WELCOME TO RAYVEN'S REIGN.

[♙ Luna]

Niyara smiled. She liked his attitude and he seemed like a good person to keep around. She extended her hand to him for a handshake.

"Deal." She nodded with her hand shake and then turned her attention to the shoreline that had approached sooner than she originally thought.

"Well, I suggest you get off the boat and find your land legs. I have some business to attend to on the island. You are more than welcome to join if you wish." She turned and began to walk off the boat.


-----


The town of Auginsia had gotten larger since her last visit. It had always been a busy town but it seemed that over the years more families had settled there. It was boosting up to be a city. Market stands were littered all over the streets while hundreds of people roamed around. It was a jolly town and musicians could be heard in every section of the town.

Niyara was greeted by a young man who looked relatively acquainted with the town. She could tell by the dirt on his face and clothes that he was a practicing blacksmith.

"We have been expecting you Queen Q'ara! My master awaits!" She smiled at the young kid and followed him throughout the town to a small shop. It was there that she met with an old friend, a blacksmith. He agreed to aid her, however he decided that it was more important for him to stay in Auginsia. With that, he sent his apprentice, but by no means a novice, with Niyara. She nodded in great thanks and left the shop.

"Okay, kid. I am counting on you. You better be as good as your master says you are." She smiled at the young boy with a joking sense to her voice and sent him to the ship to get acquainted with everyone. I wonder if it's safe to stay here for the night...

(OOC: Feel free to add a battle scene/enemy )

[♔ Ketic]

Since Niyara was in town on business, Seamus decided he would let her go about it peacefully. So now he was met with the dilemma of what do spend the next couple of hours doing. After watching Niyara leave the boat, Seamus let a few minutes go by before making his decision. He quickly exited the boat making a conscious decision to leave his sword behind. If I get into trouble I have this dagger. The weight of the weapon on the inside of his right boot was reassuring.

-

Auginsia was brimming with life. Seamus smiled at people as they passed and they smiled back. Wow, Seamus wondered if there was some sort of festival today, because there were a lot of people in the streets. These people seem so much happier than the others in Porthaven.

Eventually Seamus came to a bar, somewhat disappointed to find it nearly empty. He ordered a cheap drink and drank it quickly. The barkeep was the opposite of a good conversationalist so Seamus decided to leave and look for fun elsewhere. His six foot nine inch frame was attracting a bit of attention and Seamus tried to look at least a little friendly. As he turned a corner Seamus let out a gasp.

Down the road just a ways there was a man getting violently robbed. It was the middle of the day and people just ignored it. Not letting even a second thought cross his mind, Seamus charged. If the three men doing the mugging had seen Seamus coming they probably would have run away. A nearly seven foot tall man sprinting your direction with fists raised would be pretty terrifying.

A thunderous right straight sent the first mugger literally flying backwards. The other two noticed Seamus now and they turned on him, one of them drawing a knife. His green eyes briefly flicked to the man, checking he was still breathing. Good. The criminal with the knife jabbed forward quickly and then retreated before Seamus could grab him. Not easily frustrated, Seamus waited for the third idiot to get up and join his buddies. Guy one was bloodied in the face from just one punch, which made Seamus feel positive. The jabbing knife came again but this time Seamus was ready. He caught the man's wrist and sent an elbow into the enemy's chest. Suddenly there was pain in his kidney and Seamus collapsed downward, gasping. Guy three had gone for the cheap shot. He quickly rolled out of the way of Guy one and drew the dagger from his boot. It was longer than the knife Guy two had pulled, and the muggers quickly decided their victim was not worth the risk. They ran, and Seamus let them go.

He turned his attention to the man on the ground, but he was out stone cold. Not wanting to disturb the poor guy's injuries, Seamus simply sat down on a crate next to him and waited.

[♙ Luna]

Niyara finished taking care of business and decided to return the ship. Much to her surprise, though, the Eru was practically empty. Most of the soldiers had left to either buy new or extra weapons and armor or to drink. It wasn't surprising. She gave a small sigh with a smile and walked around aimlessly on the boat to see if any stragglers were left there. I guess we can afford to stay here a night. We'll be traveling on the Eru a lot. We should take advantage of the land while we can...

