darkSpyro

After her little speech to Nolis, Eydis took a seat and proceeded to have some food of her own, looking briefly at Todd and glad at least not everyone was in such a gloomy mood. Although she wanted to get to know a few of them, for now, all she wanted to do was eat. She rarely stopped at villages, and even if she did, she barely had the money for a proper meal, so she had to survive on fruits, berries and such. She wasn't much good of a hunter, or maybe it was because she didn't want to hurt animals? Either way, since everyone was helping themselves with some of the food, she didn't see why she couldn't do the same. She started with a loaf of bread and grapes, with orange juice as a drink. Although Eydis gradually got beyond some of the bizarre appearances of her new peers when she saw them through the mental slideshow, she grew extremely weary of the one called Muta. She looked like a tall human at most, but she knew she was different. Something reminded her of an ogre. Sure, she was half orcs, but those were quite close in both appearance and temper, which made Eydis keep her distance.

Some of the hardness in Nolis's face had weakened at the words of Aldoron. It was painful to accept, but the wizard had a point. If whoever this dark force was-- this "Evil One"-- had the ability to tamper with something that allegedly would except very few, there was no telling what they-- he-- was truly capable of. That knowledge seemed to quell some of the rage he was clearly suppressing. It was rational, something he could understand. That was enough to give him the solace he needed in that moment. However, something in Gallan's and Eydis's words-- the latter to whom he stared directly back-- caused him to clench his hands even harder. With visible strain, he forced himself to relax to some degree, wrapping his arms tightly around his legs. It was clear that something was still bothering him, but it went unspoken. He'd been confrontational and skeptical enough, and had already been corrected once. Maybe it was best to wait for the answers to come.

He turned a blind eye to the food being offered, and gave his attention to the Grand Chief. "I'm trusting you have a concrete plan?" was his only question, in correlation to the other children's confusion. His voice was still quiet, but his tone was noticeably softer. One wouldn't necessarily call it soft if they had heard it by itself, but when juxtaposed to the faint hiss in his earlier words, it was comparatively less abrasive.

Eydis ignored Nolis's brief glare, more focused on acquiring energy for the upcoming mission. She was already determined in putting her abilities to the task, and even though she hated the idea of traveling with a bunch of weird looking strangers, she knew it was a smart choice to travel in a big group if the danger that awaited them was indeed as grave as the elder warned. She had always thought that The Evil One was a simple metaphor describing the war from years ago, but if it was an individual, that was certainly troubling news. As she slipped a few breadcrumbs to the lazy creature dozing off in her pocket, she studied the group set before them, trying to imagine what companion was better suited for the mortal task at hand...

OOC: I made a quick REFERENCE to the characters' names, races, ages, and heights.

Questions aside, Todd was quite hungry from his journey and began to chow down on the food in front of him. If he was going to risk his life today, he might as well do it on a full stomach. Between bites and waiting for further answers-- he glanced at the others in the room. The biggest of bunch of most definitely the half-orc who could probably take a punch or two. As far as height was concerned, practically everyone in the room was at or around 6' while he stood at a mere 4'9". He was definitely the smallest of the bunch-- that was for sure. 'I hope I don't let them down...,' he thought to himself.

Eydis lowered her head after she was done glancing at every member of the room, neither of them striking her as very impressive or trustworthy, especially Muta. She giggled quietly at Nolis's curious appearance, but was discrete enough to hide it and be respectful. Those two were the only ones whose physique gave away their hybrid nature. The rest, including herself, seemed human enough, so that was a mild relief. The only one she felt sorry for was Todd, who seemed quite frail compared with the rest. She believed it was the height, but there was something else she believed she was missing. Nevertheless, she continued dining in peace, making no effort to start a conversation to get to know her future companions better. She didn't even have a question for the elder, having her goal more than clear. She remained silent for a while, secretly feeding her true companion in the pocket, not wanting any of them to notice him and start asking many annoying questions.

Phillip turned his head towards Muta as she voiced her concerns. He nodded in agreement with her words. While he understood the necessity of defending the world against the evil, dark forces, he didn't understand what magic had to do with it, much less how one such as he could weild it. He had his sword, of which he would trust over any magic any day. Why was it so imperative that they be magically inclined? He could put down a creature of darkness with a blade alone without the aid of magic. He has done as such before and he will do as such again. The thought of learning to use magic was... foreign, almost intimidating, for reasons he would rather not ponder at the moment.

He looked to the half-orc again. She seemed like one of the few here who actually seemed capable of defending herself in battle. He respected that. Then again, it wouldn't be the first time he's been surprised by someone's hidden talents. Perhaps the others here were more durable than they looked. Phillip then looked to Nolis, who had brought up the topic of a plan. He made sure to pay attention to whatever answer the wizards might give that question. It was one he might have asked himself had someone not already asked it. And if he had been the speaking sort of person.

