Summer Solstice Festival

[Aura Adnarim]

Aura decided to look around to make sure that there was no one that was close enough to see her because she was struck with the sudden idea to go for a swim. She took a moment to take the pins out of her hair and undo the braid. It felt nice to have her hair down with the slight breeze. The sunset was beautiful, but the sound of Stratos’s voice yelling sent chills down her spine. Her eyes spied a woman that had on a dark colored dress on; the light was fading so it was getting a little hard to tell one dark color from another. There was no telling if the woman had noticed her coming out of the forest or not, and it would seem rude if she had been noticed not to say something at least.

“Seems like the party really did get started when Lord Stratos arrived. Sorry I forgot my manners, my name is Arania Sanzer. Would you mind if I kept you company for a while?” Aura asked the woman that seemed around her own age. She waited for the woman’s reply because she did not want to intrude on any personal time alone.

It felt like she was slowly being starved to death. It was not food or drink that she wanted, it was simple human contact someone to talk to, laugh with even. Earlier it was hard for her to restrain herself when she saw Gia. The sight of her closest friend made her want to crush the shorter woman to her breast and kiss the top of her head. But as part of her assignment she had cut off all ties to her past, for now. And then flirting and curtsying to the egomaniac that she had to recognize as her Lord for now. And now she was just pissed that he would dismiss her like he did. And so what if this woman made sure that word of what she was saying got back to him? Oh she would gladly feed him poison and even slip a dagger between his ribs to hurry the job. Opps sorry Gia, I had to do it.

[Gia Trakana]

Astaria had lain back on the grass, her hands behind her head. So, Devanus turned out not to be the best companion of sorts for the evening. The blonde became rather annoyed now that she had seen neither her brother nor Jiron. Of course, now that she left the party, it would be rather hard for them to find her. What were the chances that they would come out this way to look for her? Oh, well, perhaps they had both found someone to entertain them for the evening. That would be nice, though part of her was jealous that she hadn’t at least caught a glimpse of either of them. A groan escaped the archeologist’s lips. There was no reason for her to be jealous. She was sure that her brother had a life.

Jiron, though, did not, as she knew full well. The two of them spent all of their time together. Their job was very demanding, and it didn’t give time for anyone else – or anything else. That was what Devanus was trying to get at, or at least that’s what she thought. Part of her knew that he had been right. If her – or even her partner, Jiron – were to ever find anyone, they would have to go and find a life. Her partner would probably scoff at the idea like normally would have. The blonde could hear his voice now, saying that what they were doing was important; they were the Archaeologists at the largest Library and Museum in Arcanus. It was a job that required their undivided attention. Sometimes she wondered if her dear partner ever thought about getting married, or if he really was married to the job.

Astaria heard a voice bring her out of her thoughts. Looking around, she saw a woman with redhead standing above her, greeting her. A polite smile crossed the blonde’s face. “Oh, sure, no problem,” she said, gesturing the grass beside her. “I’m Astaria Leaygros.” The woman, whose name was Arania she was told, was holding a bottle of wine. The archaeologist was hoping that she wouldn’t want to sit here and get drunk. She’d probably excuse herself if that was the case. She had an early morning, and had no wish to try and decipher and catalogue while hung over from some party. It didn’t matter if it was the Summer Solstice Festival, her job was more important. She would worry about dating another time, she supposed. She did have other interests besides her job, but for now, that was enough.

[Devanus Zeller]

With Stratos elsewhere and Gia called off to go dancing, Bohren had settled down in his chair to enjoy the festivities in what he hoped would be relative peace. It was a fool's hope, and in some part of his soul, he knew it, but as a politician must be, Bohren was quite proficient at lying to himself, and shushed that part as he watched the dancing and the singing and the drinking. Too old for the first, too untalented for the second, and having chosen long ago not to partake in the third, Bohren instead drink deeply of nothing but water, flavoured slightly with fruit juice, as had become his custom. This was not his element, but these were largely his people, and that was something that the past thirty years in office had nearly made him forget. It was good to be among them again.