Niyara decided to look for Seamus, as he hadn't been on the ship. She figured he was out relaxing somewhere so when she couldn't find him she settled on calling it quits at a local tavern. As she walked inside she saw several of her men sitting at the bar with drinks. Deciding to join them, she picked up a stool and sat down next to them. She didn't plan on drinking, but she figured the company would be nice. Taking another good look around, she thought to herself. I'm surprised. Seamus isn't here either. I wonder if he got lost? She quickly dismissed that thought from her head. He seemed too intuitive to get lost in a city like Auginsia. With no where to go, she informed her men that they'd be spending the night in the city and left the tavern.

It was getting dark now. The sun was setting behind the stone buildings and the air was breezy. Much cooler than before. Niyara usually walked with her head up but something drew her attention in an alley way. An unfamiliar figure laid on the ground and someone, who looked to be Seamus from her distance, was sitting on a crate. She didn't say anything but decided to go and check it out.

[♔ Ketic]

Seamus' gaze wandered up as Niyara approached him. He quickly brushed the liquid from his face and gave her a thin smile. The man wasn't going to wake up, that much had become clear to Seamus. Brushing his hair out of his face, he gestured for the captain to go first. He didn't want to stay in this alley with the dead man. "He was alive when I stopped the thieves... but he didn't last I guess," Emotion was clear in Seamus' usually hard-to-read eyes. "Maybe I should have left him and fetched a doctor?" He looked at his captain for answers. She was his captain after all, so she must have some sort of advice for him. Seamus didn't really differentiate between captain and friend, they were the same in this particular case.

He watched the road ahead of them as the two walked. Seamus would've liked to look at Niyara to read her expression, but it was too dark and dim on the street now. How did this happy town transform so fast? It was just like Porthaven. At first Seamus thought it was the most peaceful and happy place ever. Now he knew better than that.

[♖ Underdog91]

Maria wonders the streets looking for anyone who can tell her where she is. She passes several people. All of them stare at her. She felt out of place in this town. She runs to the nearest alley to find a dead body and a woman and two men.

"Excuse me. I hate to intrude on your conversation but I would really love it if someone could point me in the direction of a ship? I have fighting experience and medical knowledge." Maria hoped these people could help her.

Maria looks at one of the man and he kind of reminds her of her brother. She still remembers the day she left her siblings behind. Tears stream down her face and she turns away like an animal that has been beaten.

This post has been edited by Underdog91 on Oct 31 2011, 02:31 PM

[♙ Luna]

Niyara looked at the dead man on the sidewalk and then looked back at Seamus.

"He was alive when I stopped the thieves...but he didn't last I guess. Maybe I should have left him and fetched a doctor?" Niyara knelt down by the body. She sighed as if she felt sorry for the poor man.

"No, he wouldn't have made it. The doctor really wouldn't have been able to do anything..." The wounds on the man looked serious and she really didn't believe that a doctor would have been of much help. It was a good effort on Seamus's part to attempt stopping the fight and saving the guy. Unfortunately, though, it had failed.

"This is pretty common here. It usually only happens to "commoners" though. Usually people just overlook it. Out of sight, out of mind, right?" She looked back up at Seamus trying to reassure him that it wasn't his fault. The sound of running footsteps interrupted them.

"Excuse me. I hate to intrude on your conversation but I would really love it if someone could point me in the direction of a ship? I have fighting experience and medical knowledge." Taking a skeptical look, Niyara turned her attention to the woman now standing in front of them. It was a curious thing. Niyara hadn't really told anyone about her mission of rounding up an army. It seemed strange to her that this random woman knew about it. Maybe she knew the blacksmith? How else could she possibly know about this?

"Who are you?" Finding out someone's name always seemed to be a good start. Much to Niyara's surprise, however, a tear rolled down the woman's cheek and she quickly turned away. Confused, Niyara tried to respond.

"Are you okay?"

