From Gransys to Hearthstone - Past (EvaR & ChrisGabriel)

EvaRose

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Joined
Sep 12, 2013
Hearthstone, a place not unlike Gransys but its own nonetheless. It had its fair share of monsters, the kind that lived in Gransys and different kind native only to Hearthstone such as nagas and gargoyles. Because of the different kind of the terrain within Hearthstone, there were many diverse creatures around nowadays, many of them have not been seen in the area for about a hundred years. Olter was a place unlike many other city in Hearthstone or Gransys, or any other country on that continent. It was the only city that could be found under a mountain. There was a hole on the other side of the Tainted Mountain, a huge one that humans carved into the mountain more than a hundred years ago. There is a tunnel connected to that cave, leading anyone who walks down it to Gransys.

Right in front of the cave, hiding the scents of the humans inside, was a waterfall. The monsters around the south area of Hearthstone are saurians (large bipedal lizards that tend to carry staffs or spears), many of which make the two rives of south Hearthstone their home. Because of the huge lizards, there must be a sentry stationed at the waterfall entrance at all times. There was also a drake of course, the lesser dragon that was not too much to handle for hunters.

The underground city is mostly made up of homes and is not known for producing anything useful for any other city. Instead, the people there have been known to entertain anyone coming to Gransys, and they have enough room to do so. Three inns are inside of the town, two more than what is usually seen in a town of any kind. Smoke rose from the chimney of the fireplace while the smell of cooking food began to fill the inn while the innkeeper herself was busy trying to ask someone wanted for breakfast. "So you just want a drink? Very well, that will be twenty gold," she said to the other woman. The innkeeper's belly was protruded, showing off her pregnancy especially short shirt she now wore. The cooking woman was further along than her boss, looking like she would give birth any day now. Oddly enough, there were few men in the town, ten at most.

The inn was a little small, just two stories tall with three bedrooms for guest while the basement was reserved for the innkeeper to stay in. Besides the two pregnant women, there was one more in the inn. She sat beside the fireplace, frequently talking to the cook. On her back was a specially make pack, large enough to hold an egg bigger than the woman's head. It looked plain enough, except for the sheer size of it. The woman who lugged it around sat up straight, eyes narrowed and large bust almost unable to fit in her shirt. The woman's voice drifted through the quiet room, able to be heard easily, "It's only been a week and look at us. We can't live like this, we need to get in contact with one of the other towns at least."

"I know, and nobody will go out. I hope you don't mind my saying, ma'm, but I don't blame them. I mean... well, proof of what they do is on your back after all," the cook mumbled, trying not to overstep her boundaries. "Not only that but most of the men are gone, including Phillip."

"I'm sorry for your loss Maryam, but these monsters still need to be shown what for." The woman who spoke had a dagger in hand, as though she were ready to fight if need be. She sounded like she were ready to go out there as well but, given the way she moved carefully for the egg on her back, it also seemed unlikely.
 
The woman standing on the chairs, just being arrived from upstairs took it all in, her throbbing head starting to look for answers, but getting only questions.

She knew her name, Columba, and that the last thing she remembered was fighting a dragon with her... man? The once was male being something akin to boss, lover, and father for her, she could not even remember a time without him or anything about her childhood... Not even realizing that others had something like that.

Columba also knew herself and her body - and the items she found in the small room upstairs where she woke - enough, to know that she was quite tall, and maybe too thin, but still human and female enough to turn heads. Sometimes quite literary. She remembered her master owning the bow she now had, and how she got the pair of kunai daggers that now adorned her hips.

But Dove - for Columba meant that in the ancient language of all dragons - could not remember how she got here, nor that what she had done previously, or what happened after the dragon killed her Arisen and subdued her. She was nowhere in Gransys, that was for sure, for she had extensive memories of being a follower and doer for her hero all around.

The two pregnant woman and the one with the huge egg on her back - akin to being pregnant, but with a different race? - was speaking of monsters... And she knew what to do about monsters. Killing and plundering was something she could do very well.

"Breakfast." she groaned out, and walked to the nearest table. "And something to drink that is stronger than ale or beer!"
 
The woman talking to Maryam looked up when she heard the voice of a stranger, looking at the woman for a moment to watch her with a scrutinizing look in her eyes. It didn't use to be odd for the underground city to get visitors, but, now, they had to be careful about who they allowed inside. There were still the usual filthy types out there, murderers and thieves and the like. As the city's new leader, it was her job to make sure that the people were safe, which was a much more difficult job ever since all of those monsters and creatures came out. Before, there were small monsters such as goblins and wolves and harpies. Now, there were stronger monsters that were problematic, one of which assaulted the old city leader and killed him, then forced itself on the woman who now had an egg on her back.

