The Age of Discovery

"Take him with us. The authorities of Terigan will reward us with money which we can use for supplies for the rest of our journey. Come, we cannot linger for long."
And with that, he tied the unconscious fugitive's hands behind his back, and strapped him to one of the spare reks - judging by the harsh knot around the waist of the crook, and the line leading around the abdomen of the rek, he wouldn't be going anywhere.
Just to ensure that he wouldn't yell for help, Cayrodyn stuffed a pieace of bandage into his mouth as well.

After finishing the makeshift, moving prison, the Skyborn mounted and set off slowly, waiting for others to catch up.

((Haha, you thought I would leave, didn't you!))

"Take him with us. The authorities of Terigan will reward us with money which we can use for supplies for the rest of our journey. Come, we cannot linger for long."

Davon nodded a the suggestion and helped Cay secure the captive and lift him onto the rek.

"I still think it's risky. He might not be worth much and if more of his buddies catch wind of this then we could get in serious shit." Davon's face was expressionless and it had a few harmless scorchmarks and some soot patches on it.

"It would be easier just to leave him in some ditch tied up like that."

Davon's expressionless face changed rapidly to what seemed like grief as he realized his rek was gone, lost somewhere in the fire. He slung his now silent hammer on his right shoulder, lifted his head high and asked-

"Who am I riding with?"

" He'll bleed to death sooner."
Qali sighed, loudly, and watched them deal with the thug, pulling herself into the saddle.
" Not sure, how much would anyone pay for half-dead bandit. I wouldn't give a silver coin for it."
With annoyed expression on her face, woman pulled the reins and moved her rek towards Davon, where she stopped.
" You can ride with me. Just keep your hands under control, or I'll make sure you won't be able to use them anymore."
Moving forward in the saddle, she nodded behind her back and placed one palm on Shyna's head. Beast seemed to be irritated by someone's so close presense, but calmed down quickly.

"Has anyone seen my spectacles?"

Za'den stared on Davon in disbelief. The man had lost his rek and his goggles within one battle. With a sigh the tinker switched on a lens over his right eye, creating a zooming effect. The looked through the field of burnt grass and realized that it would be hard to find anything that small in this place.

"Unless you want me to waste a flare, I see no easy way to find them."

With an unusually serious face, Za'den looked over his rek. The beast was unharmed and would have no problems continuing the ride. He mounted up and looked over to the others.

"Do not worry about Terigan. We will get our supplies, I'll see to that."

If nothing else, I can just threaten the command with that I will stay home for longer periods.

Shyna remained still, while Za'den attempted to look for Davon's belongings, just in case he'd succeed. He didn't, sadly.
" Afraid you've lost them for good."
Qali muttered over her shoulder and gently kicked the rek's sides with her heels, sending beast to move forward, after the Skyborn.
" If that's so, I don't see a reason drag this piece of crap with us," Qali replied to Za'den's phrase, still with the same irritated tone in her voice. She wasn't happy about taking the man with them.

The Skyborn, whom had been at a distance during the conversation, suddenly spurred his beast back towards the group. Without a word, he drew his a dagger from his belt, stopping next to the rek with the captive on.

He remained here for a short while, muttering an incoherent phrase of what seemed like a random string of vocals tied together with a sparse consonant in seemingly impossible ways.
The captive, whom had recovered from the initial pain, was just as confused as the rest, until the Skyborn raised the dagger above the chest of him.
"You're kidding m-"
No more was he allowed to speak, before the jagged blade cut into the abdomen of the thug.
He was pushed off the rek, leaving a free one for Davon to use, and then the Skyborn just set off in a fast trot, expecting the rest to follow soon.
Silent as death itself.

