Hey, I'm here. How do you propose we start?

Hey there!

I haven't really thought about it. Maybe we'll start on the morning of the day that they're going to set off? We could say they've been planning it for a while and skip ahead to the day of departure.
Or if you have anything you want to do before they leave, we could start earlier.

Also, you could start this time if you want?

Sorry, busy day.

Yeah, I'll write something later. Probably right before they leave. Lucci will probably be gone by then, so he won't be there.

Sounds fine to me! Take your time.

(Ok, here we go.)

{It was early in the morning in Sovereign City. The sun had just risen, and the city was asleep, save for a group on the plains. There, standing in front of her house was Dianne, dressed in her armor, standing next to Titan and a large crate of supplies. Behind them, watching and waiting, was Jerry and Pythia. }

Dianne: "So...Where's Armin? He did want to come, right?"

Jerry: "Give him a break. You know he hates early mornings."

After several minutes of the group waiting on the plain, a familiar hawk appeared from the city and glided down to join them. As it reached the ground, it shifted into Armin, who looked half-asleep and less than happy.

'Whose stupid idea was it to leave this early?' he grumbled.

He was wearing his usual outfit, except for one small difference; he'd disregarded his massive longsword in favour of a small sabre that he could keep sheathed at his side. He was also dragging a sack of something, which he tossed on top of the crate, adding to their supplies.

{Titan gingerly picks up Armin’s sack and puts it into the crate. Dianne chuckles as she approaches Armin.}

Dianne: “Oh, come now, Armin, do you have any idea how far we need to go? This is the time you agreed to meet me at, wasn’t it?”

Jerry: “So, is Frederick or Rex going to see you off? You’re going to be gone a while.”

Armin watched Titan pick up his supplies, then turned to Jerry. 'Already said goodbye to Rex before I flew here. He was up all night worrying about all the things that could go wrong.'

Just then, there was a flurry of wings from above them and a white dove swooped down, transforming into Frederick.

'Seems like I got here in time,' he said, glancing around at everyone. 'I just wanted to see you off. I hope you find what you're looking for out there.' He looked at Dianne. 'Also, the King sends his wishes for you to have a safe journey. Though, he's probably secretly hoping you never come back.'

{Dianne just gives an annoyed look at Fred's words.}
Dianne: "I bet he is...Well, when we get back, he won't get any ale."

Jerry: "He's that worried, huh? I'm sure you'll both be fine. Besides, what's the worst that could happen?"

'There's probably a lot of bad things that could happen,' said Armin dryly. 'But we'll be fine. Rex is just the kind of person who worries too much. We'll be back as soon as we can, hopefully with lots of good liquor.'

He then turned to his son. 'Oh, and Fred? Keep an eye on Rex while we're gone, will you? Make sure he doesn't do anything /too/ stupid.'

Fred nodded in understanding. 'I'll do that.'

{Dianne looks around at everyone,then to the sky.}

Dianne: "So, are we ready to go now, Armin? We have a long ways to go before our first stop."

Jerry: "Be careful out there. Watch each other's backs, huh? The world is a vast and dangerous place."

Pythia: "And don't fight, you two. You'll have enough to worry about, trust me."

Dianne: "Don't worry, Pythia, we'll be fine."

'Yeah, we'll be alright. No need to worry,' said Armin. He briefly patted Jerry on the shoulder. 'I'm glad we're leaving Ivy with you. Try not to let her shoot anyone.'

He then looked off towards the horizon. 'I have to say, I'm pretty excited to be travelling so far. 280 years and I've only been outside this country once or twice. Let's head off.'

{Jerry just chuckles, while Dianne shifts and looks to everyone.}

Dianne: "Alright, we're going now. Take care."

Jerry: "Bye! See you all in a bit!

Pythia: "Be safe!"

{Dianne takes off and Titan picks up the crate and follows. They stop mid-air and wait for Armin.}

Armin took a final glance around at everyone, then back at the city. Then he shifted into his hawk form and took off, catching up with Dianne and Titan in the air.

//So, remind me exactly where we're heading,// he said, landing on Dianne's back. //What's this mountain called and how far away is it?//

Dianne: “According to Lucci, the locals refer to it as ‘The Mountain of Frozen Sorrow’. The people who live in the region have to cross this icy range in order to leave. To put it into perspective, these people live essentially in a giant, glacier cut valley, surrounded by mountains and tundra. The quickest way to leave the valley, is to cross the mountain. However, as it’s name suggests, very few actually make it across. That is, until Triticum set up shop right at the halfway point, in order to give them a place to rest and resupply. This region is extremely far from here, at least a month’s time, assuming favorable weather conditions.”

