You had learned a lot of things about the state of the world yesterday from Rinnier, and had begun to try and make plans for how to deal with your funds being cut off by dear aunt and uncle in retaliation for you ripping the carpet out from under them at the choosing of your Testament. Those plans met an unexpected snag when you had the misfortune of somehow encountering two rogue flame apparitions while trying to make breakfast, a fight which left you badly burned and exhausted. You made a trip here with Kara to see a healer, and then were forced to confront the aforementioned stigma regarding the demihumans.

It had taken you several hours of search to find an inn which would let you stay in a room with Kara, an importance since you were concerned the demihuman would just up and leave in the middle of the night. A concern that, you note, was evidently well founded considering Kara's current breakfast. You've no idea when she had left to get that, or where it had even come from, but the fact she had it meant that at some point during the night she had done exactly what you had been worried about and just... left.

She came back, obviously, but the fact she just wandered off like that was still concerning.

Your brows furrowed as she noisily made a mess on the bed, stomach rolling unpleasantly at the sight and sound of the flesh in her mouth being ripped from the body. You clench your gut's protests down at get out of bed, and get ready to get on with your day; Before you go back to the estate, you've got the opportunity to get a few things done. Chiefly among them, you want to gather information about current events from town to try and get a better idea of what's going on in the area. There's also the matter of the two flame mana apparitions which brought you to town for healing in the first place; You're relatively certain this place wasn't submersed in enough flame mana to just arbitrarily spawn them like that, much less how aggressive they were.

Flame mana was notoriously aggressive in the first place, partly due to its enerjetic nature being coupled with the unfortunate medium of an all consuming flame, but also due to the fact their capricious nature would cause the gentle tongues of flame to swiftly and unexpectedly change to devouring teeth. That didn't quite explain why those two had seemingly been going for the kill almost immediately from conception, though...

These thoughts swirl back and forth through your mind as you slide along the old wooden floors of the inn, a warm atmosphere you found yourself appreciating more in the morning than you had last night when you were at the end of your rope. You took a moment to freshen yourself up with a splash of cool water onto your face, shocking away the remaining sleep from your eyes. With that, you were well awake and ready to get moving - Deciding to take a bucket of the water back to your room to make Kara clean herself up before you left. You can only imagine the uproar that would occur if the town saw her walking around covered in blood.

You'd need to give the innkeeper a bonus for those sheets - One on top of the reward you had planned for being the only establishment in this town which had not pissed you off since you arrived. The family who lived here had been quick to arrange a room for you at the hour of night you had arrived, not even questioning Kara's presence. As the scion of House Valen, it was your responsibility to reward those who served in an exemplary manner, after all.

To be precise, it was every noble's responsibility to do so - Yours was a social caste of judgement, both good and ill. To punish those who shirk their duties, and reward those who exceed. A healthy domain is filled with the lesser serving class, and it is the ruling class' responsibility to nurture and prune their efforts accordingly. If you merely allowed yourself to grow fat on their unkempt efforts, the entire system would rot from the ground up.

House Valen did not get this far allowing indolent disregard to their obligations, and you were not about to start!

...However, your funds were getting dangerously low. You're unsure if you can afford to give them the kind of reward they deserve for their actions.

You click the door to your room shut, noticing the dog's corpse is now nearly unrecognisable due to being consumed by the evidently satisfied demihuman sprawled out out on her bloodstained bed as her tail gently wagged back and forth contentedly. You briefly contemplate just dumping the bucket on her, but it would more than likely just be a waste of water, and probably make the mess worse.

You set the bucket down with a sigh.

>Throw a cloth at Kara and tell her to scrub the blood off.
>Scrub it off yourself, you've little faith in her ability to look presentable.
>Where did you even find a dog? That's not proper food!

ALSO

>We're gathering information first, I want to find out what's going on quickly.
>We're paying a visit to the Mana Shrine first, those apparitions shouldn't have just shown up and they might know more about what happened in Teranford.

Previous Threads:
https://archive.moe/tg/search/tripcode/!y56qKWqxyc/results/thread/
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?searchall=valen+quest

Where things are said:
https://twitter.com/Riz_QM

Misc notes:City adventures with Kara continue. Should you really trust her so easily?

>>40461275
>Scrub it off yourself, you've little faith in her ability to look presentable.
>Where did you even find a dog? That's not proper food!
>We're paying a visit to the Mana Shrine first, those apparitions shouldn't have just shown up and they might know more about what happened in Teranford.
People will do jack shit for us regarding with Kara here.

>>40461429
Seconded
>>40461200
Man you are starting a lot later than usual.

>>40461429
>>40461472
Scrub it off yourself, you doubt she even knows what's wrong.

>>40461429
>>40461472
Why is there a dead dog in our room?

>>40461429
>>40461472
Mana first, it's been bothering you.

Writing!

>>40461472
Am I? Normally I try to start around 10pm EST. I suppose I can try to run a little longer to make up for it, if you want.

File: popstar.gif (10 KB, 192x152)

10 KB GIF

>>40461200
For a second I thought this was Kirby quest.

>>40461662
Just fucking with you i always end up comming late.

"Sit up." You command tiredly, taking cloth in hand and dunking it into the bucket of water as Kara's head lolls around to look at you with a lazy sort of curiosity. You look at her pointedly, wrenching the excess water from the rag as she seemed to mull over whether or not to humor you. "I jus' ate, though." she groaned finally, "I'll be up in a while." With that, she let her head plop back down onto the soiled bed as she stretched out langorously. You feel yourself twitch at the blatant dismissal of the demihuman, watching her appear to try and settle back down for a nap.

You reach out and grab a hold of one of her ankles, yanking the demihuman off the bed in an unceremonious twist that left her thumping awkwardly onto the floor between the beds with a cry and sudden jerk reaction that left you being sent tumbling head over heels across your own bed and against the far wall with a thud that shook the bedside table. You pulled yourself up from the floor with a groan, teeth gritting as you quickly snatched the wet wash-rag off the floor and narrowed your eyes at the confused and disgruntled demihuman. "Wha' was that for?!" she nearly barked as you made your way around the bed with as much indignant grace as you could muster. "There's no time for you to take a nap, Kara. We have things to do, and daylight is burning." You heft the rag as you approach her again, "But we can't leave until you don't look like a murderer, so sit still and let me wipe that mess off."

She glanced between you and the rag in your hand as she slowly started to get to her feet. "What's that got ta do with me?" she complained, "Ya can do things without me, it's not like anyone'll be more friendly if I'm there." She made a fair point as she stood her ground against your advance; Rather effectively too, considering she was a fair measure taller than you and could physically throw you through the wall if she felt like it.

"I can't exactly just leave you here, can I?" You riposte bluntly, "You just admitted no one here likes you, what if you get into trouble while I'm gone?"

Honestly you wouldn't be surprised to come back to a small torch and pitchfork-esque mob outside the door. Did people still do that? You're relatively sure the peasantry had moved beyond that silliness by now, but...

"And where did you even get that dog from? You already left once without me knowing, and you want me to just leave you here?" You advance quickly before she can reply, reaching out to grab at the collar to Kara's clothes - The same worn slave's garb you had bought her in not a few days before - applying cold washing rag to her bloody cheek. "I didn' go far, dammit." she bit back, her words being smudged as you wiped the gore away from her face forcibly with a look of consternation that she met no little amount of her own irritation. "Was hungry. Nobody's gonna miss a scrawny wolf in this place." You pause your scrubbing to rinse out the rag, having managed to wipe away a clean spot on her cheek. "That was a dog, not a wolf." you mutter, "Don't just kill things and eat them whenever you get hungry, either!"

"Then whaddya' want me ta do when I get hungry?" She grumbled, plopping down on the bed as the tip of her tail twitched back and forth frustratedly. "Tell me, so I can get food!" You explain exasperatedly, pushing the demihuman's head to the side as you continued your wash down. How had she even managed to get entrails down her neck?

"Can ya' even hunt?" she complained, "ya didn't care 'bout the oakenbear yesterday either!"

"That's different." You note primly, grimacing at having to fish the bits of meat from the rag during your rinsing. "And I don't need to hunt to get food, Kara. That dog isn't even real food, it's just raw kill."

"What's wrong with eatin' what I kill?!"

You resist the urge to try and choke the demihuman in front of you.

"Just tell me when you get hungry next time." You reiterate, "I'll get food for you - Real food, not some stray dog." You note the look of scepticism she was giving you, "It'll taste better. Like the turkey you ate?" The scepticism fades to a blank, befuddled expression as she visibly tries to remember ever eating a turkey. Or what a turkey was. You're not really sure, but...

"Bluh!?"

You take advantage of her momentary lapse into docility to apply your rag directly to her mouth.

nearly half an hour later, Kara looks relatively presentable to the public. There's little you could do about the blood staining her clothes, not without getting her new clothes entirely, but it was dampened enough to not look so obviously like she had rolled around in dead dog.

"There, I'm clean." she groused irritably, plopping down on your bed - She had tried to sit back on hers, but you were having none of that considering the state she had left its sheets in. "I'll catch up later." She yawned, her tail already curling around her hip lazily. She thought she was just going to go back to sleep still?!

>Leave her here, she made a decent point about people not liking her. (Leave without Kara)
>Get up! We've got places to go, you can't just laze around! (Force Kara to get up)
>Try and convince her to come with you. (Talk Kara into forsaking her nap)
>Bribe her into coming with us? (write-in bribe idea)

>>40463116
>>Try and convince her to come with you. (Talk Kara into forsaking her nap)

>>40463116
>Try and convince her to come with you. (Talk Kara into forsaking her nap)
Remind her that the sooner we get our business done the sooner she can sleep.
If that fails do this
>Get up! We've got places to go, you can't just laze around! (Force Kara to get up)

>>40463116
>Get up! We've got places to go, you can't just laze around! (Force Kara to get up)
>Bribe her into coming with us? (write-in bribe idea)
Tell her we can go hunting some good food on the way back.

>>40463220
>>40463338
C'mon Kara, places to go. You can nap later, right?

>>40463338
>>40463390
Kara, come!

>>40463390
We can get you something good on the way?

Writing!

>>40463116
>>Try and convince her to come with you. (Talk Kara into forsaking her nap)

>>40463498
Taking my trip off is confusing.

I'll include >>40463508 since I messed up.

"You can't go back to sleep, Kara." You groan, setting the bucket of now bloody water aside as the black haired demihuman starts to curl into the remaining warmth of your bed. Her tail twitches once at your voice, as she glances up at you with a single sharp eye. "I told you, we have things we need to do today."

"You have things," She corrected drowsily, "I have naps."

You glared down at her, but the demihuman had evidently said her piece on the matter and buried her head into the pillow once more. You realize that just telling her you had plans evidently meant nothing to her, and you bite down the urge to just drag the demihuman out of the room by her ankle.

It didn't work well last time.

You quickly tried to think of something to convince her to come with you voluntarily instead, noting the rising of the sun meaning that other potential residents of the inn would probably be waking up soon. You'd rather not have to walk her past them and cause a fuss any more than necessary...

