The World Without Sound

[Ark]

From what he could tell, everyone was still asleep. Alaric couldn't quite figure out what the time actually was as the cloudy sky hid whatever source of light, be it moonlight or sunlight, behind a veil of dreariness. He could always depend on his internal clock though, and while his "sixth sense of adventuring" had failed him multiple times in the past, he didn't see that as a reason to not trust his instincts. His first priority would be training, so after quietly sneaking out of his room and out the front door of the inn, Alaric continued his usual routine of sword swings, push ups, and other exercises. The man decided to end the day with running ten laps around the area surrounding the Allul inn and after he had set a pace for himself in his mind, he bolted off into the distance.

The ten laps were finished slightly behind schedule as the man's pace had slowed during the final two. "Not good enough," he thought to himself. "This routine isn't simply about maintaining my strength; it's about pushing my limits so I can become stronger. Ten more laps, at a slightly faster pace than I originally went!"

Of course, after giving it his all the the first time around, expecting himself to do it again, but faster, only seconds after his first race was an unrealistic goal. The pace was kept for the first two laps, but as soon as the third lap had reared its head, Alaric had hit a rock. Without even making it past the inn's front door, he bent over, rested his hands on his knees, and gasped for air. His sides were aching.

"Damn it, why couldn't I keep up?" he asked himself as if he didn't already know the answer. "I have to be able to pull this off if I want to be a real hero. I wasn't given a lightning-charged sword, or a fire-spitting jug, an earth-bending trowel, or a wind-slicing fan... just this shield. I can stand still and take a hit, yeah, all this talk coming from a guy who just knows how to get beaten down." Regaining his composure did little to remove the thoughts of doubt from his mind. After picking himself back up, Alaric noticed his shield sitting outside the front of the inn. "I hate my artifact - this is why I train as often as I can. If I don't build up a stronger body, I won't be able to fight. I can't swing a sword like Faustino can, and my shield just waits to take blows unlike everyone else. They can actually fight."

"Oh, right, we can't forget the special power that this mirror has going for it. By looking right at you, I can see a reflection of how pathetic I really am inside! No matter what facade I try to pull, every time I look at you, I end up seeing what I hate the most." He clicked his tongue, and his volume continued to crescendo. "Tch, this power will surely help the next time a snake or a ghost comes after us. It's not like I like can just plow through them like I tried to do with that door back in Alincia's mansion."

"...I'm tired, I'm hungry, and I need a bath," the man sighed.

A moment in the washing room followed by a dip in the hot springs followed. "I got too heated back there," Alaric thought to himself as his joints loosened under the warmth of the springs. "I hope no one ended up hearing my rant, especially since I was practically shouting at the front door of the inn." His stomach growled. "Right, I still haven't eaten yet, so I guess that'll be the first thing I'll do after getting out of here... I'd like to enjoy this spring for a bit longer though."

Alaric's body continued to sink under the water, and his thoughts began to drift.

[Captain Panda]

Ames decided to leave the Hot Springs as well, right after Faustino sprung off. He had to give the Hot Springs credit, He felt completely revitalised. He dried himself, and put back on some of his clothes, but left the robe behind as he didn't want to get dirty again, he really will need to wash that damn thing. Going upstairs, he quietly started to enter the room he was in the night before, but realised that it wasn't fully crowded, just Selene and Maya. Did the get other rooms sorted? Why didn't anyone tell me? he closed the door again, and peeked into other rooms, until finding one that had a lump that was definitely Alaric. He entered the room, found a bed, and slept.

He woke up to the pattering of feet and shouting from outside. Groggily, Ames pulled himself up, and went over to the window. Alaric was running. Blimey, he's not messing around. Maybe I should give him more credit. He then overheard some muttering, it was pretty faint, but if he could hear through a wall, he could damn well hear through a window. Really? Because you have a magical shield? I take that back. He wondered back downstairs, and found Faustino and Selene, as well as the Innkeeper face flat on the counter. "... Is she alright?"