"Dead weight anyways."
Quiet grunt escaped Qali again, as she stopped Shyna by the now free rek and let Davon change the saddles. Her steed seemed to be relieved, but woman herself just kicked the sides of the rek again and followed the Skyborn, not to fall behind.
She didn't feel like talking today either, it seems. Or maybe it was for the fact, that she got her first actual wound and it didn't feel nice. Afterall, she was just a woman in a company of three men, who certainly have seen the fight, and not once on their lives. Muttering something under her breath, Qali caught up with Skyborn and just followed him, staying a little bit behind and not trying to prod his silence.

"Very well."

The tinker sent his rek into a dash, following Cayrodyn. Za'den didn't look back at the dead body. As he got in line with the Skyborn he slowed to the same tempo and continued.

"So we are really going to Terigan? Let me handle the entrance."

He was already looking more positive, the return to his homeland so close. He kept his eyes on the horizon, as if already seeking the gates of Terigan. With his good mood back Za'den actually now and then talked to the others during the ride, commenting on the journey, the places they passed, and a little about Trikkr.

"-so essentially, our different countries got very different cultures. Do not insult people, for some will expect you to face them in a pistol duel outside, you bring your own gun."

"Emotions are a needless usage of time", he retorted with quietly, his blue stare fixated idly on the road ahead.
"Irritation ought to occur once or twice, however. Keep going, the quicker we reach a good campsite to treat our wounds, the better."
With that, he distanced himself from the Turaian, spearheading the group quickly, forcing the others to keep up in a fast tempo.

It didn't last long before they reached a suitable site, however - a solitary tree standing in a wide clearing on a small hill. Almost begging them to use that place.

Perhaps suspiciously so?

Qali was listening to Za'den carefully - afterall, he was speaking of appropriate behaviour in another territory and she didn't want to attract trouble, if she'd be in a bad mood with her snapping comments. Of course, she was curious - new places, new faces.
Her thoughts got interrupted, when Davon pointed his question towards Cay. With a slightly narrowed eyes, she watched the Skyborn's reaction and thought the situation over. Sighing quietly, she let him finish his reply and only then spoke up.
" Irritations are easily avoided by telling us "Hey, guys, we're doing that, because I said so". You are leader of this group, afterall, and I think we agreed to that the moment we decided to come with you."
Just in case he'd get angry on her poiting out the obvious to her now reason of his silence, Qali slowed down a little, letting other two men pass ahead and so remaining in the end of their "line". Careful woman, indeed.
Suspicious loneliness of the tree didn't attract her attention - lady Exurr surely wasn't the one to call this out. She lacked experience with danger and couldn't really analyze the sitation safety-wise, unless it was about poisonous flora. So her rek just followed the others, trustful to their knowledge.

"Later" he grunted and sped up, though he didn't seem to have any intentions of going for the perfect campsite. Perhaps he had picked up something that truly was wrong with the tree, but they couldn't possibly know - he remained silent.

Instead, he led them onto a larger, cobbled road, and after passing a thicket jungle which was alive with monstrous sounds, they could see the border - a bronze-coloured tower with the flag of Trikkr hoisted high above. Three guards were looking towards them from atop tower, muskets in hand, while two halberd-wielding footmen were standing to the entrance. They seemed suspicious of something, and all attention was upon the group.

As if he had only just remembered, the Skyborn stuffed the lenses into his eyes, masking the glow which was becoming increasingly apparent due to the setting sun.

"The Border. Finally!"

Drawing out one of his revolver, Za'den raised it up towards the sky. Then took out an odd looking device, alien to the standards of Elsta or Tura. The Tinker attached it to Top of the revolver, making sure it didn't fall off.

"I will announce our presence, as friendly. Take your reks aside a bit."

He gave the others a moment to react before once again aiming the gun straight into the air. With a loud bang he fired off the device that spread out a like on green smoke up in the air until it exploded. From the groups angle it looked like a long cloud of green smoke that whirled in the wind. It stayed around just for a few seconds but should be hard to miss.

"There, all done! Hopefully they got that."

With a light smile the Trikkr continued riding, slowly increasing his speed as he got closer to the border.

