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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Jan 28, 2023 10:56:36 GMT -5
When she reaches the cart, Astrid clambers up to sit at the and looks over her greaves. She pulls one leg up and checks out the tiny bite marks on the metal. For such little creatures, they sure did a number on her ankles. Getting a proper chomp from any of them probably would've hurt a lot. She also notices the persistent, slightly slimy coating on the metal boot guards is a bit electrically charged. It doesn't hurt to touch; in fact, it's like the goo leftover from her lightning ooze friend absorbed some of the lightning that struck her.
It dawns on her that this might be the reason she walked away scot-free from the wrath of the Sky Goddess herself.
Astrid looks up at the sky filled with dark gray clouds flashing occasionally above them. A small arc of electricity between a few stray strands of hair falling in her face catches her attention, and her eyes shift to focus on it for a moment. Something weird definitely happened. Was it really a coincidence that she got struck? Well, she's wearing metal armor, that attracts electricity, right? But the BlixtbotsTM have plenty of metal in their makeup. Not only that, but she's not in any pain, rather, she feels energized.
Picking up her hammer, Astrid looks at the hefty metal in her hand. For a moment, her face looks constipated as she tries to focus the arcs of electricity into the weapon. To her surprise, the remnant arcs travel down her arm and into the hammer, charging it up in her hand! Though just as her expression shifts to celebratory, the lightning bites at her! The hammer falls from her hand to the ground with a heavy thud. Astrid shakes her hand out, wincing at the shock.
"Ouch," she murmurs. Was that a fluke? It's hard to tell, but she's not sparking with electricity as much... With the cart continuing forward, the tether to her hammer pulls taut and drags the weapon through the dirt. Astrid grabs the tether and pulls the hammer back to her hands, cautiously testing the surface before confidently grabbing it and looping it back on her belt.
Her eyes draw up to Leni and Ulrich catching up to the cart. They both showed some proficiency in magic, to put it lightly. If this isn't a fluke, if she's really found some connection to the Sky Domain, she would really like to learn something about it. They're both nice, they won't mind her asking, right? There's no harm in asking! The worst they can do is say no. Her voice trickles out hesitantly.
"So... ya both know some magic, right? Ya were like... flyin' and walkin' on air and stuff! Maybe... I dunno, maybe ya could show me some stuff? I-If it ain't too much ta ask..."
This journey's been tough enough already. She understands if they say no. She's only just met them, after all. Well, it wouldn't be the first time strangers did something nice for her.
Charged Object (aka the only spell I took for this thread)
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Post by Leni-Aura Thunderpaw on Feb 4, 2023 21:43:16 GMT -5
Leni-Aura slows her stride as she catches up to the cart; the rabbitaur straightens her posture with a shake of her head and tightens her grip on her spear as she falls in line with the movement of the Blixt™bots. She closes her eyes, brows furrowed, as she wills away the wash of heat that rises to her cheeks after her departure.
Nimbus squeaks at nothing in particular on her shoulders; and Leni-Aura is grateful for the distraction. “Sto?” she murmurs, looking over her shoulder at him; her hazel eyes grow a bit softer. Maybe he’s still shaken up? She feels a little rumble vibrate the drake’s body; he bunches up like a cat, tail lashing with a tiny growl. Leni-Aura follows his gaze, but can’t see anything out of place. “Tss. Hush. You are fine.” she assures him, reaching just behind her so that Nimbus can snuffle at her hand.
He presses his snout into her palm and she strokes the top of his head; but he still seems restless.
She frowns but puts it to the back of her mind when she hears a little spark and a thud. She blinks; settling her attention to where Astrid is seated on the cart. Leni-Aura doesn’t say anything, but she watches the child shake out her hand and murmur so quietly that even she can barely hear her. While she’s watching Astrid pull her hammer over to her, she hears footsteps from behind.
She glances over her shoulder, over Nimbus’ restless and wagging tail, to see Ulrich. There’s a slight hesitation as she looks him over from head to toe without turning her head any further. She furrows her brows at him. “... you need one.” she answers in return; she doesn’t think it’s really an insult, because he is so clearly covered in slime and… other gross substances…
Nimbus wiggles on her shoulders, still watching the cart intently, despite Ulrich’s presence.
Meanwhile, Astrid catches Leni-Aura’s attention; the rabbitaur perks her ears, turning to look at the girl while she strides along near Ulrich. “Hah? I…” she trails off, frowning somewhat. “Ieh, maa vie ekk. I am not a good teacher,” there’s a small hesitation in her words as though she is going to continue before she actually does. “Ulrich knows more than I do; I learned from him.”