Selene had remained motionless for at least a few minutes by now. Everything felt at peace, and nothing was happening. As familiar and nostalgic of a feeling this was, it was something Selene had already gotten enough of.

Now would be a good time for Riselle to run in with something "interesting". Whatever she decided to call interesting, anyways. Of course, that while she didn't completely know Riselle that well, it seemed to Selene that that range of "interesting" would be unfortunately wide.

Then again, a lot of things interested Selene as well, so maybe...

"Huh?"

It felt as if Faustino and Ames suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the room, and Selene only realized it when Faustino said something. Generally speaking, her reactions to things tended to be on the slow side, although she always found that hard to gauge.

"Oh, good morning. I'm fine," she answered, returning a smile. In response to Ames, she only repeated herself. "Yes, I'm fine..."

Ah, except he was talking about the innkeeper over there, wasn't he? Emi's light snoring had blended into the background earlier, and it was strangely soothing, so it was easy to forget about her momentarily. At least, it was for Selene.

"She's fine too," she quickly corrected herself, as it were. "She was like this the other mornings as well."

Come to think of it, until she'd noticed the presence of the other two, the morning had played out exactly the same as most of the previous ones. It was strange how calm and unhurried everything seemed in the inn. With the fire, Selene would have expected more people at an inn, but one way or another, the Allul Inn was incredibly relaxed.

Selene hadn’t ever actually seen Yukino or any other guests until yesterday, actually. The place seemed like an easy one to enter and leave at almost any time.

Speaking of which.


Yukino came into the room, dressed in the same way as she had been yesterday. That is to say, in her shrine maiden outfit, not a towel. Or anything less.

The white and dark blue colors on her clothes seemed cold, but the thick cloth of the dress certainly looked warm.The weather outside was rather cold, actually, so Selene found herself a bit envious, even if she was used to this kind of weather. Other than that, the outfit merely looked fun to wear.

Yukino had a sleepy look on her face, one that she dispelled as soon as she saw the others. “Good morning, everyone.”

Whatever had randomly caused her earlier pointless fixation, Selene wasn’t distracted enough this time to forget her response.

“Good morning.” And for good measure, since she forgot earlier, “Good morning, Mr. Allen.”

Nothing to worry about now.

“Do any of you have plans today?” Yukino sat herself down near Selene, brushing her hair.

“No,” Selene said automatically. There was no need to go back and think it over, since it was the truth. “Why?”

“Oh, I was just asking. Suddenly I feel a bit stumped over everything.” It was quite clear what manner of everything it was that Yukino was talking about. “I thought I’d go out to see Eva later, but I’m still a bit tired.”

Selene thought about coming along, but she didn’t want to say without being asked first. More importantly, she thought that maybe some tea would be good now, for breakfast. It also was a good lunch and dinner, after all.

Well, that was two days out of two Maya had been woken up when Selene had nearly tripped over her. Maybe she needed a new roommate. Of course, there weren't really that many options, now that she thought about it. It might be weird to ask Yukino if she could room with her, and the idea of sleeping in a room with the men was... probably weirder. So, maybe not.

Sitting up, she ran a hand over her face. She'd kind of wanted to sleep in a little later, but that plan seemed to have gone down the drain. No use complaining about it now, though. Feeling under her pillow, her fingers touched cold metal, and she withdrew the Gauntlets from where she had left them. She wasn't entirely sure why she'd decided to sleep with her Artifact under her pillow, except that it had seemed like a good idea at the time (although an embarrassingly silly one in hindsight). Shaking her head a little at her own foolishness, she reluctantly cast off her sheets and stood up. Now, what to do today...

Spying her bow leaning against the wall, Maya was painfully reminded of the fact that she hadn't practised with it for a few days in a row (excluding the encounter in the shrine, but one couldn't exactly wait around and hope that giant snakes would turn up for target practice). Her teacher's face swam in her mind, and she winced. At this rate, she would be getting terribly rusty - and what if their little group ran into some kind of monster again? No, she decided, something had to be done. Surely there was a dojo or something similar in the city where she would be able to train. She might as well make that her destination, then.

