Elizara stood by the researcher in Norg. She'd originally planned a little business there, but things had gotten in the way. She turned to leave instead of getting the tuning fork she'd originally planned to ask that taru for. Just then, she thought to check a pearl that she wore around her neck, stuffed down her tunic. This 'friend pearl' was issued to all new adventurers...to keep track of people they liked. They were all taught how to use it.
Wait a moment, Karlinn's around. What's he doing in Zi'tah ?.I remember...promised him I'd help him out today...we've been planning this a while...
She whispered into it, “Karlinn?”
“Hey there white mage.”
“What'cha up to? I'm ready if you are..”
“Killing some flies. Where do ya wanna meet once I'm done?”
She winked even tho she knew Karlinn wouldn't see it and said, “Windy; I got something to deal with myself realfast but I'll be there as soon as I can.” She quickly stuffed the pearl down her tunic again and went to take care of the..other business she'd had in Norg. Once she had, Karlinn was about done, so she began to cast a old familiar spell..
Teleport-Mea!
As the spell went off, the world went white for a moment, then she was standing at the telepoint at Mea. Running off to the side, she spoke with the chocogal to one side, renting a chocobo. Yes she could call ObsidianAngel, but some days it was better just to rent a bird since it could get sort of pricey to keep using the whistle. As she steered the bird into Sara, she tried to call Karlinn since she saw he was there; but he went into town too fast for him to hear her. It didn't take her long for her to steer the bird to the gate and take the pearl out of her shirt again, since she felt it vibrating. It was Karlinn again. She could tell he was in Port.
“Sorry I missed you; what's the game plan?”
“Meet over by the Port Moghouse exit.” She ran to the mog house complex in woods and took the back alleys to get to Port. It seemed like Karlinn was trying to catch her, for he went to the Woods moghouse exit, which Elizara found somewhat amusing. They quickly got it straightened out.
“Ok. Since our business is in Aht Urhgan, I'm gonna mea us. You can't teleport there easily; not yet! Not until She-Who-Bangs-Her-Desk accepts you. This is why we gotta do this. Not to mention a lot of adventurers train there later on.” Elizara always thought of Naja as “She-Who-Bangs-Her-Desk”; that mithra was really hard on her desk. Elizara always wondered why that desk didn't fall to splinters.
Karlinn nodded. Once again, Elizara reached for the energy inside her and began to cast a very familiar spell..
Teleport-Mea!
Again, the world went white. Next moment, they were both at the telepoint. It didn't take them both long to get birds and head to Mhaura. It turned out they didn't have to wait long for the boat to Aht Urhgan; only a couple hours.
After they got on the boat (since she knew she was strong enough that she could go above deck with impunity, but she wasn't going to abandon her friend for a little fresh air) she sat down on the lower deck. Karlinn joined her.
“What's been going on, ye red mage? I know Sivara has been sorta with you a lot lately...”
“This and that, ya know. Been busy yourself?”
“Yeah. Anyway, we'll see what happens after this, maybe goldfish scoop or something...”
“Might be too late, hey, don't worry too much about later, let's just get this done now..”
“Yeah. I got other things to worry about anyway, like a group I'm with that's trying to save the world from the Emptiness..again..is getting to a point I hear is really nasty. I've been trying to get up supplies. A little dragoon told me when she did that part, let's just say she did something a liiiittle stupid... Cydori must have been looking over her shoulder at Hien or something for she sorta accidentally aggroed a big enemy called Omega when her friends were just prepping to fight it...”
“Yikes, that's a kinda aggro you don't walk away from.”
“No kidding. When she told me about it, I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing and screaming at her at the same time. Luckily they won even with the stupid-aggro. Have been talking to her about it; gotta know what's coming anyway.”
Karlinn nodded. “Don't blame you.”
“I hope we win, it's gonna be rough...I just know it. Going to have to get some serious meds to keep me casting, like pro-ethers..those can get a little pricy. 19-20k each, but luckily I won't need more than two..”
“Ouch on your poor wallet, that's expensive...”
“Well, I'll deal with it, sometimes you got to. “ Elizara twitched her ears. Just then the boat pulled in. Elizara paused a moment, then they went into Whitegate. “Follow me!” she called, and they ran for the entrance to the commoner's ward in Aht Urghan. Unfortunately, Elizara had forgotten something..and just as they went in and the gate clanged shut she remembered when she saw the mess. Uh-oh. Mamools. Why the freaking heck didn't I check to see if there was a attack going on?? She mentally slapped herself and cast cure spells on a couple people who needed it. Karlinn tugged on her arm.
