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Rappelz: The Iron Scar Part 2

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Rappelz: The Iron Scar - Part Two
by
N.C. Weber
Rappelz is © nFlavor

    Raven smiled.  "Lead the way, then.  You know where we're headed."

    Lily swung her axe so that it rested across her shoulders once more and nodded.  She turned around started walking southward on the central avenue.  At its very heart was a statue built in honor of the spirits of nature.  While Gaians believed in the Gods of Creation and Destruction, they did not worship them like the Deva and Asura.  Lily skirted around the large stone totem and continued toward a massive two story municipal complex that sat at the very center of Horizon.  Outside of the recently built Auction House, this was the largest building in the entire city.  The central avenue stopped at the stairs which led to the second level.  Lily turned right onto a path that ran along the front of the building.  Raven and LuKia were close behind, taking in the amazing sites of Horizon.  Many of the buildings were small stone edifices covered in stucco.  Others, however, were tents made of heavy woven textiles featuring bright earthtones and shades of coral and burgundy.  The age of the stone seemed to far exceed the culture living around it.  The wall that circumvented the city was in disrepair bearing many breaches.

    Lily glanced behind her to make sure that she hadn't lost her battle partner.  Then, she made a left turn onto a path that ran parallel to the central avenue.  Several shops could be seen on both sides of the street.  This new southbound street ran into a crossroads which held a stone lantern at its center.  The lantern had the same design sense as the spirit statue in the heart of the central avenue.  Beyond the crossroads was a dirt path that climbed up a very steep hill in between two small mountains.

    "That's where we're headed," announced Lily pointing up the hill.  "We'll have to pass through the arena grounds, but the southern cliffs are on the other side."

    Raven nodded.  "I'm right behind you."

    As the two adventurers climbed the steep path, Lily decided to try her hand at casual conversation.  "So," she said with out preamble, "you're from Asura lands."

    Raven nodded.  Then, recalling that Lily had her back to her, said, "Yes."

    "What's it like there?"

    Raven thought the question over.  She had never really thought about her homeland much.  She generally took it for granted that she would live there all her life.  "Well, the sun's not as bright there as it is here," replied Raven, "and there isn't all of this greenery about."

    Lily glanced over her shoulder.  "Sounds pretty dismal, if you ask me."

    Raven shrugged her shoulders.  "I suppose so, if you're used to such bright sunlight.  Even the colors of the town are bright here.  And your leather armor..."

    Lilly whirled to face Raven.  "What about my armor?" she snapped defensively.

    Raven stopped dead in her tracks.  LuKia growled in annoyance.  "Well," clarified Raven, "it's brightly colored like everything else."

    Lily visibly blushed.  "Oh," she said somewhat chastened.  "I thought you were gonna comment on..."  She paused.  "Nevermind."  Lily turned and continued once more up the path.

    Raven stared at the well muscled shoulders of her companion before shrugging and following Lily with her Pantera close in tow.  The path they had been climbing opened out onto a broad, flat plateau that had been carefully fenced in.  In the middle of the plateau, slightly off center was a large wooden platform.  Across the platform many large animal hides had been sewn together, the whole was stretched across the entire platform and pegged into the earth.  Markings had been painted on the stretched hide to form a battle arena.  To their right, on the far side of the plateau, were a few tents where the arena master and the healer kept residence during battles.

    In the arena itself, were two warriors clashing against one another with drawn swords.  Lily and Raven stopped to watch the contest.  "One day," sighed Lily, "I shall be strong enough to enter the arena and compete."

    "Amazing," breathed Raven as she watched the veteran fighters match skill against skill.  "I could never do that."

    Lily glanced sidelong at Raven.  "Don't care for fighting?"

    Raven chuckled.  "It's not that.  I don't have much training with bladed weapons, though I'm passing fair with a dagger."  She patted the one hanging at her side.  "I am a mage, after all."  She hefted her mage staff for emphasis.

    "What about a mage battle?" asked Lily.

    Raven looked startled.  "Can you do those in an arena?"

    Lily shrugged.  "I don't see why not.  The arena is open to anyone who wishes to test his or her skill.  That should include mages."  As Raven digested this, Lily tugged on her arm.  "Com'on, we have a ways to go, yet."  She started toward a opening in the fence on the far side of the plateau that Raven hadn't noticed before.

    Raven and LuKia followed Lily through the gateway onto another path that led downward from the plateau.  In the distance, Raven glimpsed sandstone cliffs and rocky paths meandering through boulders and hills.  Sand littered the landscape, and the scent of salt sea air teased her nostrils.  Movement caught her attention, and a murmur from LuKia informed Raven that he had seen it as well.  "What's that?"

    Lily stopped and turned toward Raven.  Then, she looked to where Raven had been pointing.  "That is a Gallus," said Lily.

    "It looks like a Bloody Poultry, only it's sand colored," said Raven.

    "When a Gallus is tamed, it becomes a Bloody Poultry," explained Lily.  "Didn't you know that most pets are captured around Horizon?"  Raven shook her head.  "Well, how did you get your Pantera?"

    "It was a gift from my mother," said Raven absently scratching her pet behind the ears.

    "Well, most likely she captured it from among the Opuds that live west of Horizon.  That's also where I captured my pet."  Lily fished around in her bag and pulled out a card.  With the casting of a cantrip, the adventurers were joined by a very large land creature with charcoal grey hide and a heavy shell covering its back.

    "A Tortus!" exclaimed Raven admirably.  "He's beautiful."

    Lily was surprised at Raven's reaction.  "You really think he's beautiful?  Most people think Tortuses are ugly.  His name's IlludeTrikari."