Alas, it was not to be. Kendreth, one of the generals he had selected to watch over Stratos, came running up to his throne. Instantly, Bohren was alert; not just anything could make his trusted friend look this nervous. "My Lord..." While still a strong combatant, Kendreth was not as young as he had once been, and was slightly winded from the sudden sprinting. Bohren waited patiently for him to regain himself. "My Lord. Lord Stratos is engaged in combat with Lady Gia's chief of security on the bridge." With that one sentence, the peace was shattered, and Bohren transformed from weary celebratory leader into the master of diplomacy and reactions that had earned him so much political respect.

Glancing around to ensure that none of the party-goers had heard anything, Bohren cast his gaze into the night, in the direction of the fight. He could not see anything, which relieved him; potentially damaging though this fight was, at least it would not interfere with the festivities. With that resolved, Bohren now had to make a decision. From here, it was impossible to know how the fight was going. And Bohren did not want to choose a side in this conflict, lest he be suggested to be choosing a side in general. No, the first priority was safety, as much as possible. "Go, my old friend. Ensure that Lady Gia is safe. Escort her back here to me. Then, take as many guards as you deem necessary and ensure that their conflict stays isolated. Do not interfere unless one of them is beaten. I will not have blood shed if I can avoid it, but if it is unavoidable, it will at least not be Laknos blood."

When Kendreth had run off again, Bohren slumped back down in his chair, his composure deflating. He had come to a snap decision, and he believed in it, but this situation was still weighing very heavily on his mind. He did not know why Stratos had chosen to fight Gia's new Head of Security, and if they both survived the night, perhaps he would ask, but it did not matter for the moment. What mattered was keeping the facade of the peaceful festival intact.

----

When Kendreth arrived, the battle was much as he'd left it; unresolved. His fellow general, Liant, had his sword drawn, but was taking no action. In a brief conversation, Kendreth relayed the orders he had been given and they made a quick plan. As the younger and more capable fighter, Liant would continue to remain here and keep watch, only getting involved if either Stratos or the soldier seemed to be losing badly. Kendreth would take Gia to safetly and return with a squadron. They would take no chances with this new leader of Deproelior.

Carefully avoiding the conflict itself, Kendreth made his way to Gia's side. "My Lady, I am to take you back to the festival. Lord Bohren fears for your safety here. Rest assured, the Laknos guard will handle this conflict in your absence. Please accompany me, Lord Bohren is waiting." Kendreth would have liked nothing more than to toss Gia over his shoulder and be done with it, but politics had to be observed; otherwise, Bohren may have easily ordered the guard in directly. However skilled these two may have been, Laknos had a large numbers advantage.

[Radkal Ryzom]

Radkal watched. mouth agape as Lord Stratos engaged Aura Vally's Head of security in open combat. He didn't even have the decency to hide in the inevitable Melee that would have broken out between Deproelior's citizens and the Vally Rats at the end of the night, no, the bastard had made the city look bad in front of Laknos.

The smith was no tactical man, be even he knew the balance of the up coming war would hang in where Laknos decided to place its support. Any move that made Deproelior look bad is a risk to the security of Deproelior, and that was his job. Looking around at the soldiers who stood with him the Head of security gave an order. "Surround Stratos and his opponent, do not interfere with the fight unless a bystander is at risk." The words were not shouted, but said loudly with an air of authority that surprised even Radkal himself.

With ease, Deproelior's men moved into position on either side of the bridge, gently moving around innocent onlookers, going so far as to try to move Lady Gia further out-of-the-way, the Smith himself gently pushed past the Red-Head who had previously been talking with Stratos, whispering a quick "Excuse me, m'lady" Before moving on and leaving her to continue the conversation she was involved in as he moved into the ring himself.

With fists ballad, and waiting a moment to grab Stratos from the fray, Radkal Ryzom stood at the ready, all he needed was an opening.

[Titanus Pythonidae]

Titanus could see the gears in Stratos’ head working. His once star pupil was strategizing at least ten moves in advance. He had often warned the younger man about that. There was nothing wrong with thinking ahead, but one always needed to be aware of the now. Who was to say that one’s opponent would, in fact, react the way one anticipated in all of their scenarios? The trick was to remain unpredictable and the problem with that was that Titanus had taught Stratos everything he knew. There was no real mystery with Titanus. The only thing to do was something Stratos would never anticipate.

“I give up.”

