Time Stamp 2:45 PMA rocky edged river that goes into the ocean down below. A cliff and waterfall at the very ends of the river half a mile east. The river itself was over around 40 meters wide. The rivers waterfall drop was almost countless into the vast endless ocean."
We're approaching the camping site by the body of water. Get ready to settle down for some time, get the napping cots and snacks out."
Garrett called to the team, almost about time for them to unpack some of their burdens and relax by the water. Perfect place for a swim, an even more perfect area to defend, if, say, a band of robbers were to approach them, they figuratively had the high-ground in the fight.
He dismounted Acrid and began to guide her with her reins, as a signal to slow the pace of the rest of the group. Ah wouldn't it be nice to relax in the open air for once.
"
Take a dip if you want, too."
With little else to look at in this land of Gaia Algimar found the change of scene appealing. The stones were eroded from hundreds, maybe thousands of years. Purified waters running from ocean to river to the people who drink it. Yes Gaian water must be some of the richest in this world. Algimar walked to the running rivers edge. Knelt down and ran his hands through it. Cool to the touch but bearable due to the warmth of the sun. Though the cloudiness of Gaia made it a touch too cold to swim in without acclimation. He brought the water to his lips and began to drink slowly but deeply. He seemed to enjoy the water enough to remain there, drinking, for much of the start of everyone's arrival.
Finally awake, Aste proceeded to speak her thoughts about Nailah's question about teaching Lynn self defense.
"Although it would be late for her to learn if she was aiming to be a master, I don't think she is too old to learn just enough to defend herself. After all... I don't think she is the type of girl who is interested in martial arts or fighting in general... In fact, I'm worried if she would even want to learn how to defend herself." Nailah said with a chuckle. Everyone knew how innocent and naive Lynn was. She was a good girl with a good heart and genuinely seemed to dislike violence.
"Even if it's a bit late, I'm sure she could learn one thing or two to help her in emergencies. Enough to buy her some time to flee." she continued, thinking about it.
Allard too had a few valuable advices to give, as he suggested that making her learn how to wield a sword wouldn't fit her at all. Indeed, just as he said, the staff would fit her well, not only because she was already somewhat used to having one nearby her, but because it wasn't as lethal as a sword.
As he continued to talk about ways that Lynn could wield her staff, Nailah couldn't help but to notice he was getting just a bit overexcited talking about fighting, making her giggle.
"I wouldn't go as far, though." she said, laughing.
"But indeed she could use it with a frightening efficiency if she practiced enough." She continued.
"Anyways... It's not a lethal weapon too, so she wouldn't have as much resistance to learn as she would with a sword or something with a blade!" Nailah continued, agreeing with Allard.
"Plus with her magic and the way she controls her staff, it could be really effective." She continued, thinking about what Allard said.
After some time, they finally arrived on the river it was mentioned before the trip began. Some time to rest would be welcome. Not only that but being able to take a dip into the river and relax a bit would be really nice.
"Finally! It will be nice to stretch myself a bit and relax in the river. You're welcome to join me too if you want, Allard" Nailah said with a playful wink to him, as she stretched herself and started walking towards the river.
"Lynn, you said you wanted to swim too, right? I'm waiting for you there!" Nailah said as she passed nearby the Lassa girl with a playful wink.
Having arrived on the river, she was surprised to meet Algimar on the river's edge, appreciating the scenery and drinking a bit from the pure, crystalline waters. He seemed to be genuinely enjoying himself as he did so.
With a mischievous smirk on her face, she approached the man, stopping just besides him right next to the river and starting to undress herself before going in. Even though she was right besides Algimar, she did so almost if it was the most normal thing in the world.
"I heard that water from Gaian rivers are wonderful for a woman's skin due to the minerals. I'm sure it must be quite refreshing too!" Nailah said, after taking off the clothes she used to cover her breasts.
"Ooh~ And the temperature is just right too!" she said in a happy surprise, after finishing undressing herself and dipping the tip of one of her feet inside of the river before slowly getting on the water. Not before giving Algimar quite a good time to look at her naked body, glistening with sweat due to the trip.
After she got inside, she leaned forward in a slightly suggestive manner, using her hands to drink some water. Not surprisingly, that gave Algimar quite the sight from her behind.
"No wonder you were so satisfied drinking it! Would you like to join me?" she said, looking over her shoulder with a mischievous smile to the man.
Tali strode over to the river without a single bit of hesitation. Water was a welcome change of pace. She stripped off almost all of her clothing, leaving just her bikini-like garments to not make some of her more conservative companions uncomfortable. Seeing Nailah naked again was quite enjoyable, so Tali made sure to brush against the woman as she passed. "Always up for a nice show, eh Nailah?"
