Nihere reached his hand out a moment as if to stop Astra, but then let it fall when she said she wasn't very good at strategy. "Alright." He said, a little exasperated. Ruth then reminded Nihere about where to meet up, and suggested the lift. He nodded in response. "Hopefully Blag will be there to iron out the specifics of the rations we're going to get." Nihere watched as Astra went out the door.
Ruth went on to start talking about strategy. She suggested a fairly standard grouping strategy- Close-ranged attackers in front, range and supports in the back. "Yes, that sounds like a good strategy. I heard Astra say something about being a support, I think. And I attack with my bow. That puts the two of us in the back. Emme said she used a shield, and with all that armor it wouldn't surprise me that she is more akin to a warrior. But what about you?" Nihere knew this subject would need to be gone over again once they grouped up, but he wanted to have a good idea before they did.
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Puella Magi Madoka Magicka is an awesome, feel-good, cutesy anime. You should watch it!
Iron Eyes, a good man, though he wasn't much to talk. He was a well known blacksmith in the town, someone who people always relied on when it comes to smithing. Emme was one of them, her shield was battered and dented in all over, it looked like it would fall apart in the next hit, the crest on the shield itself could barely be made out, it was scratched and worn to the point where sometimes it didn't even look like a shield. Weeks back, she left it in the hands of Iron Eyes, and it was today that she may pick it up and use it again.
Once the girl had arrived at the blacksmith, she entered the building and called for the blacksmith. The blacksmith recognized the voice as the man turned to face her. The man grunted and picked up the shield from behind the counter and placed it on it. The man pointed at the crest and spoke.
"I didn't know what it was originally, so I had to make do." Iron Eyes stated, running his thumb down the side of it, the crest wasn't what it was anymore. Back then, the crest was of a head of a lion, and the colour was different to what it was now. The shield now had a serpent as it's crest, and it's colour was silver, black and green, instead of blue and gold. The colours were so worn out, that even Iron Eyes failed to restore it to what it was. Emme looked down at the shield and nodded, she didn't hate it, she actually agreed to it more now that she was doing freelancer work. Emme picked up the shield and strapped it to her back. She fished out Iron Eyes' payment from her pouch and placed it on the table. The two nodded at each other before Emme walked out the building.
[ -2 gold, 10 silver ]
She decided to make her way back, she hadn't even had a talk with any of her soon to be allies, though she had no intention of talking to the witch, she would talk to anyone but the witch. She made her walk back, the bridge in the distance for her to cross in a few steps. She then started to think, will her comrades be normal or odd... The one with the bow seemed like someone she'd get along with.
Emme ponders about her allies for a moment, but her focus is broken by an irritating clanking noise. Some small figure about half your size--a goblin, judging from the green warty ears--sprints past you, wearing a pack almost as big as it is and clanking noisily as its chain hauberk shifts throughout its movements. It runs full-tilt out of sight, towards the gates leading to the side-shelf.
Odd fellow. You don't recall a goblin being present at the meeting, or being mentioned by either the Captain or the Mayor, so he's probably not important. Unless one was mentioned before you came to the meeting?
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Did something happen to you in your childhood to give you this unreasonable fear of rutabaga?
As Astra left the barracks, she was already trying to make up the conversation in her mind- she didn't really know Emme at all, so she thought Emme would be very knightly and all that, though maybe someone knightly wouldn't completely cover their entire body in plate, especially since it was some form of respect. She started talking to herself as she walked towards this blacksmith. "E-Emily- I mean, Emme, I-I came to get you, for... Uhh...-" This went on for minutes until she got somewhere closer to the inner parts of the town.
Astra could swear she could see Emme in the distance, past a Bridge to be exact- though a little goblin thing, orc? No definitely a goblin- Orcs aren't that small. The little goblin practically came out of nowhere, sprinting past a few people which included Astra herself and Emme. She saw Emme look up at her, crossing paths at the Bridge. Astra stood still and stared blankly at her, trying to figure out what to say.
"H-He-Hell-Gr-Greetings, no wait, Hello, I urr... Uhh... C-Came to get you, we- Urrr.. We were about to discuss strategy and we... Urr... Need you."
“What about me?” Ruth said, parroting the question that Nihere had posed “Well, I’m a summoner of sorts.”
She paused for a moment before continuing, “I also use magic to provide support, such as weakening the enemy. This would probably put me somewhere toward the back of the group, but I can send the spirits to the front.”
She didn’t go into specifics about her magic, there would be time to discuss it all later while they were in the Conglomerate. She was a medium, her magic was connected to the spirit world. Sometimes people found her magic unnerving, she would try to convince them that it wasn’t something to be nervous about. She hoped that her new allies wouldn’t find it unnerving.
A fairly basic strategy had been made and Ruth could not think of anything else they needed to do before they left. They already had supplies figured out so they shouldn’t starve whilst journeying. They just needed to meet up before they could leave on their quest. Astra had already left, so they just needed to wait for her and Emme to return.
“Now that we have food, water and a sort of grouping strategy, I think we are almost ready to go. We just need to catch up with Emme and Astra” Ruth said, “Unless you can think of anything else we need?”
The expedition seemed exciting, exciting but dangerous. They would be working to find supplies and the Branded that stole from the mayor. They would need to be wary on their journey and learn how each other fought, then they would best work as a team.
Emme's attention was originally at the little goblin that ran by, she even turned to face it as she got to bridge, placing her hand on the railing as the river below flowed pass. She began thinking if that was the goblin mentioned earlier, maybe, but there can't be just one goblin in the city- it could very well just be coincidence. She even gave a small smile under her helmet, though as she turned back to the path she was going. She was greeted by deep purple and dark-ish red clothes- also a witch hat. Don't tell me... Yes, it's her isn't it?
She let out a sigh, as the witch before her spoke- she stuttered so many times it was like she was nervous. Good, that's the message Emme wanted to put across anyway. "Strategy?" Asked Emme, "You came to fetch me so we may strategy? Appreciated, but I have no business with people like you."
(Kat)
Astra flinched at the reply- Don't people usually discuss strategy upon missions like these? Then she heard the knight spoke.
"I have no business with people like you." That line echoed in her head, almost consuming her- Astra knew she didn't do anything wrong, so why?
"I Uhm... I-It's for everyone, I told them I'd take you back to the barracks so we may discuss." Astra said.
Astra kept a small smile, she tried to be as homely as she possibly could, she wouldn't want to make Emme think she was some sort of monster, but she thought Emme already viewed her as one.