Stopping in mid stride, Stratos looked at his former teacher with a confused look on his face.

“What? You can’t give up! You’re supposed to fight for your life. Now the slaughter won’t be any fun. You took the fun out of your own misery. Now I just kill you without a fight. That certainly did ruin the night.”

Walking in a big circle around Titanus, the ruler of Deproelior cracked his neck.

“I don’t like fighting unfair fights. Stand up Old Man, now!”

Stratos was getting impatient, and it showed. He knew Titanus was just trying to stay politically neutral, but in this case, there just was no way. There simply was no way for Stratos to let Titanus get away with everything and then shrug it off with ease. He refused to accept that.

“I said stand up!” Stratos charged Titanus from the side, waiting until he was about five paces before trying another aerial attack. The young Warlord jumped and extended his right leg, aiming right at Titanus right temple.

Seeing and hearing the attack coming, Titanus simply put up his right arm to block, knowing that Stratos was not foolish enough to lead with such a predictable attack. The former teacher felt the foot connect with the block and immediately launched an attack of his own, forcing his left arm out with a cross. There was no way Stratos couldn’t block that and the younger didn’t disappoint the Head of Security. At this point, the two of them were evenly matched. That is, until Titanus would start to get tired. The only advantage Stratos had been his stamina. Sure, the younger man had size, but Titanus had speed. They were an even match. It was just that tiredness that got to Titanus.

The fatigue was already starting to set in as the older man moved back and forth in a violent dance of punches and kicks. The arm reach clearly favored Stratos but Titanus was quicker and managed to sneak in a kick to Stratos’ side. The younger man brushed it off as if it was nothing and his fist connected with the side of Titanus’ head.

Stratos saw Titanus stagger and smiled. The older warrior was disoriented and growing tired. It was in his favor and that’s the way he liked his fights. Spitting some blood out, the younger man charged one final time, hoping to deliver the finishing blow.

Titanus saw Stratos attack and planted his feet firmly into the ground. He threw all his might into one final punch hoping to catch Stratos before the violent man got to him. He closed his eyes in anticipation and felt his fist connect to Stratos’ cheek the same moment he felt a fist connect with his own cheek. The two men went through with the movement and the momentum of the two powerhouses knocked the two warriors down on the ground.

[Gia Trakana]

Gia stepped back a bit, trying to get as far away from the two fighting men as possible. Stratos didn’t even have a weapon, but the Lady could tell that he was skilled. Oh, would she never have a few choice words for Titanus after this. How dare he hide this kind of information from her? What on earth was he thinking? Not only had he put his own life in danger, but hers as well as anyone else that happened to try and stop them. She wasn’t sure how Lord Bohren would handle this. There was a lot more to consider other than just a fight between two men. These two men had power, and if one killed the other, it would spark an international incident. Also, if he got involved one way or the other, it would mark a side that he had chosen; she knew that he wouldn’t do that.

Gia suddenly noticed that someone had appeared at her side. Looking over, it seemed to be one of Bohren’s generals. He wanted to take her away. Sure, he did. Her life was in danger here if the fight got out of control. Glancing back at the two fighting, she looked back at the general, and sighed. “Of course,” she said, defeated, and allowed him to take her back to Bohren and the festival. If she had felt like partying before, the young woman felt even less like partying now. If there was any damage to Laknos, she’d be obligated to pay it. If lives were lost, she wouldn’t be able to do anything about that, but form what she could see; he seemed to only want to contain it. She also noticed that Radkal, Deproelior’s Head of Security, had also gone over the fight.

Gia was brought to Bohren, but went over and got herself a drink. If she was feeling any effects of the alcohol she had drunk before, they were gone now. Downing it, the dark-haired young woman grabbed another and then went to sit back in the chair next to Bohren. For a moment there, she sat in silence. The party-goers seemed oblivious to what was going on, which was probably for the best. She took another sip of her drink, and glanced over to the man sitting in the chair next to her. “Lord Bohren, I would like to personally apologize for this, although I know that can only go so far.” There wasn’t much that that could discuss in public, but that was all she could say for now.

