Dedication (Nina / BlueSlime)

[Guan Yu]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

Nina could much on her sweeties in peace this time, as there was no interference, though both Rao and Mei gave her a few looks at times. The Lord had a remarkably satisfied expression on his face, it looked like he was happy to see all the guests feeling well and satisfied under his care. Mori, the friendly guard man from yesterday was also there, eating away at a literal pile of different food from bacon to fruits. The man sported sharp features with a thick moustache, the look was rugged but not too ordinary, there was a certain appeal to him. Nina estimated his age to be somewhere in the middle 30s. He definately reminded the girl of a samurai in some things, even though his weapon of choice was not a katana.

Once everyone had eaten, Chao and the yet unnamed maid came to pick up the remain and take them away to the kitchen area. "Now, we'll start the morning meeting. There are issues to be discussed, and some of them might be upsetting, so be ready. One such thing was just reported to me yesterday." Rao gave a brief announcement as he got up, waiting for the guests to come after him so they could access the meeting room. A few doors and a corner later, the room awaited for the occupants.

The room was not big, but there were several big, comfy chairs inside. Rao himself sat on a bigger, sofa-like piece of furniture, Akina following example and sitting next to him while Kagura took a separate chair. Mei posted herself behind the two, staying up and ready in case there was need for her to brutalize something intruding into the room. Mori was not there, having returned to man the gate. Chao had followed them in as well, setting a small pitcher of lemoned water and a few pieces of fruit, dried fish and meat on the table if someone needed to munch on something or got thirsty. After having done that, she excused herself from the room, leaving only the people who were really needed inside as the door closed behind her.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

Nina sat attentively, ready to listen to what the Lord Rao would say. He had called Iliana here for a reason and certainly it must mean something very important was going on in worldly politics. She would remain silent and listen and would most probably allow the Lady Iliana to make any and all responses, as was appropriate for this meeting between heads of state. In all reality, Nina wasn't sure someone of her small station really belonged in this room, other than a weak counterpart to Mei's purpose.

Relaxed and prepared for the meeting, Nina awaited the Lord Grimhorn's announcement.

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

With Kagura spinning her chair around, Rao began as the guest trio had settled themselves down on their seats. "Since the politics part might be boring to most of the people here, I opted to speak about things that concern you in more direct ways this time. Yesterday, I could see you two had some concerns when I mentioned the spirit lurking within Miss Iris' body. I can detect them in people, despite not being a spiritualist or having one inside my own body. The deep connection I've estabilished with the invisible spirit world through my martial art mastery allows me to do such things. The spirit inside your little swordgirl there is one of the highest-class spirits there are, the Desolation Maiden. The few texts there are about this demon-type possessor are grim readings, mostly telling a history of abandonment, loneliness and violent revenge. If this particular spirit is inside Iris, she's been forced to a life of lonely and miserable existence in her past, even subjected to possible abuse." the man told them, taking a brief pause

"For you see, the Maiden was once a benevolent sorceress of impressive magical might. She had an impossible dream, a task that she dedicated her entire life and being to wholeheartedly, never wavering in her cause. She wanted to unite humanity and the various bestial and monstrous humanoids into one united society, where no thinking being would be left alone. And she was having success with it, accompanied by a group of varied individuals from multiple species. But before she could bring about any real sort of interspecies unity, she was captured and imprisoned by bigoted, xenophobic humans. The sorceress' group tried to stop the travesty, but another mage within the humans scattered them, the ones trying to fight ending up killed in the hateful hands of the xenophobes. Despite their hostility, the bigots didn't dare to outright slay the sorceress, fearing that her death might serve as an even stronger cause of unity. No, they took he captured woman to the borders of the Deep, an area sometimes called Hell on Earth and sealed her into a tomb with a potent seal spell. Little do they know what their actions have caused, as the sorceress still lives in her prison, bearing an immense grudge nurtured in the darkness for hundreds of years and corruped by a touch of insanity. This grudge causes has a manifestation, the greater spirit Desolation Maiden, who now possesses and manifests in lonely individuals of spiritual prowess. The first act that ever informed the world about the Desolation Maiden was a singular night of bloodshed, with a group of Maiden-possessed warriors wreaking untold havoc and utterly destroying the humans responsible for the imprisonment, along with their families and relatives. The Maiden's ultimate motive for being here still is yet uncovered, but people possessed by her usually settle grudges they have with violence when she speaks to them and provides power. This might not sound too bad at first, but the Maiden is paranoid to the extreme, seeing severe betrayal in the tiniest of slights. Even minor transgressions might trigger her paranoia, causing her to take over and settle the scores with violence" Rao continued, giving out an explanation about what really was hiding inside Iris. It was not a nice thing to hear, but it was better for them to know what they were dealing with here.