Qaliath eyerolled at first, but followed the Skyborn without any further comments. Shyna seemed to enjoy fast rides anyways - especially now, that heavy man wasn't sharing the saddle with her light usual rider.
As soon, as the tower was in their sight, woman seemed to get in slightly better spirits. Obviously, she was interested in that new land, they were going to. When Za'den asked them to move aside, she did so, looking over her shoulder at his actions, with the same curiousity in her poisonous eyes.
" And how do you call that, then?"
Another curious question, as Za'den's rek passed her on increasing speed. Qali smirked, trying to catch up, so she could hear the answer, when it's spoken.

(( Co-post with Teo

The guards at the tower were more than eager to shoo the party inside, especially after recognising Za'den, who gave them a playful wink when within reach.
Despite the tense relations between the lawkeepers and the operative, no obstacles were met, and quickly entered the lands of Trikkr and her faded brown plains.

It didn't take long, in comparison, before they could spot Terigan in the distance; its spires and chimneys stabbing the dull heavens above. The whole city glinted beautifully in the distance, a bright jewel in the monotonous plains.

However, they could already now detect the poisoned air.


Terigan, the capital of development. Bronze walls gleaming, brightly polished. Behind it there was a skyline of chimneys and Watchtowers, built in bricks, granite, and bronze. The gigatuan gates were opened and showed the way into the city. The roads were covered in granite stones and seemed oddly clean for being in the middle of a capital. Above, a cloud was gathering, making the sunlight seem weaker.

As they reached the gate Za'den went to the guards, muttering something before taking off his right glow for a moment. The guard looked a bit confused at first but motioned for them to enter. Za'den left a comment in the air as he walked in.

"Fixed the politics."

The houses were out of stones, with metal platins over walls. The windows in most cases had actually glass. Street lanterns of Thaiseel were storing light and would keep the city in a smooth light during the night. Men and women that seemed like street people was cleaning the street, something unendingly confound for outsides. Somewhere down the street an explosion blowed out the windows of a house. The Trikkri people were not even twitching, as if that was a part of the daily life.

The Skyborn looked around the broad street, trying to identify an inn, but failed. Instead, he called upon Za'den, and asked him to find one for them.

He didn't complain, and led them into one of the sidestreets not too far away, where a two-story, shanty inn was resting against the city walls. It looked like a ruin, but once they entered, it was actually quite nice - there weren't that many patrons in the bar, but enough to not let it look like a haunted house.
It was cosy, in fact.

" Oh my. Oh. Look at that. Oooh..."
Those were the only constant noises coming from Qali - the deeper into the city they moved, the more excited became her tone.
Of course she flinched, when something blew up, but that didn't stop her from gazing around and constantly turning in her saddle. When they were closing in with the inn, however, she nearly crashed her rek into the wall, when a passing by woman caught her attention - Qali blinked once, twice, rubbed her eyes and then exclaimed, that she wants a tailor and right now. Because she obviously found the fact of wearing trousers instead of a skirt much more appealing, when it came to spending nights and days in the saddle.
Women, what to take off them.
Of course she insisted on Za'den finding her one, before they leave the city. Though, her thoughts got distracted, when the whole company entered the inn and woman finally closed her mouth. Hunger and tiredness actually exhausted her through all this ride of wonder and excitement.

((Super, tiny, miniture, tasty post ftw!))

Davon was silent throughout the party moving deeper into the city. Partly because he was studying the people around him. They all seemed uniquely odd, yet dangerous. He decided that he liked this city.

As they entered the 'inn', Davon let down his hammer by his side and sat at any nearby seat he could find. It had been a long journey.

((Finally replied, welcome to page 9!!!))

Stopping at the desk, Za'den turned to a woman standing behind it. Taking of his hat he nodded and drew out his revolvers, placing them on the surprisingly clean counter.

"Hello there Mide, been a while since I was last here."

The woman looked up. Her face had a smile on it, but at the same time seemed a bit insecure. She looked on the revolvers and frowned, maybe annoyed on the state they were in.