She waded in until she could do a full dive, smoothly transitioning into a dive and beginning her swim. She glanced over towards Lynn as she felt the rather cold water. "Lynn, want to join me? If you get cold, just stick close! I'll keep you nice and warm."
Gaston found a comfy rock to sun himself on, positioning himself to watch over the group and the horizon. Anyone not used to his behavior would find his lack of attention seeking strange, but he knew that this situation might threaten his owner's secret, so he kept a very close eye on her.
Itzel found a place to sit by the river. She did not wade in nor even strip off a single article of clothing. If anything, she seemed a bit self-conscious and wrapped her wings around her body, hiding all but her head in shining rainbow wings.
Dremmick was already there at at the river when the others arrived. in fact, he had just enough time to bathe himself prior to their arrival. WHen the group arrived, Dremmick was siting by the bank and leaning against a tree with his eyes closed, but he listened for their arrival. He let out a soft sigh as he opened his eyes and looked over to the group. Algamar, not to far from where he was, seemed to be getting a drink from the water while a few of the girls....made themselves more comfortable and went for a swim. When he saw Tali, he had the notion to talk to her about her servitor, but it seemed as though she was busy and he figured it could wait till later. After a while of riding, scouting, and staying on guard, it was nice to relax a little. Though he still didn't feel like he should totally let his guard down, after all, they were still traveling, so anything technically could show up, and he was fairly skeptical of their most recent addition to the group still.
---
Allard nodded to Nailah as she headed towards the river,
"I'd love ta go for a swim, can't say I had in quite some time, gotta make sure I don't sink like a rock," he joked.
"I'll be over there shortly, just want ta check on tha egg." Allard met up with the servitor, who still seemed to be carrying the egg around. The egg seemed to shift every now and then, though nothing more.
"Seems like it doesn't have that much longer till it hatches. Could be any time this week really. Anyway, I thank you for watching it thus far." he said to the servitor. After that, he decided to head to the river.
---
Shye was quiet for most the rest of the trip. She wasn't sure what to say or do, to her there was this awkward air around her. Here she was in the middle of a group of people, which she has never done before, and she wasn't sure how to start a conversation, much less keep one going. She never really conversed with anyone before. She was always encouraged to be seen and not heard growing up, and then she wasn't able to talk at all for the last few years until just recently. The sudden placement into a more sociable position was still a bit daunting to her. She got off of Gaston and gave him one last pet before he made his way to a rock to sun on. Nix was still fast asleep in the downy comfort of Gaston's feathers, purring peacefully. Shye went to the river with the others, since it seemed most were headed there anyway, and found a place to the side to sit. She took off her greaves and stockings, her pale skin a stark contrast to her surroundings. She rested her feet into the cold yet soothing water of the river, breathing a sigh of relief as she did so. Unlike a few of the other girls, she wasn't too keen on stripping down for a swim around the other men.
Well, maybe for- Shye shook her head at an intrusive thought, blushing slightly, though quickly regaining her composure.
---
Lynn was napping on top of her carriage when she heard her name called. Her ears twitched as she slowly sat up and stretched her arms and legs, then arcing her back and tail in another stretch as she yawned. She sat up fully and looked around for a moment as if in a daze before realizing where they were.
"OH! We're here! Yay, I'll be right down!" she shouted. Her staff seemed to nimbly scoop her up off the top of the carriage as if it were a part of her. She flew down to the river just in time to miss Nailah's little display and stopped at the edge of the river. She tiptoed to the very edge of the water, inquisitively, her tail flicking about as she curiously inspected it. The look and smell was a lot different from home, and when her tail wrapped forward and dipped into the water, the cold surprised her, goosebumps covering her skin for a moment.
"It's a lot colder than I thought it would be...," she noted out loud as her staff rested on the ground. Unlike at the baths Lynn kept her clothes on as she gathered up her courage and finally dove into the water, smoothly and quietly, manipulating the water so she didn't make a big splash. That was all Lynn needed. With a large open water area, Lynn felt quite a bit more free than she did on land. Swimming on her own, even without the help of her water manipulation, she flew through the water, her tail and fins fanning out and pushing her along at high speed. She would rapidly dart by Nailah and Tali, and then when it seemed quiet for a second, Lynn launched out of the water, high into the air. She had bright smile and was laughing the whole time. The sun glistened in all the water that was kicked up from her jumps, and she would land in the water just as smoothly as she had the first time. She was having the time of her life.