(Vigne)
Emme then took a few steps, walking pass the witch completely. "I'll meet you there, I rather not spend any more time alone with you, so leave me alone." Said the freelance knight. Emme felt her steps get heavier as she took a few more paces towards the barracks, leaving the witch to stare down at the river below.
Just leave, I don't want to cause trouble but you're pushing me. The knight's thoughts were of pure anger and hatred, she couldn't stand witches, no matter how many times she think she could- it all came to bite her back in the future. So no more trusting witches, this one is different, but not different enough.
(Kat)
Astra was practically paralyzed in shock for a few seconds, she couldn't feel any part of her body move- even when she tried. Seconds later, she insisted. She turned towards the gold tinted knight and took a solid two steps towards her direction.
"M-Maybe I could change your mind if I get you a drink? H-How does that sound? It's on me!" Exclaimed the witch.
Drinks are good with making friends right? A lot of fiction and non-fiction stories say so, or maybe Astra was reading the wrong types of stories.
(Vigne)
Emme clutched her fists and gritted her teeth, she turned to face the witch and pushed herself against her. She was having absolutely none of it, she is not having it at all. Her hatred for this one is much different from the hate she gave other witches, instead of being witch like, this one was just so annoying. "I told you to leave me alone! I have no business with witches!" Emme raised her voice, her frustration getting the best of her at this point.
Why was this one so persistent? A normal witch would just turn her into a frog so they could get what they want, but why was this one so different. From the size of her wand, it was quite obvious this witch had something special to her. After Emme got her message through, she turned back around and started walking once more.
(Kat)
Astra wanted to get her message across, but Emme wasn't even allowing her to talk at this point. Emme is frightening, the woman towered over her and pushed her up against the railing. At this point, Astra would give up- but no, she spoke up again once more.
"I-I'm different from other witches! Y-You don't have to worry about me, I just have a favour to ask of you!" Astra pleaded.
Astra was absolutely pushing the limits with that sentence, she already ticked off Emme- she wasn't even playing with fire at this point, she put the fire in her mouth and hoped it won't light her on fire.
(Vigne)
There it was, the kicker- Astra just couldn't keep her mouth shut now could she. Emme turned around, furious, she stomped her way back towards the witch. An aura of fury practically emanated around her, "I couldn't care less if you're different. I owe no witch any favour, So- Leave. Me. Alone!" Emme exclaimed, she pulled her hands back, and gave the witch a quick shove while she pushed the witch up against the railing.
Here's hoping she'd fall off, with that she walked away, back to the barracks.
(Kat)
She did. She completely fell off, she even let out a yelp on the way down. Splash! As she fell into water, the water wasn't very deep which was good. Either way, Astra rose up from the water and stood there, parting the wet hair away from her eyes and removing her hat. She pushed herself out of the water and back towards the paths.Sadly for this witch, she didn't have any sort of drying spell, or heat spell, or I wish that hadn't happened spell.
Astra was dripping, each step she took had a squish as her boots were filled with water. She wrapped her arms around herself and made her way to the barracks, shivering the whole way. She hated this, she really wish she kept mouth shut at this point.
"Great... Looks like there goes my chances of surviving." Mumbled the witch under her breath.
Maybe the people back at the barracks have some sort of drying spell, in the mean time Astra will be wet for awhile.
"I can't think of anything else we may need. Except maybe some more potions, for myself. Lets hope Emme and Astra get back soon." Nihere's impatience was showing. It was clear now to Ruth that he wanted to start right away- not out of anxiety, however. He had a drive to do this. Nihere tried to hide it earlier, but he isn't used to trying to hide how he feels.
Nihere sees Emme approaching- but without Astra. That worried Nihere. As she approached, Nihere kept looking behind her, that maybe he just didn't see Astra at first. His worry intensified as he discovered that it was only Emme. He waited a few moments longer, and Emme was withing talking distance, his concern obvious. "Where's Astra? We sent her to get you." Nihere hoped that maybe the two just passed each other and didn't realize it.
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Puella Magi Madoka Magicka is an awesome, feel-good, cutesy anime. You should watch it!
Emme stopped in her tracks as she saw- Nihere was it? The man with the bow, he spoke asking about the redheaded witch, the same witch who she pushed off the bridge moments ago. Emme shrugged and pointed behind her.
"She went for a swim, take a peek down the bridge she might still be there." Emme stated, she answered then continued her walk back to the barracks, assuming the others were still there. Maybe she got on Nihere's badside because of the little witch incident, maybe. Emme wasn't one to make friends anyways.
When the door swung open, Ruth had expected to see both of her absent teammates standing there. However, there was only one person standing there. It was the tall knight called Emme. Ruth craned her neck to try to see if Astra was coming, but she did not see her. Did she decide to return before Astra had a chance to find her and they somehow missed each other on her way back? This is what Ruth thought, or it was until Emme was questioned about it.
Emme had said, rather nonchalantly, that Astra had gone for a swim. Ruth was, unsurprisingly, confused. Why would she do that when she knew that they were waiting for her and that they needed to leave soon? It seemed like quite a strange thing to do when they needed to be getting ready for their trip. She was unsure about this, despite having no other reason to not believe the knight.
“A swim…” she said, the confusion evident in her voice, “We should get her before we leave.”
With that Ruth began walking toward the door, looked behind her to check if the others were going to come with her. She planned to go to the bridge, where Emme had said they might still be able to see Astra, on the way to the lift. Hopefully they would be able to catch up with her. They had done enough preparations for the trip, so the last thing they needed to do was to get the whole group together again.
“Let’s go find Astra and get ready to leave” she said.
"Yeah. You go ahead to the lift Emme. We'll meet you there." Nihere went off in the direction that Emme came from, not bothering to see if Ruth followed. He was concerned about how Emme had worded and emphasized what she said, 'Taking a swim'. Nihere walked his way to the bridge, wondering what she could have meant.
He found out soon, as he noticed a mostly drenched Astra climbing out from underneath the bridge, a mixture of sadness and anger shown on her face. Nihere almost ran to close the gap and offered her a hand. "What happened?" He said, figuring it out in that moment. 'Taking a swim', in such an apathetic tone, and with Astra in her condition, it was clear that Emme had pushed or thrown Astra off of the bridge.
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Puella Magi Madoka Magicka is an awesome, feel-good, cutesy anime. You should watch it!