She ran through the now-familiar ritual of checking that she had everything she needed at her belt, tapping each of her possessions as she ran through a mental list. A dagger at each hip, a worryingly empty wallet, and the Gauntlets. Stepping over to her pack, she pulled on a clean pair of socks and her shoes, tucking a third dagger into place in her right boot. Then she slung her quiver over one shoulder and her bow over the other, and headed downstairs.

Nodding a brief greeting to Selene, Faustino, Ames and Yukino, she made her way over to the dozing Emi, clearing her throat as politely as she could manage. "Excuse me?"

[Captain Panda]

After hearing Selene's reply, he gave Emi a strange look (not that she'd notice), and said "Hi." back to her. He then remembered something. Faustino wanted to see one of the scrolls, so on his way to bed, he made sure to grab one. He pulled it from his pocked, and opened it up. He had a quick scan through, but the most interesting part of the scroll was right at the bottom;

... and so the masses followed the Land Shifter to a promised land. At the end of the journey, they came to a mountain, rich and full of life, but surrounded by a desolate plain. The Land Shifter seemed content with the mountain, and had planned on making that our new home. The masses did not like the fact that beyond the mountain, it was bare and empty. “Why do we have to live here?” They said. “The lands south of here are much more fertile, we cannot grow our crops on this barren land, nor can we on this mountain." The Land Shifter replied, “This is where fate has taken us, we cannot simply reject it!” And then one of his disciples, the Rock, said to him; “Why do you not move the mountain itself? That way, we will have both fertile lands and the mountain.” So the Land Shfter said, “Rocky, that is a brilliant idea. I shall do just that.” And so, wielding the Trowel of Rending Earth, he raised the mountain from the ground, and followed the masses to the fertile lands, where he then laid to rest the Mountain, happy that the masses were no longer whining. He claimed the mountain to have his name, and then climbed up it, where he would spend most of his days for the rest of his life.

Ames didn't quite know if it was actually what happened, for all he knew, it could have been some whimsical story caused by chewing some strange plant or two. Either way, it was something. "Here," He said to Faustino, giving the scroll to him. "I think I should wash my clothes; They're in a worse state than I was." And with that, he went back to the washing room.

He took off his clothes, and started washing them. The regular clothes were managable, but the robe was a nightmare. He kept on scrubbing and scrubbing, and was barely just able to get the mud off. Having them dry would take ages, so he decided to wait in the washing room, thinking about the scroll. It was sort of like a religious passage, but the style of writing made him think that someone had tried to to write it in a prophetic way, but had occasionally written things a bit casually. what bugged him the most was the name of the Trowel. I mean that's like the 8th name I've heard for it. It's not consistent at all! He checked the clothes, Still not dry, ugh. I wonder... He looked into the Hot Springs, and realised that Alaric was there. Ames grabbed a towel, He was curious to ask something, and Alaric being who he is, wouldn't appreciate seeing him naked. He wrapped the towel around his waist and entered the Hot Springs room. He sat on a rock, and dipped his feet into the water.

"So," He said, hopefully getting Alaric's attention. "How'd you get it? The shield, I mean."

[Ark]

"What the hell is he doing in here? We're both guys!" Alaric yelled inside his head. "The only thing separating the two of us is a towel, and if that comes off, then I don't know! I mean, I like women, but what if... what if I catch it?" Alaric quickly motioned to the other end of the hot springs, but not before yelling, "I'm sorry, Ames, but I like women!"

Alaric was stunned for a moment, but a deep breath (along with placing some distance between the two) allowed him to come back to his senses. "Sorry man, I've been working myself too hard today. Anyway, you wanted to know where I got this shield?" he replied while looking at the Mirror of Veracity. "Well, it's not really a long or interesting story at all. My father was a spiritual leader back in Sotori, but I decided that the quiet life in some isolated city wasn't the life for me. Ames, I was made for bigger and better things, so I took the artifact and began my journey to become Tensen's greatest adventurer."