>I won't just leave you here, Kara, you're my Testament - I need you to come with me.
>What if something bad happens while you're sleeping, and I'm in trouble? You're supposed to be my guard, aren't you?
>I didn't pay for two nights, they'll kick you out of the room before I come back.
>Don't you want to see the town? If you're with me, they can't just run you off.

>>40463953
>What if something bad happens while you're sleeping, and I'm in trouble? You're supposed to be my guard, aren't you?
>Don't you want to see the town? If you're with me, they can't just run you off.

>>40463953
>>What if something bad happens while you're sleeping, and I'm in trouble? You're supposed to be my guard, aren't you?
>>Don't you want to see the town? If you're with me, they can't just run you off.
Humans do most of their legitimate work in the day. Have you ever smelled a fresh baked loaf of bread, or a heard s smith hammering metal in his forge?

>>40463953
>>What if something bad happens while you're sleeping, and I'm in trouble? You're supposed to be my guard, aren't you?
>>I didn't pay for two nights, they'll kick you out of the room before I come back.
>>Don't you want to see the town? If you're with me, they can't just run you off.

>>40464028
>>40464131
>>40464196
Be my guard!

>>40464028
>>40464131
>>40464196
See the town!

>>40464196
also they'll kick you out.

Writing!

"Have you ever gotten to wander around a town during the day?" You change courses quickly, noting with satisfaction the slight twitch of her shaggy hair. "You've been contained or kept out of sight whenever in cities and towns, right? Did you ever get a chance to just go where you wanted to and see the places you were in?" Her tail flopped to one side, the only action she otherwise took as you continued to talk it up. "You found the town by scent, so your nose must be amazing. Can't you smell everything out there?"

You quickly try to piece together things you know about Kara as you forge ahead as persuasively as you can manage. "They might run you off on your own, but if you're with me then they have to tolerate it. Just this once, you could actually explore everything you wanted to, you know?" The soft 'paft' of her tail flopping back and forth has increased, and for the first time you wonder if she's aware of just how easy it makes her to read. "Morning's are always busy, it's when everyone gets started with their day. Smiths get their anvils ready and stoke the forge, bakers begin the first batch of the day, restaurants begin cooking..."

Her head finally lifts a little, half-lidded amber eyes looking up at you with a clear split in interest between what you're talking about the nap she had wanted to take. "Besides, if I go by myself, what if something bad happens?" You try and press in a slightly different direction, "You're supposed to be my guard right? What if I get attacked, or robbed?" You highly doubt either of those things will be happening. What, are you going to run into an entire band of marauders stopping to get a morning croissant? But Kara doesn't know that, and-

"Ya'll be fine." she yawned, evidently losing whatever interest she was gaining as her eyes drooped back shut. "Only 'greed to walk you ta town, anyway."

You blink rapidly at her curiosity all but instantly falling through.

"What about seeing the town?" You back-pedal quickly as Kara began to stretch out, her tail bonelessly drooping back to stillness. "You don't want to go see all the new things?"

"I wanna' go ta sleep." She growled pointedly, her tail beginning to bristle at your continued badgering. Something tells you her patience with you was running thin now...

>Pay for another night at the Inn, wait for Kara to wake up.
>Leave her here, you have things to do.
>Force the issue, try and drag her with you.
>Try and bribe her

>>40464996
>Try and bribe her
Alright fine I guess you'll miss out on a professionally made breakfast. Have fun.

>>40465029
Bribery ahoy!

Writing.

"Are you sure you don't want fresh breakfast?" You hazard, eliciting not so much as a twitch from the demihuman. Right... She just had breakfast, that's why she was taking a nap in the first place. You frown in frustration, why was she so agreeable yesterday and not now?! "We need to get you and the others new clothes as well, so it'd help if you came for that." You couldn't just leave them in their rags, after all... But even that didn't seem to rouse her. Did the demihuman even care about clothes?

It was clear at this point that she had made up her mind, you weren't going to be able to talk her into following you now. "Look, if you come with me then I can get you something special." You try bribery one last time, "If something interesting catches your eye, I can-"

She was snoring.

Frustration wells up inside you, as you clamp down on the urge to scream as you turn and stalk out of the room angrily. If Asche had come, this wouldn't have been a problem. She'd have just come with you, hell, you wouldn't have had to stay in this rustic inn either. People would have just given you bloody directions to the healer, and you could have gone and gotten your errands done already. You'd wasted half the morning just trying to talk Kara into following you - all she had to do was follow you, so you could keep an eye on her!

You stop at the top of the stairs to the foyer, exhaling heavily as your eyes narrow. If she was determined to nap, you could probably just leave her here. Try and get something done and come back for her later, provided that she didn't just decide to wander off again like she had this morning. You'd need to be quick about it though, or the family that owns the inn might start getting anxious... No, they may be anxious in the first place if they realize you just left the demihuman in the room.

That could work to your advantage though, you suppose. It might make them less apt to bother her, which means you could maybe get away with leaving her here long enough for her nap to end.

you cross your arms as you think, finger tapping idly against your wrinkled shirt as the sounds of the inn residents getting about their day begin to cycle into your awareness. People were already moving about the halls, and the gentle din of morning greetings and conversation was starting to become apparent. Any hope you had previously of getting Kara and yourself out of the inn and into the city without causing undue commotion was probably well and truly shot now.

>Leave Kara here, if she wants her nap so bad she can have it! You have things to do.
>She doesn't get a choice, she's going with you if you have to drag her out in a bundle of sheets.
>Put off your errands, you're not just going to leave her here. You'll wait until she wakes up, if you have to.

>>40465875
>>Leave Kara here, if she wants her nap so bad she can have it! You have things to do.

>>40465875
>She doesn't get a choice, she's going with you if you have to drag her out in a bundle of sheets.
Be firm, most people gave up on bothering her and let her get away with this bullshit.

>>40465875
>She doesn't get a choice, she's going with you if you have to drag her out in a bundle of sheets.
Fuck it.

>>40465875
>>She doesn't get a choice, she's going with you if you have to drag her out in a bundle of sheets.

>>40465923
>>40465875
Here can we piggy back ride instead of dragging bedsheets on the floor?

>>40465875

>Leave Kara here, if she wants her nap so bad she can have it! You have things to do.

>Put off your errands, you're not just going to leave her here. You'll wait until she wakes up, if you have to.
We can't exactly leave her alone. Odds are, we'll come back to a bloodbath or her running off. Can we even move her?

>>40465887
>>40466002
Kara can have her nap, I guess.

>>40465907
>>40465923
>>40465946
Fuck that, she's coming with you.

>>40465990
I'd be willing to put it to a vote.

>Drag her out in a bundle of bedsheets, bitch is coming with you one way or another!
>Carry her out on your back, she carried you all the way here - You can return the favor, right?

>>40466070
>>Carry her out on your back, she carried you all the way here - You can return the favor, right?

>>40466070
>Carry her out on your back, she carried you all the way here - You can return the favor, right?
All the noise and smells will wake her up.

>>40466070
>>Carry her out on your back, she carried you all the way here - You can return the favor, right?

>>40466077
>>40466094
>>40466113
Seems decided, then.

Writing!

4-5 post incoming.

Several more minutes passed, and you move to the side to allow people coming and going, greeting them politely as they go about their morning. You could just leave her here, get on with your day. She had made a valid point: No one was going to be friendlier with a demihuman in tow. It'd be easier to just leave Kara here and go do things without her making it harder. You sure as hell were not going to just wait for her to wake up - The heir of House Valen would not accept delaying their own plans for such paltry reasons as whimsy or nap time!

You nodded to yourself, becoming more convinced by the moment as you run your hands down your clothes to smooth out the wrinkles, and descend the stairs. She'd be fine here, you could always just come back for her after your business was done, and then go home. Next time won't be such an emergency, so you can take someone else less troublesome.

At the bottom of the stairs, you work up a smile as you greet the proprietors for the morning, glancing out the window to see the town of Carona beyond - The first town you've seen in over a decade, despite having been so close. You could barely remember the towns you visited before this, having been so young, and the sights and sounds of society were a relaxing and reassuring experience. It was not so much that you belonged here, exactly... More accurately, they belonged to you. It was like being reunited with a toy you thought lost, after so many years. These were your people, the plebeian class which occupied Valen lands. Your responsibility, even if you weren't officially the head yet.

"-Oh dear, are you alright?"

Your conversation broke off with the proprietor's wife as she held her hand to your forehead concernedly. You smile back reassuringly, lips slipping slightly as you step back and explain away the crack in your composure.

That's right, wasn't it? These people were your responsibility.

You were Irue Valen, heir to House Valen. As a noble, as a Valen, it was your obligation to look after the people around. To nurture those beneath you, who relied on you to lead them.

"Excuse me." You bow your head to the woman across from you, "I remembered something important."

She waves you off as you turn quickly, marching back up the stairs you had descended not half an hour ago and quickly finding the still closed door to your room. You let yourself in without pausing for a breath, your mind was already made up. Your stride to your bedside, where you can see her stir drearily from the nap she had no doubt just fallen properly into. The steps towards her elicited little more than that as you looked her over and exhaled at the sight of the demihuman curled into the bed. "... Time to go, Kara." You mutter quietly, knowing from the twitching tufts of hair you now know to be her ears that she had heard you regardless, and kneel down to try and get her less curled up.

"Le'me sleep." She grumbled tiredly at your efforts, one hand weakly pawing you away. Weakly for Kara, anyway, it very nearly shoved you onto your rear just by brushing against you. You frown, digging in your heels as you grab hold of her wrist in passing and start pulling her a little more insistently. "You can sleep in a second." You assure her softly, eliciting a single sleepy amber eye to finally rise in curiosity and track down your face. "S'what ya want, then?" she mumbled despite herself, devoting a little more effort to letting you move her around.

"I came back for you." You answer shortly, "I won't just leave you here, Kara. You can sleep on my back, but you're coming with me."

She lifted her head in confusion, the tip of her tail twitching as you manage to convince her to drape her arms around your neck after sitting up. "Y'sure ya don't just wanna leave me here?" she asked again, "'Be easier."

You grunt, partly in response, partly in effort as you wrap your arms around her legs and unsteadily lift yourself off the ground. It's slow going for a moment, trying to find your new center of balance. You almost wonder if this was a terrible idea, given how unexpectedly heavy the demihuman turned out to be - Vaguely you remember having this same epiphany when you woke up with her at your feet a few days ago. "It wouldn't be right." You finally reply, taking a few experimental steps as you test out the weight. Your muscles are already complaining, this isn't going to be easy at all.

You were not an extremely athletic individual.

If Kara had anymore objections, she kept them to herself, her head drooping into the nape of your neck as you felt her body's weight practically triple as she relaxed and well and truly became dead weight.

Huuuurgh.

It took you a good six minutes just to get down the stairs, several near-fall moments of tipping dangerously in one direction or other, and an apology to the proprietors at the bottom as you got them to open the door for you.

The sun met the two of you warmly as you finally stepped out of the inn, and you set about making your way towards the Shrine of Mana. The near-crushing weight of the demihuman on your back making each laborious step a trial... But at the very least, the crowd was parting around you. Their stares were a little uncomfortable, but if they stayed well out of your way, it was a small price to pay.