//A giant frozen valley surrounded by snow-covered mountains and tundra... sounds like a nice place to live,// said Armin sarcastically. //I don't know why anyone would be there in the first place. Well, if it's that far away, I just hope we don't die of boredom before we even get near it.//

Dianne: "There are plenty of stops along the way. I doubt you'll be bored for the entire time. However, Lucci did specifically say to avoid the town of Frostwood at all costs. Something about crazed villagers who will try to burn us at the stake."

Armin considered for a moment. //That's probably true. I think I heard Ana mention Frostwood a few times. I'm not sure what happened, but I'm guessing she ran into some of those 'crazed villagers' there and held a grudge ever since. Must've been pretty funny.//

(Ah, caught the reference, I see. ;) )

Dianne: "Yeah, but instead of leaving with a grudge, I'd just raze the town...I'm still working on not trashing entire settlements when feeling threatened..."

(Yup, the fated town where Ana first met Sargon after he saved her life. And he probably came to regret it. :'D)

//Well, we'll make sure to give that area a wide berth,// said Armin. //There's no point in trying to reason with people who have that kind of mindset. So, where are we supposed to stop first, if not there?//

Dianne: “Our needing to skip that one is why we left so early. We stop a a small settlement at the very edge of the province. I believe it’s called Chalcedony. It was built around an old mining claim.“

(Lol, ye. She caused all sorts of problems for that guy. X)

//Chalcedony? Hm, alright. Sounds interesting. I just hope the people there are nicer than the ones in Frostwood. Have you ever been there before?//

Dianne: “I can’t say that I have. I’m not sure how they’ll react, but it’s kind of isolated. Isolated settlements don’t always have the best social skills. Who knows, though? They could be quite pleasant.”

//Well, as long as we stay civil, they shouldn't have any reason to hate us. And if they do... then we'll just have to get out of there as quickly as possible.// Armin yawned, stretching his wings. //If you don't mind, I think I'm just gonna nap for a while. Let me know when we get there or something else happens.//

Dianne: "Ok, just try not to fall off."

(So, should we skip to their arrival?)

(Yep, go ahead!)

(I have a small battle event in mind but I think I'll save it for later on in the trip.
It's too early to almost die. B) )

(Oooh, exciting!)

....

{Many hours later, Dianne and Titan begin to approach Chalcedony. The sun was setting rapidly, and the town could be seen in the distance. Landing out of sight of the town, Dianne speaks.}
Dianne: "Ok, Armin, we walk from here."

Armin had slept for most of the day, only waking up briefly about an hour ago to stretch his wings and ask how close they were. At Dianne's words, he jerked awake and looked around blearily.

//Finally here, are we?// He jumped to the ground and shifted back, stretching and yawning. 'Let's hope the people here are OK with strangers visiting.'

{Dianne pulls a cloak out of the crate and puts it on over her armor.}

Dianne: “There’s only one way to find out. Let’s go.”
{She proceeds to lead Armin through the woods towards the town. The town itself was small, consisting mostly of wooden buildings built during its frontier days. The only modern building were their hospital, market, and a few houses on the fringes. There were few people around on the street, but none seemed too concerned with this pair of strangers. Dianne began walking for a building that read, “The Buttered Mange. Historic saloon and inn from Chalcedony’s Frontier Days.”}

Armin stayed quiet as they advanced into the town, gazing around at the buildings and the few people scattered around the area. It seemed peaceful enough so far, and the small town was a stark contrast to the busy cities of Shacklestone and Sovereign.

'Old-fashioned, isn't it?' he commented. 'I like it.' He looked up at the sign above the inn they were heading for, wondering if they were going to stay there for the night.

Dianne: "Yes, it's a historical monument. By the way, this is one of the few times we'll have a roof over our head, so I need to know now: Do you want your own room when we stop at these places?"

'What, you mean having separate rooms or sharing the same one?' Armin shrugged. 'I don't care. It's probably cheaper to just get one.'

Dianne: "Yes, be that as it may, if there's only one bed, I'm taking it, and you can't stop me. And I'm not sharing a bed with you either. With this in mind, are you sure that's what you want?"

Armin snorted with amusement at the thought. 'Oh, it'll be fine. I can shapeshift. If there's only one bed, I'll just turn myself onto a dog and sleep on my coat or something. It's not a big deal for me, and we'll save money.'