She breathes a sigh. “We still have a ways to go…” she trails off, “...but if he wishes, he might teach you some things.” She looks at Ulrich, waiting for the man’s response; they certainly would have the time, with more than a few days of travel ahead of them.
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Post by Ulrich Ambriz on Feb 8, 2023 6:20:15 GMT -5
A nervous chuckle escaped Ulrich as he catches Leni's remark about him needing a bath. Well, she wasn't wrong. He was in desperate need of one. The sooner, the better. They were days away from their target destination— which meant that he wouldn't be able to take that nice, long, hot bath— he'd have to settle for washing himself off in some random pool of water. Of course, that's if they were lucky enough to come across any out here.
Ulrich notices Nimbus' behavior towards the cart which was a bit odd. It's as if there's something he knows that the rest of them didn't. Was there some sort of danger still lurking about?
His eyes light up a bit hearing Astrid's question and Leni's answer to it.
"I did, in fact, teach Leni-Aura how to harness the magic offered by the Sky Domain."
A smile lights his face up warmly as a gentle breeze blows through. His eyes shift towards the skies and he gives a knowing nod. His gaze returns to the cart and the others, "We can certainly fit in some time for harnessing that magic, Astrid! We're here so you'd might as well learn everything you can!"
As he flashes a thumbs up gesture to her, a miniature streak of blue dances around his thumb before dissipating into the air.
Just then, Nimbus began to stir again on Leni's shoulders. The poor thing was bothered by something around the cart, but just what was it? Ulrich walks up to Leni and Nimbus, gently placing his hand on the little drake's head.
"What is it, bud? What's got you so worked up?"
Nimbus' gaze is concentrated on the cart and Ulrich follows it. Cautiously walking up to the cart and tilting his head to one side to check if there is anything amiss, but it is difficult to tell since the Blixt™bots are still actively pulling it.
"Uh, Gentlebots, could you please stop for a second?" The cart slowly comes to a halt as the bots heed his request.
There is a stirring as the cart idles. A puzzled look etches itself onto Ulrich's face as he steps back slightly. His hand instinctively placing itself on the knife at his hip.
Then the unexpected happens. A small scaly head pops out from underneath the cart. It looks all around; left, front, and then to it's right where Ulrich is standing. The big eyes look up at him as he's frozen in place. Their eyes meet and they sit there for a few seconds before the little thing sniffs the air. It almost looked as if a small smile formed on it's face as it slowly crawled out from underneath the cart in Ulrich's direction.
They'd just fought off these things earlier, but now there was a lone Babehir among them. It didn't look threatening as the others did. In fact, it looked quite friendly.
"Uhhhhh, what's going on here?" The puzzled look never leaving Ulrich's face.
The little behir gave a cute squeal as if in response to Ulrich's question, and it crawled over to him, stopping at his feet. It sniffed again and nuzzled it's snout against his boot.
It's smelling it's mother's scent on me. Of course it is! Look at me!
At the thought of that, Ulrich lets a sigh escape him. The little behir smiles up at him, and begins to climb up his pant, up his shirt, until it rests upon his shoulders. The whole time this was happening, Ulrich was giving off nervous chuckles.
"Ok-okay then. You're just going to make yourself comfortable there then." The little behir sits there on his shoulder smiling.
A hiss comes from behind Ulrich, and he turns back to see Nimbus on Leni's shoulders, gaze focused on the new creature among the group. He certainly was not a fan of their new friend. The little behir's head perks up and tilts as it stares back at Nimbus. Although they'd just witnessed how nasty these little creatures could be, this one wasn't like that— at least it wasn't like that all that much. A small hiss escaped the little behir, but it seemed to be more worried about resting on Ulrich's shoulders.
"Well then, it would seem that we have another companion on this journey now."
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Feb 8, 2023 23:06:49 GMT -5
It would be a lie to say Astrid doesn't feel a little pang of jealousy now that everyone else seems to have tiny lizard-like companions for the journey. Then again, in theory, she has something even better: potential access to the sky domain! Still… A pet would mean a companion to travel with. But it would also mean something else to be responsible for and to feed, and with as little experience as she has and as hard as getting coin can be as a child adventurer, she decides things are probably better this way. Besides, Ulrich smells really weird. He’s definitely a more fitting caretaker for the little guy.
“What’re ya gonna call ‘im?” Astrid asks, her legs swinging off the edge of the cart as it starts lurching forward again. “He’s real cute. A little bean.” She tries to reach out and pet the little guy, but he decidedly does not like her and hisses, snapping his tiny teeth at her. “Alright, Chomper it is.”