Aldoron had been surprised that the children hadn't more questions, he wasn't sure whether it was due to shock or acceptance, regardless, he planned to answer Muta and Nolis, their questions were both very valid. "Muta, my dear child. Magic is glorious, it is what protects this world, we've watched all of you through Crystal Balls, and we can say, especially for you, that your specialty is indeed in weaponry, sneaking out to practice whenever you got the chance; bold, indeed. But you must understand, the Evil One is a powerful magic user, he would turn your unenchanted blades to dust. He will play dirty, so must you, magic is integral, without it you will be helpless against him and many other monsters you will encounter. Magic is very important, you cannot rely simply on one thing, you must expand your horizons. And Nolis. Our plan, is all of you. There is a village a couple miles from here, in that village is someone well verse in the art of enchanting and magic training, he will be able to assist you. Unfortunately he's very weary of who he trusts, he'll be hiding, you'll need to ask the locals, get information to find him. He'll be able to enchant your weapons and teach you a few basic things.

Unfortunately it's not so easy to get to the town of Squall...

You have three choices: through the Fields of Anquist, The Desert of Skree, or by traversing through the Forest of Cambrian, all three converge into one location at some point, that being the Town of Squall. Once you all reach Squall you can buy supplies if you so wish. For your journey you will need to use survival instincts to gather food and water. The man you must see is there aswell, his name is Natilus. As for your attire...." With a swift wave of the Wizard's hand all of the children in the room had been clothes in beautiful armor that felt like it weighed nothing. "You can either keep your armor or choose to take it off and travel without it, however I urge you to keep it. It may be impressive and weightless, but it is not very durable or strong. It should get you to Squall." Aldoron took a seat and then slammed his cane on the ground, in the blink of an eye there were maps in everyone's hands. "OH! I nearly forgot! Your pendents! They were enchanted with suggestion magic, that is how you were able to find this place so easily and urgently. We used almost every ounce of our currently dwindling magic power to enchant those. As the world is slowly losing its magic, we must assume things will get worse and fast. Those pendents protect your magic powers from being drained. I will be able to speak to you through them, but my magic is very limited currently, so if you must contact me do so sparsely. Don't lose them."

-----

Gallan looked down at his once raggedy clothing that had been replaced with such magnificent armor and he smiled brightly, his jaw dropped in disbelief, he'd always been very poor so to think he was wearing something like this... It was incredibly rare that Gallan would get to wear such amazing clothing as he was so used to working around the animals and always having his clothing dirty. "Thank you Si-Er....Aldoron." Gallan stood from his seat and gave a nod before making his way to the other end of the table where Aldoron sat. "I think I'll leave now." Gallan turned to the rest of the room. "If anyone wants to go with me then I'll be at the entrance!" With that he ran to the entrance. Gallan avoided asking anything about his parents, he wasn't sure he wanted to know what they were like, he remembered bits and pieces, almost like shadows in his mind, but the traumatic events that occurred in his childhood made him block most memories out.

Eydis looked at herself, seeing the emerald colored armor with a touch of gold. Unlike Gallan, she looked very uneased at her new attire.
"This isn't like me. Look at this! This looks too... fancy. This is an eye candy for the thieves." she complained, being too used to the loose, simple robe she always wear. Although she still had it, it was now being served as a cape. What was more, the magic made Adaon move from her pocket to inside her gauntlet, something both found uncomfortable.

Muta listened intently to the wizard's words. Knowing that they had been watching her all this time hardly phased her after everything else she had heard. With everything going on, she was sure they had their reasons, and that was hardly the most unbelievable thing she had heard today. Honestly, the thing she found the hardest to swallow was that she apparently had magic, magic that she seemed to need in order to defeat evil. The only problem was, Muta still wasn't even sure how she was supposed to use this apparent magical power.

It was one thing to say that magic was necessary, it was another thing to actually make use of it. She still felt uncertain about her ability in that regard. At least a trainer would be provided, but would that really help? Could she really learn to use magic? What if she failed at it? Would enchanted weapons be enough? Muta knew how to use a variety of weapons, but it seemed like that wouldn't work against the evil they were about to face. She wanted to be useful to the group, not just be dead weight, but what if she couldn't be due to a lack of magical ability? She didn't want to let the others down.

Muta was so wrapped up in her own doubts that she almost missed the part about the alternate routes they could take to their next destination. Something about a field, a desert, and a forest all leading to a town. It sounded interesting and she wasn't sure which path she would prefer. Before she could contemplate her options, her outfit was magically changed to some fancy armor. Muta looked down to inspect the armor, staring at it with a critical eye as much as she could while she happened to be wearing it. Being trained by a blacksmith, she could make a decent guess at its level of quality. Like the wizard had said, it was beautiful and weightless, but lacked in strength and durability. It was likely best suited as temporary armor, meant to be either repaired or replaced at the next town. Despite it not being a quality she would prefer, Muta was appreciative of the free gift. It was good enough for the time being at least.

When Gallan got up to leave, the half-orc decided it may be a good idea to follow. She did sort of want to get to know the rest of the group, as they were going to be spending a lot of time together, after all. So she figured it would be best to at least try to get along with them. Muta rose and turned to Aldoron, giving a slight bow of her head. "I think I'll go, too, and uh, I'll try my best at this magic stuff. I can't promise I'll be any good at it, but I'll do what I can." With that, Muta turned to leave.

However, she paused briefly and glanced back at the table. She figured she mine as well take a little snack for the road, so she grabbed a thigh. Then a thought occurred to her, she should really have a more balanced meal. So she grabbed a wing with her other hand. Satisfied with her choice, she turned to leave once more. Muta took bites out of both as she casually headed down the hall towards the entrance.