Astra couldn't blame anyone other than herself for this incident, she pushed herself on to someone who didn't want anything to do with her. At least that's a lesson learned right? Astra parted the hair on her face to see the man in front of her, it was Nihere. Astra couldn't help but smile as she took his hand still drenched from the whole thing. She removed her hat and looked up at the man.
"Emme happened, apologies for worrying any of you." Astra stated.
She was shivering, dang that water was cold or maybe it because it's abrupt. Whatever it was, Astra was bound to get ill if she doesn't get to dry clothes soon.
(Scarf)
Nihere shook his head. "No, it wasn't your fault. Emme was way out of line to do something like this. If we can't respect each other, how are we going to work together?" Nihere then noticed Astra's shivering. He was too pre-occupied with Emme to think of it until now. "Oh gosh, here. Take off your shirt." Nihere immedietly took off his robes, revealing his thin build. He handed it to Astra "Put it on. I'll start a fire once we get to the lift."
Nihere felt a little cold, but it was minor compared to how Astra was shivering. He didn't pay attention if Astra put it on or not, he went straight towards the barracks without another word. He understood that sometimes, personalities clash- such things are inevitable. But if they were going to work together they needed to have at least a basic respect for each other, and an understanding that they were on the same team. Anger was easily seen in his face and posture as he walked.
(Kat)
Astra nodded and took the robes from him, though she didn't take her shirt off since it was a thin skintight suit, it would reveal a bit too much. She wrapped Nihere's robes around herself, taking out her wand afterwards.
"I c-can help, w-with the fire." Astra offered, though her elemental capabilities weren't great, she could probably make the fire with just a little bit of mana consumption.
Astra would do anything for a nice quiet chat by a fire and maybe even a warm drink to go with it. I guess witches aren't suppose to be in this time, or maybe Emme's words were really just getting to her.
(Scarf)
Nihere turned around after a few steps, hearing Astra saying she could help start the fire. "No, you don't have to. Go ahead to the lift with Ruth, i'm going to talk with Emme. I shouldn't be too far behind. Unless you really need that fire right now...?" Nihere offered. He could easily find a stall with some spare wood, leftover from their crafting, and start the fire immedietly. "We can wait a little while for you to warm up, i'm sure."
(Kat)
"Maybe a few minutes by the fire, just to dry off a little. Maybe I can jump in to quicker the process." Astra joked.
Even with everything that's happened, Astra tried to keep the mood light and uplifting. It's good, having a smile here and there will at least brighten something up need it be big or small, short or tall, it should make at least the redheaded witch and the rather thin man beside her a little bit happier. Astra laughed, it was the few things she was good at, a very contagious laughter was at play here.
(Scarf)
Nihere was confused and a little shocked at Astra saying she could expedite the process by jumping into the fire. Once she laughed, a smile replaced his concerned face as he laughed a little. "Okay, lets go and find some wood. Shouldn't be too hard." He then led Astra back across the bridge into the market, asking a few stalls if they had some spare wood for a fire. Eventually, they found some spare wood in a weapons shop. Nihere paid a little bit and took the wood. "We need to light this in a relatively isolated spot, so the fire doesn't spread."
Nihere wandered for a short time, before speaking again. "While we look, do you mind telling me more of what happened? What led up to her pushing you off?"
(Kat)
"Well, I w-wanted to talk her while on the way to you and the others, but she having absolutely none of it." Said Astra, a small shrug right after the sentence.
Astra thought for a second, it was entirely her fault, she was given multiple warnings and she pushed it further. What was she thinking? Astra's smart enough to back off, she's a witch. Though maybe not all witches are the same, that's true, and in Astra's case- the thing that separates her from other witches isn't a good thing. Astra took a deep breath and spoke.
"I pushed myself on to her way too much... And she didn't like from the start, and I just practically made it worse." Astra then chuckled. "She gave me a few warnings, but me being the persistent little -censored-[/i] she pushed me off."
(Scarf)
Nihere listened as he started the fire. He used his Flame ability to light the head of his arrow, and used it to ignite the kindling. "I understand what you mean, but that doesn't excuse what she did. You shouldn't have pushed so much, but she shouldn't have pushed back. You were both in the wrong. You just got the worse end of the deal." Nihere stopped talking as his flame took hold, and he put some of the wood near it. The flame was soon a fire. "There you go." Nihere rubbed his arms over his bare chest. "And if you don't mind, i'd like my robes back."
(Kat)
"R-Right, my apologies." Replied the witch.
Astra removed the robes from her shoulders and slowly placed it on his shoulder. She placed her hands in front of the fire, rubbing them together every now and then. Astra glanced over at nihere, letting out a sigh as she looked away. It was almost a scene from a movie, except without the romantic tension, or maybe there was- Astra just couldn't feel it.
"I always get the worse end of the deal, doesn't mean I can't learn from it. I've always had the luck of really bad chimera droppings, so that's an added bonus I suppose."
(Scarf)
Nihere had run out of responses at that point. He simply gave Astra a bright smile, and focused on the fire. His robes had gotten damp, but he didn't complain.
His mind turned back to strategy. The targets, the Branded, rather, likely had on their side a brawler, a medic and a rogue. If these assumed roles were to be the case, then it is likely that Emme would have to keep Dein distracted while the rogue harassed everyone else up close. It would be risky, which implied that the medic would focus more effort towards the rogue rather than Dein.
But then came the question of who had the Scimitar. Dein gave off the impression of a brute-force type person, meaning he likely wouldn't wield a weapon that required high amounts of skill. The rogue would likely have it. That would only end up making him more of a threat- and therefore, a bigger target. One way or another, Dein would likely the last person to fall if they got into a fight.
IF they got into a fight with us,[/i] Nihere reminded himself. His primary goal would be to talk them back to the Wrinkle. Instead of battle scenarios, Nihere moved on to is words and phrasing, trying to show them the appeal of going back, and pointing out the dangers of the Conglomerate.
(Kat)
After a few minutes of being inches away from the fire. Astra put her damp hat back on and spoke.
"Let's go, I should be fine from this point on- and if push comes to shove I can turn into a centaur or something stupid."
Was that moment odd? Nah. It was fun, friends have been made, which was- perfect to say the least. Astra's eyes then widened all of a sudden, she remembered something, she straightened her body and started jogging in place. Her broom, Her broom arrives today! Years of looking for one, and she only had one made a month ago.
"Uhh... You can go ahead to the lift, I'll be there in a fly!" Astra exclaimed.
She then sprinted off to the magic shop downtown, she was excited, her mood uplifted- it was a very good feeling for the moonlit witch.