Still, you never expected the weight of responsibility to be this literal.

Light snoring from over your shoulder keep your thoughts company as you slowly stagger your way through town.

When you finally made it to the plaza, sweat was pouring down your arms and back. Your muscles burned like nothing you'd ever experienced, an feeling you remember Caylen having mentioned in passing of his own fencing sessions as 'proof of being alive'. You had laughed at the time, but now you realize your dear cousin had been wrong. These were not the proof of any kind of living.

They were warnings you were about to die.

Still, you staggered forward heavily and approached the closed double doors of the Mana Shrine, staring up the flight of hard stone stairs between you and your destination. Your eyes narrowed upwards, a twist of your head sending the sweat flicking from your brow, and glare upward at the massive cathedral like structure as the sun peeked over it's spired top. It was the end of morning when you left the inn, but the 'short' walk across Carona with Kara on your back had you arriving at the later part of midday.

You spot an attendant near the bottom of the ridiculous flight of stairs who had studiously attempted to make himself seem busy upon noticing your approach. He had become twitchy at the sight of the demihuman on your back, and you've no doubt from that alone that this is going to be annoying. You hope you can even get through this without waking up the still softly snoring Testament on your back.

>Start climbing stairs. Gravity isn't gonna tell itself to fuck off.
>Try and get the attendant to help you up the stairs, you didn't expect Kara to be this heavy.
>See if the attendant can answer your questions, those stairs are impossible.

Posts that take an hour or more to put out are unacceptable.

>>40467232
>Start climbing stairs. Gravity isn't gonna tell itself to fuck off.
The attendant won't be any help, and if we fall we blame it on her fat ass.
i agree shit is unacceptable Riz

>>40467232
>Start climbing stairs. Gravity isn't gonna tell itself to fuck off.

Roll for it? We shall become a warrior lord.

>>40467232
>Start climbing stairs. Gravity isn't gonna tell itself to fuck off.
We roll?

>>40467297
>>40467313
>>40467318
The forces of physics are naught in the face of the heir to House Valen!

You may roll for it if you like. The outcome to things like these are determined by some stats I keep hidden, but if you wish to try and influence that result in one direction or the other then you are welcome.

File: lucky fortune.jpg (322 KB, 600x600)

322 KB JPG

Rolled 87 (1d00100)

>>40467362
Who knows where a little nudge might take us. That 100 was pretty spectacular.

Rolled 51 (1d100)

>>40467362

File: Daimond dogs.png (233 KB, 500x366)

233 KB PNG

Rolled 84 (1d100)

>>40467362
Dice gods please

You exhale heavily, your body straining as the air leaves your lungs. That attendant was probably not going to be of any help to you in the first place, you had seen his expression shift after noticing Kara's tail slip out from behind you. You don't bother to think too deeply on it now, though - Thinking cost you the use of muscles that could be better put to use telling the forces of gravity to get fucked. With a deep breath, you place one foot firmly on the first of many stairs and feel your calf and thigh burn in protest as you quickly discover that going UP while carrying something heavy as much more difficult than simply going forward.

Your vision exploded into stars, blood rushing through your body with a heavy beating heart as you feel the bones in your ankle pop lightly. Not painfully, more like the cracking of knuckles, and you focus on that comparison as you heave yourself forward and feel your equilibrium swirl uncertainly on a single foot for a brief, terrifying moment before your other foot planted itself on the next stair. You readjusted your grip on Kara, silently apologizing for the grip on her leg while simultaneously cursing this idea from the bottom of your heart. Were all demihumans so disproportionately heavy? You knew she was taller than you, but this was ridiculous.

One more step.

You wish you knew how long you had been carrying her for. Given the shifting shadows through town, it had probably been three or four hours. The time blurred together, honestly, after the first thirty minutes. Your arms had strained to keep her lifted then, and your legs had started to get tired - But that was a long time back. You had grit your teeth as you walked, feeling an encouraging wind as you had resolved to keep your word. You were Irue Valen, and if you said she was going to have her nap, then you weren't about to make yourself a liar just because your course of action was more difficult than expected.

That's for lesser nobles.

One more step.

Before you even arrived at the Mana Shrine, you had gotten your second wind. The fruit of your resolve as you staggered forward, which filled with you energy and let you hold your flagging head high as you forged onward. It was a glorious moment, one you felt was proof of the correctness in your actions. Even your body refused to be cowed by its own weakness in the face of your promise - For that one, glorious moment, you were genuinely proud of yourself. Beyond the pride of a noble, the pride of House Valen, the pride of the heir to House Valen, the pride of Irue Valen (all of which were separate, but no less important, divisions of pride you normally felt at any given time), you had felt legitimate pride of accomplishment and respect in your own body rising up to meet the bar set before it. This was progress. This was development! This was true strength, that of a sense of character so strong, it encouraged the flesh to physically strengthen to meet it's own impossible grandeur.

One more step.

That moment had passed roughly an hour ago, and had been replaced by a rather comforting lack of feeling in general. There had been no more pain, no more burning. Your muscles had ceased to cry and scream and groan in despair, they had ceased to cheer and rage and push forward. The only thing they hadn't ceased doing was their job, which, you suppose, is probably all you could ask of them. The comforting lack of feeling was a relaxing void as you had stumbled forward, allowing your mind time to wander. To think of the entirety of the day that Kara had carried you through the woods, and the ease in which she had moved despite you awkwardly clinging to her back. The fluidity of movement you felt as she had easily navigated the forest, breath to spare to chat with you to pass time. You had been returning that favor for barely a fraction of that time, and you felt an ember of gratitude to the slumbering demihuman on your back as you had walked.

One more step.

In time, even that blankness had faded. Your legs had been moving forward purely on force of will for some time, having long lost the ability to even feel yourself willing them forward. It was a fascinating experience, knowing that you could move forward if you simply had the presence of mind to move forward. That kind of freedom had kindled an inspiration inside of you, as you had began to glance from side to side and admire the streets and merchants you passed on the way. Though the bubble around you stayed constant, it allowed you an easy vantage point into the streets around you. The cries of merchants, children and more easily overshadowing the hushed din of whisper and rumor which followed at your back from just beyond the outer ring of space Kara's presence so absolutely provided. You drew strength from them, pushing forward to see more of them, pushing forward like you felt these people had probably pushed forward through their lives to reach the warmth of today.

One more step.

Had you said it was warm today? Your wine red eyes stared balefully upward, the sweet running slickly down your legs as you stagger onward. You take it back, you were wrong, it's not warm today - It's hot. Unbearably, insufferably hot. You felt cooler fighting the flame apparitions, and it had become harder for you to keep a hold on Kara the wetter your fingers had become. You were suspicious that the returning burn in your muscles was the sun's fault, as it had begun to send its hellish rays through your skin to burn them personally. You had narrowed your eyes then, moving forward quicker just to spite it. In the face of the heat which weighed down upon you, you turned to speed to provide a cool breeze, a fleeting and refreshing reward for your stubborn determination to keep moving. It had hastened your progress, even granting you blessed spots of shade along the way; Only pinpricks of light from the torturous sun managing to break through the rustling leaves.

One more step.

You risk glancing down the stairs, mouth hanging open in exhaustion, to see the height you had conquered; To see the attendant you had left far beneath.

....Nine steps. You had gone up nine steps.

Your entire body cried warm, salty tears as your mouth twisted into a snarl that sent the attendant scampering off in the corner of your eyes. You turn back to the stairs and place another foot forward.

By the time you reach the actual gates of the Shrine of Mana, your entire body shudders from exertion, knees jerking to keep you upright as you shamble forward unsteadily, the burning sun glaring down from behind you.

"I made it."

You gasp, knees finally giving out as you fall facefirst into the ground, sending Kara sprawling out onto the ground ahead of you. You'd apologize, but you're too tired. Maybe just... lay here for a bit.

"Morn'." The demihuman yawned from ahead of you, evidently completely unaffected by having been dropped as you hear her scraping the stone as she got to her feet. "...Y'okay?"

>Good morning, Kara.
>Just help me up.
>Just let me rest for a bit.
>You're heavier than you look.

>>40467866
>>Good morning, Kara.
>You're heavier than you look.

>>40467866
>....Nine steps. You had gone up nine steps.
Kek
>>40467866
>Good morning, Kara.
>You're heavier than you look.
>Just help me up.
In this order

>>40467866
>Good morning, Kara.
Deadpan harder.jpeg

>>40467866
>You're heavier than you look.

>>40467866
>Good morning, Kara.
>Just let me rest for a bit.

No need to point out the difficulty. We were simply keeping a promise, after all.

>>40467880
>>40467912
>>40467920
>>40467955
Good Morning.

>>40467880
>>40467912
>>40467927
You are so heavy.

>>40467912
Just help me up.

>>40467955
Just let me rest.

Writing!

>>40468009
G'luck guys. I can't make it. Too tired. Go on without me.

"Good morning." You answer flatly, not bothering to roll your head to face her. You're not even sure your body would listen to you right now to do so, what with how cool the floor was against your cheek. "Did you sleep well?"

"'Nah, you're kinda boney." she replied blandly, "T'much stuff around to get any good rest out here, anyway." You hear a muted 'paft' as her tail flicks from side to side lazily, and with that you feel as if the entire past few hours has been completely for nothing. Why had you even gone through all of that if she wasn't going to get any sleep anyway? You could have made it to the Mana Shrine by now if you had just waited for her to wake up normally! "I see." you answer dully, the outrage you distantly felt trying to worm itself into you being completely rejected out of sheer fatigue. You couldn't even get mad about this right now. "Why are you so heavy?" You switch tracks, shoulders trembling as you push yourself up from the ground.

"Eh?" Kara tilts her head curiously, "'pared to what?" You glance up at the demihuman, tiredly gesturing to yourself. "Me, I guess?" Her face split into a dawn of understanding, "Ah, s'cuz I'm bigger."

N-No...

No that doesn't...

That's not...

Screw it.

"Okay."

With a herculean effort, you manage to get clamber to your feet, promptly falling against Kara as you steady yourself. "Just... help me in." You mutter, putting the last half a day out of mind as you focus on your initial goal: Those rogue flame apparitions. The amber-eyed demihuman's tail wagged back and forth idly as you leaned against her and the two of you made your way to the towering double doors - Ones which likely took two or three people to push open and shut each morning. Within the larger doors were two smaller ones, likely for the everyday coming and going crowd. A structure like this only opened the larger set of doors during grand events, symbolic of the Shrine's open doors welcoming all into its halls.

None of this apparently mattered as Kara just casually pulled the entire right side of the doorway open as you approached, her foot bracing into the ground as the wooden behemoth of a door groaned ominously against stone and massive hinges screamed from who-knew how many years of disuse. The commotion made you wince, eyes clenching shut irritably as your Testament physically ripped open the halls of the most sacred religious public sanctuary, an ever widening crack expanding unmistakably along the huge passageway.