---
Allard finally met at the river with the others like he said he would, and he had decided to dress down as well as not to get his clothes wet. He had a heavy loincloth on,one that actually gave him decent coverage as the outer edges of the cloth came about to about half the width of his legs on either side, and his left arm cover on to cover his shadow arm, so he was actually fairly decent despite the lack of other clothes. Allard made his way into the water and relaxed, letting his huge wingspan sprawl out far around him, finally letting them stretch. The water's temperature didn't seem to phase him a bit.
"Ah, this is perfect, just what the body needs after a day of travel." Algimar looked up in confusion as Nailah neared his close vicinity. He briefly saw her undressing. However he looked back to the water. Not averting his eyes to gaze at her. Though her skin was an exotic hue and he was growing curious he declined to act on it. The flowing waters was all he needed to admire. Once Nailah was submerged enough did he gaze distantly at her and take note of what she said. "I believe it is said that the purity of Gaian waters are unmatched. Might want to fill up on as much of it as possible." He said. Whilst taking his own advice and putting down his flask and filling it with the new river water. He put it away on his back left belt behind his cloak. Looking to the sky for a moment he took note of the vastness of it. Not until Talise approached Nailah to join her and a few others did he look at the scene. They swam in the richest of waters now with no enemies in sight and no superiors to tell them what to do. He smiled silently. This alliance group was a bit of a luxury.
Tali got extremely mischievous and decided to test out her new use of her basic spell. She hid behind a rock and quietly hummed a small tune, summoning a monk of force that was far, far less visible due to less force used. She sent the female monk under the water over to Nailah and had the "attack" be a light squeeze on the rear. She thought it was a great success, maybe something that could eventually be used for distraction, though teasing her naked companion was the more fun test.
Dremmick watched with mild interest as the group socialized in the water. Nailah was, well, being Nailah, and Dremmick rose an eyebrow at her display, to which he got a slight twinge at his heart for a moment as if someone had kicked him but with more discomfort than pain.
"Yeah, yeah, I get it," he mumbled under his breath to a slightly irked voice inside him. He looked over to the servitor that Tali had brought with her. He studied it for a while, his curiosity piqued. From what little he has seen of it, it seemed to loosely act on its own, even think for itself. He watched to see its movements, how lifelike they were, and if the movements were as smooth as an actual person's would be. He turned back to see Tali in the middle of playing a prank. He wanted to ask her some questions about the servitor, though, he would prefer it if he would be able to catch her while she was alone. He didn't want to ask about it with mixed company.
As Nailah submerged her body in the cold water, a wave of pleasure ran through her body. The temperature was indeed just right. Although she was somewhat annoyed that Algimar didn't react at all to her teasing, she continued simply relaxing an leisurely bathing her body in the water.
Little by little, the rest of the group arrived, starting by Tali, whom Nailah could feel staring her body as she bathed herself, brushing against her body as she passed nearby.
"Beauty is made to be appreciated, isn't it? I'm not ashamed of my own body, besides..." Nailah said, with a mischievous expression to Tali.
"Don't you think it would be cruel to deprive others of such sight?" she continued, with a giggle and a playful wink.
Exactly as Nailah had said to Tali, she simply continued to bathe herself without a care in the world, even as the rest of the group arrived in the river. Some, like Shye and Itzel were obviously embarrassed and a bit self-conscious about their own bodies, but other such as Tali didn't mind it at all.
Following Lynn's comment about the water being cold, Nailah couldn't help herself but to slowly go towards her to pull her inside the water in one go. Before she could do that, Lynn took courage and dove into the water. As it was expected of a Lassa, that was all she needed. It was almost as if Lynn was flying in the water, darting up and down. Her movements inside the water were agile, flexible and graceful. It was the first time Nailah had seen a Lassa swimming in person. She couldn't help but to be amazed at Lynn's display, even as she jumped out of the water.
Nailah let out a gentle and warm smile as she watched Lynn. Her happiness was evident as she continued swimming, laughing and smiling. It was really refreshing to see her happy like that.
Not only Lynn, but Allard also seemed to be satisfied as he got inside the river.
"It's really refreshing, isn't it? The temperature too is just right, nothing like a cold bath to relax." Nailah said, looking to Allard.
It was then that Nailah suddenly felt a gentle squeeze on her behind.
"Hey!" Nailah said, turning around with a mischievous and flirty expression. Instead of being embarrassed, alarmed or jumping in surprise like most people would, her reaction was calm, almost as if she was ready to provoke and tease whoever was responsible for that. Much to her surprise though, when she turned around she didn't anything at all.
While everyone else seemed to relax and started to enjoy themselves in the water, Aeden maintained vigilance. They were in a land strange to him, and it was potentially hostile. He barely flinched as a couple of the group members completely stripped as they entered the water partly because he was focused on threats that could come from around them and partly because of his past experience being a breeder for the Therosi. He would wash himself later when everyone was done having their fun.