A slight shiver ran up Alaric's spine, not because remembering the past was a problem for him, but because he was still bathing in a hot spring with another man. After clearing his throat, he continued. "I guess that doesn't explain much about my shield though. Anyway, it was a family treasure, and I was always told of its hidden powers. My family never owned any weapons or useful adventuring gear, but it was really the closest thing I had to something actually useful. I guess you could say that I stole it, but you see, I was to inherit it anyway, so it's not really stealing. That being said, I wish we had a sword or something more heroic instead."

This meeting was more than enough for Alaric. He'd have to leave before anything between them could happen, but unfortunately, in his escape to the other end of the springs, he had forgotten his towel by Ames. Going back to grab it could lead dire consequences, so for now, he'd have to stay put.

"Why me?" he thought to himself.

[Captain Panda]

Ames burst out laughing when Alaric stated he liked women. After listening to his story, he rolled his eyes. "You didn't exactly obtain it in the most noble of ways, huh?" He looked into Alaric's panicked eyes, and said in a serious tone, "I'm not a homosexual, stop being ridiculous. I know you're the kind of person who would jump to that conclusion. Besides, it's the men's springs, whaddya expect, men not naked? What if there was a stranger in here, what'd you do then?"

Ames sighed. "What I'm trying to say is that you're trying to be someone you're not, and you really, REALLY need to keep your vanity in check. You're prancing around like you're some sort of dashing hero who will sweep women off their feet. You're oh so corageous, yet you're afraid of sharing some water with another guy? I think you need to get off your high horse and face reality. You ran away from home. Join the club. But you went thinking the world is your oyster. Trust me, it ain't. You need all the help you can get. That includes," He nodded to the mirror. "Your artifact. Have you tried interacting with it at all? In a friendly manner, even?"

[Ark]

"Ames, I don't need anyone telling me how I'm supposed to live, least of all you. No offense, but I'm happy with who I am, even if I'm not exactly where I want to be in life," Alaric calmly replied. Oddly enough, Alaric had actually managed to convince himself into believing this. When the subject of talking to his artifact became the focus of the conversation, a quick glance at the Mirror of Veracity had broken the ruse he used to lie to himself, just like it always has. The artifact revealed to Alaric everything Ames had just told him.

"I don't talk to it because it's a shield. I'm sure all of you have made good friends with your weapons, but this mirror doesn't do much other than get hit. If it could talk to me, then I'd be chatting up a storm, but it can't, and I guess that's a shame."

Speaking to the Mirror of Veracity was something that Alaric couldn't ever remember doing. Well, he had obviously yelled at it before, but what did Ames mean by "interacting"? Was it supposed to respond back? Whatever, this would have to be something for him to do later when he isn't as frustrated. Instead, Alaric sunk deeper into the springs and his thoughts drifted to how he didn't even have breakfast yet.

"Ugh, I just want to get out of here and get some food."

Emi loudly placed her hands on the desk almost as soon as Maya said something, and after a short moment of stillness suddenly pushed herself upright, her head bobbing back momentarily. Her disheveled hair wasn’t in a ponytail as it had been before, so she quickly brushed a few hairs aside from her half-open eyes.

“I wasn’t sleeping,” she declared immediately. She sounded surprisingly convincing, but it likely had more to do with the fact that she was trying to be as awake as possible. Or at least appear as such. “Good morning, do you need something? Maya, right? You don’t mind if I call you that, do you?”

She vigorously shook her head a bit, tossing her hair around and more or less putting it better into place. She smiled and tried to sit upright, but even after all that she couldn’t resist a short yawn.

[Elfice]

"Well that's good to hear," he said to Selene. Then, Ames placed one of the scrolls in Faustino's hand, causing his face to light up. "Excuse me," he said to Selene, opening the scroll and tuning her and the other woman out completely.