"All of you"? That's his plan? He just hopes to throw a bunch of children who have no idea what they're up against into the thick of everything, and have "faith" that they'll "magically" defeat the Evil One? Nolis supposed that the world really was doomed, then. He might as well try, at least; they had come miles away from their homes for this, and it wasn't like anyone else had any ideas, if they were resigning to trusting inexperienced kids who had no idea they possessed magic. Well, a few of them, anyway, himself included. Despite that, he didn't doubt that he had some sort of power inside him; he knew very well that both of his parents were magicians to some degree, especially his mother. But he could hardly believe they thought they could become masters of that art in... how ever long this journey took.

He startled when he realized that his attire had changed and something had materialized into his hand. Armour? And a map? ... He could be grateful for those. At least they wouldn't be complete sitting ducks from the start.

With a small sigh, Nolis spoke. "I doubt this will work out in the end. But I'll try, if there's nothing else that can be done," he admitted, stuffing some bread and meat into his satchel before following Gallan.

Todd looked down in awe as the beautiful gem-colored armor soon covered his existing leather armor, almost acting as some sort of second layer. He lifted his arms and inspected the strange armor, amazed that it weighed no more then anything he had already been wearing. He watched as the others left the room-- leaving just him, the formerly robed one, and the silent one who hadn't said a single the word the whole time they were there. "Thank-you. This is quite... impressive.," Todd said agreeing that it probably wouldn't provide much more protection then his existing armor alone would've. "I-- I can't promise that we'll succeed and but we'll certainly try. We all had our reasons for coming and if the world is at risk... we might as well try to save it.," he said with a nod looking at the others still in the room.

Eydis was still the only one bitter about the armor, but she knew it was necessary. At least the armor wasn't uncomfortable. Doing like Muta, she stored away a few of the leftovers at the table, knowing that it was probably going to be a long while before she could get food like this again. With everything now settled, Eydis followed after the group, keeping her distance. Her only friend was the lazy Adaon, and she intended to keep it that way.

Phillip jumped slightly as his guardsman's armor was transformed and a map appeared in his hand. All of this magic was making him uneasy. Really, the wizards talked of their magic being slowly yet surely depleted, yet they seemed to have no trouble using it now. Ah, but who was he to possibly understand the wizards' magics? Who was he to understand any magic? He still couldn't wrap his head around the fact that he was supposedly to be a weilder of such magic. He couldn't wrap his head around his ancestry, either. The guardsman and his wife who had raised him... were they even related at all? How had he come to be under their protection? Of all the questions that buzzed around in his mind, he couldn't even manage to articulate a single one; his mind was too clouded.

Still, it was obvious that he had some duty to perform. He knew not exactly what would come of this little band of barely-adults venturing off to meet this Antilus, but he knew that they could not allow this darkness, this "Evil One" to prevail over the lands. He looked over to Gallan and his little band that was slowly growing in numbers. He couldn't very well let them go off on their own without some sort of protection, now could he? That would be unseemly of him, seeing as how he is supposed to guard things, people especially.

Eying the map with interest, he spoke for the first time, asking, of all things, "Which path would you have us take, then?"

Todd hesitated, but also proceeded to take some of the leftovers for himself opting to claim the last few remaining loafs of bread. 'If I'm going to save the world-- I might as well do it on a full stomach.,' he thought again to himself. As he turned to follow the others, he paused briefly to hear the adults' response to the last minute question. This journey was no doubt going to an interesting one to say the least.

Aldoron made eye contact with the eldest one of the group, his question was fair but Aldoron feared that he would not like the answer to his inquiry. "All the paths you may take shall be filled with dangers. The Darkness has hit all over the lands, although not prevalent quite yet, Dark Magic will soon rule over all. While it is smart to travel in numbers, you may want to split up, it is possible you could find items to aid you in your quest, sometimes monsters may be carrying valuable items, and some monster parts are excellent for turning into potions and for upgrading some of your items, aswell as Natilus there is a magic blacksmith is Squall, he may be able to help if you find any items along the way. I hope I have answered all of your questions, I have done my best, I only ask you do yours aswell. OH! I am so forgetful. The pendents, they glow when you're near another pendent wearer, you may even be able to use them to communicate if you get lost if your magic gets strong enough. On your way out you will find a wall of basic weaponry: daggers, broadswords, shortswords, maces, flails, bows and arrows, the lot. They're very basic but should help."

-----

Gallan had noticed the group of people that slowly began to surround him, he was nervous, not exactly sure what to say. He took a look at his map, it was very large but could be easily folded and fit into his pack. "Um...Like he said, maybe we should split up into groups? I mean, if we need magical items, maybe it's best to split up, I mean, what if we miss out? I think I'm going to go to the forest, maybe we could split into groups of two? I can do some things with a Short sword, so I should be safe against any small monsters. Who wants to go with who? I say Todd goes with Phillip, it could be helpful to have a mix of small and strong, Muta could go with me, I mean she is good at weapons right? Maybe she could help me out, and then Nolis and Eydis, they were looking at each other earlier, I think they might get along well, and teamwork is important."