Her ears were pressed flat against her head as the grand door to the Shrine of Mana finally halted its unexpected opening, allowing the two of you to see inside to the well kept and polished floors. Shrines to the seven Mana arranged equally through-out the circular interior:

Gnome - The Mana of Earth. Ancient and steady, with a calm endurance that surpassed all others.
Undine - The Mana of Water. Adaptable and fluid, an unknowable demeanor that kept its thoughts well disconnected from its surface.
Jinn - The Mana of Air. Whimsical and flippant, a flighty existence that gave its favor as easily as its wrath; forgetting both in equal measure.
Salamander - The Mana of Fire. Aggressive and straight forward, a jealous and vicious entity that warmed its favored, even as it burned the world to cinders.
Wisp - The Mana of Light. Though placid and ever honest, its standards were forever impossibly high. It knew only disappointment, but encouraged the persistence to try.
Shade - The Mana of Dark. Prone to trickery and word games, it made its home in the nightmares that people feared to tred; Ever thrilled by the few who brave its domain, seeking even more to overcome.
Luna - The Celestial Mana. Shy, secretive, and furtive, its love of knowledge surpassed only by the vast depths of information it already has.

Shrines dedicated to the seven were divided within the Shrine, varying types of interior decorating and coloring shifting from place to place with a grand tree growing upwards from the middle, its branches spreading out and gently covering the entirety of the interior with its bows of rich wood and deep emerald leaves. The sheer displacement of mass from Kara's entrance left the leaves rustling in quiet anticipation, a hushed silence almost impressively fallen over the many shocked visitors and attendants.

"Why do they even have a door this big..." Kara grumbles from beside you, her words breaking the silence as she helps you stumble inside and looks around for herself. You can see her nose go to the air, amber eyes flicking from person to person curiously. "What's wrong with 'em?" she asked, nudging you for answers.

You simply stare inward at the shrine, your first time having visiting one since...

One hand drifts to your sister's bracelet, tracing the rings in a reassuring manner as you draw a measure of comfort from their cool touch.

"Explain yourselves!" One man finally breaks the stalemate, advancing on the two of you in a hurried, yet dignified fashion as he narrows his eyes at the two of you - Lingering briefly on Kara with an expression of distaste that does nothing to stemmy his movement.

>Oh good, we have some questions.
>Apologize for the door, you pulled on the wrong handle.
>Shhh, don't yell in the Shrine. It's disrespectful.
>Introduce yourself and Kara.

>>40468515
>Shhh, don't yell in the Shrine. It's disrespectful.
>Introduce yourself and Kara.

>>40468515
>>Apologize for the door, you pulled on the wrong handle.
>>Introduce yourself and Kara.
Manners!

>>40468515
>Oh good, we have some questions.
>Shhh, don't yell in the Shrine. It's disrespectful.
>Introduce yourself and Kara.

>>40468515
>Oh good, we have some questions.
>Shhh, don't yell in the Shrine. It's disrespectful.
Too tired to give a shit both as the character and real life.

>>40468515
>Shhh, don't yell in the Shrine. It's disrespectful.
>Oh good, we have some questions.

>>40468530
>>40468573
>>40468592
>>40468617
hush.

>>40468530
>>40468551
>>40468573
Introducing self and dog.

>>40468573
>>40468592
>>40468617
We got questions!

>>40468551
Kara, there were smaller doors.

Writing!

"Shhh." You tiredly hold a finger to your lips as he approaches, narrowing your eyes imperiously at the self-important man as you draw yourself up with as much presence as you can muster in your exhausted state. The action catches him off guard, his mouth slack in disbelief that you, of all people, were telling him to be quiet. "It's disrespectful to the Mana to make a commotion." you point out, a reasonably apprehensive glance towards Salamander's shrine as you do so considering your recent encounter. A few seconds of awkward silence pass between the two of you, and you turn your attention back to the man once satisfied that there wasn't about to be a wildfire breaking out.

"As I was saying," you continue blandly, "My name is Irue Valen," You motion towards the demihuman curiously looking around at your side, "And this is Kara." Her gaze drops to the man quickly, inquisitive amber eyes looking him over quickly in some sign of acknowledgement before wandering off again. "I've come to pay my respects, and have some questions you might be able to answer for me."

"I do not care if you were the HEIR of House Valen," the man whispers in outrage, a murmur of whispers beginning to rise from the other inhabitants of the Shrine, "You cannot simply create such a commotion as you please in this place! There is propriety to adhere, and respect to be paid - both to the church and the Mana themselves!"

"I thought y'were the heir?" Kara asked in confusion, ceasing her inspection briefly to look between you and the older man.

"I am the heir." You confirm, a flat expression comfortably at home on your face as you stare down the suddenly much more confused man in front of you, "I'm glad we got that out of the way. I have questions." You were too tired to deal with self-important church individuals; You came here for Mana and information, not to admire the clergy's hierarchy.

"The stewards will hear of this..!" The older man hissed as you nudged Kara into helping you wander further into the Shrine sanctum, "The Shrine will not tolerate this blatant disrespect from some self-important noble scion, even if it is of House Valen!" Yes, you're certain your dear aunt and uncle are going to be positively mortified. You wave the man's agitations off as you try to walk around him, only for him to quickly reposition himself directly into your path. "For that matter, you will NOT be allowed to bring that beast into the sanctum! Its presence is offensive to the Mana-" You try again to move past the talkative geezer, looking around him to see if there were any attendants near the Salamander's Shrine you could catch for answers. "-ou listen to me!"

His larger hand snatches your wrist tightly, jerking you back to face him in an abrupt movement as he moves back towards the open door with a stormy visage carved onto his face. "Ignorant self-important trash such as yourselves should not be the ones to inherit the nobility..." He grumbles, dragging you bodily away from Kara and towards the open door. "The entire reason this world is breaking as it is, first the Lamandrans, I will not allow another upstart to-"

Whatever he was about to say was violently arrested in the face of Kara's own hand descending upon his collar in a manner not unlike his had your own - The primary difference being that the taller demihuman had wrenched him clean from the ground held the talkative priest hanging from the scruff of his robes in front of her. His mouth twisted, exclamations slipping out in shock as Kara narrowed her slitted eyes at him.

"Let 'rue go."

It wasn't a request, and you very quickly found your hand becoming your own again as he started in on the punishment Kara would receive for laying her hands upon his vestment in this holy place. You simply sighed, rubbing at your wrist irritably.

"Listen," You start agitatedly as Kara drops him, cutting into the man's pace before he can start up again. With a swift step, you've marshalled your strength and moved into his personal space in a single motion, forcibly making eye contact as you stare down the overly complaining clergy. "What you've done is unbecoming of the Shrine, both in the prejudice displayed and your violent actions. Do NOT-" You hiss your rejection sharply with narrowed eyes as you see him begin to respond, "-begin to speak to ME of my own behavior, or lambast me over whom or what I choose to bring to the sanctity of this Shrine in pursuit of the Mana."

As frustrating as this man was, he was not Rinnier. Very little of the drivel that fell from his mouth amounted to more than long-cushioned arrogance born of a higher position than his own character deserved to inhabit.

His cheeks puffed out, face growing red as his mouth clamped shut. He jerked his vestment forward, readjusting it around him as he turned and stalked away - Your silent confrontation completing itself silently, save for the short glimpses of physical contact that had been made.

You sigh, turning back to the interior of the sanctum and making your way towards the Shrine of Salamander in the meantime. You've little doubt that man's complaints were going to make their way back to you one way or another in the future...

>Pay respect to Salamander first.
>Ask attendant about Teranford.
>Tell attendant about rogue fire apparition you encountered.

ALSO

>Praise Kara for interceding; You don't know if you could have resisted, as tired as you were.
>Admonish Kara for acting recklessly; She wasn't doing herself, or you, any favors by playing up the demihuman stigma so violently.

>>40469243
>Pay respect to Salamander first.
Sorry we punched your kids

>Praise Kara for interceding; You don't know if you could have resisted, as tired as you were.
The fact we didn't have the ability to defend ourselves justified it, even if it might not be a good idea otherwise. Besides, he started it.

>>40469389
Pay respects

>>40469389
Praise Kara.

Writing!

>>40469243
>Pay respect to Salamander first.
>Praise Kara for interceding; You don't know if you could have resisted, as tired as you were.

>>40469389
The little upstart deserved it after we painstakingly invited it into our home for dinner and it goes and tries to burn it down.

"Thanks, Kara." you mutter quietly as you approach Salamander's Shrine, "That guy is probably going to cause us some problems later, but thanks for interceding when you did." You feel not-so-gentle 'paft paft' of her tail pick up as you praise her, the fluff covered bone slapping against your back from time to time. She doesn't do more than hum in acknowledgement, her eyes tracking the retreating form of the clergy from before.

"Should I kill 'em now?" she asks absently, eliciting a gasp from one of the visitors the two of you had been walking past when she said it. "You can't just kill things when they'll cause problems, Kara..." You sigh, stopping at the edge of Salamander's domain and feeling the warmth of flame radiating from within.

"Y'sure?" She cocks her head in an unconvinced manner, "S'what people told me to do 'fore. Kill problems an' stuff, made 'em go 'way."

...You stare at the confused demihuman for several long moments, as you inadvertently resolve this new information alongside everything else you knew about her and began to wonder just what kind of kill count Kara had.

"I'm sure." you finally answer, "These problems will only get worse like that, so don't do that." She seems to accept your explanation easily, but you quickly switch topics while you've still got her attention as the two of you approach one of the secondary shrines to Salamander, carefully taking a strip of kindling from the altar and beginning to manually coax it into flames with the soft clicking of two flint stones.. "Follow my lead here, Kara." you nod, as she curiously takes another strip of kindling and looks it over in confusion before another flint in her other hand and cracking it against the other - Literally cracking, as the stones shatter on impact. You resist the urge to sigh, noting your own kindling having begun to smoulder into fledgling flames.

"Like this," you correct her, sweeping the ruined flint aside and handing your own to her. Overlapping your hands over hers, you strike the stones together - one side sliding down along the length of the other in a small flash of sparks, an action you repeat several more times before the second strip of kindling finally begins to catch alongside yours. "Starting a fire is the first step," you explain quietly to the mystified demihuman as she watched the small flames begin to consume the strip of kindling. "Though the Mana comprise the world, it helps you to interact with them when their element is more abundant." You tend to the small embers, a single diminutive tongue of flame eventually leaping to life in your eyes. "It helps the Mana understand your intent, through your interaction with that element."

You smile softly down at the flame, thinking back to the time spent pouring over your books and trying time and time again through the various rituals to discover some mark of favor. Wasted time, in the end... But as the religion of this world was primarily that of Mana, your study of magic had given you a grounding in these matters that couldn't be scoffed at - Your position as heir to House Valen had afforded you several texts which the Shrine normally kept reserved for it's more devoted clergy...

In a very real sense, you likely had enough information to have outranked that blowhard earlier if yours had been a life of piety.

Beside you, Kara awkwardly attempts to poke at her smoking kindling - looking between your steadily growing flames and her own little pile of embers with furrowed brows.

You close your eyes briefly, bringing your hands together as you think back over the appearance of the apparition and their behaviour. A silent prayer of respect to Salamander quickly recited through your mind before you exhale, and open your eyes again. Your flame continued its steady consumption, the lone tongue waving gently in the non-existent breeze.

