, we must find the others-... wait." His smile disappeared, replaced by a look of uncertainty. "Lady Lunasdiei... the Blind Seer did inform you of this, right? If she hasn't, well, she came back to Keranlus with us. I can bring you to her." Seraphina shook her head, as Eraslyn smiled. "I was wondering what that message was all about," said the Caelestine. Eraslyn spun on her stool as she sipped on the orange juice. "Well, if you are here at the behest of the Blind Seer," the demoness began to speculate, "then we'll wait here for her." She looked over the pair, "But I don't put it past her to try to find some escorts for her old friend... she has been itching to pay her back for her kindness for the longest time." She then focused on the young human, "So I beat Novaus here once again have I?" He crossed his arms, tilting his head curiously. "If you mean beating him to your destination, then yes. He left me and my friend Vaernya here to have a few drinks at the pub... we were lucky. A brawl had just ended by the time we arrived." He snorted in amusement. "And I just realized, I haven't actually had a proper drink yet. I should rectify that... in any case, it's good to finally meet you and your companions, Lady Lunasdiei. I look forward to our future travels together." Vaer quietly beckoned for the bartended to bring her another drink, hoping this one would stay either in the glass or in her stomach and sat down a bit away from the group. She found it to be rude for her to barge in on a pre arranged meeting. She sighed quietly as she realised that the only person she knew slightly in this city was going to depart soon with quite possibly the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. Vaer closed her eyes for a moment, savoring the taste of her beverage, trying to think of what she'd do next. Eraslyn's gaze now turned to the Cruentai woman who seemed to shrin into her seat. "And what about you," she asked. "So then, what's your story? What's a Cruentai civie doing on this side of the Caelestine border anyways? You don't look like a Night Stalker." Her attention was taken by the Dalimos woman's question, she wasn't sure she was still on the radar for the group. Dabbing at her lips with a napkin she spoke with a level of respect for the members of this new party seemed to be of some importance. "No, no I'm most certainly not a Night Stalker. As I said, I am a traveller; I have no real destination yet I seek adventure and a shift from the normalities of my daily life. My mind was set on Keranlus simply because I had never had the pleasure of travelling this way." Aiden turned back to face the Cruentai, and he felt a tinge of guilt as she shared her story with Eraslyn. The woman had nowhere to go, and after having such a nice conversation with her, she seemed depressed, knowing that he was going to leave in the very near future. It didn't feel right to abandon her to her previous life like this. "... Say, Vaer. How well can you fight?" To say the least, she was extremely taken aback by this question. "Well, I can't say I've ever really been in a situation where I've had to fight. So I'd have to have say I have little to no expereince in the matter. I was a jeweller back home in Ferrocor, hardly a dangerous profession. Though I could cut the finest gem you'd ever see." She smiled, trying to calm herself with a bit of humor. How well can you fight? such an interesting question. "Though... I do have a fair bit of experience with Ice Magick and a little with Fire Magicks. I've never used it for fighting though, it's purely self developed. Why do you ask?" Aiden knew that the question was rather forward, but he had to know. The road ahead of the group would undoubtedly be fraught with danger, and they'd need to support each other as best they could. Her experience as a jeweller was nice, but probably not very useful on the field, unless they were able to collect a sizable amount of gems, somehow. His hope was renewed, though, when she mentioned ice magic. "Ice magic... heh. I ask, because we don't know what to expect on this journey. We'll face many situations that require unique solutions, and even though you are not experienced with combat, I can think of a few ways ice magic would come in handy in certain scenarios." Aiden turned back to the Caelestine, watching her expectantly. "What do you think, Miss Lunasdiei? Could her skills come in handy on our quest?" Seraphina looked with confusion as she considered this. Eraslyn chimed in before she could come with an answer, "Well, I'm gonna be splitting off after everything is settled here, so she could probably use someone who knows the Cruentai territories a little better than Novaus does." The Caelestine nodded, "Yes, I suppose so... wait... does that mean..." The Demoness knew the question before it was even asked, "No, the Blind Seer will not be accompanying us, she will remain here in Keranlus and Nexulai while Novaus guides you to the Featherkeeper." With a grin, Aiden clapped the Cruentai on the shoulder. "That means you're with us. Bane too. We'll be glad to bring you along, Vaer." She couldn't believe the words that reached her ears. She was going with them? On the pilgrimage of a Caelestine? It was and unthinkable honor she could have never imagined in her days as a simple jeweller. It seems her instincts for adventure carried her to the right place. "I am honored," she said, dipping into a low bow with her hands pressed firmly before her chest, a sign of gratitude and respect. "This is most unexpected, but I could not ask for more from what started out as a journey to nowhere. I can't imagine the experiences I'll gain whilst travelling with you. Miss Lunasdiei, is this alright with you? I can swear on my ancestors I won't be a burden, nor will my canine friend Bane." She looked at the beautiful woman with a new light in her eyes; this was quite the opportunity. Seraphina smiled earnestly, "It is fine by me." Eraslyn let out a huff, "You're trust in strangers knows no bounds doesn't it." She then turned towards the other two. "Well before we go running off, we'll have to wait on Belial, Novaus and the Blind Seer to get here and get everything settled." She then turned her attention to Aiden, "but while we wait, got any more surprises for us per chance?" Aiden shook his head. "None that I know of. We just need to link up with the others, and then we'll be ready to go, but I'm sure they'll find us, sooner or later. So!" He leans back against the counter. "Who's up for some drinks? This is cause for celebration!" --- (Konsa/Novaus/Blind Seer) It was a short walk to the tavern from the Portal, most signs of the earlier struggle had been removed from the alley along the way, just a little bit of cleaning up left to do. most of the guards having returned to their barracks for the night, or transporting suspects to the local brig. "Looks like we missed out on some fun here earlier," stated the mercenary. The Blind Seer took a few sniffs at the air, "Likely a drunken dispute judging by the smells." Novaus continued to lead the other two past the scene. Judging by the state of the Tavern ahead, the Blind Seer had been correct. Konsa tagged behind the pair a bit, still taking in the new surroundings. He was glad they had missed the brawl, he's not very fond of being close to that kind of excitement. The Blind Seer tugged on the coat of Novaus, prompting him to turn his ear towards her, "I am listening milady." "It has been some time since last I was able to properly pray to the goddess. May we visit the shrine." He nodded softly, then turned to Konsa. "Go on in and join the others. Tell them that this will be but a few minutes. We will be joining them shortly." Konsa nodded, a little nervous to be around the others without Novaus and Blind Seer. The pair then turned and walked back the other way along the dimly lit streets, Novaus guiding the young angel from ahead, her wings still sparkling magnificent from the light of the twin moons high above. Konsa watched them walk away, puzzlement of Blind Seer's need to pray. He sighed and turned towards the tavern, brushing hair out of his face as he pushed the doors open. A small wave of nostalgia as he walked in, he had spent much time in taverns. Not that he drank a lot but it was a prime place to cheat some coin out of the drunken people. Although alchohol was certainly not unknown to the short demon. Konsa observed the scene, it seemed there was company. Konsa cleared his throat to get their attention. He was especially nervous by the newest comers and avoided eye contact and only glanced in their direction for half a second. "Blind Seer and Novaus are going to a shine to pray. They said they'll be back soon." Konsa said as he made his way to an empty stool, keeping his distance from the others. He wasn't sure what was going on and he felt in inclined to ask. But he kept silent for now, waiting for their reactions.