Fascinating...these scrolls make it very clear that Artifacts weaken over time, just like the use of magic has! he thought. Or...perhaps they haven't weakened, and only react as much as we allow them to...after all, I've always had to place the Emerald Lightning Rod outside when it rains because the lightning is attracted to it. Perhaps the other Artifacts have similar reactions to nature. This is definitely worth looking into some more! And the sooner the better!"

Faustino raced to the springs, and heard Alaric and Ames conversing about Alaric's shield. He stowed the scroll deep inside his bag, knowing that steam would not be good for the old paper, and cautiously entered the room. "Sorry to barge in," he said, "but I overheard the two of you talking about Alaric's shield, and I'd like to join in the conversation, if possible." Faustino peered around the first screen and saw that both men were in opposite sides of the spring, so Faustino fully entered the room. He sat down in one of the chairs next to the spring.

"Alaric, you say that your Artifact doesn't talk to you. What makes you think that?" he said. As he spoke, he looked into the Mirror and saw himself surrounded by questions, reflecting his curious nature and thirst for knowledge. "I mean, it clearly reacted in some way while we were battling that snake-like creature. If that isn't the Mirror trying to communicate with you, then everything that my grandfather and I have found is completely false, despite the countless cases to the contrary."

"At the risk of offending you, have you considered that you don't want to listen? I heard you say that you wished your Artifact was a blade. And a shield does more than get hit: it protects you and foils your enemy. Have you stopped to consider that? It's like what's happening with Maya: the two of you lack deep connections with your Artifacts, though for completely different reasons. Her reasons aren't as selfish. By the sound of things, you just want an Artifact for fame, but this Mirror was all you had. You can tap into its powers, so you're obviously meant to use it, but for what reasons?"

He then turned to Ames. "I don't suppose you have more scrolls? The one you gave me was very informative, and if you have others, that'd be wonderful!"

[Captain Panda]

Edit: Ninja'd. Rewritten post.

Ames was ready to go off on one when Faustino joined in. This was when things get messy. "Scrolls? Yeah, sure. Wait, stealing gloves to spite her mother isn't selfish?" Ames started to get angry, but he tried to control his temper, for Faustino's sake. "Dammit Alaric, you can't just talk to what may be an inanimate object. You need to empathise! Just think, if you were a shield, what would you do? What could you do? At least give it some respect."

Ames stood up, and walked over to the shield. He picked it up, and looked straight into it. He looked pissed off. He twisted it around so that he could see the reflections of the others. Faustino, so curious. So, so curious. At least it was nothing like the intensity of arrogance that he could see from Alaric. Ames just settled into a grump, and said "I just don't know what to say, except stop treating it like a tool. It's saved your back, treat it like it's your friend." and with that, he gently placed the shield down, and left the springs.

Going back into the washroom, he felt his clothes. Finally, about time. He put them on, excluding the robe, which he slung over his shoulder. He grabbed the trowel, which he must have forgotten. whoops. Ames then went to walk back into the main tavern area, and sat down at a table near/where the others were. Presumably, Faustino was still in the springs with Alaric, but he didn't care that much anymore. He was now focused on the fact that he needed to eat.

[Elfice]

"Well, that's how she got them in her possession, but what's inhibiting her ability to connect with them is that they are a constant reminder of her old life, a life she hated so much that she ran away without hesitation. It's not easy to overcome an obstacle like that...those sorts of things leave behind scars that may never heal." He thought about his own Artifact and how it was a reminder that everyone he loved was taken from him and how there was nothing that could be done to change that. But it's more than that...it's also a memento of them...and that they'll always be with me...without that knowledge, there's no way I'd be able to wield this sword.

"So tell me, Alaric," he said as Ames left. "Do you really think so little of your Artifact that you won't try to connect with it?"

"Good morning." Yeah, sure you weren't asleep. Maya found that more than a little hard to believe. "And I don't mind if you call me that, no. In fact, I'd probably prefer it. Formality... isn't really my strong suit." And wasn't that the underestimation of the week. "But yes, I was after something in particular. Would you happen to know if there's a dojo or something similar nearby? Preferably one where I can practice my archery. I’ve been getting kind of rusty lately.”