Eydis wanted to make no haste and find the weapon room, wanting to have as much defense as possible, but got annoyed when Gallan started giving orders.
"Who made you boss? I've been managing for myself for a long time, and I can still do it." she said cockily, though deep inside knowing Gallan was right. She just didn't like the idea of anyone taking the leadership out of the blue like he was doing. She still despised the idea of a pair or groups, but she was going to choose herself. Although she didn't trust any of them, she still tried to choose the less worse in likability.

Todd was about to say something, but stopped not wanting to interrupt the seemingly impulsive Eydis or the authoritative response that would no doubt come. Part of him wished the world would simply stop fighting and live in harmony, though he knew that would never happen-- at least not in his lifetime. "Guys! The world is already in danger-- there's no need to fight among ourselves. Let the lady choose for herself if she wishes.," he then said sounding almost elegant with the second line. He generally wasn't one to start fights unless he had to and knew it would be some time before this so-called 'party' got along.

Muta continued to take bites of her meat while listening to everything. After taking everything into consideration, she swallowed and cleared her throat before speaking. "No one said anything about anyone being in charge, it was merely a suggestion." She explained calmly. "And who's fighting? We're just discussing what to do next. That's all. So let's all just settle down and work this out. I'm sure we can all come to an agreement on something."

"Splitting up sounds good to me. I wouldn't want to miss anything of value, never know what might come in handy. Even some pretty simple and boring stuff at first glance could be pretty useful in crafting. But as far as paths go, I don't really care which one I take. I do agree with diversifying the teams, though. That sounds best, so that the pairs can work well together and support each other." The half-orc grinned at Gallan. "You bet! I can use anything from blades, to axes, to hammers... You name it, I could pretty much wield it. Well, as long as it's a melee weapon anyway. But, yeah, if you need brute force, then you got it!"

Gallan's smile was gone when Eydis gave her response, he was surprised at how rude it was, he was only trying to help and strategize logically, after all, Aldoron said to expand their horizons and that's what he was trying to do, expand and find anything that could help aid them in their quest. He wondered how this Eydis person could have this so called "Heart of the Hero" She seemed stuck up, like she was too good for the others, which he thought could be her downfall, after all, they were supposed to be a team. "I'm just trying to help, what's your problem?"

Gallan's attention shifted when Muta spoke up. Gallan shot her a large toothy smile and rubbed the back of his head, proud of his suggestion. "Heh, Sounds awesome! I mean, I've trained with a Short Sword before but I bet you could teach me a lot! I'm Gallan in case you hadn't heard." He cleared his throat, trying to be more serious in the company of the other children. "The sun's still shining, I bet we can make it to the forest in only a few minutes, and the shade of the trees should help the heat." He turned to everyone else. "Hey, where do you guys all plan on going?"

"I'm fine with wherever, though the fields should provide some cover and an element of surprise provided the grass is tall enough.," Todd said referring to his short height. He had used tall grass before to hide-- and it had been surprisingly successful. As he soon found the armory, he claimed a staff of arrows to supplement his own supply and a shortsword for the eventual close quarters combat. He had a little experience with the sword, thanks to an old sword his father used to make him practice with 'just in case.' His main talent, however, was with the bow.

Eydis mouthed Todd's words, almost as if she was mocking, but it was more out of annoyance than disrespect. There was a heavy air of bitterness in her personality. After steaming off for a few seconds, she decided to go along with the plan, not because Gallan told her so, but because among the individuals present, Nolis had been the only one that made her smile earlier. She waited a while before answering Gallan.
"I just don't like being ordered around." she said bluntly, wanting to make it clear that, while they were a team, she didn't necessarily liked it.

After reaching the room with weapons, Eydis eyed the wall unimpressed, none of them taking her interest. She kept her original bow, but supplied herself with a heavy staff of arrows for the journey. She did replaced her old dagger, which she lost a few days ago. And although she still had her spear, she equipped herself with another one to compensate her lack of sword.

The half-orc gave a more gentle smile now. "I'm Muta. Nice to meet you." Her softer smile turned to a toothy grin, showing off her distinct tusks. "Yeah, definitely. I've trained with all kinds of weapons before. It helps to have an uncle whose a blacksmith, you get access to all the cool toys." She gave a slight snicker at that. Her grin faded a bit as she nodded. "Sounds like a plan. I just need to check out those weapons real quick first." With that said, Muta made her way over to the wall and cast her gaze to the weapons displayed there.

She rubbed her hands together with a grin, staring wide-eyed at all the options. Oh, what to pick, what to pick. Sure, the quality of them wasn't anything in particular to be impressed with, but it was still a decent selection of weapons. They would do nicely for the time being anyway. Considering all her options, Muta decided that a standard broadsword would be good to have, and she strapped that to her side. She also grabbed a two-handed battle axe, which she strapped to her back. Plus, a dagger, just for general purposes. She felt that should do for now, without weighing herself down too much.

Eydis looked at how Muta, the one who appeared the most hostile, was being so polite, and it made her deeply ashamed of her behavior. Not wanting to have any bad blood among her new companions, she decided to let her pride aside and make things right with Gallan.
"Listen, I'm sorry, ok? Ths isn't easy for me. I'm not much into teamwork" she apologized, offering a shaky hand and a lipless smile.