The next few days of traveling go much more smoothly than the first day. Astrid is an enthusiastic student, and more than once, she threw herself off the back of the cart in an attempt to learn to walk on air. The aeromancy part of the sky domain doesn’t present itself to her, but electromancy seems to be much more up her alley. Perhaps there are remnants of the lightning strike’s energy coursing through her limbs which aid her practice.
By the fourth day on the road, she’s slept half as much as she should have, spending every ounce of free time on the one particular spell to channel electricity into an object. Her metal hammer is the easiest target of her new spell, and she works diligently until she can charge even wood and stone. Only then does she sleep a full night.
Eventually, the border of Frost Gale comes into view. The journey’s end rapidly approaches, and a sort of melancholy falls over the half-dwarf. It’s been a little bit since she’s had consistent travel companions, and while the two with her are only doing a favor for Veliky, Astrid has found that she quite likes their company. It’s a stark contrast to traveling with the ooze knight for sure.
When the group reaches the border camp at the edge of the frozen waste, the cold has seeped into everyone’s bones. It’s no wonder the Lightning Fields are so prevalent - the mixing of the desert air from Zeinav and the blizzards of Frost Gale create the perfect conditions for storms. The cart lurches to a stop, and Astrid gets off and stretches, letting the last bits of melancholy wash over her.
“Well, this is it,” she says, mustering up a signature cheery smile towards the two adults. “It’s been real nice traveling with ya both, and I’m real grateful ya showed me a bit of magic.” Astrid’s not entirely sure where she’ll go from here. The goal of escorting the cargo to the border has been accomplished. The cold bites, but maybe she could figure out where Bleakfort is and explore that city.
It’s about this time that one of the Pawn Model BlixtbotsTM approaches Astrid. “Conscript Astrid, report: these units and their payload made a successful journey per Mistress Veliky’s orders. As a result, these units have additional orders to carry out including distributing your reward.”
With all the hustle and bustle of the journey, Astrid almost forgot about the reward Veliky’s message promised. She follows the motion of the Pawn’s hand to look at the cart where the other BlixtbotsTM are peeling open the largest crate on the cart. With a loud crack forced by a crowbar, one side of the crate falls forward and reveals a single BlixtbotTM tucked inside. Its form resembles the other Pawn Models traveling with the group, however its metal exoskeleton is brightly polished with seemingly different metal plates to its design. In addition, it has a large metal storage pack built into the back.
With the crate opened, its eyes glow bright red from inside, and it steps forward - an unbalanced stumble really, and it stands at the rear of the cart, scanning the group in front of it before focusing on Astrid. A mechanical voice speaks from a mouthpiece. “Mistress Astrid, introduction: I am C.H.A.R.L.E.S., a Type-I Pawn Model unit with special companionship protocols and storage capacity. It is a pleasure to meet you.”
Astrid blinks a few times, trying to process what just happened. “What?” The new BlixtbotTM repeats himself. “M-Mistress Astrid?” she echoes, confusion coloring her voice. “Not Conscript?”
“Affirmative. My unit name represents my protocols: Chasing and Herding Astrid Reactionary Legionnaire Encumbrance Specialization unit, or C.H.A.R.L.E.S., for short.” The bot’s gaze is unwavering. “Report: Mistress Veliky had me manufactured as a reward in the event you completed her task. Analysis: This unit arrived at the border of Frost Gale successfully, therefore your reward is this unit’s companionship. Query: Any questions?”
Oh, Astrid has a lot of questions, but they’re quickly overwritten with excitement that seems to explode from the girl. She doesn’t even notice the protocol’s acronym. “NO WAY!! THIS IS SO COOL!” She instantly circles the BlixtbotTM, analyzing the construct’s makeup. It’s been a long time since she last saw Miss Veliky, but she must have impressed her! If she had a better handle on lightning magic, she might literally be buzzing with excitement.
Finally, she collects herself and looks at the rest of the bots. “Tell Miss Veliky I love it!” she says with a grin.
“Affirmative: Should these units reconvene with Mistress Veliky, they will deliver your message,” the lead bot says before looking to Leni and Ulrich. “Conscript Leni-Aura, Conscript Ulrich, report: As this was repayment of a favor for Mistress Veliky, your debt is settled.” Then the bots collect the cart and make their way farther into the camp.
Astrid throws herself at Ulrich and Leni, each arm pulling them into a cramped group hug. “Thank ya both!!” she squeals. “F-Fer helpin’ me make it this far, I mean. And fer teachin’ me a bit of magic! And fer bein’ awesome! I hope we get ta see each other again!”
