Zetaark

"Yes, I think I'll have a glass. I figure trying out the wine may be rather nice. Let's go," Madante states. --------------------------------------- "Indeed. It was quite an experience. The two of us were just talking about our travels. Do you have any interesting stories Darius?" Helana asks.

"I see. I understand your concern, though it does leave me with some questions. If your former guild was stationed at Z'Ark, why would they go to Kabumu? Wouldn't he try coming here? At any rate, if you're going to distance yourself, at the very least try and get any information you can if possible. I may also ask around a bit, if it's alright with you," Madante says. -------------------------------- "Oh, is that right? Well, from one traveler to another, how is the world?" Helena laughs before continuing. "I left Alios in order to do some general magic research. It's one of the last tasks I have before I graduate from the institute. Don't worry about not knowing much of the outside world, it happens to more than just people who live as nomads. It's really just a matter of whether you decide to venture out into the world or not. Personally, I'm glad I did, since I got to meet some rather interesting people. What about you, are you happy you went out to see the world?

"Of course. That's fine with me."

"Truthfully, I can't say that I'm too terribly strong. Still though, my speed in battle leaves a lot to be desired, and my aim isn't all that great. Even managing a hit onto you wasn't all that easy. Don't sell yourself short, you're plenty useful in combat where push comes to shove. So then, what shall we do next?"

"In that case, allow me to try out this new weapon," Madante readies himself with the light brand in hand. In what turned out to be a somewhat quick duel, Madante and Belros missed each other with their first strikes, though Belros was quick enough to get in a second hit. Sadly, Belros' speed did not solve his weakness towards magic, as Madante's empowered strike takes him down in an instant. "Well then. I didn't expect one swing to knock you out like that. Are you alright?" Madante asks, holding his hand out for Belros.

"Hrm, to be honest, I don't even know how this thing works. I've never actually heard much about speedwings before, much less come into possession of one. Though, if you're offering to train me, I'll accept. Then maybe the both of us will screw up less. Wouldn't that be something," Madante chuckles before stretching out a bit.

"Alios, the island I'm from, is primarily just a gathering places for mages. The Tetrodon Magic Institute is there, and its one of the largest mage schools in the region along with the one in Versidia. As such, those who practice disciplines of the sword or bow aren't as common. Though I did hear rumors about people using magic with bows, but I've personally never gotten to see it." -------------------------------------- "Well...have you ever had the feeling that no matter what you do, you manage to screw things up? In my case, its more present in combat. I never feel like I'm fast or capable enough to make a difference and it frustrates me. As your captain, I should at the very least be somewhat reliable in a fight. Yet sometimes it just feels like I slow you all down," Madante sighs, unsure on how to continue.

"You handled yourself quite well also. I must admit that I rarely get to see much in the way of trained archers, so it was an interesting experience. Anywho..." Helena looks to see the various materials Idei had collected. "Do you make your own saddles for your horse?"

"The others huh," Madante pauses, gazing out at the sea. "Belros, if I may ask, what do you and the others think of me?"

"Oh hello. You were the archer from before. Your name was...actually I don't think I ever did catch your name did I. Well then, I suppose introductions are in order. My name is Helena, you?" she asks. ---------------------------------- (15) Karik managed the landing, rolling onto the deck without sustaining any real injuries. A few scratches from the fall, but nothing that would be considered noteworthy, unless one was obsessive about their clothes.

"I'm personally not much of a drinker. Mostly due to my family being...a bit wild whenever they had one too many drinks. It ended up making me a lot less willing to have wines and whatnot on a regular basis. As for what I'm doing..." Madante pauses for a bit. "Don't you enjoy looking out at the sea?"

"Whew, took me a while to get everything, but here you are," Solomon says, bringing out several wooden crates. The sounds of glass could be heard within them. "Heh, there's an extra crate for you all to have as well. Consider it a thank you for helping me. Also..." he pauses before handing Madante a few things. "First up is this light brand. We've had a few come into our hands, but we don't have much use for this particular sword. Next up is this lance. It's specifically designed to deal with axes, so that may be nice. Lastly is this here speedwing. I've heard rumors that these are magical wings, but I don't know too much about them. These are all simply tokens of appreciation for bringing my family back alive. I won't keep you any longer, but if you or the Royal Guard ever need anything, feel free to stop by." "Thank you for your offer. I'll be sure to remember it. Now then everyone, lets get these back to the boat shall we?" Madante cheers, putting the weapons away for the time being and heading towards the crates. It took some time, but the party got the crates back to the boat, and the group set sail for Z'ark as the sun began to set. "We should be able to get to Z'ark sometime in the afternoon. In the meantime, you all are free to relax on the deck if you want. Though I do suggest heading inside if you want to partake of the extra wine Solomon gifted you. I wouldn't want any of you falling overboard," Xavier warns as he manages the boat's path. Madante is out besides the rails, looking out over the sea, while Helena is situated near the door to the inner hull of the ship.

"Yes, these should be fine. Now let's head back and figure out which places will be suitable for the frames," Ritsu says as she takes Mitsu back towards the castle.

Ritsu gathered the items from her harvest, slightly intrigued by a few of the items and displeased by others. Nevertheless, she had acquired everything she needed, and after patching herself up from the incident with the dark eco, she goes back into the town and eventually runs into Mitsu. "Well, I've acquired all the necessary things on my end, among other things. You?"

"This should do," Ritsu mutters proudly, taking the spoils of the creatures that showed up. After returning to the town, she decides to harvest 2 of the metalhead carcasses to see what she can get out of them.