Her stomach rumbled, and she was acutely reminded of the fact that she hadn’t actually eaten anything for a while. “Oh... and would it be possible to get us some breakfast, too?”

[Ark]

"Okay Faustino, I'll try and bond with my artifact, but only because it seems to mean so much to you. Heh, I'm honestly not quite sure how I'm supposed to do this, but hey, the sooner I can figure this out, the sooner I'll be able to, well, become better. Not just as a fighter, but as a person." After putting on his towel, he grabbed the Mirror of Veracity and took a deep breath. He held the shield close, shut his eyes, and after a few moments of silence, he came back to his senses with a shock.

"Faustino, I think I might have something here," he said in a soft voice. "My artifact told me that... well, he..." It appeared to be too hard for Alaric to continue on with his thought, but after another short moment, he found himself able to complete it. "He hates it when men interrupt him when he's trying to get some private time to himself. I'm sure he wouldn't be complaining if a woman had interrupted him when he was trying to get some bathing time to himself, but nope, instead he got you and Ames. Oh, and Ames mentioned something about me having to empathize with my artifact? Well hey, this is something that I can empathize with!"

He laughed to himself and made his way to the washroom. "Hey Faustino, I think I'll be grabbing myself something to eat in a bit, but first I gotta put on my clothes. Don't you try to sneak a peek, haha."

[Elfice]

Faustino rolled his eyes. "Whatever Alaric, you're only hurting yourself. And don't flatter yourself, I'd rather get my eyes gouged out."

He stood to leave the washroom and turned to add one last thing. "But take something into consideration...think about how heralded you'd be if you helped discover the secrets of the enigmatic Artifacts. Why, women everywhere would throw themselves at your feet."

He returned to the lobby where others were waiting for breakfast, and Faustino realized how hungry he was. "Where would one get some food?" he asked Ames and Selene. Across the lobby, he saw that Maya was up at the front desk. "Hey, Maya!" he called, waving.

[Captain Panda]

Well, there's Faustino, I'm guessing it didn't end too well. Ames looked up to see him waving at Maya. "She wants to go to a dojo to practice shooting things. As well as getting some breakfast. You know," Ames said as he stood up. "I think I might go to the dojo too. I have a feeling with times to come, I may need to brush up on some skills, too." He scrambled into his coat pocket, it was a bit more difficult since it was off, but he managed to find something. He had bought some money, it would be stupid not to. He reckoned he might as well get a staff of his own, him being a 'monk', and already proven to be quite adept at using one to beat a ghost up.

He walked up to the counter, next to Maya, and asked Emi; "Is it possible you know where I can get a staff? I would like one for reasons." He gave a weak smile to Maya, no doubt she'd remember him as the chicken that hid from the snake. At least she knows who I am. Maybe not for the right reasons. At least this'll give him a chance to make friends, maybe even bond? Who knows. Certainly not Ames.

[Elfice]

"Hmm...that does sound like a good idea," Faustino replied. He glanced over at Selene, who was still sitting on the couch, looking rather distant. Not wanting to leave her alone or in the dark, he extended his hand to her. "The three of us plan on going to a dojo. Would you care to join us?" he asked. "But we'll definitely need to get some food first...no point in training on an empty stomach!"

He thought back to the fight with the snake. While he had been able to charge Maya's arrow, the electricity that had been stored up inside was minuscule. That'd be worth improving...as would learning to use the Lightning Rod with one hand. Though forty inch swords were mainly two-handed, that was primarily due to the weight of the steel. The emerald of the Emerald Lightning Rod was lighter than steel (though thankfully this didn't make it more fragile), but Faustino would need to practice using it with one hand. He grimaced at the first person who came to mind when it came to using a blade with a shield: Alaric. But...he definitely knows how to fight with a sword and shield, and I don't want this shield to be a waste of money. He could carry it with one hand without problems, but adjusting to the balance of his sword in one hand would take some work.