[Aura Adnarim]

Aura smiled down at the woman that identified herself as Astaria Leaygros, she was just about to sit down when a she felt someone bump into her. Out of pure reflex she looked to see who it was. It took a moment for her to put the smile back on her face as she sat down on the grass. The face that she had seen clicked in her mind, Radkal he was a Blacksmith and also the Head of Security for Deproelior. If she had not known him on sight she would not have been doing her job right, it was always good to know what people you need to keep an eye on. As she sat down on the grass next to the blonde it hit her that she still had the bottle of wine in her hand. On the plus side if she needed to get one of her daggers she was in an easy position to get them before anything major could happen to her.

“Well Astaria, I would have to say that maybe having a drink is not such a good idea after all. Well with all of the fighting, during a festival that is supposed to be under a flag of peace.” Aura could not help but to give a little laugh that some would call a little bubbly and girlish and she covered her mouth with her hand. Oh she really did hate her laugh at times, and this was slightly darker humor so it just did not fit at all. “Please excuse my sense of humor; some would say that it is rather twisted and at times dark. Ah but the irony of the situation, if only I knew the reason why they are fighting. Or we could just chalk it up to them being men and seeing who could beat who.”

She set down the bottle and gazed at the woman next to her. It felt odd to her to be talking so much to a person that she did not know, well besides Stratos but that was part of her job. For a moment she thought that she had seen her little brother, and she had to remind herself she did not have anyone in the world. All there was for her was enjoying the moment. She kept the corner of her eye on the fighters. It was a slight disappointment to her when they both knocked each other out, a little sigh passed through her lips as she pouted slightly.

“As with two fools no one comes out on top.” The redheaded woman said in a soft voice to be carried on the wind, she was not even sure if the blonde next to her heard her words.

[Devanus Zeller]

By the time that Gia and Kendreth finally arrived, Bohren had grown worried and restless, though he did not let himself show it. When Gia got herself two drinks before so much as sitting down, that did nothing to ease his mind, nor did Kendreth's report that the fight was still ongoing. Bohren took in all this information with a straight face, but underneath it all he was seething. He had known that this party was too close to the appointment of Stratos and he had allowed it to go ahead anyway. But yet, it was not that simple. Why Gia's Head of Security? Why alone? Bohren had suspected Stratos of intending to cause some sort of incident with the way he had shown up, but this was unexpected. There was clearly more going on here than he knew, possibly more than Gia knew, but this was not the time or place to be asking pointed questions.

Gia offered an apology, which Bohren knew she was obligated to do, just as he was obligated to formally accept it. Of course, the true extent of the damage would not be known until the fight was over. Kendreth had also reported that Deproelior's Head of Security had his men surrounding the fight, which made Bohren only hasten to send a complement of his own guards with his general. Leaving the Head of Aurora Valley security alone with that much opposition would be a dangerous endeavor. Bohren sat in silence, defying politics for once as he did not respond to Gia; his hands were tented in front of him as he tried to think of all possible situations and all possible options he had to make this as painless as possible. The worst-case scenario, of course, would be the death of either party, but Bohren hoped it would not come to that.

It was not long before Kendreth returned, reporting that both men were down, but neither seriously injured. Mentally breathing a sigh of relief, Bohren gave the order to detain both men and lock them up until the morning. He would deal with the situation then. If the Deproelior Head of Security disagreed, then he was welcome to plead his case, but this was Laknos territory, and Bohren's jurisdiction, not his. Speaking of the morning, Bohren at last turned to Gia. "It seems this could have ended much worse than it did. We will discuss this matter in the morning. I am afraid until then, that your Head of Security, as well as the leader of Deproelior, are going to have to spend some time alone. Not with each other, of course." Bohren was seething under the skin, despite the relatively positive ending. From Stratos, he might have expected this, and would deal accordingly, but he expected better from Gia, and the following morning, he would let her know as such. He could not take sides, of course, and he did not intend to. Right now, both Aurora Valley and Deproelior were going to be the subjects of his contempt. This was his territory. Their war was not welcome here.

[Gia Trakana]

Astaria wasn’t sure what she thought about this woman, but she figured she’d tolerate her presence for the time being. After all, it wasn’t as if she had anyone else to talk to right now. Jiron nor Kistros had appeared, though granted, she was no longer actually in the party. They could be there now, looking for, and she wouldn’t know. Then again, they could also not be there at all, and she wouldn’t know either. At least out here she had someone to talk to, even if this woman did seem a bit... strange. What about what she told her was twisted? It made no sense to the blonde.