The woman behind the counter nodded in response and turned to look at Maryam. "Pour a bowl of soup," she said softly. She then turned back to the stranger and took out a bottle and glass from under her desk. She told Columba how much it all cost and poured her a glass of beer. "Sorry, only beer. We don't get much around here, especially not right now."

Maryam sighed softly as she started to fill a bowl with soup, her mind on her now deceased husband. When she turned to talk the bowl to Columba, however, the city leader rose to her feet and took the bowl from her friend. "Go ahead and sit down, Maryam. You need to rest with that baby and all." With that said, the woman turned and walked over to Columba. "Sorry about the lack of drink. I've been trying to have supplies shipped here, but it's hard with all of the monsters running around. You are new here, isn't that right?"
 
"Damn. My head hurts... I am not even remembering how I got here." the tall woman sank her fingers in her dark hair, pushing it back to put it up in a simple tail. "so, new, yeah, that is me... Anything to know?" it was always a good thing to have more information before acting rashly.

Eyeing the soup and hoping that it would help with her pain and memory, she tasted it, before really getting into it. That first taste would be enough to tell her the more obvious poisons or if it was un-edible, but anything more complex and she was better off not knowing. Not that she was usually poisoned in inns, but being paranoid did not meant that she was not in danger or chased for the things they had done.

If she was lucky, this was a whole new place where nobody knew her - meaning, she did not knew anybody either. But it was a fresh start, and what she had heard, lots of monsters to keep herself occupied.
 
"Besides that monsters have recently begun to spread across our land like some kind of virus? Nothing really." That said, the woman sat down beside Columba and a soft sigh escaping her as she no longer had to stand with that egg on her back. It only... came out the day before, but everyone said she ought to keep it as she was the first of all of them to be raped by one of those creatures. The woman reached around to take the pack off her back and settle it on her lap. "Excuse me, I'm Kaida Nore the IV, the... leader, duchess, whatever you wish to call it, of Olter. Olter is an underground city between Gransys and Heartstone, which is the country you are in at the moment."

Her mind having trailed elsewhere for a moment, Kaida breathed in deeply before starring to relax. "If you don't mind my saying, you look like someone who can fight. We are currently looking for another person to join a company heading to Dinisys, a city to the east. Being underground is not good for growing crops and obtaining meat, even more so with the beasts in the forest."
 
"Yeah... I can fight, even if not a proper war or anything in the front lines... If my head would clear up, and I could remember how I got here, then maybe I would be able to help you too... for the right incentive." the tall woman massaged her temporal a little more, finishing up the soup.

"What kind of opposition you can see upfront? I am quite accustomed to the situation in Gransys' towns, and the dangers of the night over there, but Heartstone could be another case. And some beforehand knowledge about that company would be good too..." she would be happy to get a detailed graphic accounting about all monsters and dangers on their trip, also a very detailed map would be good to have... but Columba was not feeling studious at the moment, more like she wanted to be fre of any hard thinking and just go to the killing and looting. She did not even cared if Kaida Nore was a just ruler, or if Olter would be better off without her.
 
"There is no price that I am unwilling to pay. What we have going already is a warrior and a mage as well as a few men from the ranks, as many as we can spare, making seven so far." Kaida spoke confidently, saying each word off the top of her head as she held onto the egg carefully. She was trying her best not to drop it, even if it was a little odd for a woman to be taking care of an egg instead of a live child. That mattered little to her. "All I know is that there are saurians about and one... drake." She tried her best to be angry when she spoke about that thing, but it was a little hard not to be. It was the same beast that impregnated her, which only made her want to see it dead. No men could be wasted, however, on her own need for revenge when they already had so few able to guard the city. What do you think?"
 
Her price just went up. Not that Saurians would be that hard enemies, she just hated how they kept popping up, surprisingly, and start poking around with their spears and tridents... Of course she was perfectly fine with focusing on their tails, always fun to play with, even cut off from the main body they kept moving.

"I feel that you are not that happy with that drake... If the mage can keep up with detecting the enemy, and the warrior keep them from attacking the others in numbers, I can promise some acrobatic surprise and arrows. I even could surprise the lizards, if we know where are they. Mind me asking what it is about that egg? Lunch or dinner? Do not seem like golden... Nor it is big enough to be the fabled Dragon's Egg..." yes, she was a little insensitive, and not really caring about others, just like her dead Master.