With hugs and appreciation given, Astrid steps back and looks at Charles, who is just patiently waiting. Onto the next adventure! Wherever that might be, it won’t be alone.
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Post by Leni-Aura Thunderpaw on Feb 9, 2023 21:22:35 GMT -5
Nimbus cannot be consoled; Leni-Aura frowns, “I do not know,” she admits as she watches Ulrich head towards the cart. She feels every small disturbance in the drake’s body language; and as Ulrich approaches the cart, she feels the little reptilian tense. She reaches up to rest a hand on the drake’s neck, brows furrowing when Ulrich requests the constructs pulling the cart to stop.
With the cart no longer in motion, it’s so much easier to see the stir of something moving in the cart. Leni-Aura bristles, taking a step back and preemptively reaching for her spear… when a little face pops out from beneath in response to Ulrich’s presence. She startles, fingers tightening around the haft of her spear, but…
It’s… a behir?
The very same behir that had initially caught up to them far before its kin, actually. It must have stowed away throughout the entire attack… and here it was, alone, even after its mother and siblings had been chased off.
She frowns at the thought.
Right; its mother and siblings…
She can’t help but feel guilty when the little thing chirrups and snuffles at Ulrich before scuttling harmlessly onto his shoulders— it seems more than content to be in his company— just like Nimbus usually is. She blinks a few times, surprised, and loosens her hold on her spear just as Nimbus hisses on her shoulder and tries to launch itself at Ulrich and the stowaway.
“Ah-ah!” She manages to grab the little drake by one leg; and although he flaps, growls, and barks at the behir— sparks of lightning dancing between his jaws— he ultimately thrashes against her hold until he tires. Defeatedly, he drops onto her arm and clings to her, staring at Ulrich as though he has committed the most heinous of crimes.
The drake whines at him.
“Dramatic!” she puffs, gathering Nimbus and guiding him back onto her shoulders. He goes compliantly, but pouts after his tantrum; he flops melodramatically around her neck. “Tsk.” She reaches up and pats his side to calm him. It does not. “It must think you are its mother.” she remarks of the babehir; Nimbus turns his head just enough to eye Ulrich and the behir pathetically. She sighs, looking at Astrid with furrowed brows as she asks if they’ll keep it. “I do not know if we—” her voice catches in her throat, then switches tune. “—if Ulrich is going to keep him.” She physically shakes off the trip in wording; her ears flatten back. “But… if not, it may be good to find some place for it; without anyone to help it hunt, it’s likely to starve out here.”
In the end, they continue to hold onto the little behir; outside of Nimbus growling, hissing, and sparking at the behir for the first few days; the following days go relatively smoothly on the problem front.
Leni-Aura doesn’t do much teaching— she leaves that to Ulrich, because she does not have the same patience— but she does sit awake with Astrid during the late hours of the night when the child is determined to harness her abilities without rest, if only to offer her small points of advice and keep her company. Watching her determination and ambition at mastering something so complicated is admirable, albeit nostalgic; Leni-Aura herself shares a similar training mentality. She does, finally, master the transfer of her electric magi to not only her hammer, but other objects which hardly conduct electricity— her rest is well deserved.
But as with all things, their journey with Astrid eventually comes to a close.
As they approach the Frost Gale, the temperature chills and the rumble of thunder grows distant; the border camp is visible on the horizon, and before long, Leni-Aura steps amongst the bustling little camp of Veliky’s weird contraptions with Astrid, Ulrich, and a cart with too many Blixtbots™ to be carrying it so slowly.
Nimbus chirrups and chitters on her shoulders, too distracted with his new surroundings to be mad about the presence of the little behir anymore; meanwhile, Leni-Aura nods as Astrid declares that this is their destination. “It is.” she agrees, “You worked hard to practice; that’s an admirable trait.”
She rests her hands on her hips, offering the Blixtbots™ a glance as they approach to congratulate Astrid on the completion of Mistress Veliky’s orders. She watches as they head towards the largest crate on the cart and peel it open. Out steps another one of those damn… “... we were carrying your reward the whole time?”
Gods damn Veliky. Why is she so complicated? They almost died… carrying a gift in disguise as a reward? Why not just give it to the girl? She clearly put it on here because she knew Astrid would succeed, right!?
Astrid’s so excited that she’s practically vibrating about it.
Leni-Aura stifles a sigh; she pinches the bridge of her nose and shakes her head; but she looks up when the bots address her and Ulrich. She rolls her eyes, waving her hand dismissively at the bots before turning back to Astrid—-
-— and getting pulled into a cramped hug.