Astaria gave a small smile. “There might be a reason, but I doubt that either of us is privy to that information,” she told Arania. “It is a bit silly that they’re fighting, but I suppose it was a bit naïve to think that everything would go smoothly with the Lord of Deproelior arriving.” It was too dark for the blonde to see the other woman’s reaction to the fight, but by the sigh that escaped her lips, Arania almost seemed disappointed that the fight was over. It didn’t make sense to her. Where was she was from? Even in the darkness, the archaeologist could tell that she was pale, but anyone that was disappointed that a fight was over was not from Laknos.

Astaria glanced over towards the bridge, and then looked back at her companion, at least for the moment. “I think it’s for the best,” she told herself. “The repercussions if anything that had happened to either of them would be serious and Lord Bohren can’t get involved cause that would be taking sides.” Laknos was neutral, though the woman felt that they couldn’t stay uninvolved forever. “I’m pretty sure that I saw Depreolior’s Head of Security go over there, and you know that he would have gotten involved.” In the favor of his lord, though of he knew what was best for him, he’d control him. Who starts a fight at a festival for peace anyway. “It’s all rather ridiculous if you ask me.”


Gia nodded at Lord Bohren. Of course, they would talk in the morning, and the young woman could only imagine how furious the old man was. Sure he was, why wouldn’t he be? If their positions had been reversed, then she would most certainly have been utterly and completely furious at what had transpired in her city. Of course, no one under Bohren would ever have done with Stratos and Titanus had did. It was stupid, and she was still furious that her Head of Security had withheld such vital information from her. What had he been thinking? She would grill him tomorrow first chance she got.

“Of course, I completely understand,” Gia said. In truth, she really did. She wouldn’t have expected anything less of Bohren but to lock both the morons up for the night. “As soon as I am up and dressed, I will meet you in your office, yes?” The brunette figured that he would agree to it, but nonetheless, she waited for an answer anyway. “Again, I am truthfully very sorry and ashamed of this incident.” Standing up, she took a deep breath. “I think I am going to retire for the night. This has been too much excitement for one day for me.” First Stratos, then his fight with Titanus… this was too much, and she was done for the night. She wanted to go back to her room and just sleep.

“I will see you in the morning,” Gia said, giving the old man a respectful nod of her head. “Until the, Lord Bohren.” With that, she turned and made her way to the exit. Her mind was swirling with possibilities of why Titanus had chosen not to tell her about his time in Deproelior. He had his reasons, she was sure, but right now, the Lady wasn’t sure she gave a damn about what his reasons were. He had embarrassed not only himself and her, but the entire city with his actions. He had infuriated the Lord of the city that they were visiting, and put himself and her in danger. It was all stupid, and she was furious. She would go to her rooms at the Inn and go to bed, not that sleeping would this horrible day go away.

[Radkal Ryzom]

Radkal's fist closed around the front of Stratos' shirt, and with a grunt, hauled the young leader a few steps away from where he had fallen. The men of Deproelior moved in around their leader and his head of security, as much to watch what was about to happen as to give a screen of privacy, not that the loose circle they formed would do much to keep anyone out, or in.

The look on the Smith's face said it all, anger, confusion, and compleat horror at what had happened. "Lord Stratos," he addressed the fallen leader, with a tone that was less patient and more aggressive that should have been expected, releasing his hold and standing upright, allowing Deproelior's Warlord room to stand, "As your Head of Security, may I offer some advice..." he paused, but didn't wait for an answer, "lets not start a fight that puts you, and more importantly, our city's wellbeing at risk."

"I think this might be something we need to discuss, in the quiet of your office maybe?" Rad offered, attempting to keep the anger out of his voice. Stratos was arrogant, he'd known that, but was he stupid? "Now while you sort yourself out, do you mind if I go ensure that tomorrow Deproelior wont wake up to enemies at her gates." But Radkal didn't move on, he stood to listen, to hear exactly what Stratos had to say for himself, and partly to avoid the diplomatic puzzle that he was facing down. Blue eyes shot over to where the other combatant was, and Rad's body instinctively moved between it and the Warlord.

