Closed [Motoku] Ambushed

[Luke]

Spring 2, 125

Luke eyed his opponent as he took his stance. A stance like that was never good, especially when your opponent was wielding a threatening looking axe. Falling into a stance took time, however, and that gave Luke the precious seconds he needed to hold out his hand and conjure a swirling sphere of lightning that threatened to lance off and shock anyone who got near to it.

It materialized just in time to intercept the axe swing. There was a resounding BZZZT as metal met electricity. Luke gritted his teeth, but the shield proved durable enough and he suffered no damage as a result of having used it. His opponent, however, got shocked so badly that it looked like he was going into a seizure. Well, that was what happened when you rushed a mage you had no business fighting.

The shield was so good at blocking that he had a moment to hop back and start to cant. Electricity swirled around him and if he wasn't so advanced he might have even shocked himself. He didn't, however. He had enough finesse to keep the lightning from even touching his body, though it looked like it really wanted to. His muscles bulged as he tightened them and mimed punching his target. He felt strong, though he could tell that he ought to finish this fight quickly.

Luke looked over at who he assumed was the mystic that had gotten him into this mess. He had been walking on his merry way, just trying to get to the next town over when he'd been ambushed. Now, getting ambushed wasn't exactly a novel experience in Jian when you looked like easy pickings, but these men had gone straight into gunning for his life despite him having no valuables on him. The only thing Luke could think of was that one of them had figured out that he was a mage… and killing those was one of Jian's favorite pastimes.

He cupped his hands and held them out in front of him, firing a devastating lightning bolt that ripped through the other man that had been charging at him. Luke let out a deep sigh as he let some tension out of his shoulders. This was so… tiring. He didn't want to kill these people but it was so much easier to do so than to make himself a bigger target by flying or to try knocking them out.

His assailants didn't seem to want to let up. He didn't blame them – mages tended to fizzle out and get fucked the moment they ran out of reserves. Even Luke with all his arcane potential did not like to use a lot of it on any given day. Using more than he regenerated, on average, wasn't a sustainable game plan. And yet, it looked as though he was going to have to violate that guideline of his.

A mix of about a dozen men and women came at him and fanned out as if they wanted to surround him. Luke held out a hand and shot firebolt after firebolt at them as he took step after deliberate step forward. A dozen bolts were fired and there was nothing fancy about them, because Luke was running out of patience. It was that part of the fight where they would end up getting desperate. Luke didn't really care of his attacks were taken or dodged at this point.

Once Luke closed the gap between him and the backline mystic, he stepped forward to plant a solid punch on his nose. Right now he cared more about landing a good punch on his opponent's jaw than he did about winning, though the fire around him suggested that he definitely wasn't going to lose. His opponent seemed to be the more tactical type who had a plan or a strategy. Luke wasn't like that at all - He just wanted to punch and punch and punch until things stopped moving.


-.44 inefficient expert Lightning Shield
-.11 journeyman Lightning Bolt
-.44 inefficient expert flame volley

 

[Raya]

When Raya had visited Motoku a short time ago she had made a remarkable entrance by attracting the attention of some strong people. She did not feel as though she fit in well with those ladies. She was now walking the forests. In huo territory but not close enough to a city to be safe for a mage.

She heard a commotion. There was a big difference because the person who was defending himself. None allowed themselves a second of rest as they battled. Glancing across this clearing, an unmistakably masculine silhouette approached, and it was only a few seconds later that raya was able to see what he looked like.

Raya was smitten immediately. He looked like he came right out of one of her dreams. He looked sexy even as he punched someone's face until he died.

Raya walked towards Luke but a dragon landed nearby. It was an adult dragon, he seemed taller than most because it was of the western style, not the long one like was more common. Despite his height, and his dark scales that came out in stylized spikes. Raya thought he was an outcast since he was all alone but dragons could do whatever they wanted. He had a rather friendly look that encouraged ease. Raya, who was generally wary of strong people, was surprisingly calm.

It said "Little Ones, what wonderful bloodshed. Come with me, I want to talk." He looked at both Raya and Luke.

"I was following miss Raya but you too are strong. Come Come Come!"

He walked to the cave that he called home not too far away.

Taking a small piece of grass off the ground and sticking it between her lips as the dragon started to cross this small clearing, Raya smiled.

"Just who are you?" She asked Luke. She had never felt shy since her rebirth but now~~

"Come on, let's not keep the dragon waiting."

He seemed to be close to Raya's age and they were both quite young but she could feel that he wasn't an ordinary person. She could see that he was strong with her special vision. Unless se was being too greedy in my assumptions, it was not impossible that it was someone important. But what was he doing here all by himself? It must have been rather lonely to be him.