"I've not heard or read about a successful banishment of the spirit, so the only thing that might rid your friend of the spirit is finding and releasing the sorceress from her seal. But the location of the prison tomb has been lost in history, making it hard to locate. And even if you did find it, there is the seal itself to be undone, which might not be an easy task." the white-haired ruler finished his story, taking a look at the guests to see their reactions. Iliana kept hers hidden, but Nina could see that she was having a hard time doing it. "If you have questions about this part, please ask now before we exchange to another issue, the more pressing matter at the moment."

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

Nina watched Iliana for her reaction, expecting some sort of response, but it seemed the Lady Einzbern was choosing to remain stoic. Nina did likewise, and bowed her head in a sign of thanks to the Lord Rao for giving them this explanation.

So, that was the sort of spirit that possessed Iris? An embodiment of a warped and lonely sorceress abandoned and sealed in a tomb? That poor creature. Of course, they'd have to set her free. Knowing what they now knew, they couldn't let that sorceress suffer anymore, and Iris as well shouldn't have to live with a supernatural, paranoid grudge inside her.

With none of them having much to ask about the Desolation Maiden for the time being, the Einzbern party waited for the more pressing concern to be announced.

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

"So, no further desire for knowledge? Alright, that is about the gist of it, this spirit. If there is an opportunity in the future to guide you towards a possible hint of the tomb's location, I'll send word. Now, this other thing I keep referencing to." Rao concluded and started the different subjects.

"This other issue is new, just last night new in fact. I mentioned a report from the desert rangers before you left my study, and this is where I learned about it. Two days ago, a patrol of desert rangers observed a trio of creatures known as desert tyrants, or more officially horned wyverns, moving at the edges of the desert and dangerously near the ranger station. But they moved away before contact was made. If they had, the station might have been lost. These creatures are not only huge in size and massively strong, but they are also aggressively territorial, considering any creature bigger than a dog near them to be an intruder. And once that has been estabilished in their minds, they won't usually stop attacking before either they die or the perceived intruder is mauled into paste. Such a group wandering this near the civilized lands is not good news, since the tyrants usually avoid wandering out from the inner desert sands, preferring to live there in peace and eat cacti. Despite the tyrant's ferocious looks, it's a strictly vegetarian beast. You'll recognise a tyrant by it's dragon-like features, though it doesn't have arms like a true dragon, it's forelimbs being wings. Like previously mentioned it is a huge beast, some 30 feet long from nose to tail tip and 18 high when rearing up fully, though one usually sees them walking with a balanced horizontal gait. The creature's horns and tail are it's most common weapons, gargantuan instruments of nature's fury. Also, the distinctive roar of this wyvern is a potent weapon, making most warriors cower in fear upon hearing the shrill, almost human-like scream. And finally, the most terrifying thing. These creatures move faster than any human can run, and can dig themselves under the sand at an alarming rate, just to leap out from another direction entirely. Here, this is an artist's rendition who saw a tyrant from afar once. The colors aren't shown, but your average tyrant is dark brown for the most part." the Lord told them about the issue, handing out a rolled paper for them to investigate. Iliana looked at it first after unrolling it, taking a moment to glance at the form of this fierce desert ruler. She then handed the picture to Nina so she could have a look as well.

Spoiler

As Nina inspected the image, Rao continued. "The ranger report continued to state that the three tyrants moved towards south. There is a possibility that they might come to prowl near your city if they don't return back to the central desert areas. Once they perceive a threat there, or can't find food anywhere else, the beasts might just decide to approach the town. If that happens, I fear the consequences could be crippling. Even one tyrant is more than an average city can handle, let alone three. This is something both Akina and myself can attest to from personal experience. During the final two years of your adventuring career, the six of us in the Blades ran afoul of a particularly old and vicious black tyrant that once roamed the desert, known to the locals as Diablo, the Devil. It took our group an entire day of fighting and hiding to finally down him, and none of us got away from that encounter without serious injuries. The younger tyrants might be easier to fell, but I present the case just as an example if you plan on making a stand against them."