[Devanus Zeller]

"I am afraid, sir, that that will not be possible." Coming in at the end of Radkal's plea to his unconscious leader, Kendreth directed his men through the Deproelior guard to the two fallen combatants. "For fighting in Laknos territory, I am placing both the Lord Stratos and Titanus Pythonidae under arrest. They will remain in our custody tonight. You may send a representative of Deproelior to join Lord Bohren and Lady Gia in the council chambers in the morning, to negotiate the terms of his release." While in his younger days, Kendreth had been a fighter, with age came reluctance to draw his blade. Now, he was happy to put the Head of Deproelior security in his place with words as his men carried off the two fighters.

Having carried out Lord Bohren's direct orders, Kendreth now risked a bit by taking some weight off of his ruler's shoulders and making a judgment call himself. "Your men will find ample accomodations in the tents set up near the festival, but in light of recent events, there will be no visitors staying in the city of Laknos tonight. Good night." Without so much as giving Radkal a chance to reply, Kendreth turned on his heel and headed back toward the festival grounds, only to be caught up with by his younger counterpart.

"Did Lord Bohren really seal the gates?"

"No," Kendreth admitted in a whisper, "but he had other things on his mind. Do you think he would want this rabble in our city?"

"Definitely not," Liant agreed, "but hadn't we better make sure he knows what you just said?"

With a smile, Kendreth clapped a hand on the back of his friend. "Yes, and my old legs are tired from running. Go let him know." Liant rolled his eyes, but took off obeidently, hoping that Bohren had not yet left the festival.

A few minutes later, Liant returned, intercepting Kendreth before the city gates of Laknos, where Titanus and Stratos were being carried in. "He offered me a promotion when I told him." Liant laughed. "It hurt to say that it was all your idea. Needless to say, he rescinded the offer."

Kendreth smiled; he had worried that in Bohren's understandably agitated state, such a step would have put him in trouble, but Bohren had appreciated the judgment call, so all was well.

Now just to wait until all hell broke loose the next morning.

[Gia Trakana]

OOC: TIMESHIFT POST

Slowly, people left the party go back to where their bed for the night was. The next day, the sun rose. As the afternoon came around, people starting come back for the second day of the festival. The decorations were exactly the same as the day before.

[Gia Trakana]

Astaria decided to take a break from work for a bit. What a shock… she had grabbed herself something quick to eat for lunch, and decided that after an entire morning spent in the back room of the museum with Jiron that maybe she needed some fresh air. She could spend some time at the festival for a bit. Her night last night had been… rather boring, if she was honest with herself. Her partner had told her that he had gone for a bit, not seen her, and after that, decided to go home and go to sleep. She had almost made a point of telling him that was even lamer than her night. At least she’d talked to two people she hadn’t previously known./

Astaria had told Jiron that she had been there well past dark, and has spent some time inside the festival before going out the lake. He admitted the idea of looking for her outside of the festival hadn’t occurred to him. He had mentioned that he’d seen Kristos at the festival last night. How is it that all three of them had been there, and that Jiron and Kristos had seen each other, but she hadn’t seen either of them? Whatever, she decided that it didn’t matter. After all, Kristos was her brother, so she could see him anytime she wanted and she worked with Jiron so she often spent too much time with him. Not that she didn’t enjoy his company, but still. There was a limit to everything, in her opinion, anyway.

Astaria sighed. There were a few people here, as it was still rather early, not many had showed up yet. After what had happened last night, the archaeologist didn’t blame people for being a bit weary. She had heard a rumor that both Lord Stratos and Titanus had been locked up, and she didn’t blame Lord Bohren for doing that. Honestly, how barbaric, starting a fight at a party for peace… just like the Lord of Deproelior, too, at least in her opinion. Grabbing some lemonade from the drink table, the blonde just stood around, walking around a bit. She didn’t see anyone that she knew, and if this kept up, she’d probably go ahead and leave. Besides, she desperately wanted to get back to the dairy. So fascinating…

[Aura Adnarim]

Aura was so pissed off last night, she was able to gather enough information to find out that both Lord Stratos and the Head of Security for Aurora Valley were locked up for the night. And she was going to have to dig a little bit to find out what the hell his whole story was. Well last night she was going to stay at an inn after all but had been turned away from the gates because of that stupid fight. She had to spend the night camping after all. Oh she was so tempted to slide a dagger into the young Lord’s heart if she ever got close enough to him, but at least it gave her an excuse to be around the soldiers that he had brought with him. Sure of them were drunk but it had made them easier to talk to, one of them had tried to touch her chest but she handled that tactfully because she was not drinking anything that he tried to get her to drink.