As he maintained his watch, Aeden did occasionally pass glances over Shye.
Nyph landed at the edge of the water and settled in the shallows. This was his reward to himself for a good day of scouting. At this point he had completely forgotten his urge to compete with Gaston.
Garrett observed the rest of the alliance as they made themselves known at the riverside. If anything at all it was enough to make him shake his head, either from the nuisance at having all of them around causing a ruckus and making their positions known to anyone in the area, or the sheer fact it was of course, over the top interaction. In some cases, over the bottom.
Guiding acrid by her reins, he'd lead her to the water and leave her there to give her some refreshing Gaia river water. Now that she's distracted with getting her fill of pure liquid, he'd reach into one of the large saddlebags that rested against her flanks, rooting around until he pulled out a set of fabrics, ropes, and metal stakes. The items required to create a tent. He looked along the riverside they decided to enjoy for the perfect spot to place these items; eventually he'd find the perfect plot a small distance away from the water itself, but no real travelling distance at all.
He set the items of the tent down for the moment, then heading to a nearby group of trees, checking himself for anything to use to at least remove one and work on it, no such luck. He returned to Acrid, rooting around in the saddlebags once more to find a hatchet, with the hatched now equipped he'd return to the tree he had his eyes set on. He started to chop at the tree, and after a few hearty cleaves, the tree was prepared to tip. He would help it down with a good bash with his shoulder, before he started to strip the bark and branches from it, this entire debacle would strike fear into the nearby birds, mostly because of the fact he is ruining one of their homes and making so much noise.
After some time he'd make two large pillars of wood, a large amount of 2x4 and 1x2 panels, and little wedges to accompany them as a form of archaically engineered nails to slam into wood pieces to hold them together. It was no small feat, but a knight and a hunter must learn to procure their own arrangements outside of a castle or a city, and quickly. He'd carry these wooden creations back to the plot of land he spotted for his tent. With his hatchet, he'd create two divots in the ground equidistant from each other, in the shape of a tight square, a perfect fit for the two pillars he made. Predictably, he'd place the pillars with a strong set of arms into their divots and kept them there with a good amount of displaced soil.
Now, he had to set the area of the tent's ground, with his hatchet, alongside the power of his now reclawed bloodclaws, he'd rake at the grass around the two pillars, until he created a lovely looking rectangle of fresh Gaian soil, the perfect place to sleep on, well, once dried from the stored heat of the interior of a tent, of course. At the corners of this rectangle, and edges of the midpoint, Garrett would use the hatchet once more after relieving himself of the bloodclaws he oh so loves quite dearly now, returning to the pile of wood he made a set of six smaller pillars, which he would subsequently place and fasten in their respectful divots.
Now came the most relieving part of the construction, the fabric, unrolling the fabrics quickly, he'd take the shorter of the set of fabric, reminiscent of the rectangle he created and threw it over the pillars, adjusting any dropoff until a perceivable roof would be created. This was a gazebo now, not a tent. With the larger of the fabric set, he'd tuck edges under the roof, and thankfully enough there was a length of rope attached to the ends of these fabric pieces to tie together and fasten so as not to let them fall. Garrett did so, until a sagged tent would be created.
The construction was not finished yet however, with great focus and dexterity, Garrett took more lengths of rope, as well as the iron stakes he had set aside previously and began fastening more rope to the end corners and midpoint edges of the tent, to be fastened to a respective stake. After this trip of itself, he'd trace his steps back toward all the stakes he had set in place, using the hatchet as a hardpoint to slam against the tops of the stakes to drive them into the ground. Little by little, stake after stake, Garrett turned the saggy tent into what seemed to be a proper, tight-looking tent fit for living in.
This construction was still not over just yet, Garrett returned to the pile of wood left over, spacing wood out to turn into one-sided palates or barricades or sparse walls, enough to cover the lengthwise areas of the tent, using his now-trusty hatchet, he would take the wooden wedges he had so expertly crafted and slammed them into the spars of the wood, sealing the fate that they would be used as walls. This process wouldn't take long, a few alignments here and there before a loud slam of a wedge into a spar to a wall, and then, presto. With these barricade-like halfwalls, he'd set them against the tent lengthwise, digging the flat bases that made them stand up under the fabric to create what looked like it belonged, wooden halfwalls against the tent side. Eventually it would look like a perfect looking tent. That was all Garrett wanted at the moment.