[Ark]

Faustino's last comment about the Artifacts only made Alaric laugh more. "So I'll be picking up women just by knowing more about these things? Ha, I'm pretty sure that I know what women want more than he does, and knowledge of Artifacts doesn't seem like the kind of thing most women look for in a guy."

It didn't take long for the man to get changed at all. He quickly regrouped with the others, but the thought of training even more wasn't what he was waiting for. "Ugh, I just want to get something to eat," he mumbled to himself. "I've been up for who knows how long trying to get my body into shape, and I still haven't eaten yet. Oh well, I'm feeling much better after the springs, and once I get something in my stomach, I'm sure I'll be able to keep up with whatever pace the rest of them have going on. Of course, I hope these guys don't spend too long training, because while this inn is pretty amazing, I'd rather see what else is out there. It's cloudy, but at least isn't raining like it was last night."

[Elfice]

Alaric entered the room, and Faustino knew it would be easier to get it over with and go ahead and ask him. Swallowing his pride, Faustino gave Selene a "one moment" sign, and walked over to Alaric. "I have a question for you..." he mumbled. He cleared his throat and proceeded, making sure to speak up. "As you might have noticed in the battle against the snake, I'm used to using my Artifact with two hands. But I bought this shield upon arriving in town, and I'd really like to make sure it wasn't a waste of my money. You obviously have some knowledge of fighting with a sword and shield...would it be too much to ask for a few pointers? If you're going to the dojo, that is."

[PokeMarioGuy]

Jack woke up rather late, slowly making his way off the bed. It was not like he was tired. In fact he was rather well rested. Sleeping in on an actual bed sort of does that for a person. Before heading out of the room, Jack went ahead and did some stretches. Toe touches, quad stretches, the works. To be perfectly honest he actually felt pretty good this morning. He simply had to forget about what he was thinking last night. Well forget might not be accurate, more like block out.

Done with his stretches, Jack made his way for the lobby, and lo and behold everybody seemed to be gathered together. He could have sworn food had been mentioned, so as apposed to a friendly morning greeting, he asked,"We get food yet?"

[Ark]

Alaric, just say no to him. That's all you gotta do, and then he'll be out of your hair for the rest of the day.

"Of course, I'd love to help you get better," he replied with a smile. "My swordsmanship has grown quite a bit during my travels, and learning to accommodate the Mirror of Veracity, a rather large and unwieldy shield on its own, was definitely a challenge since I didn't have anyone to turn to. I wouldn't want you to go through all of the troubles that come with learning all on your own. Just point the way to the dojo, and I'll be there."

That is not how you're supposed to say "hell no", Alaric. The man couldn't stop mentally banging his head against a wall. Why couldn't he just say no and be done with it? Well, it seemed like he had already crossed the point of no return, so he might as well go along with it.

Someone save me...

“A dojo, huh…? Uh, let me think.” Emi’s head lowered clser to her shoulders, and she looked a few inches to the right, and then suddenly to the left. Other than that, she seemed to be taking her time thinking, until she said, “I’m not really sure. Maybe there’s one at the shrine district… Wait, actually, I think there might be one somewhere around that big central square. There’s something like a dojo there.”

“I think.”

She didn’t bother turning her head as she answered Ames, instead yawning and shaking herself again. “Uh, a staff? Maybe you can get one over there while in that area, I don’t know. I mean, there’s a ton of junk there. Usually.”

Her eyes flicked further open for just a second. “Hey, you could take an umbrella from the storage room if you want. Does that work? No skin off my back, most of those are from people who left them here…”

“Oh, and, I guess I’ll go get food.”Without warning she suddenly tossed herself back, fixing her posture and tilting the chair she was on slightly, but fortunately not falling over. Without saying anything more she stepped out of the counter and quickly left the room. She’d spend a few minutes in the kitchen, trying to gather as many things as she could onto a single tray.


Meanwhile, just as Selene began to respond to Faustino, she was signaled to wait. Apparently. Did that just now mean wait?

Or did it mean something else?