[♔ Ketic]

Suddenly a girl came out of nowhere, and began to speak. Seamus wasn't really listening. He was bummed at his inability to save that man. Usually he got to a fight early enough, but not this time. When he finally gave the newcomer a valid glance Seamus saw that she was crying. "Are you okay?" Niyara spoke, so he decided not to. Seamus was aware of the late hour and he quickly glanced around. The streets were foggy but for the most part empty. He didn't want someone jumping out and attacking him. Of course he could probably take them on especially with Niyara around. After a couple of moments of unease, Seamus returned his attention to the two girls. He listened quietly for the stranger to respond.

[♖ Underdog91]

Maria wipes her eyes on her sleeve. "I'm sorry I was reminded of someone I left a long time ago." Maria got up and looked at the woman in her eyes. "My name is Maria. I'm a trained nurse and fighter. I can help whereever I'm needed."

'I better keep to myself that I'm a halfing. Most people try to kill me whenthey find out.' Maria hummed a quiet sailing song.

[♙ Luna]

Niyara looked at the woman quizzically. The alley was secluded and no one would be walking by for a while. That was good in Niyara's mind because it gave her a chance to test this Maria.

"Care to demonstrate?" She looked at the girl wondering if she'd understand and when a silence went by, she continued.

"Come at me. I would like to see your skill." Niyara stood calmly, not in a readied position. She was a queen of an entire nation, after all. Fighting was something she did every day and she was pretty good at it. Not to mention, she could pick out a great fight when she saw one. She was hoping that Maria was as skilled as she said she was. It would be a great addition to her cause.

"Don't be afraid."

[♔ Ketic]

Seamus raised his eyebrows at Niyara but didn't question her. Instead he stepped a few paces back, taking a seat on a nearby crate. Seamus wouldn't stop his captain but if things got hostile he would definitely interfere. He wasn't sure how this stranger Maria would react to such an open challenge. His eyes searched the girl but he couldn't predict her reaction. Seamus found himself looking back at Niyara in the end. Letting out a sigh, he leaned against the alleyway wall and waited, content to watch.

[♖ Underdog91]

Maria walked toward Niyara in a nonthreating way. She watched the man take a seat on a crate. She takes a deep breath. 'It looks like I have no choice.' She hits Niyara in several pressure points to disable her. She looks at the man ready to fight im also.

[♙ Luna]

Niyara was impressed. The girl didn't really look like much of a fighter, which was half of the reason she caught Niyara off guard. Niyara wasn't very strong in her human form, so being caught off guard was an awful scenario for her. Her wolf form, however, was much more difficult to deal with. She smiled at the girl, who was now ready to fight Seamus too. With a chuckle, Niyara stopped her.

"Hahahaha, you can relax. There's no need to fight him. I just wanted to gauge your skills." She shook out her limbs so that she could get them working again. The smile from her face was gone and only a serious look remained.

"You have skill, that's for sure. How exactly did you hear about the ship?" She was still unsure of the woman's intentions. Niyara was almost convinced, however, that Maria would join. She needed the fighting power, and she was just as skilled as any other.

[♔ Ketic]

Seamus watched as Maria moved like lightning. She attacked Niyara in multiple places and he jumped to his feet, ready to aid his friend. Then Maria stopped and turned on him. For an extremely tense moment Seamus gripped the hilt of his weapon that sat strapped on his left hip. The warrior narrowed his green eyes at Maria but Niyara suddenly chuckled. Seamus relaxed a little and gazed at his captain. She seemed well enough. Damn. I didn't expect that from this girl. She seems so... harmless. Seamus decided he wouldn't sit back down. Instead he relaxed his posture and let his left hand drop from the hilt of his sword.

[♖ Underdog91]

Maria returned to a more relaxed stance. She kept a watchful look on the man. She thought of a way to answer the woman's question. "I went to a smith's shop looking for work. He said that a friend was looking for capiable sailors. I've lived on a boat most of my life."

Maria took a drink from her water skin. She closed the skin and looked at the woman for some kind of response.

[♙ Luna]

"I see." Her story seemed to check so Niyara set aside her cautious ways.

"Well, there's no doubt about it. We could certainly use your help. I'm a bit short handed on men." Niyara stuck out her hand for a handshake.

"I'm Niyara Q'ar. The ship that you heard about, the Eru, is mine. This is Seamus." She pointed to man standing next to her.

"Maria, was it?"