Beside you, Kara's own offering had only just burst into a tiny flame - Barely managing to flicker it's tongue into existence before receding back into the wood and issuing forth a brief trail of smoke in it's stead. "Mine doesn't work." she frowned at it, her tail drooping as she poked at the stuck in distress. You took a moment to rearrange her offering, nudging your own towards it to such that the flames would share the bounty. In moments, your more steady flame began to catch onto Kara's offering, devouring its younger cousin into a single unified blaze.

She seemed pleased with the result though, her ember eyes sparkling happily alongside a gentle 'paft paft' that threatened to flicker out the newly born fire - She quickly grabbed her own tail, glaring at it as if the appendage had betrayed her.

"Keep watch on the fire, and pray if you feel so inclined." You murmur to her, receiving an absent nod in response as you turned from the demihuman and approached one of the uncomfortable looking attendants who occupied the Salamander's Shrine domain.

You offer a tired bow to one of them, a clean-shaven boy, perhaps an altar guardian from the markings of his vestment, and introduce yourself quietly, drawing his attention from the awkwardly fire-tending demihuman behind you. "My name is Irue Valen, I apologize for the commotion earlier." you start softly, smiling disarmingly at the boy, perhaps a few years older than you, "My companion is stronger than she appears, but has little experience with these places. She made a mistake in her enthusiasm, before I could intercede."

"Ah..." He breathes in understanding, a wry smile crossing his face uneasily. "I am Priat, attendant of Salamander. I apologize on behalf of the man earlier - I saw you were well practised in your offering."

"I have had experience." You confirm demurely, "I have some questions though, if you are you not busy?"

>Tell him the rogue apparitions
>Ask about Teranford
>Ask about the Lamandrans
>Ask who that man even was

>>40469931
>Tell him the rogue apparitions
>Ask about Teranford

>>40469941
>Tell him the rogue apparitions
>Ask about Teranford
>Ask about the Lamandrans
>Ask who that man even wa
In order of importance.

>>40469941
>Ask about Teranford
>Ask about the Lamandrans
It'd be weird to open up with "I was attacked by my kitchen stove". Better to get some precursory information first.

>>40469977
>>40469981
Rogue apparitions, what do.

>>40469977
>>40469981
>>40470047
What's up in Teranford

>>40469981
>>40470047
I knew a Lamandra once. I don't really want to know more.

Writing!

"I have been out of society for some time, but have heard there was a great upheaval in Teranford?" You decide to put off talk of the rogue apparitions for the moment, and choose instead to pursue information regarding Rinnier's now ruined homeland.

"It is a country that has experienced many hardships of late." Priat agreed, "I know little of the force which laid siege to it, save that they drew a heavy bounty from the land. In their wake, the flamescorched wastes and dunes of Teranford have begun to sew a great harvest of unusual fruits and vegetables." he smiled slightly, though obviously unsure if he should really be happy about what he's saying. "It is fascinating to be certain, but... We worry about the Fire Mana of the land. With the coming of the harvest, it seems the terrain has begun to change - Rain falls more often, and greenery has begun to spread. The crystalline deserts which Fire Mana find so pleasing are being eaten away at an unusual rate."

"...teraforming?" you mutter curiously, the word flying clean over the attendant's head. "Excuse me?" he blinks, begging clarification. "Ah... Changing of the land," you explain absently, having forgotten that the lower class were less educated. "I hadn't expected a nomadic army to be capable of that."

Even as the attendant nodded in agreement and continued to explain the land's newly found bounty, you feel like there's something more blatant that's wrong in his explanation. Of course the more educated nobles knew about Teraforming, it was something any scholar could direct a workforce to do - Peasants even did it to an extent, in the very act of farming. It took a huge force, easily accomplished by an army, but it also took a long time for results to properly begin to show. Land did not just change over night, especially to that kind of bountiful harvest.

Still, you feel like you've read about this kind of phenomenon before...

"Does it have anything to do with the Lamandrans?" You segue into the next order of business, your curiosity about the royal family of Teranford shining through. There were many things you could ask Rinnier about, but the more you asked her - the more you showed your own ignorance. More importantly, you weren't sure how much she could and would tell you.

Or, beyond that, how much of what she told you was true.

"sh!" The Priat quickly holds a finger to his lips, glancing from shrine to shrine as he did so. Your own eyes follow, noting no particular change in their flames before he continues quietly. "Do not speak their name lightly in this Shrine," he warned gravely, "At one time they were greatly favored by Salamander, yes, but... That time is no more. They committed an unforgivable affront to Salamander, it has cast them from its grace in fury."

You blink, nodding slowly as you take that in. It matched roughly with what you knew, but... 'the spirits are fickle' did not quite cover that kind of explanation. While you were relatively certain you could speak their names just fine in the Shrine - Mana was not exactly known for being easy to communicate with - the kind of displeasure Salamander had with the Lamandrans was enough to spook one of its attendants even this far? "What... What did they do?" You had read of Mana casting people out of its favor for failing them, for offending them, or violating certain eldritch logics they held to themselves, but an entire family?

The entire royal family that had been synonymous with Salamander for so long that their very name was a bastardised derivative?

The people of an entire country?

You have to do something special to warrant your patron Mana issuing an eviction notice for an entire country, effective yesterday.

Priat shook his head sadly, "Whatever happened, happened between Salamander and the royal family." He shook his head sadly, "With the country in ruins as it is, it is unlikely we will be able to actually ask one of them the truth of the matter. Indeed, perhaps it is better left unknown, if the matter was so dire."

Your lips thin, nodding along amiably with the attendant. "Indeed..." You wonder if Rinnier even knew the answer herself - She had seemed spiteful in her admission, but had earnestly seemed to believe the favor would return in time. Was it delusion? A lie? Or ignorance? Whatever the answer, it merely raised other questions. Earning the displeasure of a Mana was the exact opposite of earning its favor; You would find that element fleeing from you, avoiding you at all costs in an effort to avoid cast you from its presence.

...How had not one, but two apparitions managed to be born with Rinnier right there?

"Have there been... any increasing presences of Fire Mana in our area?" you hazard slowly, "Perhaps as a result of Teranford being changed?"

"In La'Fiel?" He clarified as you nod blandly, idly filing the name away as you finally have a point of reference for where you are. "None that I am aware of... We suspect that the Fire Mana has perhaps traveled further south, or perhaps into East Heaven... Though no one is quite sure what is going on beyond their borders, of late."

>Tell him about being attacked by two apparitions
>Tell him about Rinnier
>Ask if he knows what could draw a Mana out in the presence of something it hates
>Leave

>>40470549
Hmmmm, two of these options are almost mutually exclusive. One of these might give us the windfall the QM hinted at with Princess Bitchface coming along (what was left behind from the elemental we punched anyone?), the other gives us more info but we lose the ability to inquire further unless we want to admit to slavery.

Fuck it, more info.
>Ask if he knows what could draw a Mana out in the presence of something it hates

>>40470549
>Tell him about being attacked by two apparitions

>>40470549
>>Ask if he knows what could draw a Mana out in the presence of something it hates
Just to keep the conversation going, in case he somehow knows more than us about Mana, and then
>>Leave
We're better off talking to Rinnier herself about it, pride be damned.

>>40470665
>>40470685
What could draw them out?

>>40470666
Apparitions!

>>40470685
Leaving, you're down here.

Writing!
Voting went slightly longer due to making a drink, apologies.

For people disliked by Mana, the associated element would actively avoid them at all costs. Those in disfavor with water would find that regular rainfall often would travel around them, for earth it would cause an extensive scourge of sink holes and infertile earth, and in fire's case, live flames would quickly stutter out. In all cases, however, you would have a much more difficult time coaxing elements near their respective anathema - Causing those unfortunate enough to be actively disliked by Mana to be just as much a scourge to society as those who were liked. In some ways better, in others.... Far worse.

However, for fire in particular, the divide was more extreme. Someone disliked by Fire Mana could easily dispel a raging wildfire simply by approaching it, but fire was an ephemereal entity that flickered in and out of existence, it didn't contain a truly, naturally occuring substance to it; For someone to be disliked by flames went beyond 'extinguishing', their very presence would forcibly terminate any attempt to create flames in the first place. They were an Absolute Prevention measure.

There were, obviously, degrees of like or dislike, of course. Some people never noticed the lightened rainfall, or the slightly more infertile earth. Some people were simply bad at starting fires. To go to the logical extreme required an outright hatred that was as rare in this world as those born with an innate affection.

"I fear my time here is running short, may I ask a final question?" You probe away from the casual discourse that had begun to fill your time with Priat as you surreptitiously glanced back at Kara, who had begun to worry as the materials in the fire began to burn down. "Of course, Ser Valen. What is on your mind? I will do my utmost to answer."

His utmost, huh...? "Theoretically speaking, what would it take in order to draw out an apparition of Mana in the presence of something it hates?"

"Simply effort, I believe-" You hold up your hand, forestalling his reassuring explanation.

"Not dislike, Priat, I mean actual hate." It was not unusual for people to seek assurance from the Mana Shrine when disliked by a Mana, to be sure that they will not become a problem. That explanation was common, near rote, and you recognize how often an attendant might hear someone exaggerate it in concern. However, given what you've heard... This wouldn't be an exaggeration. His face fell as Priat began to look you over once more, this time in a more regretful and pitying light. "I... see." he muttered, "My apologies, Ser Valen. I cannot imagine what would be necessary for such a thing to occur beyond... perhaps being coaxed into existence by someone it is endeared to more than it dislikes the anathema?"

You nod, having figured as much. That just meant you were back to square one, then. "My thanks for your time, attendant Priat." You bow to him in thanks, receiving one in kind, "Yours as well, Ser Valen. I wish you luck in your travels." He patted you on the shoulder reassuringly before leaving you to your business, eliciting a complicated expression from you after his back had turned.

...

"Kara, we're leaving." You murmur to the demihuman, who had just finished piling the entire offering box worth of kindling onto the failing flame - renewing its life in a tiny bonfire. "Did it, 'Rue!" She seemed proud of herself, "Gimme' sec, gonna pray to it." You stare at her, her hands clasped together in mimicry of your own as she closed her eyes and let her tail wag back and forth rapidly in front of the healthy flame.

You had thought to correct her - She's should have been praying to the Mana, not the fire itself - but you could address it some other time. After a few minutes of waiting, she opened her eyes excitedly, staring into the fire for a few seconds longer, before seeming to become satisfied and wandering back to you with a triumphant smirk on her face.

The two of you left without incident, greeting the sun as it set over the rooftops of Carona. Down below, lights were beginning to flicker to life as most merchants looked to be changing shifts between the day and night crowd. You had spent most of the day getting to, and paying your respects at, the Shrine of Mana.

You were still a bit physically tired, but mentally wide awake. The cooling air, a prediction of the chill night to come, filling your lungs in deep breaths that reinvigorated your stiff, sore body.

Glancing back at the still cracked door, you wondered if you should maybe have Kara close it before you leave... It may just cause more trouble, though. You should have asked Priat before you left.