Garrett stood himself and returned to Acrid and her saddlebags, his bedroll from the top rear of the saddle and heading himself inside the tent, unfurling it and marking a space as his own. He would head back to Acrid one last time to grab the meal Raquel had prepared for him and his journey and went back inside, settling a seat for himself on his bedroll to enjoy what she made for him.
Lynn finally started to calm down a bit, now gently floating around the surface of the water on her back around the others, humming contentedly to herself. Her eyes closed and enjoying the feel of the water, her tail working against the current to keep her next to the group. It seemed to clear her mind of the worries she had on the way down here. It wasn't the ocean, but the large body of water was still soothing. That was soon interrupted however when she heard Nailah call out to something.
Lynn rolled over in the water and looked to Nailah, though she still wasn't entirely comfortable with Nailah's nudity yet again, she wasn't as embarrassed about it as before.
"Nailah, are you okay?" she asked, he ears fanned out listening to the things around them as best she could and her eyes alert. What could have possibly made her yell out like that?
Shye continued to sit quietly with her feet in the river, watching everyone around the camp. Lynn's swimming, Garrett making a tent, Aeden's glances at her, the last of which she noticed as she was already looking at him and he happened to turn to her, surprising her as she bashfully turned back to the river, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. She then looked at her hands, gauntlets still on and at the ready. She sighed as she started to unbuckle and remove them, setting them next to her along with the greaves. The thought about resting her eyes did cross her mind. The ground she was on was surprisingly fairly comfortable, and she felt like she could sleep as she laid her head down.
Itzel eventually settled down enough to let her tail free. Using the wicked looking stinger, she traced small circles in the adjacent water. She stayed absolutely, almost deathly, silent, preferring to be in her own mind. The group seemed nice enough, but she seriously wondered about cohesion. Most seemed to get along well, but some seemed much less concerned with privacy, which threatened her secret.
After her little prank, Tali sank beneath the surface, swimming as swiftly as Lynn, betraying her very strong Lassa blood. She explored the area for a bit, though she was abruptly stopped by a venturing tiger fish. It caught her by surprise and tore into her forearm with its teeth. Tali reacted angrily, her hand moving with practiced ease to her clothes to draw a hidden diving knife. She stabbed the fish multiple times until it was obviously dead. She surfaced with the fish in one hand, leaving a dark red cloud in the water behind her. She tossed the fish onto the beach and grabbed some spare cloth from her servitor. The whole way, her arm dripped dark green blood along the ground. With a mixture of her unharmed arm and teeth, she dressed the wound after treating the cloth with some antibiotic agents.
Once done with that, she walked back to the fish, glaring at it. "I am going to enjoy cleaning and cooking you." Then, she grabbed her diving knife and began the well practiced process of cleaning her new meal.
Once Lynn was able to see that Nailah was fine, as Nailah didn't seem to be worried by whatever startled her, however, alert as she was, she heard a struggle under the water. Tali surprised Lynn when she randomly arose from the water, her arm bleeding a dark green color.
"Tali! Your arm!" she said in a bit of a panic. Her staff came to her in the water quickly and scooped her up as she came out of the water.
"Here, I can help, let me see your arm." Despite the bandages and ointment Tali already put on it, Lynn wanted to make sure it was completely healed without any room for infection as fast as possible.
A moment after she felt that strange grope on her behind and the following confusion after she didn't see anyone, she heard Lynn calling her, worried about her reaction.
"Don't worry! I just thought I had felt something in the water." Nailah said with a giggle as she tried to calm Lynn down.
Despite her momentary state of alert, Lynn was calmer than before, apparently she had already spent the excess energy she had stored by swimming.
"It was the first time I saw a Lassa swimming in person! It's quite a spectacle!" Nailah said, praising Lynn.
Talking about Lassa, Tali, who had disappeared under the water finally resurfaced with a big fish on her hands. When Nailah was about to congratulate her for her catch, she saw the angry stare she had towards the fish on her hand and the big wound on her arm, leaving a strange, dark green blood dripping along the ground as she walked.
"Hey! Are you ok?" Nailah asked, looking to Tali. While she was indeed curious about the strange color her blood had, as it was obvious by her stare, she was also worried as the wound on her arm was considerably big, matching the huge teeth the fish she was carrying had.
Almost immediately, Lynn ran towards her to treat her wounds.
"Lucky we have an experienced healer around. That fish really got you, didn't it?" Nailah said, with a chuckle, amused by Tali's comment when she said she would enjoy cleaning and cooking that fish.
Despite her not asking out of education, the unsaid question was as clear as ice in Nailah's cat-like stare as she took quick, discreet glances at Tali's wounded arm.