The cave was only a mile away and they passed by several groups that were passing by. They turned their attention to the strangers who was attracting the attention of a dragon. She tried to find some reasons why the dragon would want to follow her. It wasn't easy.

She went into the cave. It was nothing like she expected because it had tables like a human lived there. She could see something shiny deep inside the cave but they didn't go that far. The dragon pushed his nose against a couple of puzzle boxes.

"I think you two might be smart enough to get these open for me." He said.

Now closer to me, he looked at me with a surprised air and she hesitated to act as if she had not noticed anything, but this immature idea quickly deserted her. She then stood straight, putting her piece of grass on the table and turned to him before bowing lightly.

She didn't want to be impolite since she didn't know his name or his status and kept an impassive attitude.

"I will open it for you."

Raya had the mind of a crafter and was smart so getting it open was not difficult. She used tendrils to pull on the many pieces of it until it finally opened.

~612

 

[Luke]

Luke stood up slowly, under the gaze of the dragon. He was wearing his normal clothes – a black tunic with a matching cape to help keep him warm in the early spring weather. By reflex, he put his hand out as if he was going to defend himself from inevitable dragon breath, but the dragon didn't seem to want trouble. Luke had learned a little bit about most areas of Jian in his years spent as a ronin. He knew that dragons in this area liked to go around with mounted gunmen which meant that they were especially dangerous. You could die before you even heard the gun go off, and if you were lucky enough to survive then a dragon could swoop down to eat you a few seconds later.

Thankfully Luke had never been unlucky enough to fight against such skilled marksmen. He reached back to make sure his cape was well secured on its fasteners, before pulling on the fabric of his glove to push his hand further in. Then, he got up and followed the dragon. Along with Raya, they headed towards the cave.

"I'm Luke," he said to Raya, noting that she was quite pretty but she gave him the vibe that she wasn't entirely what she seemed. It was unusual for someone that good looking to be wandering around alone. Though he liked to tell himself that he wasn't half bad either.

"And you are Raya? Do you have any idea what's going on here?" He didn't know what else to say to her. He imagined she was just as confused as he was.

In the fresh air, and above all free of all the administrative chores that fell to him, the dragon watched the comings and goings of the passers by. All these people parted to let them through. His neutral face lightened, and a grin appeared on his lips. Looking for an easier path, the dragon noticed a clear path on the sides, and without even asking the opinion of those who accompanied him, he headed that way.

Luke noticed that he had never been this way before. The whole reason he'd even come here was to find Emberfall and try to see if he was a good fit for the clan. But he was trying to keep a low profile and he tried to sell the lie that he was only a fulgari. If he flew high into the air and showed off his magic he wasn't sure if the Huo would see him as a useful tool or too dangerous to let live.

The path branched off from time to time, and soon, the path ceased to exist and they had to squeeze between trees. Running along the rocky rampart, a small staircase of cut stones allowed one to go back up to the center of some kind of hill. On his right, an inclined footbridge gave alternate access to the top of the hill. The dragon flew up into the air and circled, though the implication was clear – go into the cave. His head tilted towards the sky, Luke took a few steps towards the bridge, under the intrigued gaze of the dragon who watched him.

Luke climbed up the bridge, and the higher he climbed, the fresher the air became and the more the wind blew. He finally arrived at the very top, near the observation tower where two guards were asleep on a chair. Approaching the low wall that would prevent anyone from falling down the hill, Luke looked to the horizon, and sighed at how peaceful it looked. To his left, in his peripheral vision, the impressive city he'd been looking for rose from the forest like an enormous fortress lost in trees and overshadowed by a volcano.

Luke leaned on the wall and stared at a group of soldiers who were marching nearby. He was impressed by the security, aside from the snoozing guards. He started thinking about how anyone would possibly invade this place. He was proud to have gotten this far and was glad he was in the presence of a friendly dragon else he might have had to clash with these forces.

As he was lost in his thoughts, Luke moved away from the wall and had to resume his trek up the hill where the dragon was waiting for him. He didn't want to keep him waiting…

They eventually caught up and the dragon pointed to a puzzle box. That's why he'd been brought in? Luke said, "okay…" as he walked forward and picked the box up. Unlike Raya, he did not have an easy time with it. He twisted and pulled just about every piece of it, but he had only unlocked one part of it by the time that Raya had finished the whole thing.

"This is too hard," Luke said.

"Play to your strengths then, little one," the dragon said with a smile.

"My strengths? You mean fire?" Luke asked.

The dragon tilted its head and said, "if that's what you think will work."