(Scarf)
When Astra said they should be getting back, Nihere was snapped out of his thoughts. "Yeah, i think we should go." He agreed. He didn't entierly know how to react to Astra's comment about turning into a centaur, so he ignored it. Astra then said she'd be at the lift 'in a fly', which also confused him. He simply waved goodbye as she ran off. Nihere took care of extinguishing the embers left from the fire. After that, he started walking back to the barracks- just in case Ruth or Emme were still there.
Nihere's eyes feel heavier as the tip of his arrowhead bursts into a ravenous flame (40/50 FP). Few people pass by your secluded spot, but the ones that do give you an odd look.
---
Astra rushes to the magic shop; the shopkeeper must have been expecting you in advance, as she pulls the broom out from beneath the counter as you go inside. It's an attractive thing, crafted in the familiar tri-brush style and capped with a metal tip resembling your wand. She hands you the broom wordlessly--as you had already paid for it to be commissioned--and you leave to test it out.
You quickly discover, however, that you have no idea how to actually use the thing. You're not even sure if it works at all--is this a dud?
Astra stared at the broom for a few seconds, examining every nook and cranny of it. She thought of multiple spells that could lift her off the ground but she wasn't sure if it would work on a new broom. She shrugged and straddled over the broom, one leg on each side, she cleared her throat and spoke.
"Livere Varitz!" No, nothing.
"Gonguni Sekanaisasai!" Nope.
"Suna toshi!" Nada.
This went for a little while, until something struck her mind, a spell that she only recently read on a tome she kept a home- it could help with this endevour.
"Tia... Freyre!" Astra exclaimed.
With that, she floated a few inches off the ground, but her laughter and loss of focus immediately made her fall on the ground seconds after.
"Tia Freyre!" She chanted again.
But her focus was gone, so she didn't lift up off the ground at all.
Upon uttering the words, an eerie feeling of deja vu flashes in your mind--a faint blur of recollection. It then fades.
You exhale deeply after levitating the broom. (59/60 FP)
It seems that you are able to use this spell even without mastery. That said, you shouldn't expect it to be reliable--or efficient--until you've studied it in great detail...
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Did something happen to you in your childhood to give you this unreasonable fear of rutabaga?
Ruth left a bit after Nihere did, she intended to stop by the bridge on her way to the lift. That was where Emme had said Astra was. They needed to find her, they party couldn’t start the expedition while it was incomplete. She wondered about what might have happened at the bridge, why Astra might have gone into the water like Emme said.
What if they couldn’t find her though? Ruth supposed that they would need to search or hope that she would go to the lift. If she wasn’t at the bridge, the lift would be the next place she would check. She could ask the spirits for help in getting the party together, perhaps they could direct them to the lift. Although that would take some time when she could only call two spirits at once.
By the time she neared the bridge, She looked around for Astra, but if she was here before, she wasn’t now. However she did see Nihere. Curiously Ruth could see what appeared to be the ashes left from a campfire, she looked at the ashes for a few moments before turning her attention to her ally. She waved to him, hoping to get his attention, before walking up to him.
“Nihere!” she said, “Did you find Astra?”
Nihere had left before her, perhaps he had run into her. So there was a chance that she might be able to find out what had happened to their ally. Ruth hoped he had found her, else they would need to search for her. Ruth did trust that Astra could take care of herself, but she was uncertain about what had happened to her. They were a team, or at least they were going to be a team very soon, and they needed to be together before they could being their all-important mission.
Nihere had turned his mind back to Emme, but Ruth appeared, asking about Astra. "She's fine." He responded. "Emme pushed her off the bridge, and Astra went to get something from a magic shop after I helped her dry off by a fire. She said she'll meet us at the lift after she gets whatever she went for. In the meantime, I need to talk to Emme- is she still here?"
The archer immedietly started looking around the outside of the barracks, still in earshot of Ruth. He had calmed down after sitting by the fire with Astra, but he still needed to get the idea of basic respect for other humans into Emme's head. Though much less intense, anger was still easily seen in Nihere.
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Puella Magi Madoka Magicka is an awesome, feel-good, cutesy anime. You should watch it!
Astra took a deep breath, she remembered something, some odd sense of deja vu, but what was it? Whatever it was, she can't think of it now. She then straddled on the broom once more and chanted the words a second time.
"Tia Freyre!" She exclaimed.
The broom sprinkled green dust particles as it slowly lifted her off the ground. She started thinking how to operate this thing exactly- there's only one way to find out. As she got high enough, she leaned forward, the broom then started to move forward a little faster than usual, she then shifted her leg to a tighter, more race like position and she seemed to go even faster. It's going to take time some getting used to, but it should do her well. She zoomed towards the barracks, trying to see if she can see any of her team mates including the gold tinted knight. Maybe she was too far up, since she zoomed right over Nihere's head, she didn't recognize him from such a great height. She circled around the barracks, slowly lowering herself as she did since she didn't know how to stop or lower herself manually.
Astra took a deep breath, she remembered something, some odd sense of deja vu, but what was it? Whatever it was, she can't think of it now. She then straddled on the broom once more and chanted the words a second time.
"Tia Freyre!" She exclaimed.
The broom sprinkled green dust particles as it slowly lifted her off the ground.
You mount the broom, but feel a horrible wrenching sensation as you try to lift it. The broom twitches but does nothing more. (49/60 MP)
There's no way you're going to be able to fly with your current skills.
She took her broom and walked towards the barracks, though she was smiling as she did, she had never flown on a broom before. Even if it was brief, it was good enough to brighten up her day after everything that had happened.
At last Ruth knew what happened at the bridge, her eyes widened as she heard what Nihere had to say. Astra had been pushed off the bridge by Emme. Though her exact reasons behind such an act was still unknown, Ruth was not happy about this. Not only had one of their teammates been put in danger, the act had also caused a rift in the team. Nihere was clearly angry about this, and he said that he wanted to talk to Emme.
“She was there before I left” Ruth answered.
It was clear now that there were hostilities between Emme and Astra, which could create great difficulties when they in the Conglomerate. Ruth thought that if they could talk to her they might be able to get her to try to get along with Astra. But they needed to find her first.
That was when Ruth remembered, they were planning to meet up at the lift. Emme could have left already, or if she was still at the barracks then it would save them from having to search the whole place. They could get Emme to explain her actions there. Then their vital mission could begin.
“Nihere,” Ruth said, raising her voice so he could hear, “We need to leave, we can meet up with Emme at the lift and talk to her there.”