Walking out of the ox car, Aste walked to the riverside in her glidy steps. A water and glass spear might work very well, but its hard to say when the winter arrives. She washed her face from the cool and bristling river water, but her hands flinched for a moment upon seeing the slight trail of blood from Tailil. A small injury from a bite wasn’t much to worry about, though. The crisp water had washed her fatigue away, and slight drools nonetheless, ...
The mirror like water reflected on her messy hair. Although hidden beneath her linen robes, she hastily combed back into a more presentable form, whilst pulling back the white hood and letting down a long grey hair. Though she had considered it to be messy, her hair had a slight curl, yet it shone elegantly under the bright sun.
Aste tied her hair into her usual braid, as she let her pet Sparrow Valavin out of the cage. Valavin flew along the river. Should there be any of those bandits or even dangerous animals, Valavin has a bird’s eye view on that. But the sight of those bitey fish still made her feel queasy.
Algimar could tell the moment blood drew into the waters surface what was happening. One of them was being attacked. He drew a dagger from under his sleeve and listened into the water. It was a ferocious battle but one was victorious. Rising from the river was Talise who had her assailant in her grasp. He sighed. Luckily it went for one of the more capable fighters. Though given her hue of blood was likely a rare breed. Algimar thought on how unusual this 'Alliance' was. Perhaps they were mostly outsiders being used by the kingdoms. He unfortunately could relate to being an outsider.
The smell of fresh blood did make him feel a bit in need of some. Though Tali's blood did not seem at all delectable. Pure bloods made for the best feeds. That and seraphim. Algimar took a glance to Aeden to make note of his position. But as far as feeding went everyone may have interest. Not only that but the river was an obstacle from their position. From what he saw of the map their decision was mostly based on finding this resource of water to set up a camp. But how would they move forward?
Tali's work was interrupted by Lynn. It was rather welcome and quite adorable to see her all worked up and doting over her injury. She would heal up just fine, but she still took off the bandages to present it to the other Lassa woman. As much as she seemed unperturbed by the wound, Tali's arm looked well chewed and bad enough that short of healing magic, there would be a good few scars from the tearing teeth. It still dripped her blood as she held it up, a sign that without bandages or healing, it would keep bleeding for a long time.
"Lynn, I will live, but if you want to help out, feel free. It's cute that you are all about doting over me." Nailah came over and similarly took an interest in her wound, seeming to be more interested in her blood. Tali gave her a smile. "Yeah, it got me well, nothing fatal. I've had much worse in the sea by my house. I've had to deal with a shark twice my size while spear fishing. Also, my blood is naturally green, so don't worry about any curses or poison or anything. I just bleed green rather than red. I even have a cartilage skeleton rather than bone. Faster healing but easier to break." She gave both women a sultry wink. "It also, by my calculations, makes me thrice as flexible compared to the norm."
"Its caused by chlorocruorin in the blood. Unlike some sea life that use it in their plasma, however, it seems Tali has a type that actually acts efficiently as her blood," Lynn suddenly explained as she concentrated on a form of water that wrapped around Tali's arm and started to glow a faint light blue color.
"It's rare, and I honestly have only heard about it at the infirmary and some medical accounts." Lynn looked up to Tali,
"Its better to fix a wound as fast as possible, it leaves less room for any infection to set in." Lynn looked down and saw the bleeding cease as the wound closed. Any foreign debris and blood was pushed away by the water, forming its own bubble of waste as not to let it rest on the wound. Once it was all closed up, the water was removed from her arm and cast out with the waste.
"There! All better! How does it feel?" Lynn asked, her bright smile returning now that the arm was healed.
Nailah watched both curious regarding Tali's blood and watching Lynn's experienced hands as she treated the big wound on Tali's arm. Just like Tali said, it was indeed cute the way she was worried, but Nailah could also see that Lynn knew very well what she was doing.
"Really? Is it unique to you or maybe your family?" Nailah asked after Tali explained about not only her blood but her anatomy.
"Regarding your bones, there are other Lassas which also have cartilaginous skeletons, right?" Nailah asked, looking to both Lynn and Tali, obviously curious about all that.
When Tali mentioned being flexible though, Nailah couldn't help but to giggle mischievously at the way she looked at her.
"I would enjoy putting that statement to the test..." Nailah said, with a mischievous smirk to Tali.
Lynn's explanation about Tali's blood, differently from Tali's was unexpectedly serious and technical. Answering Nailah's previous questions, she said that it was indeed very rare, as even Lynn herself never saw such thing before, having only heard about it.
After Lynn finished treating Tali's arm, her bright smile immediately returned to her face, much to Nailah's surprise. If she looked at Nailah at that moment, she would find her staring at Lynn with a smile and a surprised expression.
