Finding the Academy (Triton/ open) [Outskirts of Cabal]

[Gene Sarda]

After not sleeping for days, Gene was exhausted. She was almost to Cabal Academy, but it felt so far away. She couldn't see any buildings in the distance, any marker that she was still on the right path. Just trusting the map she stole from her grandmother was updated enough to get her to where she needed to be. 

Olive was sleepy, and so was Gene. Concern about what the forest was hiding kept her awake at night, so she often just continued walking. Food supplies were running low because the trip was somehow taking longer than she estimated. The mossy floor under the trees made it easy to keep on, but Gene's energy levels were dropping fast.

After another mile or so, the two arrived at a lake. It was secluded, quiet, and for some reason felt safe.

"I think we can camp out here Olive, what do you think?" Gene's kitten companion was asleep in Gene's arms, purring away in her sleep. 

Sleepily stomping over to some trees planted close together, Gene made a tent out of vines to provide cover should it start raining in the night or should a creature curiously run over. 

Slowly drifting into sleep, Gene was thinking about Cabal, the Academy, if she would finally gain some close friends or at least companions, if someone would like to train her in more skills than the tutor could. 

Drifting off to sleep.... drifting... drifting....... SNAP

Gene, half asleep, shot up into a sitting position. Something was out there, and it was definitely larger than her. 

[Triton Augustus]

The night sent forth not a sound, spare that of the crickets' call. Many were the days since Triton had swam beneath the silver light of the moon. How he longed for the dark waters!

Out from the shadowed wood, Triton stepped forth, and before him was a glorious sight! The water of the lake he beheld mirrored the moon's visage, giving brethren to the ghostly figure! The shore around the water's body had about it an eery glow of gray; though it inspired not fear, but intrigue and slumberous intrigue.

When one comes upon a time where he has found himself far from the light and voice of man, at a time of night where a slumber is upon many, freedom of speech comes upon such a one, and this freedom fell upon Triton at this very hour.

"PRAISE BE TO POSEIDON FOR THE SIGHT WHICH MY EYES HAVE BEEN GRANTED!!!" his voice declared with blusterous might.

[Gene Sarda]

Gene jumped she heard the words "PRAISE BE TO POSEIDON FOR THE SIGHT WHICH MY EYES HAVE BEEN GRANTED!", and out of instinct shot a vine in attempt to ensnare whoever was out there.

"Whoever's out there... you..you better stay away! I'll uh... I'll hurt you!!"




[qi uses 1/7 WHIP LASH: Gene can summon and control vines however she chooses]

[Drake]

Drake was on his way out of Cabal and heading back to Lightning when he heard a man shout something about Poseidon and a girl screaming at said man to stay away. Drake would turn and read their auras. One was a radiant Blue of the Ocean, and the other a Vibrant Green of the earth. Both appeared good in nature. Drake sighed and rolled his eyes. Every part of his being wanted to just leave...

"Dammit..."

Drake would approached the loud duo.

"Yo! Who goes there!"

The one armed lad called out.

[Triton Augustus]

Knowing not what had taken place before him, Triton found himself suspended from a tree and bound by a strange vine that was swiftly filled with life. The islander writhed to seek escape, shouting, "What...is this-"

He hushed as a small voice gave utterance, that of a girl.

Then another came from the wood beside him, that of a young man.

"Poseidon help me..." he uttered to himself.

"Harm shall not come to you by my hand, madam! I assure you. I now kindly request that I may be let down from these plants, for it would bring me gladness," he requested, kindly.

[Gene Sarda]

There was another man. Her vines had captured one of them, but the other... But he seemed nice, right? He said please, although his choice of vocabulary was...a bit odd..

Gene rolled out of her tent, quickly scanning her surroundings. The first man was hanging from a tree to her right, a new, strange man was standing to her left.

Within a matter of seconds, Gene was exposed to both, right and left hands outstretched in case self defense was needed.

"Fish man!" Gene said, head flipping back left, right, left, right, not wanting to take her eyes off of either stranger. "I will let you go.... On one condition. You have to tell me who sent you and why. And you!" Gene's head snapped to the man to her left, the one who was completely free and unbound. "Who are you? Are you here because someone sent you after me?"

[Drake]

Drake stopped in his steps once he saw the girl start waving her hand at him. And seeing that the large blue man was suspended in the air by vines... well, she might not be that formidable, but she very well could be hiding her true strength. For now, let's take this easy.

"Listen. I don't know who you are, or why you would think anyone is after you... but I assure you that I, for one, am not after you. I can't, and won't, speak for the blue one. But if he is bothering you. I can remove him from the premises should you wish it."

[Triton Augustus]

Triton ceased his effort, knowing that his escape would bring great fear to the girl.

The other man that he now saw was a curious sight, for he had but one arm. Could it have been from war?