Ruth stayed put for a few moments while she waited to see if Nihere would be coming or not. She then turned around and began walking to the lift. It wasn’t too long after she started walking that she ran into none other than Astra herself. The young witch seemed cheerful despite what had happened and appeared to be carrying a broomstick.
“Astra!” Ruth said, “I was just on my way to the lift. I heard about what happened, are you alright?”
Nihere reached his hand out a moment as if to stop Astra, but then let it fall when she said she wasn't very good at strategy. "Alright." He said, a little exasperated. Ruth then reminded Nihere about where to meet up, and suggested the lift. He nodded in response. "Hopefully Blag will be there to iron out the specifics of the rations we're going to get." Nihere watched as Astra went out the door.
Ruth went on to start talking about strategy. She suggested a fairly standard grouping strategy- Close-ranged attackers in front, range and supports in the back. "Yes, that sounds like a good strategy. I heard Astra say something about being a support, I think. And I attack with my bow. That puts the two of us in the back. Emme said she used a shield, and with all that armor it wouldn't surprise me that she is more akin to a warrior. But what about you?" Nihere knew this subject would need to be gone over again once they grouped up, but he wanted to have a good idea before they did.
Iron Eyes, a good man, though he wasn't much to talk. He was a well known blacksmith in the town, someone who people always relied on when it comes to smithing. Emme was one of them, her shield was battered and dented in all over, it looked like it would fall apart in the next hit, the crest on the shield itself could barely be made out, it was scratched and worn to the point where sometimes it didn't even look like a shield. Weeks back, she left it in the hands of Iron Eyes, and it was today that she may pick it up and use it again.
Once the girl had arrived at the blacksmith, she entered the building and called for the blacksmith. The blacksmith recognized the voice as the man turned to face her. The man grunted and picked up the shield from behind the counter and placed it on it. The man pointed at the crest and spoke.
"I didn't know what it was originally, so I had to make do." Iron Eyes stated, running his thumb down the side of it, the crest wasn't what it was anymore. Back then, the crest was of a head of a lion, and the colour was different to what it was now. The shield now had a serpent as it's crest, and it's colour was silver, black and green, instead of blue and gold. The colours were so worn out, that even Iron Eyes failed to restore it to what it was. Emme looked down at the shield and nodded, she didn't hate it, she actually agreed to it more now that she was doing freelancer work. Emme picked up the shield and strapped it to her back. She fished out Iron Eyes' payment from her pouch and placed it on the table. The two nodded at each other before Emme walked out the building.
[ -2 gold, 10 silver ]
She decided to make her way back, she hadn't even had a talk with any of her soon to be allies, though she had no intention of talking to the witch, she would talk to anyone but the witch. She made her walk back, the bridge in the distance for her to cross in a few steps. She then started to think, will her comrades be normal or odd... The one with the bow seemed like someone she'd get along with.
Emme ponders about her allies for a moment, but her focus is broken by an irritating clanking noise. Some small figure about half your size--a goblin, judging from the green warty ears--sprints past you, wearing a pack almost as big as it is and clanking noisily as its chain hauberk shifts throughout its movements. It runs full-tilt out of sight, towards the gates leading to the side-shelf.
Odd fellow. You don't recall a goblin being present at the meeting, or being mentioned by either the Captain or the Mayor, so he's probably not important. Unless one was mentioned before you came to the meeting?
As Astra left the barracks, she was already trying to make up the conversation in her mind- she didn't really know Emme at all, so she thought Emme would be very knightly and all that, though maybe someone knightly wouldn't completely cover their entire body in plate, especially since it was some form of respect. She started talking to herself as she walked towards this blacksmith. "E-Emily- I mean, Emme, I-I came to get you, for... Uhh...-" This went on for minutes until she got somewhere closer to the inner parts of the town.
Astra could swear she could see Emme in the distance, past a Bridge to be exact- though a little goblin thing, orc? No definitely a goblin- Orcs aren't that small. The little goblin practically came out of nowhere, sprinting past a few people which included Astra herself and Emme. She saw Emme look up at her, crossing paths at the Bridge. Astra stood still and stared blankly at her, trying to figure out what to say.
"H-He-Hell-Gr-Greetings, no wait, Hello, I urr... Uhh... C-Came to get you, we- Urrr.. We were about to discuss strategy and we... Urr... Need you."
“What about me?” Ruth said, parroting the question that Nihere had posed “Well, I’m a summoner of sorts.”
She paused for a moment before continuing, “I also use magic to provide support, such as weakening the enemy. This would probably put me somewhere toward the back of the group, but I can send the spirits to the front.”
She didn’t go into specifics about her magic, there would be time to discuss it all later while they were in the Conglomerate. She was a medium, her magic was connected to the spirit world. Sometimes people found her magic unnerving, she would try to convince them that it wasn’t something to be nervous about. She hoped that her new allies wouldn’t find it unnerving.
A fairly basic strategy had been made and Ruth could not think of anything else they needed to do before they left. They already had supplies figured out so they shouldn’t starve whilst journeying. They just needed to meet up before they could leave on their quest. Astra had already left, so they just needed to wait for her and Emme to return.
“Now that we have food, water and a sort of grouping strategy, I think we are almost ready to go. We just need to catch up with Emme and Astra” Ruth said, “Unless you can think of anything else we need?”
The expedition seemed exciting, exciting but dangerous. They would be working to find supplies and the Branded that stole from the mayor. They would need to be wary on their journey and learn how each other fought, then they would best work as a team.
(This is a joint post, to avoid tennis posting.)
(Vigne)
Emme's attention was originally at the little goblin that ran by, she even turned to face it as she got to bridge, placing her hand on the railing as the river below flowed pass. She began thinking if that was the goblin mentioned earlier, maybe, but there can't be just one goblin in the city- it could very well just be coincidence. She even gave a small smile under her helmet, though as she turned back to the path she was going. She was greeted by deep purple and dark-ish red clothes- also a witch hat. Don't tell me... Yes, it's her isn't it?
She let out a sigh, as the witch before her spoke- she stuttered so many times it was like she was nervous. Good, that's the message Emme wanted to put across anyway. "Strategy?" Asked Emme, "You came to fetch me so we may strategy? Appreciated, but I have no business with people like you."
(Kat)
Astra flinched at the reply- Don't people usually discuss strategy upon missions like these? Then she heard the knight spoke.
"I have no business with people like you." That line echoed in her head, almost consuming her- Astra knew she didn't do anything wrong, so why?