>Guess you should put things back where they belong. (Shuts the door)
>With the night crowd coming out, you can probably find a tavern or something to hear rumors, right?
>You still haven't had breakfast. It's almost dinner now, but it's going to be breakfast until you eat.
>You still need to figure out what you're going to do about your funds problem... (write-in idea to pursue?)

>>40471090

>Guess you should put things back where they belong. (Shuts the door)
>You still haven't had breakfast. It's almost dinner now, but it's going to be breakfast until you eat.

>>40471090
>Guess you should put things back where they belong. (Shuts the door)
>You still haven't had breakfast. It's almost dinner now, but it's going to be breakfast until you eat.

>>40471090
>Guess you should put things back where they belong. (Shuts the door)
>You still need to figure out what you're going to do about your funds problem... (write-in idea to pursue?)
Ask around if they require any meat or fur. Other than that we need to see if we can harvest any plants around our mansion to sell.

>>40471179
1, 2, herbology from who?

>>40471154
>>40471158
>>40471179
3, 4, shutting the door.

>>40471154
>>40471158
5, 6, breakfast mix.

Well, just to be safe. "Kara, shut the door and lets get going." She nods, turning to brace herself against the stone floor once more as she presses the gargantuan door shut - Its hinges screaming out in the relatively silent evening as the demihuman flattens her ears in irritation and carves a retracing of the rivets in the floor as its towering weight was physically forced back into place. This time you're not so tired you can't hold your hands over your ears, just barely helping to muffle the screeching clamour drawn out from the door's return to proper resting position.

You can actually FEEL the vibrations of sound vibrating through your clenched teeth, and even though it only took a few seconds for Kara to force the door back into place with an ominous crack that caused your very spine to flinch, you feel like it had taken a little too long anyway.

She steps back, rubbing the top of her head and glaring at the massive door as if it had offended her, before turning and joining your descent down the stairs. "Why is the door even that big, though..." she grumbled.

When you reach the bottom of the stairs, the assembled crowd of on-lookers and town guard which had shown up for the commotion quite effectively blocked you off. At the head of them, however, was a face you had hoped to bid farewell to hours ago. "That's the one that assaulted me, sir!" The older's cherry-red face flashing in your memory as you idly bump him up the list of people you would be rid of when you finished this rite, though his object of aggression this time around seemed to be aimed entirely at Kara. The demihuman looked over the crowd curiously, possibly because it was one of the first times since she entered town that a crowd hadn't outright scattered due to her presence.

While you imagine the experience must be a novelty, you actually preferred it the other way around; Even when that crowd was not made of armed guards.

One of the guards stepped forward, an unfamiliar face whose uniform you... think marked him as a captain? You had never devoted much time to studying things like that. "I've gotten reports about you," he addresses you, rather than Kara - seeming to look right over her, as if she couldn't even speak. "You've been causing trouble in town with your demihuman pet lately. Now I was keen to let that slide," he reached behind him, withdrawing a pair of metallic manacles from his belt loop. "But alleged noble or not, you ain't above the law in Carona; I'm taking you in for assault of a clergymen, and disturbing the peace."

You stare silently back at the man, looking down on him and his assembled squad of guards from the superior vantage of the stairs. The sun had set moments ago, leaving the flames of torches to illuminate your wine red eyes and gleaming down on them imperiously, lips pressed thin.

...Maybe you should have had Kara kill him? The thought is banished from your mind the moment it comes, that would have just made this situation worse, no doubt.

But later? Maybe after you passed this rite. Yes. "Excuse me, but what part of the clergy did I assault, exactly?" you speak up courteously, the guard frowning in response. "I don't appreciate you playing dumb, we have witnesses of your pet manhandling attendant Roderik." Hm, yes. Roderik.

This man's name had just been casually elevated above Taggart's - A guard you, after a second closer inspection, noticed was not actually at your own personal lynch party. You're not sure whether to be disappointed, or relieved about that. "My apologies. So what, exactly, did you have in mind with your welcoming party?" You inquire politely, not bothering to react as he stepped forward.

"We can do this the easy way, or the hard way." The guard captain explained, making sure you were keeping eye contact with him as he moved slowly forward.

"The easy way, you turn over your pet to us and leave town quietly." He started, pausing at the bottom of the stairs. "Or, you both come with me."

"And the hard?"

"You resist, and we're forced to be a bit unpleasant in turn, then you both come with me anyway."

>Offer Kara up, you can try and clear your names in the meantime.
>Go with him, abandoning Kara is unacceptable.
>Invite them to try and take you, if they think they can.
>Bid them farewell, you've not got time for this.

>>40471649
Kill them all.

Welp.
Writing!

>>40471649
>Invite them to try and take you, if they think they can.

>>40471769
>>40471889
THAT WASN'T EVEN AN OPTION, QM

>>40471649
>Bid them farewell, you've not got time for this.

Please tell me you were joking about writing off of that one post.

>>40471649
>Bid them farewell, you've not got time for this.

Seriously hoping it was a joke, update wasn't showing, stupid auto-refresh.

https://youtu.be/3VMsw0PisEE?t=18

Here we go.
It was counted as "Invite them to try and take you", as that was the conflict action regardless.

You think over his offer for a few tense minutes, glancing subtly at Kara out of the corner of your eyes. She seemed pretty relaxed, her tell-tale-tail wagging back and forth non-chalantly in the face of the guards. You couldn't abide by the notion of just giving Kara to them, even if you were guilty of an actual assault. THe Testament of Irue Valen would be judged by Irue Valen, and no one else - That was simply how it was.

However, even then, you had given her that judgement; You praised Kara. The fact this self-important ponce was rallying the guard to force another judgement for his perceived slights was... Perturbing. Given what you had already experienced in this town, you've little doubt in your mind that regardless of Kara's involvement or lack there of, turning her over was all but a death sentence in name. You knew that. The guards knew that.

That man knew that.

Does this mean you could take this snivelling ponce's actions as declaration of ill intent upon House Valen?

You breathed in the night air, the cold filling your lungs as your heart began to beat a little faster in response to the situation. You rolled the offer around in your head, the option of going with him flatly being rejected - That would be allowing that man's actions to go unopposed. If kara going was unacceptable, and both of you going was unacceptable, that left a simple matter of fight or flight.

"I see." You acknowledge the guard, holding out a single hand towards the captain, and the guards behind him, "Then by all means, I encourage you to perform to your utmost." The Captain grit his teeth, murmurs spreading out from behind him as the clink of chain mail began to rustle. Civillians were already being warded away as the guard aimed to spread out at the foot of the stairs and cut off escape routes. "Are you sure you want to do this...?" The guard captain asked again, "It's just a demihuman, let us take it and nothing else needs to happen."

Beside you, Kara's tail had slowly stopped wagging as she began to realize the situation. Looking between you and the guards, you could feel her beginning to tense in preparation.

"For a while now, you've been saying pet this, and demihuman that." You speak up in response, "Her name is Kara. She is my Testament." Your fingers slowly curl, wine red eyes narrowing in the torch light as a frown etches itself across your face. "When I deem she has committed a crime, she will answer to me, and me alone." The captain set his jaw, putting the manacles in his hands back on his belt without taking his eyes off of you. "That's not how the law works around here." He groused, his hand firmly gripping and withdrawing his sword from the holster.

Face with fight or flight.

"Then I suppose it is your duty to convince me otherwise."

Let it never be said that Irue Valen was a coward.

>Engage the captain, you can maybe distract him long enough for Kara to get something done.
>Try and keep the back up frazzled somehow, you can't let them set position on you.
>I need a weapon.

ALSO

Orders for Kara
>Take the captain! If we break him, we might break their morale!
>Hold off his back-up, we can't let them surround us!
>Get out of here, find Asche!
>Help me disarm someone

>>40472541
>"That's not how the law works around here."
Then shouldn't the attendant be arrested for assaulting a noble?

>>40472541
>I need a weapon.
Assuming our weapon isn't fists considering we punched out a fire elemental.
If fists are our weapon: >Try and keep the back up frazzled somehow, you can't let them set position on you.

Orders for Kara
>Take the captain! If we break him, we might break their morale!

>>40472541
>Try and keep the back up frazzled somehow, you can't let them set position on you.
haggle
>Hold off his back-up, we can't let them surround us!
Subdue, not kill

>>40472602
A bit late for words, it seems.

>>40472541
>>Try and keep the back up frazzled somehow, you can't let them set position on you.
We're outnumbered. Stands to reason that position is most important.

>>Take the captain! If we break him, we might break their morale!
And what's a group's formation without their leader?

Telling our confirmed killer demihuman to "disarm" someone might be bad

>>40472634
>>40472541
I'll support this. And holy crap, the times for this quest are terrible.

>>40472663
Which 4 hours of the day would you like it not to run?

Seriously though, 2 of the threads have been 20 hours along and the other 16 I think?

>>40472541
>>Try and keep the back up frazzled somehow, you can't let them set position on you.
>Take the captain! If we break him, we might break their morale!

>>40472636
>>40472653
>>40472663
>>40472634
>>40472722
You'll handle the back up.

>>40472634
>>40472653
>>40472663
>>40472722
Kara, take the captain!

>>40472636
Kara, help me with the back up!

Seems pretty straight forward.

Writing!

The first movement set everything into motion, "Kara, deal with the Captain! Don't kill!" You don't have the chance to see if she listened to you, cutting right immediately to circle around the captain and engage the back up directly. With the sheer difference in numbers, letting them establish a position on you was suicide. You doubted Kara could be beaten by any one of the guards here, even the captain, but she was still just one person - She would make a mistake eventually, and the chances of that happening went up drastically if you let these pain in the asses do their own thing.

Behind you, a cry of "stop them!" rang out just before you could hear a sickening thud that you hoped to have been Kara's entry to combat. Your rapid advance was brought to a halt in the face of the guard squad, their spread out ranks closing slightly at your approach as they level their spears. You had expected swords, but this could work too, you guess? All the same, damn your books for having lied to you! Your fingers curled up, fists clenching as you breathed out and rolled up onto the balls of your feet. Their reaction was good, you had their attention. As long as they kept their eyes on dealing with you, then you could buy Kara time to crush the captain.

You smirk, adrenaline beginning to pump through your veins as you move look over the situation.

Their lowered polearms had created a pretty unfavorable gap of space that you didn't imagine you could penetrate recklessly. Without weapon, or armor, you had set yourself to engaging the entire squad of town guards... You wonder if this had been your best plan. You probably wouldn't have lasted very long against the captain either, though, so... It's maybe not the worst idea?

>Taunt them. You can't break their spear line if they don't make a mistake somehow.
>Blitz them. Rely on your reflexes to bypass the spear point and crash into melee!
>Feint them. Cut right or left, it doesn't matter, as long as you get a reaction and keep their attention.
>Hold position. If they won't move, you don't need to move - You're just buying time.

>>40473108
>Hold position. If they won't move, you don't need to move - You're just buying time.

>>40473108
>>Hold position. If they won't move, you don't need to move - You're just buying time.

>>40473177
>>40473238
Buying time, a stalemate is good.

Writing!