Having finished up the second issue, Rao asked for any possible questions again. Iliana seemed to have none, though her expression had gotten even more severe than previously.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

"Maybe we could alter their migratory pattern? Is there no way to communicate or reason with the beasts?" Nina asked, sounding doubtful. This would be terrible news if these three creatures could only be dealt with by force.

"You say the creatures are territorial, why do they allow for each others' presence? Would they not fight amongst themselves?"

Nina's inclination was to seek a way to deal with the tyrants without having to fight them. Unless they were inherently evil creatures, Nina did not wish any particular ill-will upon them.

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

"Tyrants are still animals when you look past their draconic appearance. Wyverns of all kinds are much more primitive cousins of true dragons, lacking their potent minds, breath weapons and spellcasting abilities. So I doubt they can be talked with, unless you are a shaman or druid, the type of magician that deals with animals. You still need find a way to not set off their intruder alarms when you approach though. But their paths of travel could be shifted, no doubt about that." the white-haired man gave his answers to the first questions.

Giving Nina the time she wanted for more questions, Rao listened for a while. "Well, territorial except others of their kin. During mating seasons the males give wide berths to each other however, unless there's a female tyrant to impress. That's when one of the most impressive things one can witness in the desert happens, a duel between two of the horned wyverns. I think I see where you're going with this, a non-violent solution. Which is a good thing, since tyrants are not evil or malicious creatures, they just act according to the instincts nature gave them. No natural animal or beast is truly good or evil, but neutral, like nature herself."

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

Nina nodded to affirm to Lord Rao that non-violence was indeed what she sought in trying to solve this problem. "If you know of any methods that the tyrants could be diverted back into the open desert, I'm certain that would be the most preferential method. No reason to risk lives unnecessarily."

That was all Nina would say on the matter, again feeling as if she really was acting out of turn and not at all as a servant should. She just felt that these were important questions to ask, and chatty habits died hard. With a nervous glance at Iliana, she sat back in her seat and bowed her head.

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

If Iliana had problems with Nina speaking as she pleased, the mistress didn't show it in a detectable manner. "They are mostly after food, that's one possibility to use as a distraction. Or a person could act as bait, though I wouldn't advise doing that unless there's magic involved to get away from the raged-up tyrants, or if you just happen to a master at evading blows. Trying to block a charge from these things is pure insanity, and will only get you a flight through the air once the wyvern's horn or headplate connects with you. I was lucky that Diablo's other horn was broken, that thing managed to hit me with a charging upwards blow of the horn. Was one of the most painful experiences I've gone through, flying through the air and landing among a patch of rocks after getting smashed by a blunt horn." Rao spoke up, a memory of their past encounter coming to his mind.

"These were the things I wanted to cover for now. Nina, the arrangements for your trip have been made, and the same wagon used before will take you up to the mountains. You'll get to train with Horned Yura, the Blades' master of weapons. It was a common moniker to her that any weapon or piece of kit that was used in battle could be wielded by her in masterful levels just a few minutes after she was introduced to them. That woman had truly developed an eye to see the best ways how to use instruments of combat. Surely she can teach you about fighting. A word of caution though: Yura is erratic to say the least. She might be all fun and games one minute, then come out with a harsh, serious remark the next. You need to bear with her mood swings if you are to learn. Once you've prepared and gathered your things, speak to Chao and she'll escort you to the courtyard." the Lord continued, asking if Nina had any possible questions about the upcoming trip before leting the three go back to their room.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

Nina had no questions. The Lord had been very straightforward with her and had said all that needed to be said. She did not want to waste his time with simple questions about Yura's "erratic" personality. Surely, she would find out for herself, soon enough.

On their way back to the room, Nina hugged Iliana suddenly and from out of nowhere.

"I will miss you. Even if it's only for a short while." She tightened her grip and squeezed the Lady Einzbern in a hug, burying her face into the side of Iliana's neck. After a moment she stepped away and then glomped Iris in a similar fashion, though she was careful to not bend her wings improperly.

"You too, Iris! It's only been a short while that we've been back together, and now I'm going off again. But, it'll be better this way. I'll come back stronger and I'll be more useful. Not just a chattering dolt."

Dropping back out of the hug, Nina clasped her hands in front of her and looked at her two beautiful friends. "You're both the best. I promise I'll make you both proud of me."

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

Both of her closest friends returned the shows of affection with equal passion, Iliana patting Nina on her head as she glomped Iris. "That's the spirit. It'll be better for you as well, when your mind isn't so deep in doubt. A confident Nina is the best Nina." the mistress encouraged her.