"That was surprising!" Nailah said with a giggle.
"I didn't knew you were so serious about your job, it's almost as if you're another person!" Nailah said, with a gentle smile to Lynn.
Aeden started to turn his attention to Dremmick as he maintained watch. He had a clear idea why most of the group was here, since most of them were representatives sent by each realm. He came to the conclusion that Nailah was here for the hell of it; a reason he did not approve of, but the morale of the group seemed overall greatly improved by her presence.
Aeden approached Dremmick with a serious and thoughtful expression.
"Dremmick, right? Aeden." He was fairly sure they hadn't truly been introduced since their first meeting was followed up by Dremmick effectively losing consciousness.
"I am curious. For what reason are you with this Alliance? Don't get me wrong, I am by no means insinuating you are untrusted. I am simply curious." Dremmick raised an eyebrow at Aeden as he walked up to him. Strange. Of all the people who decided to talk to him, it was the one who seemed repulsed the most by him last time he remembered talking with him.
"I have never known someone to ever be just 'simply curious', especially when they state it twice." he said, his eyes narrowing slightly for a moment before continuing.
"Anyway.... I can't quite say it's too complicated a reason really. I got caught up in one of the Aion's raids in Nero and escaped through one of their portals. I helped in a quest to bring back the seer to keep Mirror off my back and then they wanted to recruit me into their Alliance..... I nearly left them with the damn thing, and to be honest I still feel like I have made the wrong decision." Dremmick stood quiet there for a moment thinking about how much the curse had spread since he joined, sighing before continuing,
"I guess what I'm hoping for is that King Vrondi is as helpful as the seer said he is. I have a few loose ends I need to wrap up, and a wrong or two to right, and having Vrondi's resources at my disposal could prove useful." Aeden chuckled at Dremmick's comment about his repeating curious.
"You're right. I stand corrected. I am very curious." He listened carefully as Dremmick gave a quick history of how he got into the Alliance nodding occasionally.
"It makes sense that Mirror would be vigilant in regards to a blood magic user like yourself. I would be as well, except for what I saw of you the first time we met. From what I've seen our entire trip it seems you have no choice but to constantly use it." Aeden paused as he considered the final part of what Dremmick said.
"I hope you are able to right those wrongs. Regret is the greatest killer of men." Aeden was hardly satisfied with the little information he received, but it was enough for him to have an idea of the man that stood before him. Dremmick did not appear to be someone that would respond well if pressed, so Aeden concluded the rest would have to be earned through time.
Dremmick looked to Shye for a moment after Aeden mentioned his first time meeting him. If Dremmick were honest with himself, he was quite guilty of making fast judgments as well. Though its been what has kept him alive, he wondered if all of them were right. It certainly wasn't the case when he went after her.
"Sometimes...things don't seem to be as they first appear, hmm? Judging a person on their first appearance is what can keep one safe.... even if it is wrong sometimes." When Aeden mentioned him senseing his blood magic, Dremmick smirked a bit.
"So you can sense when it is being used? Interesting...Now that is something a bit complicated. I'll just leave it at this. Healing my body only tends to make certain problems....worse. I'll manage, so you should concentrate on the others if they are injured." "Oh yes, there are plenty of other Lassa with cartilaginous skeletons. It is just genealogically passed down from your parents like any other trait," Lynn explained.
"I got my horn and tail from my father's side of the family, but most of my features from my mother's side of the family, even my Sol blood. Somehow, I got more Sol traits than my mother did, but it is what allows me to heal so efficiently. When Nailah spoke about how serious she was about her job, Lynn looked a little surprised and considered the statement oddly seriously.
"W-well, I need to be. I can't afford to mess up or not know enough. Malpractice or lack of knowledge can leave a patient in a worse condition or even dead..... That's why I try to concentrate as much as possible when I heal, it's very important!""And ya do a fine job from what I hear, lass!" Allard shouted over to them as he climbed out of the river.
"I heard ya gone an took over healin tha people outside tha medical center, even operatin' after ya ran low on yur magic. They even called ya a 'walkin' potion' if I remember correctly. But hear me out, I only tell ya this because I'm concerned for ya lass, as are some of the others. Healin' is a fine art, not ta be taken lightly, however, a healer that can't fight in a small group like this can be a target. If ya can't rightly defend yourself, other people can be hurt protectin' ya. And if you fall, that is a lifeline that is severed. Have ya been taught any way of keepin' yerself safe?" Allard said to her, finally getting around to what has been on some of their minds.
Lynn looked up at Allard, eyes wide that the giant man and her head tilted cutely to the side.
"Defending myself? Lynn softly repeated as she looked back down.