That was fine with you though, as long as they didn't advance then your job was done. You stared down the guards infront of you, watching their inaction like a hawk. Undisciplined guards may have reacted, maybe broke formation, but the guard captain had not come unprepared - Even though the ones in front of you weren't moving forward, you could see the ones on either side of the encirclement begin to edge forward.

...Now you were in a worse position than before!

Your fingers flexed as you jerked your head from side to side. A stalemate would have been great, but in reality, you're one person against an entire squad of guards; There's no way they are going to just sit and watch you. You have three avenues of guards to cover: Center, left and right. You might be able to keep one at bay, but the other two would move forward... Unless you did something worth catching their attention. You considered trying to make a break for it, but given their initial fixation on Kara, that would probably only result in all of them moving in.

In the distance, you heard the familiar voice of that older ponce declaring the truth of his statements to the crowd.

He'd get his- Actually.

>Engage the center group. You can try and slip past their spear points.
>Cut to a side, with any luck you can force the center to follow you while you blitz a weaker flank.
>Rush the group, try and get past to take the Attendant hostage!

>>40473588
>>Cut to a side, with any luck you can force the center to follow you while you blitz a weaker flank.
Then
>Rush the group, try and get past to take the Attendant hostage!

>>40473790
Writing!
Not bothering to count votes, since it's literally just you.

does...does anyone realize we are an out of shape noble with zero combat experience with burned hands attempting to solo a phalanx of guards with spears? How was running not the better option, we know Kara can run and jump circles around these fools.

>>40473875
Hey, I'm still here. I just have no idea what to do and so am deferring my vote to someone who does.

>>40473906
I know. I would've voted for that too, but I was driving to school. Literally no one voted and we had a retard write-in push fighting just barely over running.

>>40473875
Holy hell i fell asleep hours ago and you still are running?

Rip QM is possibly an AI with a lover of quests, she does this pretty often.

>>40473906
Blame that to the dumb ass that thought it would be funny to write kill them all, i'm baffled no one voted to run.

>>40474190
Riz takes around 30-40 minutes for 2-3 post, and takes over an hour for 4-5 post.
You get used to it.

>i fell asleep hours ago
Welcome to Valen Quest.

You take a breath, you've got an idea. It takes a few seconds for you to get yourself ready, the sound of Kara complaining about something behind you barely flitting past your ears as you finally take your chance and cut right, rushing the unprepared and surprised smaller flanking group. Having evidently not expected the unarmed posturing civillian to rush them, you manage to close a fair amount of distance on them before their spears are properly releveled at you. That gap is all you need, pushing your body forward and shifting your body aside as you feel one of the spearheads cut a tear through your sleeve. Clothing damage was purely aesthetic to you, and you gripped the shaft of the offended spear after a pass, gripping down on it as you threw your weight against the off-balance guard who had tried to thrust it.

You're rewarded with the first of three guards being sent tumbling backwards as he is bullrushed over his own spear in an attempt to back pedal. You've a brief moment to contemplate the uses of suddenly have a spear, a moment that ends as the other two guards step in to flank you from either side. You don't know if the central guard sect had deigned to follow you, you had no time to check now anyway, but what you did know was that this spear was probably useless to you in close quarters.

You could still use it as a staff though-

Several cracks of wood later, your staff is laying on the ground some distance away.

-Alright, you cannot engage in staff warfare against a town guard. You hadn't even started the engagement, though - just trying to wield it had caused the thing to fly out of your hand violently, with some distinct feeling of spiteful rejection. Your eyes narrow at the two remaining flanking guards; Your true quarry was still blissfully ignorant as he riled up the crowd, which meant you still had a chance.

Your reflexes only barely saved you as one of the guards had slipped beyond your sight and used that moment to rush you from behind; You were nearly too exhausted to notice until his spear haft had dropped over your field of vision. Your head jerked back viciously, partly out of surprise and partly in retaliation, letting you feel the rewarding crunch of cartilage as his nose crunched between his skull and yours. Your body twitched excitedly when his grip loosened, giving you the time to slide forward messily into his broken guard, hips twisting in time as your feet clumsily stumble towards him; an awkwardly bent elbow slamming home into the guard's solar plexus.

He doubled over with a wheeze, and you draw a blank at the sight of it.

'Knee.'

Your hands are already moving as the thought rushes unbidden into your mind, grasping onto the helmet and driving it down into your rising knee with a second sickening crack before the guard stumbled back. Your equilibrium is broken as the thought recedes and your body's fatigue makes itself known again.

Whirling on the final guard, you're given the chance to notice that the other two guard sects had chosen to ignore you and rush Kara the moment you made a break for it - You could barely see her beyond their armored circle.

>You had a plan, stick to it! Get that attendant, we can use him as a hostage!
>There's only one guard left, somehow, maybe you can press your luck and finish him off?
>This wasn't according to plan, you need to help Kara before she gets turned into a spearcushion!
>Cut your losses, you can get away right now. Kara can handle this, can't she? (abandons Kara)

>>40474219
Apologies anon, I am told that is an unacceptable rate.

>>40474347
>>You had a plan, stick to it! Get that attendant, we can use him as a hostage!
I blame that obvious troll for fucking everything up.

>You had a plan, stick to it! Get that attendant, we can use him as a hostage!
This asshole is the one who caused this whole mess! It was just a door you fuckhat, you could have asked for reimbursement and apology. Also, this is all Kara's fault, so next time we go anywhere, we should probably keep her in the cart. Right after we get a cart. Somehow.

>>40474347
>There's only one guard left, somehow, maybe you can press your luck and finish him off?
>>40474371
Same we could hardly lift kara.

>>40474371
>>40474451
Sticking to the plan!

>>40474467
But fuck that guy!

Writing.

You clamp down on the urge to run headlong into the circle around Kara, knowing that you'd probably do more harm than good. You managed those other two guards by a fluke, and.... Something. Regardless, between the final guard and your initial plan, you realize there's pretty much nothing stopping you from seizing your hostage.

You square off with the remaining guard, his attention now well and truly on you as he braces himself for whatever assault you're about to levy on him - Circling with you, never letting you get an angle on him. He'd seen what you had done to his companion, he wouldn't underestimate you!

...Unfortunately, you simply left him standing there after having circled each other around a half rotation, immediately turning and making a mad dash to the still ignorantly touting attendant who had started this whole mess. You didn't waste time in your approach, leaping upon the man's back even as he turned in response to the crowd's recoiling; Only your snarling face greeted him, your left fist driving pointedly into the man's nose - Another crunch, you wonder how many of those you've caused tonight? - sending his head rocketing back on his neck.

"This!" You yell in conjunction with the punch as your foot slammed down on his own and you quickly side-slammed your body against his reeling midrift with elbow leading, "Is!" ripping both him and you forward and onto the ground in a tumbled crashed. Your hair is flung to the side as you quickly scramble to your knees, mounting the older man with a blood-shot and crazed gleam in your eyes before bringing down another fist onto his partially covered face. "Assault!" Your knuckles cracked against his hand, unconditioned skin breaking as flecks of blood were flung from the hands you had been all but abusing for the past two days.

Your dominance was rescended almost as quickl as it had been gained, one of the man's hands having flailed to the side and grabbed a handful of the stubbornly long blond hair of yours which had draped itself down your back. Your eyes saw red, both pain and a surge of mindless fury as you felt your scalp be jerked at the root to the side, throwing you from your awkward mount and crashing to the ground.

You had no chance to recover before that blinding pain returned, the older attendant having quickly wrapped your hair about his hand like some manner of rope, and begun to physically jerk you from side to side with it as he scrambled to his own knees and spit away the deep red blood flow from his broken nose.

>Dive at him, how dare he jerk you around?!
>Try and get to your feet, you can take the higher ground before he gets up!
>Throw dirt, rocks, whatever you can scrape up from the ground in short order.
>Find his hand by tracing your hair, sink your teeth into it!

>>40474890
>Dive at him, how dare he jerk you around?!
>Find his hand by tracing your hair, sink your teeth into it!
Multitask. Punch and bite until he stops moving

Wish I had dropped by before we ended up in this ludicrous situation

>>40474890
>>Find his hand by tracing your hair, sink your teeth into it!
This is just a fucking clusterfuck. I am so salty at this dipshit.>>40471769
Also, now at the QM for counting an obvious troll vote.

>>40474928
Unfortunately, even if that one was not counted - The next vote >>40471906 led to the same thing I counted the first one as. The end result would have been the same, considering the voting window had closed by then.

>>40474890
>>Find his hand by tracing your hair, sink your teeth into it!
>Dive at him, how dare he jerk you around?!

>>40474890
>Find his hand by tracing your hair, sink your teeth into it!
Can't let him maintain the hold, or he's just goino to fuck us up by the head alone.
Follow with
>Try and get to your feet, you can take the higher ground before he gets up!

>>40474919
>>40474928
>>40474977
>>40474982
Bite his hand, no one touches your hair!

>>40474919
>>40474977
Dive at him, you're not going to relinquish that distance!

>>40474982
You really need to stand up soon, before he can get to his feet.

Writing!

Your hands blindly grope out in the direction you had felt your get pulled, latching on quickly to the man's tightly gripping hands and dragging it to you as your nails dug furrows into his skin; You could vaguely make out one of the nails breaking before you finally managed to get the hand to you - Only for said offending appendage to crash directly into your face in a frantic backhand that left you reeling back and disoriented from impact. You snorted something warm from your nose, mouth hanging open for wide gulps of breath before that fury reasserted itself inside of you.

You utter a guttural, wordless cry as you manage to wrap your wrenched open jaws around the attendant's hand and bite down viciously. You felt the chewy flesh split around your teeth, the hot, salty blood well up into your mouth. The rising cry of agony from the attendant very nearly moved you to tears, and if that didn't, then being hammered in the temple repeatedly as he tried to slap you off his hand definitely did. You held on, digging deeper out of pure spite in the fact of his attacks, but between his hand jerking around, and your teeth, something had to go.

Unfortunately for him, your teeth happened to be more firmly entrenched in your mouth than the chunk of flesh now rolling around in your mouth was to his hand.

You spit the disgusting biteful of ponce to the ground, immediately diving after the mortified, retreating attendant. You had the advantage now, his will was broken!

These were your thoughts as the guard you had left behind earlier tackled you from behind, the entirety of his body and armor weight spearing you brutally back to the ground as he quickly wrestled for control of your wrists and began to pin you to the ground. You twitch your body ferally, jerking to try and dismount him before too much progress can be made - A futile attempt, not even serving to help you roll over and face him.

Every part of your body burned in exhausted agony. Your head was pounding as blood and adrenaline warped through your veins, but you couldn't breathe in this position, your lungs ached for air to fuel the rest of your body.

>Try to get onto your knees. Lift the guard on your back, get up!
>Struggle more, maybe you can free one of your hands and get a hold of him!
>Call for Kara! (May distract Kara from whatever she is doing)

>>40475320
>Struggle more, maybe you can free one of your hands and get a hold of him!
This is a very long, very drawn out, very pathetic sequence.

>>40475320
>Try to get onto your knees. Lift the guard on your back, get up!
>Struggle more, maybe you can free one of your hands and get a hold of him!

>>40475303
Welp, I don't think there's any salvaging this. GG no re.