OOC: Just fixing some grammar

// :0 that's fine//

The young boy didn't want to be rude, but he was offended by the accusation that he was 'ordering people around' when he was simply trying to help and offer some suggestions as to the best plan of action. "Like I said, I was just trying to help." But when the girl apologized and offered a hand, he cautiously shook it. "It's okay. We have a lot to deal with, this is difficult." After the seriousness from the tense semi-confrontation between the two teens, Gallan, happy to make a new acquaintance for his journey, nodded when Muta insisted on checking out the weapon selection, he thought it to be a good idea as well, but didn't want to crowd things. Gallan waited patiently behind the half-orc, anxious for his turn but patient nonetheless. When Muta had finally made her selection, Gallan reached up high, having to jump the get the short sword due to his slightly small stature, albeit he hadn't yet finished growing, besides most of the males in his family were fairly tall, and he hoped the same, he understand how Todd probably felt, being the shortest, as Gallan was often drawing the short straw. Along with the sword, Gallan grabbed a dagger in a small belt with a dagger holder and wrapped it around he waste, he took a second and placed them in his medium sized bag, he had thought himself an idiot for not bringing any food so he ran back to the room, grabbing a few pieces of drumsticks, some water that he filled into his canteen and a couple oranges, apples and bananas. On his way back to the weapon room he noticed a small wooden shield he saw lying on the ground, it wasn't impressive, couldn't take more than a few hits but those few hits could be fatal if he didn't have the shield so he thought it best to grab it. He turned to Muta who seemed very pleased with her selection. "Well, we shouldn't waste anymore time, ready?"

Edit: Made Gallan grab two daggers and some food and put it in his bag

"I won't be any more ready in my life." Eydis exclaimed, avoiding eye contact with Gallan. Despite having apologized, she could still feel the tension, not that she blamed him though. She knew that, whether she liked it or not, she had to know these travelers and try to maintain a cordial relationship with them. She clenched her new weapons, while at the same time she tried to maintain her gauntlet in place, the creature inside feeling uneasy with the tension surrounding the atmosphere.

Gallan had noticed something going on with Eydis's gauntlet, not wanting them to have any ill will towards each other he tried to make his face as friendly as he could as he approached Eydis. "Hey, wait just a sec, I'll be right back." He said to Muta before approaching Eydis. "Hey, um..." He took off the medium sized bag that he had around his back, he placed it on the ground and reached inside, pulling out a small sack, enough to hold a canteen and some food. "I noticed you have something clunking around in your gauntlet? I thought maybe you'd want this extra satchel I had...Anyways, yea um, good luck whichever choice you make." With that, he made his way back over to Muta. "Hey, sorry. You ready?"

Muta watched as Eydis made her apology and shook hands with Gallan. She gave a small smile. Well, that was good. At least some progress was being made. They all had to learn to get along and work together if they were ever going to succeed in their task. So the sooner they could accomplish that, the better.

She noticed that Gallan had a little trouble reaching a sword, and was about to get it for him, when he managed to get it himself. Perhaps that was for the best, since she didn't stop to consider the possibility that she might hurt his pride if she had helped him. While that may be unlikely, at least the potential issue had been avoided nonetheless.

Muta gave a nod to his question. "Yeah, let's head on out."

As Todd claimed his weapons, he looked at the silent Phillip whom had he had partnered with for better or worse. "If you need anything-- you better get it now before its too late. The others are about ready to take off.," he quietly said quickly noticing that the eldest of the group didn't really like to talk much. He had no hard feeling or anything over the odd quirk though, though it did make him wonder what exactly made the man tick. He had appearance of of a soldier and he certainly looked like he could handle himself. He was certain about that much.

Todd was more worried about himself-- what if he couldn't handle it or what if he hesitated at the wrong moment? After all, this was the first time he had gone on such a 'grand' adventure and with a party even. What if he let them down? Questions of doubt began to swarm his head, but he soon stopped himself. 'I've got this-- I've already started it. Now I just have to finish it...,' he thought to himself.

Quote: Lunarz

Gallan had noticed something going on with Eydis's gauntlet, not wanting them to have any ill will towards each other he tried to make his face as friendly as he could as he approached Eydis. "Hey, wait just a sec, I'll be right back." He said to Muta before approaching Eydis. "Hey, um..." He took off the medium sized bag that he had around his back, he placed it on the ground and reached inside, pulling out a small sack, enough to hold a canteen and some food. "I noticed you have something clunking around in your gauntlet? I thought maybe you'd want this extra satchel I had...Anyways, yea um, good luck whichever choice you make." With that, he made his way back over to Muta. "Hey, sorry. You ready?"

"Something? Something like what? It's nothing! Perhaps this gauntlet has some wandering magic?" Eydis stammered severely, embarrassed that somebody managed to see that. Despite wanting to get acquainted with the group, she wanted to keep Adaon a secret, for it was truly shameful to have a pet and not even knowing what kind of creature it was. Eydis was relieved when Gallan focused more on bonding with Muta than knowing what was happening to her gauntlet, so as quick as she picked the bag, she removed the gauntlet inside and placed Adaon inside.
"Now be quiet, will you?" Eydis whispered to the bag, with the creature giving a hiss that sounded like a snicker. She could've sworn he was making fun of her, but she decided to ignore him and closed the bag, ready for the journey and whatever dangers awaited them.