    Raven had walked over to the passive Tortus and ran a hand across its shell.  "I always felt their dark skin and textured shell reminded me of home.  A friend of mine had a Tortus and a Bloody Poultry."  She nodded to herself as if confirming a suspicion.  "I don't think he thought the Tortus was very useful, so he gave the Tortus away."

    Lily sighed.  "That's too bad.  Tortuses grow to become powerful allies."  She gently rubbed the creature's blunt head.  It moan quietly in appreciation of the caress.  "Sure, they aren't as quick as a Poultry or as agile as a Pantera, but their defensive capabilities are top notch.  Their attacks aren't too shabby either."

    "And he balances you out," added Raven.

    Lily looked at Raven with a furrowed brow.  "What's that supposed to mean?"

    Raven smiled, hoping she wouldn't offend.   "Well, forgive me for saying so, but your heart has the characteristics of fire.  All heat and light without forethought of action."  To Raven's relief, Lily grinned having no doubt heard this description of her before.  Raven went on.  "A Tortus is known for being deliberate and cautious.  Therefore, his personality balances yours."

    "Huh," grunted Lily.  "Never thought of it that way."

    "I think that's why my friend Jyun gave his Tortus away.  He too is deliberate and cautious.  Not to mention stubborn."  Raven smiled at a fond memory.  "They were just too alike.  His Poultry is quick witted and lightning fast.  He balances Jyun."

    "What about you and your Pantera?" asked Lily with a smile.

    "LuKia is very powerful and is comfortable with physical attacks against an enemy," said Raven.  "Me?  I'm not so strong with physical attacks.  It's probably why I'm such a good mage."

    "Modesty does not become you," said Lily with a wink.

    Raven grinned.  "My mother taught me all she knew of working with tamed creatures.  She wanted me to become a Sorcerer like her.  She wasn't happy when I chose to become a mage."

    Lily seemed pensive for a bit as she chewed on her free thumbnail.  "I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier.  I've gotten teased by a lot of my friends because they thought my outfit was...too revealing.  I thought you were going to say something about it."

    Raven couldn't help but laugh.  "My dear Lily, where I come from, you look downright conservative save for the colors.  Asura wear blacks and grays with occasional tans and off-whites, and we prefer to expose  as much of our skin to the air as is decently possible, though I suppose your and my ideas of decency may differ."  Raven was glad that Lily was beginning to warm up to her.

    Lily started to once more lead the way down the path toward the sandstone cliffs.  "So, who's this Jyun person?  A friend of yours, you say?"  From the red color that burned through Raven's cheeks, Lily surmised that he was much more than that.

    "He's a Deva warrior who decided to live in Asura lands."

    Lily slid to a sudden halt and turned toward Raven with her mouth agape.  "A Devan, living amongst death worshippers?"

    Raven glared at Lily for a bit before remembering that Gaians tended to misunderstand the relationships that Devans and Asurans had with their gods.  "We don't worship death," said Raven evenly.  "Neither do we fear it.  We simply acknowledge that as things are created, so too must they be destroyed.  All living things die. All created thing come to ruin in time.  It's simply the way of things.  Asurans honor it."

    Lily stared at Raven.  "Oh," she managed.  "I didn't mean to offend."

    Raven shrugged.  "No offense was taken," she offered diplomatically.  "However, I felt it important that you understand.  So many Gaians have come to distrust us since the Witch Wars."

    Lily nodded.  "To be honest, even before that.  I guess death frightens us.  We believe in having a healthy lust for light and life.  We try to keep death and destruction as far from us as we can."

    "Then, I would think that you would be comfortable with the Deva," suggested Raven.  "They believe in light and life as well."

    Lily shook her head.  "They look down on us.  They think they are better than we are."

    Raven tilted her head to one side and studied her new partner.  "I doubt that.  Of all the Deva I've met so far, and granted I've only met a few, they've always seemed honorable to me."

    "But, you and they aren't that different," said Lily.  "Just..."  She waved her free hand while searching for the right word.  "Opposite."

    That made more sense to Raven than she was willing to admit out loud.  Both the Deva and the Asura were created directly by their respective gods.  The Gaia, on the other hand, seemed to have grown from nature itself.  They understood what the God of Creation and the God of Destruction represented in their most basic forms, but they didn't truly believe in them as beings that existed.

    Lily cleared her throat.  "We'd best be moving if we want to get to the Cliff of Dune before midday."  Raven nodded and the four again set off down the remainder of the path from the arena plateau.  When they stepped out onto the sandy strip of road that abutted the sandstone hills which crested the cliffs, Raven was surprised to find how different it felt from the volcanic ash and silt of her homeland.  It was much warmer as it reflected the ample sunlight back up at the adventurers.  The grains were coarser and could be seen with the naked eye as little sparkles of light in the dirt.

    Raven saw Lily remove her axe from its resting place across her shoulders and grip it in both hands.  "You'd best have your weapon ready," recommended Lily.  "From here on out, it's going to be a fight to get to the place where the Iron Scar lives.  Many of the Galluses and Land Turtles here are fairly aggressive.  Food is scarce in these sandy regions, so they'll attack just about anything."

    Raven nodded and decided to save her spell casting for the larger mission ahead.  She drew her dagger and angled it back so that the blade pointed out from her body and toward her rear.

Part Three
Making some headway on this story. Thought I'd share what I have so far for part two.

EDIT: After a short break for lunch and a trip to the pharmacy, I came back with a better understanding of how this story is going to go. So, I have added more for your reading pleasure.
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