>>40475397
yup too bad the retard decided to vote for this either way we are banned from this town.

>>40475383
>>40475395
Struggle!

>>40475395
Get up!

Writing.

>>40475320
>Struggle more, maybe you can free one of your hands and get a hold of him!
Lifting him in our tired state would be difficult, but we might be able to try and sneak in a hit or push. Also, we might want to call Kara on the next action, Irue is clearly running out of steam.

You continue your struggles, trying to jerk your hands free from the grip - An action made exponentially easier with the sheet of sweat and blood coating your wrists and hands. With one hand unexpectedly wrenched to freedom, you immediately slam it into the ground - forcing an arc of leverage out of your abused limb as you force your body to the side and dislodge the guard from your back. Your relief is short lived, his tumbling being unable to free your other arm which pulls you along with him for the ride in an abrupt, jerking manner.

You feel your shoulder pop, an unfamiliar blossom of pain eliciting a scream as it comes neatly out of socket. You can only roll with the flow, too disoriented in the chaos of the melee to bring yourself together, and roughly shoulder-check the off balanced guard. It's a swift, dirty affair that returns the favor of his previous spear-tackle, driving the chain-mailed man to the ground as you drop down atop him. Your knee slams into his groin as you fall, cushioning you from the hard impact with his genitals, which you take the moment to grind into the stone floor as you roll forward on your knees to lunger forward and swing down your left fist, feeling the crack of bone as it connects squarely with the side of his jaw and forcibly drives it - and the rest of the guard's craned forward head - cracked into the stone-laden street with a wet crack.

You struggle to your feet, dizzily finding some measure of balance as your body tips back and forth. The crowd had long since dispersed, even the attendant vanishing into the town of Carona at some point after the guard you had neglected miraculously came to his rescue.

Wearily jerking your head from side to side, you realize the only ones remaining were fighting Kara - No easy feat, as the pile of groaning bodies surrounding the demihuman would attest to. Even on her own, she had managed to put down well over 8 of the guards, including the captain, but you couldn't see through the flickering torchlight to see what it had cost her to do so.

You should... You should go help her.

Your vision blurred as you thought that, a single step forward nearly sending the world around you flying. You couldn't even move your right arm right now, either.

>Retreat now, you're not going to win anything here.
>You've nearly beaten them, you can wait for Kara to finish off the remains.
>Kara might need help, Irue Valen does not just... stand on the sidelines!

>>40475919
>>Kara might need help, Irue Valen does not just... stand on the sidelines!

>>40475919
>Kara might need help, Irue Valen does not just... stand on the sidelines!
Fuck it. If we're gonna drown in a river of shit we might as well go down swimming.

>>40475919
>>Kara might need help, Irue Valen does not just... stand on the sidelines!
inbe4 we fuck it up

>>40475919
>Retreat now, you're not going to win anything here.
We're just some noble kid without a day at the gym to our name, and Kara is probably a good bit bloodied as well. We came to fix our burned hand and ended up dislocating our shoulder. We aren't going to win a damn thing here, we need to call Kara and retreat.

>>40475919
>You've nearly beaten them, you can wait for Kara to finish off the remains.

>>40475942
>>40475977
>>40476060
We're beaten, bloodied, kinda broken. You've got more people to smack.

>>40476070
Nope. We're done. Time to leave.

>>40476091
Kara will wrap up shortly, you need the rest anyway.

Writing!

You draw a shuddering breath, distinctly feeling the cold air filling your lungs as you snort away a small run of blood from your nostril. One foot moving forward as your wine red eyes narrow in a cold resolve.

This battle wasn't over. Not yet. Not until everyone who had opposed you had been put down.

Your left shoulder rolled forward, someone's blood marring the twin-ring bracelet of your late-sister's as it glimmered in the flickering torch light. You had one good arm left, and weren't completely steady on your feet, but you dove into the melee with a battle cry all the same, grasping the back of a guard's armor to catch him off guard-

Only for the guard to be sent flying through the air, into you, and carrying the two of you right back down the stairs and crashing against a building.

"'Rue?"

You're pretty sure you heard Kara calling you as you flew off, but the impact jarred such thoughts from your head. You managed to roll the guard off of you, groaning in time with him as you held your left arm to your chest and wheezed air back into your depressed lungs. Maybe joining Kara had been a bad idea, considering she was evidently just as liable to hit you with collateral.

That said, her pace seemed to increase not long after that - The a chorus of screams ripping out of the guards as you heard a series of muffled crunches, before you were once again gathered up in somebody's arms. "Should prolly leave now." Kara gasped heavily, "'Fore more come."

>Get us out of town, lets go home.
>Get us out of town, we'll be safer in the forest.
>Don't leave town, see if Kara can find a place for you to hide - You still have things you need to do here.
>I feel like I'm forgetting something... (write-in)

>>40476586
>Get us out of town, lets go home.
I know there's something we're forgetting, but it's late and I can't seem to remember

>>40476586
>>Get us out of town, we'll be safer in the forest.
Find the bear loot meat then head home.

>>40476586
>Get us out of town, we'll be safer in the forest.
We have to lose them in the forest and and see if the Oakenbear is still down, so we can at least salvage something from this clusterfuck.

>>40476586
>Get us out of town, we'll be safer in the forest.
Even at Kara speed, home is a fair distance, we need to get somewhere safe as soon as possible to assess injuries and situation (and maybe figure out how the hell we managed to fight 3 armed guards on our own and win)

>>40476703
Out of town, and homeward bound!

>>40476759
>>40476807
Out of town, but we're taking a detour first.

Writing!

>>40476908
Irue Valen, heir apparent of House Valen and part-time berserker.

>>40476947
>>40476908
>thinking we won
guard 1 was knock over and than ran to kara to get beaten by kara.
guard 2 got kicked in the nuts repeatedly.
guard 3 ran to kara to get an ass whooping.
We got good reflexes though since we were able to dodge and disarm one gaurd.

>>40477103
We, without weapons, after overexerting ourselves, managed to disable three trained guards alone long enough for our ally to handle the rest. I don't care what your dick-loving hole has to say, I'm counting it as a win.

This isn't really a win though, cause we're worse off then when we walked into town.

"Out of town." You grouse, immediately feeling the weight of the breeze on rushing past you as Kara took to the air in a single impressive bound. You can hear the commotion of the town as you soar past the streets, gleefully damaging the rooftops in the process of powering the demihuman's near fantastical leaping strides that let you float almost non-chalantly over the town that had been riled up to draw for blood.

You almost felt like laughing the moment Kara had paused for a moment on top of the frontal wall of Carona, as you heard the guards beneath shouting to close the gates to put the town on lockdown, even as the demihuman took off again, leaping clean from the top of the structure and landing softly on the cool grass outside of the village. The past day had just been.... Blessed Mana, you had no idea how to describe it. You wondered if anything had gone right today. Even waking up hadn't gone as planned.

You hadn't even gotten breakfast yet, and it almost tomorrow. You still had no idea what you were going to do about your funds being cut off, you were almost assuredly banned from going back to Carona, and you had little doubt in your mind that dear aunt and uncle would be hearing of your escapades in the near future.

"Kara, can you find the Oakenbear again?" You ask tiredly, "We should...swing by. Try and salvage something before going home."

You yawn, the sheer physical exhaustion you had subjected your body to through the day finally taking its toll. You noted wryly, just before you fell asleep, that you were growing disturbingly used to falling asleep while moving at breakneck speeds.

You awoke the next morning to the familiar sounds of birds greeting the morning. For once, you actually did not have the far-too-cheerful rays of sunlight streaming directly into your face. It was a fact you would have been thankful for, had you not also had the unmistakable taste of dirt in your mouth... among other things. Your shoulder was sore, the echoes of pain from last night still readily apparent, but the rest of your body...

You felt like a doll, for as much as you could move your limbs. It took you several dedicated minutes of groaning and struggle to unsprawl yourself from the bellydown grass-splay you had been performing, and get a good look around you.

You had been left in your front yard, clothes torn and covered in a variety of different shades of blood and mud. Behind you, blissfully blocking out the early morning sun, was an astoundingly accurate hollow wooden carving of a bear's ass, which seemed to be the holding container for... something. The distinctly raw smell radiating from inside idly cluing you into just how your detour to the Oakenbear had gone, despite you having fallen asleep for it.

To your left, your ever attendant maid...secretary...

Note to self: Think of a better title for Asche.

Stood stoically, passive sea-green eyes looking down on at you, in the little spot of flattened grass you had evidently made your bed over night. Or Kara had made your bed. You're not really certain when you even arrived.

"Asche, where is the-" A familiar redheaded former-royalty poked her head out of the front door, her voice dying off briefly before resuming in a screech that sent birds scattering as you winced away.

"Welcome home, Irue." Asche greeted you blandly.

>Thanks.
>I brought back food.
>I learned some things.
>Inform Rinnier that the town's name was Carona - She was wrong! - Also you're probably not allowed to go back.

>>40477603
>I brought back food.
>I learned some things

>>40477603
>Thanks.
>I learned some things.

>>40477603
>I brought back food.
>I learned some things.
Ask her how far away is carona.

>>40477732
Carona is the town we just got ran from

>>40477765
nah i think we missed the town we were supposed to go to honestly.

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1023 KB GIF

>>40477662
>>40477709
>>40477732
I learned some stuff.

>>40477662
>>40477732
I brought food.

>>40477709
Thanks.

----

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Valen+Quest

And we are archived. Technically since post 1 this time, for safety purposes.

I'll lurk the thread for a bit to try and answer some questions if I can.

>Bonus! Vote for which you would like to see.
>Kara's Day Out! (A summary of Kara's PoV for most of this thread)
>When The Master's Away... (Left alone with a panic-prone Testament and The Other One, Asche worries.)

Apologies to all anons who participated in Valen Quest but died at their keyboards wondering when QM would finally stop.

To those who did not make it to the end, we will never forget your sacrifice.

>>40477917
I'm might be greedy, but i would love to see both.
Especially sense it would seem like Kara's would be short with alot of skipping around.

>>40477917
>>Kara's Day Out! (A summary of Kara's PoV for most of this thread)

>>40477949
This is a Kara vote by the way.

Rinnier, Panicky and Asche is more the angle I'd like to hear.

>>40477917
>Kara's Day Out! (A summary of Kara's PoV for most of this thread)
Yes please IrueXKara shipping intensifies.

>>40477917
>Kara's Day Out! (A summary of Kara's PoV for most of this thread)
>>40478294
We all straight nigga

>>40477949
>>40477957
>>40478294
>>40478304
Kara's Day Out!

>>40477949
>>40478024
When The Master's Away...
.
I suppose that settles that.
Would you prefer I write it out here, or put it up in a paste-bin for next thread

Also seems like no one had any questions this session, so I'll probably see if i can get some things together in the meantime, I guess..

>>40478304
Impossibility only makes my crackships stronger.
Not like I'm gonna let my silly yuri fantasies affect any votes I make anyways.

Going to shut down for maintenance.

Kara's Day Out will be put up in a paste-bin link by next thread. Paste-bin can't be that hard to work, right?

Also seem to have lost my first player today. Bye player.