A drake was something big, Columba did not wanted to tangle with it. She would make sure that it was occupied with the others, then flee, if the group did not had enough sense and power to get out its way, or have a real chance to kill it.
 
"This?" The woman looked down at it and touched the top of the egg softly, a small smile on her face as she did so. Even if it was an egg instead of an actual baby, the woman felt some kind of maternal need to take care of the easily breakable egg. It was a bit of an odd way to ask such a question, and if Kaida was not the way she was, she would have glared at the other woman for saying the question like that. "Well, it is actually my baby, of sorts. See, that's why I hate the drake. It raped me and this thing is what came of it. I'm going to be keeping it anyway, see what comes of it."

"Anyway, what do you think about taking part in the company? Like I said, I will pay whatever it takes to get you on that team." She leaned back slightly in the chair, settling the egg in her lap so that she could just relax.
 
"Must have hurt..." Columbe stared at the not small egg, thinking that both the rape and the birth must have left lasting impressions. "There have to be quite a bit magic to make it possible, and would you not need to keep it warmer? I heard that in fables the drakes breathed fire around their nest to keep the eggs hot...."

"And yes, I would be happy to accompany you lot, if I can get first choice on any treasure or component we get close to. Also, full meals and lodging, and even without any real attacks on us, I would get full clothing allowance. Including normal or magical armor that can be bought for me to use... Then only a small amount of spending money in addition, lets see... how about a thousand gold coins?" she did not had any knowledge of the monetary situation or the prices of the realm, but she wanted to live comfortably until her new job.
 
"Full meals for what? They're leaving today, not in a week." Kaida was starting to distrust this woman by now. In all truth, her demands seemed rather ridiculous as though she thought that the people were made of money. Even the other two women were looking at the newcomer oddly after hearing what she asked for as payment. "And you want me to pay for your clothing as well? That can cost more than 10,000 gold in these times, which is more than I have yet to pay anyone going on this company. It's too much to demand, for a person new to a place and having yet to make a name for themselves. I leave you to your meal." With that, Kaida got off of the seat, holding the egg in her arms as she walked to sit beisde the cook again, silently wondering if she would have to join the company herself and leave the egg in the care of a friend instead.

"You're never going to get hired for anything if you keep up with that attitude," the innkeeper said. She shook her head as she looked back at Columba with a light frown upon her face.
 
"Hey! I just want to be fed and have a place to sleep, with a change of clothes! Or would you be more happy if I went naked and have to beg for every bite and gulp? And if you do not want to pay, you do not had to ask in the first place!" the tall rogue voiced her displeasure, then grumbling loudly she added "What about there is no price that you are unwilling to pay? Or the drake?!"

Columba needed to check her equipment, and the room she woke up, then check out the inn fast... Maybe even silently and without paying, if she really needed to get hired that fast.
 
It was odd, but the two pregnant women actually laughed at her for saying that. It seemed a little odd to think that people going on a journey needed a change of clothes, and possibly because none of them did. Having clothing on your person only weighed you down and made you slow, which definitely was not good when fighting, especially if one happened to be a strider. In all truth, the more that she spoke, the more Kaida thought that the other woman was not truly ready for going out with the rest of the company. She might just weigh them down instead of aid them, and the last thing Kaida needed was for their gold to be stolen by those Saurians. With those thoughts in mind, the woman rose to her feet and stepped to the innkeeper, motioning for the woman to move away from Columba. "Make sure to tell me if she causes any trouble," the woman whispered to her friend while handing her egg over to her, "and watch this for me while I'm gone, please."

The innkeeper nodded, sighing softly as she watched the woman step out of the inn to go about the business of getting ready to leave. She sat down in her chair as always, turned to the door and placed the egg gently on her desk. "Do you need a map of the area? We have some for free." She asked, looked at Columba with a bored look in her eyes.
 
Pouting and sulking Columba greatly felt out of her depths. What can one say and do if she remembered only following her Master and killing? She was not that evil to kill these women just for laughing at her. Still, she started to think about making an omelet just to spite them. Speaking from halfway up to her room, Columba still asked for the free map.

Packing and making sure nothing hidden or movable was left in the room she woke up in, the woman strode down and took the map to step out of the inn and take a look at the township - and disappear if she did not had enough money to pay and still have ten times as much.
 
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