Once Nina had offered her vow, both Iliana and Iris accepted it with smiles. "Get in there and come back in one piece. You'll be a great asset and member of the house." the mistress said, moving up briefly and giving the green-haired girl a peck on the cheek. "And of course... my dearest servant...." the Lady whispered as she stepped back next to Iris.

With the trio still sharing their goodbyes, Chao knocked on the door before entering. "Are you ready, Miss Nina?" the servant girl asked her, letting the knight-maid do whatever she still had to do, maintaining the same level of calmness she did earlier. "Oh, the trip wil be a few hours, so I prepared you a snack to eat along the way." the girl said as she waited, showing a box with a few steamy meat & bean-filled buns along with a pair of rice balls. Even more, there was a canteen attached to the side of the box, no doubt containing some delicious liquid for her to drink.

Once Nina had done everything she wanted to do, Chao helped to carry her belongings to the front door, where both Mori and the familiar carriage waited for her.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

Nina made her goodbyes and was indeed ready for the trip. She resolved to harness her confidence and let it shine through in her actions, just like Iliana had said she should do.

"Wow, Chao, you've gone through so much trouble for me. Thank you, this food smells delicious!" Nina's closed her eyes and smelled the meat and bean buns, and smiled as the aroma filled her nostrils.

"I'll do my best not to eat them all at once!"

Nina nodded to Mori as he held the door to the carriage open for her and sat herself inside, laying her equipment and small bag of necessities and clothes next to her seat. Waving goodbye one last time, Nina began her journey towards the mountains.

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

The two of her companions, along with Chao and Mori waved goodbye to Nina as the carriage started to move, soon zooming out of the gate and taking direction towards the mountain some distance away from the city.

Some hours passed on the road, with Nina's travels taking her through the non-city lands once more. Somewhere along the way, she set upon the food, finding it as tasty as she had expected from the smell earlier. The liquid inside the attached canteen was juice of some sort, nothing like the girl had tasted before. It was sweet, with a funny aftertaste she couldn't quite figure out. Once the mountain was reached, the carriage shifted position as the uphill started, forcing Nina to lean against the backseats. Still, no stuff from the storage left their compartments as the carriage trailed upwards a little bit slower. Even Rao's mighty horse was slowed by the rise somewhat.

Late in the afternoon, after clearing a large patch of forest on the mountains, the carriage arrived at what was Yura's place. A bridge that was too narrow for the carriage to travel spanned across a moat, so the horse had to leave Nina on the other side. At the other side, there was a huge shrine gate, one of those wooden constructs overlooking the bridge at the other end. The bridge was not too long, only some 20 feet across. Beyond the gate, there was a house that was long from the side she looked at it, and seemed to go onwards after the corners to possibly form a square. There were sliding doors set at regular interwalls along the side, indicating rooms.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

Nina enjoyed her ride up the mountains, admiring the view from outside of the carriage while dining upon her packed food. The drink was to her liking as well and she felt that she would very much like to learn what fruit it was that tasted so sweet.

When her horse arrived at the bridge and stopped, Nina understood that it was time to get out.

"Thank you once again for your troubles," she said to the horse. "Climbing mountains isn't the most fun duty for a horse of your stature. I hope you get some free time to run free across the plains for all your service." She nodded to the creature, then hefted her small pack of belongings and took her first steps across the bridge, keeping her eyes set on the shrine door ahead.

Nina knew that whomever this weaponsmaster was, she must be truly powerful and perhaps a bit eccentric to live up here, so secluded yet still with such a reputation and respect from Lord Grimhorn. The maid resolved to do her best, no matter what her new teacher would ask of her, if indeed the teacher chose to take her on as a student.

Reaching the shrine door, Nina looked for a way of knocking or announcing her presence. She didn't want the weapons master thinking that she was an intruder.

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

With the shrine building's door right there in front of her pretty face, Nina knocked on it, announcing herself afterwards. The area behind this door was most likely housing something big and important, being a much larger cube in the middle of two long stretches of walls to the sides. It seemed like a distinct possibility that this huge house was something of a variety on the usual castle design, having the keep buildings in the middle of each side instead of the corners. It was unlikely that the place was meant to keep anyone away though, given the huge numbers of doors lining the sides. When there was no answer to her knocks or calls, Nina helped herself through the door, which was actually unlocked. Sliding it open, the maid-knight entered the building.