Turns out that Titanus Pythonidae had spent some time in Deproelier and that was as far as she got before he passed out. No one else was much more use then the first guy because she had to be careful because there was no telling if anyone would remember anything that they did or said the night before. But at least she had a starting point and there was no way that she could go up to Gia and demand to know what she knows. So she went to bed and kept on twitching at almost every little sound because she was out in the open and could not set anything that would alert her if someone got too close. So she did not get any sleep at all last night, but she did pack up the bottle of wine to enjoy on the road.

She had started the day off right with a cold swim to wake her up and to wash off the grime from the day before and then got dressed in a cool light blue dress, that complemented her eyes nicely. She had plaited her long hair into a braid down her back with a white ribbon and had a breakfast that she would not normally let herself be caught eating. Pancakes topped with strawberries and blueberries and honey, but she would work off the weight before it became an issue because she would be damned if her dresses did not fit her. Around noon she was packed and headed her way to the grounds that were supposed to help unify everyone, fat chance with that. Picking up a glass of red wine she walked around with a pleasant smile on her lips like she had the most restful night ever. Very soon she would be out of here and back into her traveling clothes and back to work. Who was she kidding? This was part of her work. She spotted the blonde woman that she had been talking to the night before. Well it would have been rude of her not to say anything.

“Good afternoon, Astaria it’s good to see you again. I hope that after that scene you were able to get some proper rest.” Aura told the slightly taller woman with a slight incline of her head and a smile that radiated warmth. She knew how to keep her voice pleasant by now no matter how mixed up she was feeling inside, and she had nothing to blame on this woman in front of her. And if she was wrong then she would fix the slight oversight later, so of course she would be nice to her. “I just hope that the rest of everyone’s day is uneventful and peaceful the way that it is meant to be.’

[Gia Trakana]

Astaria had been sipping on her lemonade with a voice broke her thoughts. She turned her head to see the woman she’d been talking to last night approaching her. She seemed friendly, as she had last night. What had her name been? The blonde knew that her name had started with an A, and she felt bad because the redhead had remembered her name. Arania, that’s what it was. Her name was Arania. She smiled at her. “Hello, Arania,” she said. “Yes, yes, I did. I hope the same for you?” She mentioned wishing the rest of the day was peaceful, and the archeologist nodded. “I couldn’t agree more. Not that everyone doesn’t need a little something to spice up their lives, but that was not all what any of us would have had in mind if we wanted something interesting to happen.”

Astaria’s definition of interesting was meeting someone new. For instance, last night, she had met a man named Devanus, who had fallen on top of her after travelling by roof. Sure, it was stupid that he travelled by roof, and she had an idea that it was not for the reasons he said, but she had no proof of that. Yes, it had turned out rather badly, but one could not say that it had not been interesting. She had also met Arania, who while acting a little strange last night, seemed to be all right. “I had to be up early this morning, though, but I still got a good night’s sleep. As for uneventful and peaceful…. Well, yes, I suppose that would be nice, but I wouldn’t want my day to be completely uneventful. Peaceful, oh yes, definitely, but not uneventful, because that would be boring, and my line of work is never boring.”

It was then that Astaria realized what she said, and she smiled at Arania apologetically. “I’m sorry, I didn’t explain what it is that I do,” the blonde said, realizing that her comment would seem rather odd without that information. “I’m an archeologist for the Library and Museum here.” She paused for a moment to her the woman respond before continuing herself. “You can see how an uneventful day might be rather boring for someone like me. You want to find things, and realize that what you brought back from the Ruins was interesting and fascinating, not dull and boring.” The woman took another sip of her lemonade, waiting for Astaria to respond, and her mind went back to the dairy. She wasn’t sure how long she would stay here, because she wanted to go back and continue deciphering the diary.