She stiffens, uncertain what to do or where to put her hands; she’s not actually sure she can remember the last time she was hugged. Flustered and overcome with a weird wave of emotion, Leni-Aura pulls away when she’s finally released, clearing her throat as she runs a hand through her hair idly. “Mm.” she agrees, avoiding eye contact. “I am sure we will meet again. I am sure Veliky will be pleased.”
She is not that sure; but for what it’s worth, she wouldn’t mind seeing Astrid again.
With their farewells given, Leni-Aura offers Ulrich a glance. “Perhaps we should backtrack to Sky Peak,” she suggests while looking him over. “... So you can actually take a bath.” She blinks, focusing on the behir. "... And what do we do with him?"
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Post by Ulrich Ambriz on Feb 11, 2023 17:16:51 GMT -5
He cannot help but feel like he has betrayed the little drake as he stares like that. A slight frown forms on Ulrich's face as the little babehir chirps on his shoulder. Catching Leni's remark, he turns his head slightly to eye the little behir, "I agree. It would only make sense since I'm covered in this gunk." He reaches up to scratch the behir's chin. They definitely cannot leave the poor thing out here on it's own. He is reminded of his upbringing as part of the Oh'Mek tribe at this moment, and how they would be disappointed in him if he were to leave a creature like this on it's own when he could have done something.
He gives an affirming nod, "We cannot leave it here on it's own. Well, I'm sure he's set on accompanying us anyways. So he'll travel with us for the time being."
He thought about a fitting name for the little one, but at the moment he couldn't figure one out. Well, a good enough sounding name wouldn't come to him at the moment. "I'm not sure what I'll call him," he states placing a hand on his chin. Ulrich flinches a bit when the little behir snaps at Astrid's attempt to reach out to him. He gives a nervous chuckle, "I guess Chomper works for now," he agrees.
The days that followed were relatively quiet and peaceful. The group enjoyed each other's company— save for Nimbus and the little Behir hissing at each other at first— and Ulrich does his best to teach Astrid the basics of understanding the magic of the Sky Domain.
He explains to her the two distinct feelings that both of the elements of Wind and Lightning give off. For Wind magic, it feels as if a coolness fills your body. As for Lightning magic; it is the sensation of a sting, a shock, something you feel in your chest. You feel it, embrace it, and you push it out to your limbs. The girl has a bit of trouble with the wind aspect of the Sky Domain, but she shows potential in the use of Lightning aspect!
They train during the day as they travel along the path to their destination. His enthusiasm never fades, and Astrid feverishly continues to train on her own. He can't help but feel a bit proud of her. At night he notices that she stays awake still training herself to master the one spell. He also notices that Leni stays awake with her as well. She offers her own insights on training oneself in the art of controlling Lightning magic. So he lays there pretending to sleep, letting the Rabbitaur bond with the girl over their nights of talk about Lightning magic.
They eventually reach their destination and he cannot help but feel the sadness that creeps into his chest. He had grown quite fond of Astrid and the time they all spent together traveling.
Ulrich gives an affirming nod to Astrid, agreeing with Leni's remark. "You were able to master charging objects with electricity. I'm very proud of you, Astrid," he says with a warm smile.
A slight sigh escapes him as they both realize that they had been carrying Astrid's gift the whole time.
Ah, Veliky. You couldn't just give this to her outright, could you? Always the covert route with you, isn't it?
The bots address the both of them. He gently claps his hands together and gives them a bow.
And then they were suddenly pulled into a hug by the girl. He is caught a bit off guard, but he reciprocates, patting her on the back gently. They pull away and he glances at Leni as she states her agreement.
"Yes, I do agree with Leni-Aura. We will meet again surely."
They watch as Astrid slowly grows further away with her new robot companion. He turns his attention to Leni, "I think backtracking there is a good idea," giving a chuckle at his current state. "I really do need that bath already."
The little behir perks it's head up from Ulrich's shoulder. It seemed to understand them just like Nimbus does. "I've grown a bit attached to him in all honesty." He reaches up to pet the little behir on the head.
The group of three— that has now turned to a group of four— turn back in the direction of Sky Peak. With one more look back to the girl they had just traveled with, they begin their journey back into the fields.
With the sun slowly settling in the sky at late afternoon, the two groups slowly grow apart as they both disappear from view on their respective paths. Maybe one day their paths will intersect again, but for now, the story of: the Girl, the Electromancers, a Drake, and a Behir finally comes to a close.
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