"I Uhm... I-It's for everyone, I told them I'd take you back to the barracks so we may discuss." Astra said.
Astra kept a small smile, she tried to be as homely as she possibly could, she wouldn't want to make Emme think she was some sort of monster, but she thought Emme already viewed her as one.
(Vigne)
Emme then took a few steps, walking pass the witch completely. "I'll meet you there, I rather not spend any more time alone with you, so leave me alone." Said the freelance knight. Emme felt her steps get heavier as she took a few more paces towards the barracks, leaving the witch to stare down at the river below.
Just leave, I don't want to cause trouble but you're pushing me. The knight's thoughts were of pure anger and hatred, she couldn't stand witches, no matter how many times she think she could- it all came to bite her back in the future. So no more trusting witches, this one is different, but not different enough.
(Kat)
Astra was practically paralyzed in shock for a few seconds, she couldn't feel any part of her body move- even when she tried. Seconds later, she insisted. She turned towards the gold tinted knight and took a solid two steps towards her direction.
"M-Maybe I could change your mind if I get you a drink? H-How does that sound? It's on me!" Exclaimed the witch.
Drinks are good with making friends right? A lot of fiction and non-fiction stories say so, or maybe Astra was reading the wrong types of stories.
(Vigne)
Emme clutched her fists and gritted her teeth, she turned to face the witch and pushed herself against her. She was having absolutely none of it, she is not having it at all. Her hatred for this one is much different from the hate she gave other witches, instead of being witch like, this one was just so annoying. "I told you to leave me alone! I have no business with witches!" Emme raised her voice, her frustration getting the best of her at this point.
Why was this one so persistent? A normal witch would just turn her into a frog so they could get what they want, but why was this one so different. From the size of her wand, it was quite obvious this witch had something special to her. After Emme got her message through, she turned back around and started walking once more.
(Kat)
Astra wanted to get her message across, but Emme wasn't even allowing her to talk at this point. Emme is frightening, the woman towered over her and pushed her up against the railing. At this point, Astra would give up- but no, she spoke up again once more.
"I-I'm different from other witches! Y-You don't have to worry about me, I just have a favour to ask of you!" Astra pleaded.
Astra was absolutely pushing the limits with that sentence, she already ticked off Emme- she wasn't even playing with fire at this point, she put the fire in her mouth and hoped it won't light her on fire.
(Vigne)
There it was, the kicker- Astra just couldn't keep her mouth shut now could she. Emme turned around, furious, she stomped her way back towards the witch. An aura of fury practically emanated around her, "I couldn't care less if you're different. I owe no witch any favour, So- Leave. Me. Alone!" Emme exclaimed, she pulled her hands back, and gave the witch a quick shove while she pushed the witch up against the railing.
Here's hoping she'd fall off, with that she walked away, back to the barracks.
(Kat)
She did. She completely fell off, she even let out a yelp on the way down. Splash! As she fell into water, the water wasn't very deep which was good. Either way, Astra rose up from the water and stood there, parting the wet hair away from her eyes and removing her hat. She pushed herself out of the water and back towards the paths.Sadly for this witch, she didn't have any sort of drying spell, or heat spell, or I wish that hadn't happened spell.
Astra was dripping, each step she took had a squish as her boots were filled with water. She wrapped her arms around herself and made her way to the barracks, shivering the whole way. She hated this, she really wish she kept mouth shut at this point.
"Great... Looks like there goes my chances of surviving." Mumbled the witch under her breath.
Maybe the people back at the barracks have some sort of drying spell, in the mean time Astra will be wet for awhile.
"I can't think of anything else we may need. Except maybe some more potions, for myself. Lets hope Emme and Astra get back soon." Nihere's impatience was showing. It was clear now to Ruth that he wanted to start right away- not out of anxiety, however. He had a drive to do this. Nihere tried to hide it earlier, but he isn't used to trying to hide how he feels.
Nihere sees Emme approaching- but without Astra. That worried Nihere. As she approached, Nihere kept looking behind her, that maybe he just didn't see Astra at first. His worry intensified as he discovered that it was only Emme. He waited a few moments longer, and Emme was withing talking distance, his concern obvious. "Where's Astra? We sent her to get you." Nihere hoped that maybe the two just passed each other and didn't realize it.
Emme stopped in her tracks as she saw- Nihere was it? The man with the bow, he spoke asking about the redheaded witch, the same witch who she pushed off the bridge moments ago. Emme shrugged and pointed behind her.
"She went for a swim, take a peek down the bridge she might still be there." Emme stated, she answered then continued her walk back to the barracks, assuming the others were still there. Maybe she got on Nihere's badside because of the little witch incident, maybe. Emme wasn't one to make friends anyways.
When the door swung open, Ruth had expected to see both of her absent teammates standing there. However, there was only one person standing there. It was the tall knight called Emme. Ruth craned her neck to try to see if Astra was coming, but she did not see her. Did she decide to return before Astra had a chance to find her and they somehow missed each other on her way back? This is what Ruth thought, or it was until Emme was questioned about it.
Emme had said, rather nonchalantly, that Astra had gone for a swim. Ruth was, unsurprisingly, confused. Why would she do that when she knew that they were waiting for her and that they needed to leave soon? It seemed like quite a strange thing to do when they needed to be getting ready for their trip. She was unsure about this, despite having no other reason to not believe the knight.
“A swim…” she said, the confusion evident in her voice, “We should get her before we leave.”
With that Ruth began walking toward the door, looked behind her to check if the others were going to come with her. She planned to go to the bridge, where Emme had said they might still be able to see Astra, on the way to the lift. Hopefully they would be able to catch up with her. They had done enough preparations for the trip, so the last thing they needed to do was to get the whole group together again.
“Let’s go find Astra and get ready to leave” she said.
"Yeah. You go ahead to the lift Emme. We'll meet you there." Nihere went off in the direction that Emme came from, not bothering to see if Ruth followed. He was concerned about how Emme had worded and emphasized what she said, 'Taking a swim'. Nihere walked his way to the bridge, wondering what she could have meant.
He found out soon, as he noticed a mostly drenched Astra climbing out from underneath the bridge, a mixture of sadness and anger shown on her face. Nihere almost ran to close the gap and offered her a hand. "What happened?" He said, figuring it out in that moment. 'Taking a swim', in such an apathetic tone, and with Astra in her condition, it was clear that Emme had pushed or thrown Astra off of the bridge.