"Normal room? I hope you do not plan to blow up the roof during this visit."

Za'den laughed loudly. For anyone taking the time to look around they would notice that a part of the roof, and the floor, seemed to have been repaired, as if something had exploded in a line from a basement through the entire house. scorch marks still at the corners of the repairs. The tinker stopped laughing, big smile remaining on his face, and replied.

"Told you that was just a mistake. At least it worked as it was meant to, only location was wrong! I need three rooms for my friends, and my own standard room if it is available. Oh, and send Trilly with my guns to the normal location, I need them cleaned and fixed. Oh, and a meal would be nice."

The woman behind the desk sighed and called. A child ran in and took the revolvers. Looked up at Za'den, and ran out again not asking for what to do. Mide turned back towards the party.

"Your room is free, Sinner. Not like anyone would like to live in the basement anyway. Too close to the sewers. I'll fix a meal for you all if you do just sit down."

She left and walked out of sight. The Tinker turned to the others, his eyes stopped at Cayrodyn.

"I will need one day, need to report to the council tomorrow, so that they won't get mad over lack of reports. I'll fix the payment here, so we should be fine for tonight. Now, dinner!"

Cay threw the innkeeper a short glance, but as he knew that the scarce lightening would make his eyes stand out for a bit too long, he quickly looked back at Za'den.
"We remain here for two days. Reks need rest, we need to restock. But now, let us eat."
He gestured the party with him, but allowed Za'den to show them the way.

After they reached the table, Cay hid his face under an arm and did something to his lips. When his face reappeared, they saw nothing - nothing at all - different, and he was even smiling lightly (something which occured to them as utterly foreign and misplaced on him), eager to join in with any conversation.

Qali listened to the little chat Za'den and innkeeper had, watched every move people made - remembering, noting down some similarities in the movements. She almost let out disappointed sigh, when woman left, but followed the men nonetheless.
Of course, she smiled happily, when Cay mentioned staying here for more, than a day - two days were enough to deal with their own business and still have plenty of time for some exploration to do. That's how she spent all the time behind the table, until the food arrived - resting cheek to one hand and being lost in thoughts of what to look for around. She did remember everything, that Za'den told them, of how to behave and what to and not to do.
With a quiet sigh, Qali glanced around and turned her attention to the Trikkr.
" Say, Za'den. What did you do, that brought the repairs upon this place?"
Obviously, woman was curious, which reflected on her face quite well - she always was bad at hiding the moments of high interest, that struck her from time to time.

"The repairs? Well..."

Za'den sighed looked towards the repaired area, a smile crossed his face.

"I had a prototype for the Flare. Mistakenly fired it, and it turned out to be much stronger than I expected. Burnt straight through the building and costed me a mission's day payment for repairs. Luckily no one was hurt that time."

As by the time he finished talking, the innkeeper arrived by the table and placed down three plates and a jug that she somehow had managed to carry all at once. It took her another trip to get a knife for each of them, as well as glasses, clean and transparent. Za'den looked on the plates and begun to explain.

"This bread is a local favorite, expect a sweet taste. The sauce next to it works as dip."

The tinker was point at one of the plates. It had several slices of light colored bread around a sauce with an azure tint to it. He then turned over to the next plate. A number of meat skewers?

"Brukild meat. Really, once grilled correctly it is quite good. Any natural poisons are burnt out."

He turned to the final plate. Leaves of a sort that one would probably not have seen unless they had been to Trikkr before. Warped around something.

"Brassblade leaf, warped around a mix of local spices, minced golof meat, and grains from the non-poisonous Rement grass. I believe that exist in Tura and Elsta too? Oh, and to drink we got a jug of Terigan's famous smoke wine. Be careful how much you drink, there is a little Coromith in it, not enough to put you to sleep from a glass or two, but you might get tired. Very soothing at least."

As he finished, Za'den took the jug and poured up some of the green tinted liquid in his glass. He then took one of the leaf wraps and looked to the others.

"So let us eat!"