Luke held the box in his hands and started to heat it up. It started slowly at first but soon the box became too hot for a normal person to touch without being burned. He could hear something popping inside and eventually a piece of it popped off and the rest of it splayed open.

He looked up at the dragon with hesitation. He'd broken it, obviously, but the dragon didn't seem to mind. "Very good," the dragon said with a nod. "You both have done well."

It paused and continued to look at them, contemplating their prize. "I first saw miss Raya here a few days ago. An onryo is always an interesting creature. I would like to reward you to encourage you to stay with the Huo clan. Take your pick of alkahest from my stores deeper in the cave. If you find any riches there that you like, you may take something reasonable."

He turned to Luke and said, "as for you, I can tell that you're stronger than you look, and you look strong. I would like for you to team up with me. You may stay here in this cave if you wish. See, I had a rider but they died a few years ago. I have been looking for a good replacement. You do not have to accept, but I cannot think of a better way for a ronin like yourself to rise up the ranks."

Luke let the dragon's words sink in. Never in his life had a dragon shown him any interest. It was an honor, he thought. But to hear that its rider had died… just how dangerous of a life did this dragon lead?

"Very well," he said after some time. "I don't even know your name… but this offer seems too good to pass up. And I do need some sort of permanent home in the area."

The dragon chuckled and said, "I'm Galvatorix, or Galv for short. You can probably tell that I am not originally from Jian, based on my appearance and name. It is true, I only moved here about ten years ago. But I like it better than most places I've lived. I was originally born in AElheim and was a member of the AEvergreen flight, but I grew bored of life there and flew over to Arcanis. That was too hot for my desires, and I settled down here. Since then I've waged war with the Huo and have had no regrets."

"Interesting, I am from Arcanis," Luke said, not sure about how much he wanted to share with either of these two strangers.

"Then we have much to reminisce about, I'm sure. Raya, you are welcome to stay here for the night if you wish. Or I can give you a ride back down to the forest."


-.04 apprentice cast of pyromancy

10-.44-.11-.44-.04 = 8.97

1982

 

[Raya]

Luke and Galvatorix, Raya crossed her arms and looked between them. The offer of the dragon was generous, but she was not one to accept kindness without suspicion. She did it not because she thought Galv had any ill intentions~ she had been nothing but cordial but because she was still trying to figure out where she fit into all of this.

She had almost no experience with the Huo clan, and no memories of any allegiances she had in a past life. However, this place seemed oddly familiar. But it felt comfortable, or uneasy, or some combination, because it was the way that wind always whistled through this cavern, it was the charred stone and old metal that smelled always smelled like, it was the only flicker of torch light reflected in the color of the dragon's eyes.

"I appreciate the reward."

She turned her attention to the puzzle box, or what was left of it. The dragon had told Luke to play to his strengths, and that's exactly what he had done. The advice was simple, but it resonated in her head. What were her strengths? Apparition? Possession?

She sighed and brushed her hair. "I'm an Onryo. I don't have a home yet either and plenty have offered me shelter in the city. But maybe I can stay here for a while, figure some things out. I can't say I'm ready to pledge myself to the Huo clan just yet, however…"

A rumble of amusement came from Galvatorix as his tail wrapped around his feet. Is that not the way of things?

"The lost must be found"

Raya gave a small smirk, "Something like that."

The dragon gestured into the cave. "Then take your reward. No small gift is Alkahest, and you'll find it useful whichever path you choose."

Raya nodded and went to fetch the treasure that lay deeper inside. The cavern twisted on in tunnels further than she expected. The further she went, the more she felt a strange feeling in her chest.

She reached the stash of alkahest, picked out a vial and tucked it into her belt.

Galvatorix's voice echoed through the cave and she turned to see the dragon watching her from the entrance, "I hope you chose wisely."

"We'll see."

~990

 

[Luke]

Once Raya looked like she was going to leave, or if she preferred to stay after all, Luke would tell her, "well it was nice meeting you. Hopefully we can explore more of the area together soon."

He would have liked to chat some more, but the dragon was eager to get to know his new partner. They talked at lengths about their styles of combat and what their expectations should be. It was clear that staying locked in his pocket dimension would not help Luke find trusted allies. Being a mage could bring fear and admiration, but it did not allow him to concretely ensure the friendship of those around him. He wasn't like Galvatorix who was more than capable of finding admirers simply by being a dragon.

Galvatorix told him about how he had to be relatively accessible and above all, present. Even if his job was mainly to help his dragon in battle and go on missions as necessary, Luke was to be careful to "participate" in more humble events to show that his devotion extended to other areas of Jianese culture.