“What the crap are we doing here? What is this mess?”
“Dang mamool ja attacking the city, they do that from time to time...I'm used to it but it's still nasty...” She then got a glimpse of Karlinn's face, he was freaking out. I would too, first time. I could use the imperial standing but it won't help Karlinn, so I guess.. “Only one way out, stay by me. I can understand if you don't wanna stay right now, not much help to you..” Once more she reached inside.
Teleport-Mea!
Next second they were away from the sounds of fighting and people getting hurt and at the Mea telepoint again.
Karlinn turned to Elizara.
“What were we doing there?”
“Um, it's a besieged..”
“I know. WHAT were we doing there?”
Elizara turned and blushed. “I should of checked to see if something was attacking. Accident!”
Karlinn nodded. They grabbed birds again, and headed back to Mhaura. Luckily the boat was waiting for them to get back to Aht Urhgan. Because Karlinn was curious, Elizara explained how the military handled such a ttacks, getting mercenaries to come and help defend the city, and how points were awarded. Karlinn admitted he'd panicked; Elizara ruffled his hair and told him she knew how it was, it was easy to panic first time.
Once they got there, this time Elizara cocked her ear at the gate to the Commoner's Ward.
“It's over. No more fighting, I hope the Astral Candescence is still here...” It didn't take her long to find a soldier and ask. “Nope, they didn't get it, whew. No one likes it when that's not around, the town half shuts down.” Karlinn nodded, and they both ran into the commoner's ward. It was nice and quiet..how Elizara had hoped it would be when she went in there the first time. Elizara ran for the choco person. Just when they were almost there, Elizara almost stubbed her toe on a dead body. It was a white mage. Dang. Always happens. Elizara rolled her eyes.
“Um, she won't mind a raise 1 this time, that's the way it works..I could but your turn I think, Karlinn.”
He nodded and started casting the raise spell. Unfortunately, someone had already but the poor whm must have been out of it, for she had it cast on her already and hadn't made up her mind yet.
“Dangit, that didn't help..”
“I know. Darnit. Hopefully she'll get up before it's permanent.” Elizara thought this was a good time to help him out, she couldn't see if the chocogal was there, but if she'd been kidnapped they'd have to hoof it. If they had to hoof it, Karlinn might need all the mystical energies he could muster just to keep things from seeing him. (And the raise spell was pretty dang draining.) So she reached inside. It was hard to describe how this technique, which she'd learned from her old teacher as she stretched the limits of what she could do, felt like..but..it was sorta a wrenching and stretching herself a bit thin at the same time.
Some of my life force for your mystical energies, friend..Devotion!
Karlinn sighed and smiled. “Thanks.”
They stepped forward a bit further. Then Elizara could see..
“Oh dangit!” Elizara stamped her foot in frustration. “We'll have to walk..I assume you haven't raised a bird yet, Karlinn?”
“Nope.”
“Then I can't use mine. Not fair, but..I'll see if I can get you a copy of her papers so you can get someone, maybe Cydori or someone, to get their male bird to mate with her for ya a egg. Bred birds tend to be better than the ones you get from eggs that the little mithra in Jueno sells. Just gotta raise the chick right. And at times like this, you want your own bird, dangit.”
Karlinn nodded, and they headed for the gate. Elizara accidentally went out the wrong way but it was easily corrected. They put stealth spells up.
Karlinn said quietly, “Pretty out here, ain't it?” Elizara nodded. “Pretty, but can be deadly. Watch your sneak and invis, don't let the creatures out here see or hear you.”
Elizara could feel him brushing her invisible tail a little as they ran where they needed to go. One of the first things they saw was some spiders, which they ignored. Then they came up on some beehives and some madrids. Elizara whispered, “Big, aren't they?”
“Yeah, yikes..”
“Don't worry, they don't aggro, but the bees do. Madrids are just big.”
They hurried across, stopping a bit to renew sneaky spells. (They also passed some tigers, before which Karlinn had to renew spells a couple times) It didn't take them long for them to come on some walking trees.