Nolis had stared at Eydis when the suggestion that they team up arose-- and grimaced. That sort of attitude that the girl held about her was the exact reason he kept to himself. An air of sophistication and calmness... it was only a fancy, adorned quilt that blanketed a dirty, old mattress of judgement and pretentiousness. And the fact that she had the earlier gall of lecturing him on how great it was to have parents, only for them to be taken away without warning or explanation forever, made her the very last person he wanted to travel with.

Her apology to Gallan eased him the slightest amount. She at least acknowledged her wrongdoing, and he couldn't blame her for being overwhelmed by the notion of teamwork. Regardless, he was still greatly weary of her. He was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, but he wasn't about to forget her initial reaction.

That aside, Nolis stared at the plethora of weaponry around him, having no clue where to begin. He hadn't fought a single person in his life. Not even an animal. Hissing a sigh, he watched what everyone else was getting. The weapons they were choosing intimidated him greatly. So, perhaps it was best to go with the smallest option, in his case. He took a pair of daggers, uncertainty in his eyes, and turned his gaze to Eydis, just barely catching her apparently talking to a small bag. His brows furrowed. Perhaps she was simply talking to herself. Hesitating, he walked a few steps forward, enough to be within her space, but not close enough to make it clear he was shadowing her.

Just after she was done talking to Adaon and the creature resumed it's usual slumber, Eydis tied the bag to her belt, only noticing Nolis after she was done.
"Well scales, I think we're stuck with each other for a while, whether we like it or not." Eydis commented, trying to make it sound more like a light joke than an insult. She wasn't bothered by Nolis or his apparent shyness, but she did regretted having someone taller than her as a companion. She didn't like it when she had to see someone above her. Nevertheless, it wasn't an issue to be so bothered with, so she remained calm and serene, wanting to erase traces of her rude behavior earlier and trying to act natural after the little embarrassment she had with the gauntlet.
"And thanks for the bag." she said to Gallan, almost forgetting to thank him. A bag was a much more comfortable place to have Adaon in now that her old robe lacked pockets.

The word "scales" garnered his attention, and he scowled for a split second before realizing her tone wasn't particularly rude. His eyes scanned Eydis as she talked."... Yes." Blunt and vague, Nolis seemed to have planned to leave it at that, but his gaze kept flicking to the armory around them, and to then the selection each person had chosen. His arsenal was dreadfully sparse in comparison to the others', who had weapons fitting for many different situations, when all he had in possession were those two daggers that paled in comparison. He didn't know what to do, and he didn't like not knowing.

Staring back at Eydis, he decided it was best to ask for assistance. And despite his mistrust of her, it would be best for them to grow comfortable with each other to at least some degree sooner than later. "You seem well-versed in this subject. I have no experience with combat, so I'm a little at lost. Do you have any recommendations for what I should supply myself with?"

Eydis looked and Nolis and was at a loss on what weapon would suit him better. She was better aquatinted with long distance weapons like the bows and spears, anything that could be thrown or was long enough to avoid enemies from approaching too much. Nolis didn't look like a heavy lifter, so a sword was out of the question. She already had a bow and a spear, and Nolis had two daggers, so after pondering about it, Eydis finally concluded which would work best for him.
"I think a flail would do well for you. It's light, long and well balanced." she explained, almost sounding like an expert even if she didn't mean to.

//Important*** I completely forgot but you all have 500 gold in a small bag, just pretend Aldoron gave that to you that's my bad and it's kinda important too.

Also, I will be keeping track of your HP, Skills, Items and Money, so if you forgot I have it all.

Gallan nodded at Muta, his bag around his shoulder and hanging by his back, weapons in hilt and shield on his back in a body tied fabric shield holder that it had come in, it was old and dusty, and a bit eaten away at by moths but it would do for the time being.

The sun emanated its expansive bright and warm rays as Gallan opened the door at the end of the long hallway, he almost had to cover his eyes it was so bright, he was glad he hadn't chosen the desert, and he felt awful for the group that would. "See? Like I said, the shade will be nice, I can actually see the forest in the distance to the west, it should only take a couple of minutes." Gallan readjusted the strap from his pack to be more comfortable, it was difficult carrying the one strapped bag around, but he did so whenever he left his farm to get supplies from the town shoppe, although he'd never been on a journey that could take weeks long so he hoped he'd be able to find a better bag, after all he liked to be prepared and he couldn't fit all he wanted to with the size he had now, plus he gave away his satchel, thankfully he still had a small bag with his coins in it, five hundred to be exact, he'd hoped that he'd be able to buy some useful things when he got to the Town. "So, uh, Muta." He said as he began to walk through the valley in the direction of the Forest of Cambrian with his new companion by his side. "Tell me a bit about yourself, where are you from?"

Nolis blinked, and turned his attention to the objects in question. After handling a few of them to see which ones seemed to suit him the best, he took a medium-sized flail with him as he walked back, inspecting it curiously. "I guess... I could try this. I'll learn how to fight one way or another." He looked at Eydis. "Thanks for the recommendation." After pausing, he added, "We've been left with the desert." There was a noticeable undertone of distaste. Figures they'd be left with the worst option. Arid and sandy... looks like he'll have to deal with eczema again. "I suppose I'm ready. You?"

