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Post by Stage on Apr 21, 2018 6:37:00 GMT
"I sense you have a story of your own," Lark stated. She made sure not to ask for it though. She would let the woman decide if she wanted to speak of it or not.
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Post by Orcus on his Throne on Apr 21, 2018 6:59:53 GMT
Mana let out a tired sigh. "Yes. I am world-weary as you are. You see, I lost a friend to circumstance as well... but it was under violence rather than moral disagreement. The two of us were tasked with guarding a caravan heading southwards to another Alcarin tribe when we were ambushed by a blood drake. The beast killed my friend and the majority of the caravan-travelers, but I managed to slay the creature. To make things worse, when I returned back home to Karadd, I was condemned to a life of labor for failing to protect both of them...."
Despite her voice keeping a calm steady tone, the expression on her face and the gleam in her eyes betrayed how she properly felt. "I still remember the words of the elder who condemned me. 'You were never fit to be a warrior. Your training was a mistake'. Sometimes I still hear his screams at night when the blood drake grabbed him..."
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Post by Stage on Apr 21, 2018 7:22:09 GMT
"It is easy for those not at a battle to judge what its outcome should have been," Lark sneered. "I am sorry for how ungratefully you were treated, and I must ask for your forgiveness, for I do not know what a, 'blood drake' is. If it was anywhere near as fierce as the great worm I met, it is admirable you managed to slay it. Great beasts called corzols roam the land where I come from. It is foolish for men to face them with anything less than a firing squad, yet I suspect one would fall to a creature such as the worm. Humans are small where I hail from, and they are smaller yet here."
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Post by Orcus on his Throne on Apr 21, 2018 22:12:01 GMT
"Blood drakes... they are like large, red lizards the length of five horses," Mana stated slowly. "Not quite as large as the walking worms, but much more aggressive. The walking worms keep to themselves when they are not feeding, which is admittedly often. Blood drakes are violent and territorial, viewing everything they meet as a potential fight, especially if they have not been eating well recently. It was the mistake of my friend that led us into one's territory, where it ambushed and killed him..."
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Post by Stage on Apr 22, 2018 1:46:06 GMT
Raven hair swayed silkily as the woman in black shook her head in disgust. "And yet they blame you, not the beast or your friend, if you will forgive me for saying so. I am sorry for what happened to you. And I find it... admirable that you continue to assist others regardless. Not many have the strength to persist in their ways after such tragedy."
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Post by Orcus on his Throne on Apr 22, 2018 2:33:18 GMT
"It is fine, just because he is dead does not mean he cannot be blamed; he is fallible just like everyone is," Mana replied. "The past is the past how I view it. Everyone has reasons for doing what they did, good or bad. While I am no friends with the elders, I accept what they have done and I forgive them. It is wiser to move on than to hold a grudge. Plus, though I am unfortunate in my current situation, I am lucky to have had the great experiences I did have. Not everyone gets those."
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Post by Stage on Apr 22, 2018 2:35:07 GMT
For the first time, the woman in black openly smiled. "You are singularly optimistic, my friend."
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Post by Orcus on his Throne on Apr 22, 2018 2:37:46 GMT
"Perhaps," Mana smiled back. "But, it's better than sulking in sorrow, no?"
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Post by Stage on Apr 22, 2018 2:39:32 GMT
"Your wisdom extends well beyond desert travel, that is certain."
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Post by Orcus on his Throne on Apr 22, 2018 2:47:42 GMT
"Thank you. You too hold great wisdom, though yours is of a much more... cynical utility."
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