After hours of talking, Luke was told to go to a nearby temple to learn more about life in Motoku. There was no official religion in Jian, but there were some in the area and sinec Galvatorix was involved with one of them it only made sense for his new rider to learn about it.

So, Luke left and approached the priests managing the delivery of offerings and the appropriate rites. He hadn't changed from his black tunic, though he figured that he would probably end up buying some local clothes sooner rather than later. He was accompanied by a single guard a servant who both worked for the dragon, to make sure that Luke didn't get lost. He also suspected that they were there to make sure he didn't do anything stupid.

Luke calmed the priests that saw him with a slight movement of his hands and then he began to chat with them about their work and if everything was going well for them. One of them began to list the monetary offerings with too much detail for his liking. He wasn't big on religion to begin with and to hear that people made such large offerings unsettled him. A man coming with so much food and treasures that could feed an entire village might seem impressive… but Luke only felt jealousy and disgust.

Even if one believed in a god, they would have to be an idiot to know that a bribe wouldn't forgive him. There was no faith in that kind of gesture, only fear. Fear of the consequences, fear of the gaze of others and being naive enough to believe that everything could be bought.

One of the priestesses hastened to assure him that the man who had made this last offering came regularly and was a good believer and was still here, as if he cared.

"It must be Kiriko," murmured the servant to Luke, "he isn't what you think."

The priests seemed happy to see the guard that accompanied Luke go to the man whose offerings he did not want to do without. He opened his arms slightly in a welcoming gesture and a slight smile.

"Your faith and money welcomed in our humble hands."

He stopped a few steps from the man to offer him a greeting with a nod of his head.

"On behalf of Galvatorix I want to thank you for your constant faith and for these gifts to the Temple."

Luke was starting to have second thoughts about agreeing to help the dragon already. With any luck he would be able to ignore this part of life without causing offense, because he would much rather be setting things on fire than sitting around here.

Kiriko loved coming here, the place had something soothing, a sacred vibe about it that made him almost tolerate the presence of strangers within it… On condition that they stayed at the back of the building and did not crowd around him for his money. Contrary to what one might believe, he was indeed a true believer in the god they worshiped. He did not understand how one could not be, the dragons were the very proof of the greatness of god.

As always, he had come to make an offering, a hefty offering. Doing so allowed him to be well regarded by the priests and the local community. Of course, he didn't need their support, but he was keen on being on people's good side. The latest war with the moonflower clan was getting nasty enough for him to fear retaliation. And when that day finally came, he needed to make sure he was well positioned to take a chunk of power to fill the power vacuum. It was always good to have as many people as possible as allies.

His visits to the temple also allowed him to demonstrate a much more selective generosity. Sometimes he even subtly planted the seeds of his radical ideas in certain minds. The temple was also a meeting place, and that day he had simply come to make an offering and chat with some friends.

 

[Raya]

Raya lingered to listen about what they were talking about. She had never met a dragon before even if she did think she knew one in her last life. He sounded to be a religious dragon. She could not tell if he believed in religion or if he was in it for the politics.

When Luke was sent away Raya said "I will come too" and followed along.

"We can explore the area now" She told him.

When they got to the temple she was impressed. She didn't have opinions either way on religion. It was hard to have such strong beliefs when you were only a few months or weeks old.

She put some of the money she got from the dragon into the offering pile and then she was praised by some of the priests. She did not know if she would linger. Luke seemed to be busy watching one of the wealthy donors.

 

[Luke]

Kiriko noticed a little late that he was being approached due to his damaged right eye. It made it hard to see and it only saw vague blurry shapes. Turning his head to immediately recognize the one who had come to approach him, how could one not recognize the personal guard of Galvatorix?

The scar on the corner of his lips twisted into a smile as the guard spoke. He placed his right hand on his chest and bowed respectfully.

"I fear that I lack humility, as it is an honor that you come to approach me. Who are these newcomers who have come here with you?"

"This is Raya and Luke. They are new to the area. Luke is to be Galvatorix's new rider. Raya has also earned the dragon's favor. I am showing them around."

Luke nodded to him and got a smile in return.

(Part 2 expected soon)

 

[Luke]

Thread Title: Ambushed

Thread Summary: Luke is attacked by some mage haters on his way to Emberfall. Once he gets there he encounters Raya and a dragon who takes interest in them. He helps open a puzzle box, per the event requirements, and ends up going to a temple to learn more about a local religion

Expected Rewards:
Anniversary Event Link
Luke: 30 xp, Adult Dragon CNPC, Event Minor Merit
Raya: 11 XP, Event Minor Merit, 243g aerisite

Thread Link: https://antarok.net/threads/hatairu-ambushed.576/#post-3085
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