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Post by Soprano on Mar 13, 2011 22:53:27 GMT -6
Haru looked a bit pained when he received her thoughts, I hope you’re right, was all he could think.
After a bit of silence, Sergio spoke up again, “’Ere it is!”
He gestured at the large and bustling campsite which had a lot of people rushing around with supplies, a few that were training, and a couple more than were simply sitting in front of their personal tents.
“C’mon, I’ll show ya guys to Conall. He can decide what do to wif ya,” he said, a bit ominously as he led them to the second biggest tent. He nodded to the guards and spoke to them in a few hushed tones and they allowed them to pass.
Conall was standing over a large map of the area and making a humming sound with his mouth. He stroked his beard thoughtfully as his eyes wandered the map. He only looked up when Sergio coughed to catch his attention.
“Oh, pardon me, lad,” he said, “What kin I do fer ye?”
“Found a pair ‘a stragglers, wanted to talk to ya,” Sergio explained, gesturing to Haru and Viktoria.
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lillium
Fatima's Sexophone
He Who Fights Monsters
just another dead composer
Posts: 1,682
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Post by lillium on Mar 13, 2011 23:17:44 GMT -6
Me too, Viktoria thought back. Really, it was the only thing she could say. She didn't know for certain whether they would be accepted or not, but she had to hope that they would be. That was all they could do; hope.
When they finally arrived at Conall's tent, and after Sergio told the man that her and Haru wanted to speak with him, Viktoria glanced at Haru for a second before stepping forward to explain what had happened.
"We're from the Chao Xi, and the temple was destroyed. Everyone died, except for seven of us. The rest of them joined the Order, but we would like to join the Seidhrfolk," Viktoria said, trying her best to keep the fact that she was nervous as hell out of her voice. "We know that you guys don't use magic, but both of us are proficient in weapons." She gestured to her saber, to show that she knew how to use it. Viktoria was suddenly very glad she had brought it- More so than she had been before.
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Post by Soprano on Mar 13, 2011 23:41:59 GMT -6
Conall looked at the saber that Viktoria was holding; then he looked at her. She seemed… He couldn’t help but think she looked green a bit around the gills. Her companion more so than her.
“What tis yer name?” he asked after a moment’s thought, “I’d like to address ye in a bit more of a formal manner, lass. And ye?”
He looked up at Haru who almost jumped at being spoken to, “Kimura Haru, I mean, just Haru… sir.”
He scratched his beard for a moment, pondering their ability to use magic and why they would think to come here of all places. If they were willing to put in the work to be trained and help out the camp, he figured he could keep the magic part hush-hush from the more purist parts of the camp. He needed to find out what they were thinking this would be like, first.
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lillium
Fatima's Sexophone
He Who Fights Monsters
just another dead composer
Posts: 1,682
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Post by lillium on Mar 13, 2011 23:47:50 GMT -6
"Viktoria Pavlichenko," Viktoria answered. Gah, she wished she knew what Conall was thinking. Then she would be less nervous. He wasn't exactly saying much, just asking for their names, and so she was anxious. She tried her best not to let it show, though. This was the Seidhrfolk, where they were strong and manly and didn't afraid of anything.
Viktoria had thought to go to the Seidhrfolk because she really didn't think she was cut out to be a mage. She had liked the balance between weapons and magic at the Chao Xi, but she really preferred fighting with weapons as opposed to using magic. She doubted she could only use magic like the mages did. She was alright at using magic, sure, but there was just something about weapons that made her just prefer them.
Hakan, Viktoria remembered, had been the opposite. She had found it funny how he was the Ni Huo and she was the Long Shui in their partnership.
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Post by Soprano on Mar 14, 2011 0:23:16 GMT -6
“Viktoria ‘n Haru,” Conall repeated, mulling around in his head for a moment.
He shot a glance at Haru, “And ye, lad? What do ye fight with?”
“A bardiche, sir, but I don’t have it anymore. I lost it in the fire,” he said with a bit of disappointment leaking through his voice.