(Kat)
Astra couldn't blame anyone other than herself for this incident, she pushed herself on to someone who didn't want anything to do with her. At least that's a lesson learned right? Astra parted the hair on her face to see the man in front of her, it was Nihere. Astra couldn't help but smile as she took his hand still drenched from the whole thing. She removed her hat and looked up at the man.
"Emme happened, apologies for worrying any of you." Astra stated.
She was shivering, dang that water was cold or maybe it because it's abrupt. Whatever it was, Astra was bound to get ill if she doesn't get to dry clothes soon.
(Scarf)
Nihere shook his head. "No, it wasn't your fault. Emme was way out of line to do something like this. If we can't respect each other, how are we going to work together?" Nihere then noticed Astra's shivering. He was too pre-occupied with Emme to think of it until now. "Oh gosh, here. Take off your shirt." Nihere immedietly took off his robes, revealing his thin build. He handed it to Astra "Put it on. I'll start a fire once we get to the lift."
Nihere felt a little cold, but it was minor compared to how Astra was shivering. He didn't pay attention if Astra put it on or not, he went straight towards the barracks without another word. He understood that sometimes, personalities clash- such things are inevitable. But if they were going to work together they needed to have at least a basic respect for each other, and an understanding that they were on the same team. Anger was easily seen in his face and posture as he walked.
(Kat)
Astra nodded and took the robes from him, though she didn't take her shirt off since it was a thin skintight suit, it would reveal a bit too much. She wrapped Nihere's robes around herself, taking out her wand afterwards.
"I c-can help, w-with the fire." Astra offered, though her elemental capabilities weren't great, she could probably make the fire with just a little bit of mana consumption.
Astra would do anything for a nice quiet chat by a fire and maybe even a warm drink to go with it. I guess witches aren't suppose to be in this time, or maybe Emme's words were really just getting to her.
(Scarf)
Nihere turned around after a few steps, hearing Astra saying she could help start the fire. "No, you don't have to. Go ahead to the lift with Ruth, i'm going to talk with Emme. I shouldn't be too far behind. Unless you really need that fire right now...?" Nihere offered. He could easily find a stall with some spare wood, leftover from their crafting, and start the fire immedietly. "We can wait a little while for you to warm up, i'm sure."
(Kat)
"Maybe a few minutes by the fire, just to dry off a little. Maybe I can jump in to quicker the process." Astra joked.
Even with everything that's happened, Astra tried to keep the mood light and uplifting. It's good, having a smile here and there will at least brighten something up need it be big or small, short or tall, it should make at least the redheaded witch and the rather thin man beside her a little bit happier. Astra laughed, it was the few things she was good at, a very contagious laughter was at play here.
(Scarf)
Nihere was confused and a little shocked at Astra saying she could expedite the process by jumping into the fire. Once she laughed, a smile replaced his concerned face as he laughed a little. "Okay, lets go and find some wood. Shouldn't be too hard." He then led Astra back across the bridge into the market, asking a few stalls if they had some spare wood for a fire. Eventually, they found some spare wood in a weapons shop. Nihere paid a little bit and took the wood. "We need to light this in a relatively isolated spot, so the fire doesn't spread."
Nihere wandered for a short time, before speaking again. "While we look, do you mind telling me more of what happened? What led up to her pushing you off?"
(Kat)
"Well, I w-wanted to talk her while on the way to you and the others, but she having absolutely none of it." Said Astra, a small shrug right after the sentence.
Astra thought for a second, it was entirely her fault, she was given multiple warnings and she pushed it further. What was she thinking? Astra's smart enough to back off, she's a witch. Though maybe not all witches are the same, that's true, and in Astra's case- the thing that separates her from other witches isn't a good thing. Astra took a deep breath and spoke.
"I pushed myself on to her way too much... And she didn't like from the start, and I just practically made it worse." Astra then chuckled. "She gave me a few warnings, but me being the persistent little -censored-[/i] she pushed me off."
(Scarf)
Nihere listened as he started the fire. He used his Flame ability to light the head of his arrow, and used it to ignite the kindling. "I understand what you mean, but that doesn't excuse what she did. You shouldn't have pushed so much, but she shouldn't have pushed back. You were both in the wrong. You just got the worse end of the deal." Nihere stopped talking as his flame took hold, and he put some of the wood near it. The flame was soon a fire. "There you go." Nihere rubbed his arms over his bare chest. "And if you don't mind, i'd like my robes back."
(Kat)
"R-Right, my apologies." Replied the witch.
Astra removed the robes from her shoulders and slowly placed it on his shoulder. She placed her hands in front of the fire, rubbing them together every now and then. Astra glanced over at nihere, letting out a sigh as she looked away. It was almost a scene from a movie, except without the romantic tension, or maybe there was- Astra just couldn't feel it.
"I always get the worse end of the deal, doesn't mean I can't learn from it. I've always had the luck of really bad chimera droppings, so that's an added bonus I suppose."
(Scarf)
Nihere had run out of responses at that point. He simply gave Astra a bright smile, and focused on the fire. His robes had gotten damp, but he didn't complain.
His mind turned back to strategy. The targets, the Branded, rather, likely had on their side a brawler, a medic and a rogue. If these assumed roles were to be the case, then it is likely that Emme would have to keep Dein distracted while the rogue harassed everyone else up close. It would be risky, which implied that the medic would focus more effort towards the rogue rather than Dein.
But then came the question of who had the Scimitar. Dein gave off the impression of a brute-force type person, meaning he likely wouldn't wield a weapon that required high amounts of skill. The rogue would likely have it. That would only end up making him more of a threat- and therefore, a bigger target. One way or another, Dein would likely the last person to fall if they got into a fight.
IF they got into a fight with us,[/i] Nihere reminded himself. His primary goal would be to talk them back to the Wrinkle. Instead of battle scenarios, Nihere moved on to is words and phrasing, trying to show them the appeal of going back, and pointing out the dangers of the Conglomerate.
(Kat)
After a few minutes of being inches away from the fire. Astra put her damp hat back on and spoke.
"Let's go, I should be fine from this point on- and if push comes to shove I can turn into a centaur or something stupid."
Was that moment odd? Nah. It was fun, friends have been made, which was- perfect to say the least. Astra's eyes then widened all of a sudden, she remembered something, she straightened her body and started jogging in place. Her broom, Her broom arrives today! Years of looking for one, and she only had one made a month ago.
"Uhh... You can go ahead to the lift, I'll be there in a fly!" Astra exclaimed.
She then sprinted off to the magic shop downtown, she was excited, her mood uplifted- it was a very good feeling for the moonlit witch.