"No mortal has sent me, I assure you," he began, the vine turning his body without haste. "I have merely come to admire the water and its embrace before the light of the moon."

Should his body have faced away from his audience by the mercy of the vine that held him, his voice would increase that they may hear it.

[Gene Sarda]

"Oh uh.. no thank you mister.. dude... what's your name? anyways, I'm sorry fish man. I guess y'all aren't a threa- I mean I guess I can show mercy, neither of y'all look like you'd be from my homeland anyways."

Gene gently waved her hand towards the man hanging in the air, and the vines slowly lowered him to the ground. Only he was hanging by his feet, so once his head was close to the ground the vines just vanished and he fell the rest of the distance. Gene winced, and said,

"Oh- oh I'm so sorry! I didnt know how to- like..... anyways I guess it's fine."

Gene uncomfortably smoothed out her clothes and shifted her feet, casting glances towards both men. 

"My name is Genevieve Sarda. I left my grandmother's house in Aedria and I am on my way to Cabal Academy. You are?" The girl asked, an eyebrow raised as she looked back and forth between the one armed man and the fish man. 

[Drake]

Drake would place his hand on his hip.

"Drake Sudeki of the House of Thane in Lightning Country. Son of the Blood Dragon, Heir to the Crimson Throne."

Oh shit... is this what it sounded like to be formal?! He sounded badass! Though, he still couldn't imagine having to introduce himself with a shit ton of titles like the Earth Dragon had... damn...

"I was on my way back to Lightning Country when I heard you two. I came to investigate the noise and make sure all was alright."

[Triton Augustus]

"Mm!" the impact inspired the painful grunt. The lady felt sorry, however, so no need was had for anger.

As the man took his stand, he assured "It is alright, my lady. You meant no harm."

Triton allowed the other man to speak, before speaking himself, "And I am Triton Augustus, Son of Poseidon, Protector of the Seas and the Sword and Shield of the Mainlanders."

[Gene Sarda]

"Oh well.. It's very nice to meet both of you. I suppose since I'm very much wide awake right now I'll just..make a fire and keep warm." Gene moved into a small clearing and gently touched the ground in three areas, making a triangle of sorts. Vines sprout up from the ground, twisting, intertwining, supporting each other, growing outwards, until forming an armchair. 

Taking a seat on one of the stumps, Gene began to collect twigs laying on the forest floor and tossing them in a pile in the middle of the triangle. Motioning towards the other chairs, Gene hopes that they are gathering her implication. 

Why. Am. I . So. Damn. Awkward. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME. Internally, all of these things Gene was screaming at herself. Don't let them see it. Don't let them see it. They don't need to know what you're capable of, and they definitely don't need to know what you're NOT capable of. 

[Drake]

Drake looked at the chairs she had set up and then back out at the road he had been traveling... he really shouldn't linger. He didn't think delaying himself further would piss Bastion off... but he also didn't want to risk it... after a moments deliberation Drake made his way to one of the chairs and sat. A few minutes to welcome someone new couldn't hurt, right?

"So, what brings you out here from... Aedria did you say? I've heard very little about them. That is to say, at best I know they are Zekunfts counter to Ayatlan here in Cabal."

[Gene Sarda]

“Well... you see...” Gene started. Then she caught herself. “You don’t seem like the type for sob stories, so I’ll just give the facts. My parents died and I was sent to live with my grandmother in the mainland. She’s a shriveled up old lady who can pick apart even the most perfect of saints.. like my parents. I decided to dedicate my life to using my magic to make medicine for helping others, as my mother did. I left Aedria to travel to Cabal because if there’s anywhere I can find someone to teach me, it’s there. Also, I admire them. For the whole, accords stuff. My parents didn’t speak of it much, probably because they were jealous. But the one thing I got from what I heard is peace. And peace is exactly what I’m looking for right now.” Pausing, Gene took a deep breath.

“I’ve been trading my medicine for food, supplies, a place to sleep, and things like that until I get here. I’ve also been growing plants for Olive to eat. She’s a cat that I rescued soon after my journey,” was the last part of her story she cared to admit. It would not do her good to mention the men who tried to take her captive, the ones she almost killed on accident. Or the lady who scammed her out of medicine, but Gene found out she really had nothing to offer in return. Or the knights that thought she would be a nice prize for someone’s fathers cousins son, and also almost died. All those stories would do is put herself in a light that was not strong, powerful, and dangerous. She needed these men to think that if they attacked her, she could hold her own.

“And what about you? Why are you traveling alone in the night?”

[Triton Augustus]

"Ah!" proclaimed the islander! "A fire! I am well acquainted. Many of these did I make on my journeys abounding. Allow me to aid you!"

Upon his declaration, Triton gathered plentiful wood, from twig to log, and every branch betwixt.

Come the end of the lady's query, to his knees was the wooden mound Triton had gathered, yet his quest for more remained boundless.