“How much experience do ye have with that sword, Viktoria?” he looked at Viktoria without giving a response to Haru, “How often do ye train with it?”
Conall scratched his beard again, “I suppose ye can stay. Do me a favor, ye both. Keep yer magic to yeself for now, yeah?”
Conall turned back to Sergio, “Now, m’lad, go find them a tent and come back to me.”
Sergio saluted and disappeared from the tent to do as he was asked. He didn’t beckon to Haru and Viktoria to follow because he wasn’t told to.
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lillium
Fatima's Sexophone
He Who Fights Monsters
just another dead composer
Posts: 1,682
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Post by lillium on Mar 14, 2011 0:30:58 GMT -6
"Six years experience with it, sir," Viktoria said. She had been a student of asgarda for a year before she joined the Chao Xi, she recalled. It was when she had moved to Lviv and first heard of the martial arts school. It seemed like a lifetime ago, and in a way, it was.
"I train with it every day," she continued. It was true, for the most part- She trained with it most days, and it was usually every day. Sometimes she wasn't able to, but it was mostly every day. "And yes, sir," she added, about Conall's request that they keep their magic to themselves. She didn't want her or Haru to be ostracized because of their magic. Besides, both of them could handle themselves without their magic, so it wasn't that big of an issue, right?
Viktoria just hoped that nobody else found out about their magic. That wouldn't be too good.
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Post by Soprano on Mar 14, 2011 0:52:43 GMT -6
Conall nodded when she said she had more than six years experience and practiced everyday. That was a good sign, meaning she’d be committed to working hard.
“And ye?” he said to Haru.
“Uh… around 5 years and I practice every other day or so…, sir,” muttered Haru.
Conall heard him plainly, but the boy was muttering. He figured he’d have more of a problem with him than with Viktoria, but he’d just have to see.
“I’m not opposed ta ye two being here,” he said, “Some o the people around here jus’ don’t take kindly to magic folk. If ye both are willing to be in the work, I’d be glad to do Makoto a favor. Did he make it out of the fire?”
She said only seven of them made it, so it was possible the old man had not. He didn’t figure that he would have dissolved the Chao Xi if he had made it out, so he expected the worst.
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lillium
Fatima's Sexophone
He Who Fights Monsters
just another dead composer
Posts: 1,682
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Post by lillium on Mar 14, 2011 19:16:09 GMT -6
Viktoria grinned when Conall said that her and Haru could join the Seidhrfolk. Oh, good! They wouldn't be thrown out or anything for being magical! They had to keep their mouths shut, sure, but that wouldn't be too hard. She nodded, and said, "We won't say anything! And we're willing to work." Well, she was and Haru's answer would be questionable, but she really wanted him to be part of the Seidhrfolk with her and so she answered for the both of them.
After all, she did know Haru's attitude concerning work, and it wasn't a great one.
Viktoria frowned when Conall mentioned Makoto, though. "He didn't make it out," she answered solemnly. "Neither did Penny." She didn't mention that she thought they died in their sleep- She highly doubted that the Seidhrfolk thought dying in one's sleep was honourable. After all, they were descendants of the Vikings or something, right? That meant that they thought dying in battle was honourable.
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Post by Soprano on Mar 14, 2011 20:24:32 GMT -6
“Good, good,” muttered Conall, looking over his map once again before looking back up at them, “I’ll not worry about putting ye through the same things a normal recruit might, but keep in mind ye’ll have to prove your worth to get any respect ‘round here.”
People would intentionally pick fist fights and things in the mess hall just to be top dog. Top dog usually didn’t last long with a camp full of brutes. They’d either get up and bring it or be relegated to the lower rungs of the hierarchy.
Haru shifted a bit uncomfortably when Tori said they’d work. He knew he had to, but it was something he’d do reluctantly.
Conall’s face softened up a little bit when he heard that Penny and Makoto had died, “May god rest their souls, then. They were both brave warriors.”
He dipped his head for a moment for respect and looked up when Sergio came through the tent flap again, “I foun’ a tent, sir!”
“Good,” he said with a nod, “Ye’ll both be alright then?”
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