Eydis simply scoffed, having established already that she was ready.
"I've been fighting forever even when I don't want to, so..." she paused, figuring she didn't have to say the rest. She was a nomad, and never was in the same place for long, and even though her passion was painting and occasionally running errands for strangers, there were times where she had to fight hostile creatures and the occasional bandit. Many of them were only left with their pride broken however, since Eydis didn't like violence that much. Her real vendetta was against ogres. Even though she has never encountered one in her travels, that was the only creature she wasn't going to show any mercy if she ever came across one.

With their place established, she got ready to head to the desert, although like Nolis, she was a bit annoyed that she was left with the worst terrain, but the change in terrain might be a good experience for her. She always travels in forests, jungles and the occasional swamp, so a desert was news to her. She knew they were hot, so it would be wise of them to store as much water as they could.

At Todd's suggestion, Phillip gave him a simple nod of understanding. Such was the way he operated, speaking only when absolutely necessary. So with that, he made his way over to the weapons rack, though not before snagging what little food was left from the table. Nibbling on a slice of bread, he looked over his options in terms of weaponry. He honestly thought he would stick with the longsword he had brought with him. He had used it many times before and was used to its length and weight. That didn't mean he wasn't about to expand his arsenal, though. Taking a parrying dagger from the rack, he slid the small weapon into a loop on his belt. He wasn't as well practiced with the shorter blade, but a dagger was always a useful thing to have, whether it be in combat or simply cutting through something.

Turning back to his smaller companion, Phillip gestured for Todd to do as he had suggested of him and make use of the weapons rack. He examined his travelling companion as he did so. The lad was quite small, that much was obvious. The guardsman wasn't one to make judgements based on one's stature, however. Todd could be extremely dangerous in his own right for all he knew. Size hardly determined one's worth, especially in combat when a small target was harder to hit. He could imagine Todd to be quite the sniper with that bow he carried. Speaking of which...

Looking to the weapons rack again, he took a quiver of arrows and offered it to his companion with a raised brow that seemed to say: Here, take.

"That would be helpful with this endeavor," Nolis agreed, giving her a mild look of displeasure regarding the scoff before letting it go. His thoughts followed the same path, regarding the nature of deserts and the need for water, so he took his small canteen out of his satchel and refilled it with some from the table. Returning to Eydis's side, and figuring he needn't ask her any more questions regarding her state of readiness, he said, "We should head out now," and started walking towards the entrance.

Hunching over the map he held in front of him-- the new set of armor would have made his posture even worse had it not been weightless-- Nolis tried to memorize the route and the surrounding area of their path. He also kept a mental list of the items in his possession other than his map: two daggers and a flail, which were strapped to places on his belt that had conveniently manifested to hold such weapons upon the armor's creation, and his satchel held a canteen full of water, a piece of bread and meat he had wrapped up in cloth, his pendant and letter, and a palm-sized bag that held three trinkets, two that had been found on the way to the dome and one that he had brought from home.

Now that Nolis was ready too, Eydis made sure her canteen was also full of water. Her own bag full of the leftovers she had statched was tied around one end of her waist, while Gallan's bag, where she kept Adaon, was at the other end to make sure the tiny creature didn't steal the food. With both food and weapons secured, Eydis proceeded to examine her own map and traced an imaginary route, though she was ready to listen to Nolis's suggestions.
"Well, I believe this path, while longer, has a smoother terrain, though I'm not certain if that's the correct approach. I only travelled though a desert once, and it was on horseback." Eydis expressed, deciding to be truthful on the matter. She was very different from the rude, moody person she was earlier, and even though she took a lot of pride in being knowledgable, she wasn't ashamed to admit her lack of experience on certain aspects.

Muta followed Gallan to the door, and nodded in agreement. With the sun being as bright as it was today, it was likely going to be hotter, which would make going through the desert tougher. Luckily, their path was through the forest, which would provide a nice shade for them.

The half-orc gave a small smile. "Ah, I'm from a village a bit further north of here. It's located at the base of a mountain. With some caves nearby, it's a great place for mining materials. The miners always bring supplies to the shop for my uncle and I to make tools and weapons with," she explained.

"Thanks.," Todd said gratefully accepting the quiver and giving a simple nod in return. 'You could never have too many arrows.,' he thought to himself. He filled up his own existing quiver while sticking any extras in his pack. Before leaving, he also made sure to fill up a canteen of water and double checked that he had everything he needed. "Well, it looks like we have the Fields. Over here.," he said pointing out their destination on the large map before leaving. Todd was comfortable with the decision-- fields suited a little fellow like him well and he was certain that his back was well covered.

Eydis watched as the rest, but in particular Muta and Gallan, took the easiest road on this hot day. Some orc that Muta was, seizing the easy path, but then again, she said nothing about it, believing that her experience in the desert would teach her many new things and would toughened her up for the trials ahead.
"Well, it looks like the hardest road was left for the tougher members of the group." Eydis said to Nolis, trying to brighten him up. Despite the desert being a hard trail, perhaps it was going to have materials and challenges very different from the ones their companions will have, and all new knowledge and experience was always very welomed. But as the group prepared to separate, Eydis couldn't wait to show Nolis her special healing powers. No doubt about it that they were all going to get injured at some point in their journey if the dangers ahead were as big as the elder warned, so in times like that, she knew she had to be ready to use her own magic, even though there wasn't too much of it.