"Oh hush you. You can keep the rest of the things," Ritsu remarks at the angry swarm before warping away from the bees. She got what she came for, so she didn't need to stick around. Having left, Ritsu goes to the wasteland to gather around some wood, revving her chainsaw in case something decides to come around.

"Hmm, very well. I think I can manage to gather wood. Though it wasn't made for cutting wood, this chainsaw is more than capable of doing so. I'll go and gather the honey and another larvae, then come back and harvest some wood. In the meantime, you can gather some flowers that are around. We can meet back here once we have gathered all our things, then we can go about considering where to set up things. Oh, and if its at all possible, could you gather some of the various varieties of eco, barring dark. They may allow us to affect the type of honeycombs that form. I'm not sure where you can find blue, green, or red off the top of my head, but yellow eco has a vent in the lake. Now then, if you'll excuse me," Ritsu finishes before warping back to the location of the bee fight. Looking around, she notices a plethora of precursor orbs that were simply unclaimed. Taking the opportunity, Ritsu decides to gather them up before going and gathering an adequate amount of black acid and another larvae.

"Alright. We have the royal honey necessary. Now we'll need to gather some of the other materials. Flowers and wood shouldn't be particularly hard to come by, and I already have some of the wax that they use. Now we'll just need standard honey for them to use, which we can probably find at the place where that larger bee creature was. Do you want to try gathering those things while I go and get the honey?" Ritsu asks.

"My thanks," Ritsu nods, taking the precursor orbs and giving the man 20. "2 Jars of Royal Honey. Just in case," Ritsu tells the man.

"He was just a little wary due to my appearance. Not that I blame him. I don't exactly look like the friendliest guy around. Cremia's parents were more willing to actually get to know me, and after a while they decided that I would be a good match for her. Solomon was a bit fussy about it at the time, but now I think he's just glad that his granddaughter is enjoying herself," Kaito responds. "Well, someone has to watch the guy and the estate. And besides, my primary work goes more into wine-making than anything else. My father wasn't too keen on the family business, but I found it rather enjoyable, so I ended up being the one to inherit the trade. As for my parents, they're traveling around the region. They send letters from time to time, so I know they're doing fine. Though if you happen to run into them, tell them I said hello, alright?" Cremia responds in a cheerful voice.

"I am," Kaito responds to Karik's first question before continuing. "The two of us met some time ago actually. I'm by no means a noble, but my father did run one of the bars that served the Romani wine. If I recall, I ran into her while my father and I were going by to pick up stock. Not that I knew who she was at the time. She was out by the trees swinging a wooden sword around. I figured she was just a child of a swordsman or something and offered to practice with her. Wasn't till my father came back around and saw the two of us that he told me about who she was. Still though, she said having me around made for good practice, so she offered that I come by again if I got the chance. Some story huh?" Kaito chuckles a bit, recalling the memory. "Wouldn't it be natural for a wealthy family to know how to fight? Maybe it's not the same in other places, but knowing how to defend yourself can be quite the useful skill. My mother was actually a proficient sword user, and was the one who taught me how to use one. I've been practicing for as long as I can remember now, and I'd say I could hold my own in a fight or two," Cremia responds proudly.

"A saddle? Hmm, we might have some lying around. Give me a moment," she replies as she goes into the house for a moment. A few minutes pass, and she returns with a fine-leather saddle. "We don't have too many horses around right now, so we do have a few spare saddles. Will this be alright for you?" she asks, holding out the saddle to Idei.

"Marigold? That dang guild's still around? You've gotta be kidding me. I lost to them of all people? This is some sick joke. All of my wealth, my fame, my bride...where did it all go, when did it all go wrong," he groans before collapsing on the ground, dead. Victory! Final Results: "Well if I didn't go riding forward to my death, I would probably be struck down then and there. Not entirely sure how much difference there is, but I suppose this way has something to gain, I think," Edward says before watching the Baron fall. "Well, you certainly weren't kidding about what they planned on doing to the Baron," Edward mutters to Cass. "At any rate, since my employer is dead, the rest of us have no reason to continue fighting. The remaining men should be thrilled to hear about that. As for the matter of Roman...I'll get it sorted out. Someone back north has been doing good work for the people, so this should be a good excuse for him to actually rise through the ranks. At any rate, we shall depart, and I shall hopefully get to finding a less insane employer," he finishes, riding off to gather the remaining horseman and take them back home. "Well, I'm certainly glad to see that my life is no longer in danger. And I'm certainly glad to see that my granddaughter is safe," Solomon says with a pleased expression. "Yes, we are both alright. Thanks to these people. Who are they anyhow?" Kaito asks, not actually sure about the identity of their rescuers. "Apparently the Royal Guard happened to come around with one of the merchants, fortunately enough. Speaking of which, let me go back inside and grab the things he ordered. Among other things. In the meantime, you all can relax here for a while and regroup" Solomon says, going back inside the manor. "I must thank you for all that you've done. If you weren't here right now, my grandfather would probably be dead, and who knows what would have happened to us. If you happen to need something from the family, feel free to come by. We'd be more than willing to supply you with any goods that you may need," Cremia bows, indicating her gratitude.

(...)

"Oh, I considered my life forfeit when the fool commanded me to ride in, alone, towards an entire group of enemy forces. I mean, what kind of sane man does something like that? Then again, he never was playing with a full deck, so I can't say I'm too surprised. As for my reasons..." Edward sighs. "Truthfully, its something closer to family obligation. My family and his have worked together in the past, and I was expected to do the same. Which would have been fine if the Baron wasn't...well...particularly insane," Edward finishes by surveying the area and shaking his head. "Looks like these were some of the newer recruits he bought up. Not sure why he thought that nobody might come to aid, but I suppose it's too late to dwell on that. As for the rumors...I can't say all of them are false."