Inside, there did indeed seem to be a shrine. A large statue of some unknown god stood at the middle of the room, depicted as a fierce-looking, flame-haired man wielding a longsword and a ritualistic bead necklace in his hands. Even with the impressive look and stature of the black rockman, it was hard to pay attention to it. Everywhere else in the room, weapons hung from all kinds of different racks and stands. There were weapons on the wall, on the support pillars, even in the horizontal support beams of the pillars. In the corners of the room, there were big clay pots stuffed with as many polearms, spears and swords as they could contain without falling over. Only the ceiling, floor and the statue were devoid of weapons. The implements of war ranged from the mundane guard-issue swords and spears to unbelievably strange pieces like multi-pointed throwing irons and sickle-chains to three-section staffs and fans made from metal. On each side of the room, there were opened doors which lead to long corridors full of more doors. Behind the statue, there was another door, this one leading to an inner courtyard.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

Nina made a low whistle at all the weapons, but seeing that no one was there or answering her calls, she continued to walk past the statue and the weapon racks and continue on towards the smaller shrine room.

"Hello? Is there anyone home? I'm looking for the weapon master."

Nina poked her head inside the new room, scanning from side to side with her pretty, innocent eyes.

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

Going randomly to a door in the corridor on the left, Nina peeked her head in. There was no-one in the small room, which hardly had any furnishings aside from a small sleeping mattress and a cupboard/wardrobe combination, with access outside through a door in the other end of the room. Going along the same corridor, she found all of the rooms looking like this, except one in the middle, which turned seemed to be reserved for spare mattresses and other necessary things for the beds.

Going around the corner, there was another straight corridor, with similar rooms all the way down towards the next bigger area in the middle. This new area seemed to be a dining hall, with a huge square formation of tables in the middle. It could possibly be used to hold a feast for like 50 people at the same time, such was the amount of tables and chairs. Still, it was a plain set-up, and there were no plates or utensils or other eating necessities anywhere in sight. The door layout was similar to the big shrine room earlier, with one for each corridor, one for the outer exit and one for the courtyard. There were weapons here as well, only in the pillars and their supports though.

Nina had been unable to see properly into the courtyard from the last room, but now her view was not obstructed by random trees. If she looked there, she could see a kind of stage in the middle, shadowed by another tree. It looked like someone was laying there on the stage, turning on their side as if sleeping. Still, it was some distance away from the Einzbern servant to make out too much detail.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

"H-hello?"

Nina crossed into the courtyard, her shoes tap-tapping on the stone floor as she made her way over to the stage for a closer look. It seemed like someone was sleeping there, right in the middle of that awkward place.

"Um, I'm Nina. Nina Vertmer. Lord Rao Grimhorn said I should come here for training?"

The sleeping figure did not seem to move immediately, so Nina struck up her courage and climbed up onto the stage to approach closer to it.

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

As she moved along the stone path in the courtyard, Nina found the place to be as warm as a spring day, despite the earlier slight chillyness of the mountain. There was a small garden pond in one direction along with the trio of trees, but the green-haired girl had her attention on the middle stage. It was not that big, but a small play or similar could likely be held on it. There was no initial answer from the figure, but once Nina got her arm on the stage to climb on it, they flipped onto their back.

Covered in a large, nearly transparent sheet, this was yet another one of those women who reached Iliana's level in beauty. A sunburst of hair was splayed out under her as she eyed Nina, the dull yellow of it gradually shifting towards rusty red at the tips, which curled upwards somewhat. A purple robe covered up her body, but the big chest was partially on display as the robe hung off from her shoulders. Despite the seeming drowziness, the look in the woman's eyes was strong and aware. Though, her most obvious feature immidiately revealed that this was the person Nina was looking for. A reddish horn sticked out from her upper forehead in an angle, being almost a foot in lenght. She held up a paper, not turning her head to face the maid-knight. "So I read." On the paper, Nina could see an official request, along with Grimhorn's emblem design stamped onto it. "That old man should know by now that us old companions don't need be all official with each other...." she continued, tossing the paper aside.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

"Ah." Nina bowed very deeply and low. "I am certain he did it as a matter of protocol for my sake, and for that of my Mistress, the Lady Einzbern. Please accept my apologies if I am in any way an inconvenience to you, but you see, I have gone from being a naive adventurer, to a servant, and now to a bodyguard for my lady, whom I respect and desire to protect deeply. But when I came to Lord Grimhorn's lands, I've had it made clear to me that I lack the training that I will need to do my duty properly. If you would accept me as your student, I would be eternally grateful, and put myself in your hands."

Nina maintained her bow, hoping that she had not misspoke and represented herself well.