The thought was enough to make her stop, regardless.

Going to a dojo, apparently. That was exciting, too – she’d never been there before. Of course, she’d rather see something like a ballroom. Certainly Lucia’s house would have such a place, right? If she went to a dojo, chances are all she’d do was dance.

And looking at some of the others, hopefully nobody was planning to use anything… flashy. Even Selene felt that the Mist Dragon Tessen should be kept to some degree of secrecy, since it was… simply put, odd. Not the kind of odd she was looking for, either.

How on earth did she make that blade earlier, anyways? She was tempted to pull the fan out and give it a try right then, but managed to resist herself.

Selene did want to go out, no question about it, though. After breakfast, of course, and as soon as she finished with that particular thought, Emi came conveniently enough with a tray full of food.

Of course, it was a rather small tray of food for all the people present, but maybe it could work. There certainly seemed to be a surplus of tea, anyways – eight cups.

But actually, looking at it now, three of them seemed to just have hot water inside. Selene, who happened to be sitting in front of the usual table Emi dropped things on, was quick to take a cup of actual tea for herself. The rest of the tray had a plate with some bread on it, none of it particularly warm. It wasn’t so extravagant, but having something simple was nice, too.

Oh, but no cookies…?

Selene took a random piece of bread, and it appeared there was at least one for everyone, ideally. Yukino only took a cup of water and the smallest piece of bread.

“I hope you all get what you need now,” she said simply. “Me, I think I’ll be leaving for the shrine now.” Yukino got up and went back to her room to fetch something.

But wasn’t that right? Selene had considered going along to the shrine. But now she could also go to a dojo. Or she’d get lost somewhere else. Either that, or stay at the inn. Lots of decisions. Her current decision, of course, was to eat the bread. The food wasn’t very exceptional in any way, so perhaps that made it exceptional.

Maya nodded a hello to Faustino, who had already moved on from greeting her, and raised a curious eyebrow at Ames when he addressed her, but said nothing. The innkeeper took a little while to answer her question, but her explanation was good enough. Hopefully between the six (or however many of the little group were coming) of them, they had a suitably non-terrible sense of direction to get to the central square; surely it shouldn't be too hard to find it from there. "Thank you," she said to Emi, and then stepped over to the tray sitting on the table. Swiping one of the cups of tea - hot water wasn't exactly her idea of a delicious breakfast - and a piece of bread, she perched delicately on the edge of the bench and began to eat.

"So are any of you coming to the dojo with me?"

[Elfice]

Faustino also grabbed one of the cups of tea and a slice of bread. "I think most, if not all, of us are going...though I can't exactly speak for Jack," he said, casting him a wary glance. Food and cup in hand, he sat down across from Selene to resume their conversation. "Sorry about that, I just had to ask Alaric a quick question. But as I was saying, would you care to join us at the dojo? I think all of us could greatly benefit from practicing fighting together. We'd be able to learn each other's fighting styles and compliment each other in battle..."

His thoughts drifted to her mysterious Artifact, the fan that seemed to emit an ethereal blade. "And...if you don't mind me asking, what do you know about your Artifact?" he asked, leaning in slightly. "Yours is the first I've heard of that isn't a weapon or piece of armor at first glance, although I suppose Ames' Artifact might fall into that category, too."

[Captain Panda]

Ames looked at Faustino in a disapproving manner. "I'm sorry, but anything can be used as a weapon." He grabbed a chunk of bread, and took a bite. "I reameambar oanche tha a baekar onche beack a pheaf wif a burt loff of buead." He swallowed, and continued. "If anything, this would be used for terraforming, which makes sense since it is a gardening tool. And using this in battle is all very good, but it's much too destructive, especially in cities. Which is why I want a staff, so I'm less responsible for collateral damage."

"Anyways, I'd like to visit a dojo to see if I can practise something. Alternatively, we can escort Yukino back to her shrine, and knowing our luck, we might just get some practice on the way." I did just say I wanted to go to the dojo, don't pretend you didn't hear me.