(Scarf)
When Astra said they should be getting back, Nihere was snapped out of his thoughts. "Yeah, i think we should go." He agreed. He didn't entierly know how to react to Astra's comment about turning into a centaur, so he ignored it. Astra then said she'd be at the lift 'in a fly', which also confused him. He simply waved goodbye as she ran off. Nihere took care of extinguishing the embers left from the fire. After that, he started walking back to the barracks- just in case Ruth or Emme were still there.
Nihere spends 5 silver on the bundle of wood.
Nihere's eyes feel heavier as the tip of his arrowhead bursts into a ravenous flame (40/50 FP). Few people pass by your secluded spot, but the ones that do give you an odd look.
---
Astra rushes to the magic shop; the shopkeeper must have been expecting you in advance, as she pulls the broom out from beneath the counter as you go inside. It's an attractive thing, crafted in the familiar tri-brush style and capped with a metal tip resembling your wand. She hands you the broom wordlessly--as you had already paid for it to be commissioned--and you leave to test it out.
You quickly discover, however, that you have no idea how to actually use the thing. You're not even sure if it works at all--is this a dud?
Astra stared at the broom for a few seconds, examining every nook and cranny of it. She thought of multiple spells that could lift her off the ground but she wasn't sure if it would work on a new broom. She shrugged and straddled over the broom, one leg on each side, she cleared her throat and spoke.
"Livere Varitz!" No, nothing.
"Gonguni Sekanaisasai!" Nope.
"Suna toshi!" Nada.
This went for a little while, until something struck her mind, a spell that she only recently read on a tome she kept a home- it could help with this endevour.
"Tia... Freyre!" Astra exclaimed.
With that, she floated a few inches off the ground, but her laughter and loss of focus immediately made her fall on the ground seconds after.
"Tia Freyre!" She chanted again.
But her focus was gone, so she didn't lift up off the ground at all.
Upon uttering the words, an eerie feeling of deja vu flashes in your mind--a faint blur of recollection. It then fades.
You exhale deeply after levitating the broom. (59/60 FP)
It seems that you are able to use this spell even without mastery. That said, you shouldn't expect it to be reliable--or efficient--until you've studied it in great detail...
Ruth left a bit after Nihere did, she intended to stop by the bridge on her way to the lift. That was where Emme had said Astra was. They needed to find her, they party couldn’t start the expedition while it was incomplete. She wondered about what might have happened at the bridge, why Astra might have gone into the water like Emme said.
What if they couldn’t find her though? Ruth supposed that they would need to search or hope that she would go to the lift. If she wasn’t at the bridge, the lift would be the next place she would check. She could ask the spirits for help in getting the party together, perhaps they could direct them to the lift. Although that would take some time when she could only call two spirits at once.
By the time she neared the bridge, She looked around for Astra, but if she was here before, she wasn’t now. However she did see Nihere. Curiously Ruth could see what appeared to be the ashes left from a campfire, she looked at the ashes for a few moments before turning her attention to her ally. She waved to him, hoping to get his attention, before walking up to him.
“Nihere!” she said, “Did you find Astra?”
Nihere had left before her, perhaps he had run into her. So there was a chance that she might be able to find out what had happened to their ally. Ruth hoped he had found her, else they would need to search for her. Ruth did trust that Astra could take care of herself, but she was uncertain about what had happened to her. They were a team, or at least they were going to be a team very soon, and they needed to be together before they could being their all-important mission.
Nihere had turned his mind back to Emme, but Ruth appeared, asking about Astra. "She's fine." He responded. "Emme pushed her off the bridge, and Astra went to get something from a magic shop after I helped her dry off by a fire. She said she'll meet us at the lift after she gets whatever she went for. In the meantime, I need to talk to Emme- is she still here?"
The archer immedietly started looking around the outside of the barracks, still in earshot of Ruth. He had calmed down after sitting by the fire with Astra, but he still needed to get the idea of basic respect for other humans into Emme's head. Though much less intense, anger was still easily seen in Nihere.
Astra took a deep breath, she remembered something, some odd sense of deja vu, but what was it? Whatever it was, she can't think of it now. She then straddled on the broom once more and chanted the words a second time.
"Tia Freyre!" She exclaimed.
The broom sprinkled green dust particles as it slowly lifted her off the ground. She started thinking how to operate this thing exactly- there's only one way to find out. As she got high enough, she leaned forward, the broom then started to move forward a little faster than usual, she then shifted her leg to a tighter, more race like position and she seemed to go even faster. It's going to take time some getting used to, but it should do her well. She zoomed towards the barracks, trying to see if she can see any of her team mates including the gold tinted knight. Maybe she was too far up, since she zoomed right over Nihere's head, she didn't recognize him from such a great height. She circled around the barracks, slowly lowering herself as she did since she didn't know how to stop or lower herself manually.
You mount the broom, but feel a horrible wrenching sensation as you try to lift it. The broom twitches but does nothing more. (49/60 MP)
There's no way you're going to be able to fly with your current skills.
"Looks like I'm walking." Astra said with a sigh.
She took her broom and walked towards the barracks, though she was smiling as she did, she had never flown on a broom before. Even if it was brief, it was good enough to brighten up her day after everything that had happened.
At last Ruth knew what happened at the bridge, her eyes widened as she heard what Nihere had to say. Astra had been pushed off the bridge by Emme. Though her exact reasons behind such an act was still unknown, Ruth was not happy about this. Not only had one of their teammates been put in danger, the act had also caused a rift in the team. Nihere was clearly angry about this, and he said that he wanted to talk to Emme.
“She was there before I left” Ruth answered.
It was clear now that there were hostilities between Emme and Astra, which could create great difficulties when they in the Conglomerate. Ruth thought that if they could talk to her they might be able to get her to try to get along with Astra. But they needed to find her first.
That was when Ruth remembered, they were planning to meet up at the lift. Emme could have left already, or if she was still at the barracks then it would save them from having to search the whole place. They could get Emme to explain her actions there. Then their vital mission could begin.
“Nihere,” Ruth said, raising her voice so he could hear, “We need to leave, we can meet up with Emme at the lift and talk to her there.”
Ruth stayed put for a few moments while she waited to see if Nihere would be coming or not. She then turned around and began walking to the lift. It wasn’t too long after she started walking that she ran into none other than Astra herself. The young witch seemed cheerful despite what had happened and appeared to be carrying a broomstick.
“Astra!” Ruth said, “I was just on my way to the lift. I heard about what happened, are you alright?”