{Dianne nods in agreement.}

Dianne: "Ok. Then it's settled."

{Dianne proceeds to walk into the inn. The inside looks like a old saloon, complete with the swinging doors, card tables, and rough looking customers sitting at the bar. There was also a man playing an upbeat tune at the piano."

Dianne: "Hello, I'd like to rent a room for the night."

Barkeep: "...Alright, rent for two is going to be 40."

Dianne: "Very well."

{As Dianne pays the man, the people at the bar glance curiously in the direction of the two strangers. It seems they don't see outsiders too often.}

Armin took a moment to inspect the room while Dianne spoke to the barkeep. He watched the piano player for a moment, then noticed a few people eyeing him and Dianne with curiosity. He quickly shifted his gaze away, not wanting them to pick up on the fact that he was a vampire. //Who knows what these small-town people think of non-humans?// he mused, thinking of Frostwood. //They seem OK, but maybe they just haven't noticed what we are yet.//

{Once Dianne finished paying, one of the patrons speaks up.}

Patron: "Pardon my frankness, m'am, but...yer eyes...are you ok? I ain't ever seen eyes like them."

{Dianne blinks a few times at the question.}

Dianne: "I don't believe my eyes are any concern of yours, sir."

Patron: "Oh...Sorry, I didn't intend to be rude...I-uh...I...."

Armin glanced over at the man who'd spoken and smiled slightly. 'Yeah, don't worry about it. I know we look weird, but we're really just a couple of travellers looking for a place to stay the night.' He then turned to Dianne, ignoring the patrons. 'Shall we go up and look at the room?'

{Dianne shugs.}

Dianne: "Sure. Let's go."

{As soon as the pair were out of earshot, Dianne speaks to Armin.}

Dianne: "Now do you see why I wear sunglasses all the time?"

'Yeah, you should have brought them this time,' said Armin humorously. Then, more seriously: 'I can't blame them, though. Living out here in the middle of nowhere, they never see people like us. They're just curious.'

Dianne: "I guess...I just hate having that pointed out."

Dianne opens the room and looks around. It's a small, cozy room with a single bed, table with chairs, and bathroom. The upholstery and decor is all appropriate to the old west theme.}

Dianne: "Hm. Cozy."

Armin scanned the room quickly and nodded in agreement. 'Looks pretty nice. I like the style of this town.' His eyes lingered on what seemed to be the only bed there. 'I hope the floor is clean.'

{Dianne snickers.}

Dianne: "Well...You could just sleep on the table."

'No thanks. It looks even less comfortable. Besides, it's not big enough.' Armin eyed the room once more, as if wanting to make absolutely sure there wasn't another bed hidden somewhere. 'So, what now? You going to bed now, or do we have anything else to do first?'

Dianne: "I don't know. It's still early. There's nothing else we have to do. And what do you mean, the table's too small? I've seen you turn into house cats and birds. They can fit anywhere, can't they?"

'That's true,' said Armin. 'I guess it just looks small from here.' He was silent for a moment, considering. 'Well, I've just spent the whole day sleeping, so I think I'll go out and explore the town for a bit. I wanted to see more of it before we have to leave tomorrow.'

Dianne: “Honestly, I was planning to do the same. I’ve never been here, so I want to look around as well. And besides, if the townfolk turn out to actually be crazy murderers, you’ll be glad I tagged along.“

'I don't think anything will happen,' said Armin. 'These people seem OK; just unused to strangers. But you never know for sure. Just don't destroy the entire town if someone threatens us,' he added dryly. Leaving the room, he started to make his way back down to the saloon entrance.

{Dianne gives an exasperated sigh as she follows him out of the room.}

Dianne: “You just /had/ to bring that up, didn’t you?”

'Hey, you were the one who brought it up in the first place, when we were talking about Frostwood.' Armin walked through the saloon, paying no attention to the people who still eyed them curiously in passing. 'Now let's go and look around; this place seems interesting.'

{Dianne just rubs her face in a tired manner.}

Dianne: “Fair enough. Alright, let’s see what the town of Chalcedony has to offer.”

Armin pushed open the wooden saloon doors and stepped out into the night air. It wasn't too cold, but it wasn't warm either. Glancing around, he picked a random direction and started to walk. 'So, you seemed to know where that inn was from the moment we got here,' he commented. 'Do you know about anything else they have in this town?'