“Hmm, good farming when I need puffballs, but I don't have a ninja friend or a paladin friend to help me, so watch your sneak and invis. They do aggro, watch out.”
Karlinn muttered something and went to go renew his for about the third time, since they were starting to slip. Ironically, so was Elizara's sneak spell, so she fixed that too. After a bit further (and some more sneak/invis recasts) they got close to where they had to go. Just as they got close to the right area, Karlinn warned her again and started recasting. Five minutes later he had to do it again. Elizara could see it coming..
“DAMNIT! Can't these spells just stick and stay stuck?!”
Elizara smiled tho she understood why he was annoyed. “Lady luck just don't like ya today, I guess. Always thought sneaky spells are one part enhancing magical skill, one part weather, and one part sheer, dumb, luck!” Reaching out her inner senses, she realized he might need to convert soon if something wasn't done, which if there was a formor around might be a Very Bad Idea. She looked around quickly to make sure nothing was looking, for she knew invisible was fickle. If she cast any other spell or used a technique, she would be visible right away. (The Devotion technique didn't drop her life energies enough to make undead things like formor think she was rather wounded and a easy mark to make into one of them.)
Karlinn laughed a little, and said, "Guess you're right." Just a split second after he said that, Elizara reached inside and used Devotion on Karlinn again. He smiled and thanked her, then got those stubborn spells back up. Elizara also recast invis before something saw her. It didn't take them long to get near the cave where trolls roamed, but just as they did, Karlinn's sneak spell slipped again. "Damnit!" he said again.
"Don't worry, those trolls will only attack if they see you! Nevermind sneak, run!"
"Still, damnit!" It didn't take them long to enter the cave and get to Halvung. “Rest a minute, ok?” He nodded, she did as well tho thanks to her noble's tunic and her skulker's cape, she was at least ok. (Skulker's helped matters with sneak/invisible but it did not stop a bum sneak. Lady Luck just decides to bite you in the tail sometimes, Elizara always thought.) Once her mystical energies were recharged, she checked on Karlinn. He was fine, so she reached inside to lean on her black mage instincts for a moment.. ”Stay near me, ok?”
Escape!
It took a while for the spell to go off, but once it did, they were in a nest of birds that were harmless. “Sneak up, let's go. It's not far but I hope to Altana that invisible doesn't go by the bombs.” She shuddered.
Karlinn nodded, and they both cast sneak and invisible, and headed off. Elizara knew the way since even tho she'd had bad luck here, she'd mined here quite a few times. (She hated it when sneak went by the slimes!) They had to go through a tunnel with the clots Elizara hated so, so much (“Watch your sneak. I've had these kill me way too much 'cuz sneak decided to be a butt.”, she'd whispered, to which Karlinn nodded and shuddered). It didn't take long for them to get near to the path that lead to those danged cluster bombs – and where they needed to go.
“Make sure invisible is tight, would be bad time for it to slip.”
“It's fine at the moment.”
“Ok, ready, steady, RUN like there's a very mean yag on your tail and follow me!”
They made a break for it. It didn't take long at all to get to the door that lead to the staging point finally. Whew, safe. “Ok, drop the invis and let's go. Safe at last.”
As they went in, she pointed at the Elvaan Blue Mage guarding the place, and said, “That's who you talk to, that's who that package is for.”
He nodded and did it, then grinned at her.
“Got it?”
“Yep!”
“Then let's get out of here!” She went to the transport..thingy. Elizara didn't know what the officials called it other than staging point, but that didn't describe the transport. “Ok, let's try this thing..” Karlinn said. Elizara only smiled and used it. They ended up back in Whitegate, as it always worked.
“Woo!” Karlinn said. “That was some adventure, and you're not a bad tail, got us both there in one piece!”
She grinned. “Well, time to brave She-Who-Bangs-Her-Desk again so you can become official mercenary, ye red mage.”
He nodded, and she lead the way. It did take time to figure out how to find your way in the twisty streets of Whitegate after all. Elizara quietly hid in the corner while Karlinn had a word with Naja. As he walked away, she gave him a encouraging wink.
“Thanks for the adventure, ye white mage. I'd better warp home for now..see you later?”
“You betcha, red mage. I'll get you those papers for my bird, promise.” She twitched her tail.
Karlinn then warped away, and Elizara headed for her rent a room in whitegate. It'd been a long day, but it was good to help a friend out. Always was.