Phillip gave a nod of his own in return to Todd's, one that seemed to say: You're welcome. He nodded again in agreement with the boy's assessment that they would be traversing the fields. He wondered just what the fields would hold for them. Would the grass be tall enough to nearly engulf his smaller companion entirely? The tall grass, either way, would certainly be a place for enemies to hide with relative ease. Something he did not look forward to. Still, he followed the half-halfling as he went to leave, asking as he did so, speaking up first for once, "What's your name?"

"My name is Todd. And you're Phillip, right?," Todd said looking back at his much taller companion. As he looked at Phillip, he imagined the man lived a simple life and was probably that of simple guardsman. Of course-- now their lives would never be the same again and none of them would be the same simple folk they were before. And he was partly looking forward to the change of pace. After all, it wasn't everyday that you got to save the world or learned something new about yourself. Of course, there was also the chance that they wouldn't survive to see the end of all this. However, he tried to keep his spirits up and tried not to think about that aspect.

The guardsman nodded, but he frowned soon afterwards. "How did you know?" he asked, seeming a bit wary. Phillip certainly hadn't told anyone here his name. Was this another magic thing again? One that let complete strangers know his name? He suddenly felt a bit self-conscious. How much else did Todd know about him? And how had he known to begin with? Maybe he'd missed something. It wouldn't be the first time that's happened. He wondered if he was supposed to have known Todd's name somehow. All of this magic stuff was confusing the hell out of him, and rightly so. Perhaps the pendants bound them together in some way? The wizards seemed to think that they would be able to communicate with each other with them. Perhaps they were already bound by the magic of the pendants... somehow. He didn't pretend to understand.

"That Gallon fellow seemed to know to know our names. It seems that he and the adults did quite a bit of research on us before we arrived.," Todd explained recalling how he had suggested their partnerships and called each individual out by name. Other then that, he actually knew very little about Phillip and the others. He suspected the adults knew quite a bit though...

Oh... well now he felt like an idiot. He recalled now that Gallan had indeed said not only his name, but many of the others', as well. Perhaps he had been so distracted by all of the other information being given by the wizards to really notice that at the time. Still, he'd like to think he was more observant than this. Now he had to wonder how Gallan had known all of their names. Could the pendants really be connecting them together as such? If they were, he felt like he had gotten the short end of the stick, because he still knew not a thing about the rest of his travelling companions. He supposed he could always just ask, but he was hardly the social type of person. Instead, he simply nodded in acceptance of Todd's answer. "Sorry if I sounded suspicious," he told him quietly, feeling as though perhaps he had wronged the smaller man - boy - in some way.

Gallan's expression beamed up to that of interest. He actually felt pretty good, the sun was shining, a beautiful meadow surrounded him and the sky was a perfect blue, and now he found out that Muta had a village that was rich with miners. "No way! My Uncle used to take me to the mines and show me all the cool gemstones." Gallan was glad he paired himself with Muta, and even gladder she had agreed, as he felt his self esteem and shyness would really hinder the mission at hand and blow it for everyone, but with Muta by his side he felt a lot more powerful than 'Measly little Gallan'

"I'm glad I'm with you, although, that Todd guy could have helped, if there's any food on the trees I bet he could have shot it down with eas-....Wait. How did I know his name....And everyone else's...." Gallan looked down at his pendent which draped down from the nape of his neck with a soft material that didn't rub or cause any rashes, which was very accommodating. "I guess these things really are bonding us...I feel as if I've known all of you my whole life, and I know all your names...Plus this thing was able to bring us here...I guess this magic stuff really works."

"It's alright. I think we all have the right to be suspicious here.," Todd said understanding the guardman's response. He did wonder just how they knew so much about them though and just how much they weren't telling them. And while he was at it-- he was beginning to know more about the others somehow. 'Wait... how did I know that?! I have a feeling these pendants are doing more then they said they were.,' he thought looking down at the pendant hanging down from his neck. Furthermore, if it knew this much about them-- what else did it know? And if he knew this much already; what about the others?

HEEEELLLLOOOOOOO EVERYBODY, I AM YOUR GAMEMASTE-*cough* Ah, sorry. I'm your game master, basically, like a dungeon master, I tell you different scenarios and you gotta figure them out! Each of the paths you've taken have been specifically designed for you and your partners skills, think of this sort of like a tutorial...But it won't be as easy as just pressing X to Jump. You'll have to use your brain, think of how to get out of certain situations or solve certain puzzles, and maybe even find some shiny cool items on the way...


As Gallan and Muta reached the Forest, they were welcomed with lush and beautiful greenery on all the trees, a lot of sunlight is blocked out from the tall grown trees, Gallan and Muta find themselves in a small clearing, a circle surrounded by trees and bushes, but with two options. East? Or West? Two paths curve in either direction, thorns and thistles surround the path to the West, and tall grass with what looks like poison ivy lines the East

As Phillip and Todd reach the fields they notice that they are not barren, but is covered in tall yellow grass, a large maze of corn can be seen in the distance with no way around, and corn grown so dense that one could not go through it, but must find their ways through the maze, but in the grass ahead: rustling....What could it be? Will they approach the grass to find out or go around?

As Eydis and Nolis approach the desert, heat basks down on them, dust blows in the wind and many dead bushes surround the area, the desert is split in half, one side blue sand, the other regular beige sand, a row of cacti in the middle separating the sides. It's up to them which side they'll choose