"I see, you are all worried I may endanger the group if I can't defend myself. That is... reasonable. I know a few things my father taught to me! she said energetically,
"It should be able to fend off some foes I think! But....I, uh....never had to use them in actual combat.." she admitted sheepishly at the end.
"Hmmmm, sounds promisin'," Allard said encouragingly,
"Maybe you should practice with someone a bit, eh?" Allard responded, then looking over to Nailah, winking to her.
---
Shye noticed the commotion with Tali in the water and stood up, ready to combat a threat, but it was over quickly. Shye had already pulled a flame to her hand from the fire runes in her gauntlets sitting next to her, but when it seemed like everything was fine and being handled, the flame dissipated. She looked down to her feet and noticed that they were now dirty from being wet and standing in the dirt. He eyes narrowed ever so slightly at this.
Daintily, she crouched down to pick up her things and she walked over to the tent and campsite Garrett had put together, smiling warmly to Aeden as she passed by.
"I will see if I can rest in the tent Sir Garrett placed. If so, I will be in there if anyone is in need of me." Before entering, she bathed her feet in fire, burning away any debris, effectively cleaning them off, and walked in. She saw that Garrett was already inside, not surprising as he did set the tent up. She wasn't altogether sure what to think of Garrett overall. She had no reason to hate the man, and didn't resent him like it seemed some of the others did, though the nagging thought of his plan going awry still forced its way into her head. She knew it wasn't really his fault, how could he ad known that would be the outcome? And after all was said and done, her son was still safe and she was as close to freedom as she had ever been.
She gave Garrett a small formal bow, holding her belongings close to her chest,
"Pardon my intrusion, Sir Garrett, but..., would It be alright If I used this shelter for tonight? I know I'm not an official member of your Alliance quite yet, and if you preferred I stayed outside, I would understand." she asked
Nailah was surprised by Lynn explanation. Surely having a cartilaginous skelleton would make one much more flexible... It surely could lead to interesting situations. Nailah couldn't help but to send Tali a mischievous look after Lynn mentioned that. Even though she didn't say a word, the message on her eyes and expression was clear. She wouldn't forget Tali's comment about being flexible.
"Despite you being a cute, innocent and adorable girl, I can see you are very serious and responsible when the situation requires you to be so." Nailah said, with a warm smile as she gently caressed Lynn's head. This time, it was clear both to Lynn and to others looking that Nailah was praising her not as a cute, naive little girl or her 'little sister', but as a woman and a professional healer.
"Indeed she is." Nailah replied as she heard Allard shouting, as he climbed out of the river.
"What about you? Any unfortunate encounter with a bloodthirsty fish?" Nailah asked with a giggle.
"Lynn might be busy but I wouldn't mind taking care of you." She finished with a discreet wink and a flirty smirk. At that point, Allard would already be accustomed with Nailah's flirting and regular provocations.
"Oh! That's right!" Naliah exclaimed just after Allard asked if Lynn knew how to protect herself.
"You should start taking self-defense classes!" Nailah said, with an eager and confident expression.
"I could be your sparring partner!" Nailah said, agreeing with Allard, who had discreetly suggested her to be Lynn's sparring partner.
"If you manage to keep me from getting close to you or touching you, other possible adversaries will be nothing but a joke for you!" Nailah said, with a wink.
"Before we start though, we should know your proficiency at handling your staff. You can control it with your magic, right? That could be a huge advantage when fighting against experienced opponents due to the weird angles which you could strike them from." Nailah said, waiting for Lynn's answer.
It was incredibly obvious that Nailah was probably more eager and excited to teach Lynn than Lynn herself would probably be to learn though.
Tali listened to Nailah and Lynn chatting as she finished prepping the fish for cooking. She set aside the meat and stood up, stretching her body. It seemed Lynn was going to learn some fighting. "When it comes to fighting, I can also help some, though I would say if Lynn seems ill suited for melee, we may want to ask Itzel. She seems to use a bow as her primary weapon, so she may be able to help train for fighting at range."
She then teasingly leaned up against Lynn. "If you get all sore and tired, I could always give you a massage and cuddle." She winked at Nailah before continuing. "I'm sure if you are really tired out, Nailah would be happy to help me pamper you even more."
Itzel, meanwhile, had since moved to clear some space out in the camp. She then took a breath, focusing and then summoning enough crystal to form into a shelter for Gaston and herself. She shaped it to allow for protection from the elements, though its front was still open as she liked the fresh air. Once the crystal lean-to was finished, Itzel then grabbed a couple thick blankets from Gaston's saddlebags, laying them out to give some comfortable padding and protection from the dirt.
