Wings of Faith [r]

[Ariel]

"We can learn much from the Manakete - their endurance in such a harsh environment is a prime example of this. Just as the dragon-borne thrive in the barren deserts of Doluna, so must we thrive in situations that appear unfavorable. It only takes a little ingenuity to tip the scales." Edict XXII, Grimleal High Priestess Ariel The Grimleal's reach and influence was vast - the High Priestess was aware of that well before she took the mantle of leadership. But discovering how vast had become something of a surprise to the young woman; spending less and less time in the Altean keep serving as her Headquarters and more time out in the country looking for faithful willing to join her. Ariel left not a trail of heathen blood in her wake, as some of her predecessors may have tried, but instead a trail of invitation, a trail to return to the righteousness that was realizing that Grima was coming back, and it was so much safer standing beside Him than facing Him. Sure, she had devout followers who could do these proselytizing missions but after the scuffle in Altea, Ariel felt it safer to do them herself. The manakete tribes of the Scouring Desert were a mixed bag - very few treated the Fell Dragon as a true Deity, but given what they were, worshiping a dragon did seem a bit irreverent. By in large they treated Him as something of an elder - worth respect, for sure, but not worship. The troubadour didn't see any benefit to pushing the matter and thanked them for having audience - the least she could do. Stepping back into the stifling heat once more, the priestess was able to make out a small speck on the horizon...a flier of sorts for sure, but under whose authority did they fly?

TAGS victorie

 

[victorie]

Temptry

Where there is Unity

Victory Lies

And to Victorie, high above the seemingly never ending sea of sand below her, the vastness of the world open to her now was eclipsed by naught but the endless stream of thoughts regarding where this little adventure could end up for her. She had admittedly struck out in a random direction after leaving the family's manor, still full of promises she would return one day soon, a proper knight and warrior of praise and fame that would raise her to stature beyond some stuff Duchess or priestess of Ylisse. But, just because she may well have an idea of what the ultimate goal is (as spiteful as it may well be), doesn't mean she has any idea of how she is going to fulfill it, and even less so, could help her explain why she was currently flying over Plegia.

But then, she doesn't even know she crossed the border two hours ago.

She wasn't particularly well versed on the borders, and the scorching heat from the sun above and the fact the cloud cover here was scarce at best did very little to help that. She would shift and turn within the saddle, gently pulling the reigns to the left and guiding her pegasus into a shallow gliding spiral for a few moments, the cool rush of wind giving her much needed relief before she turned her back in the original direction. She had only heard scant stories about the deserts along the border, but she was sure they could not last forever, and from what she understood, had at least at one point been havens of bandit opportunities. And what other way would an aspiring adventurer, defender of the weak, and the best last hope for all of Ylisse start?

Beating bandits, that's where!

But, if she's intent on actually catching someone, the fact that her silver armor glints so brightly in the sun that it threatens to blind those that stare too long, well... She certainly isn't going to sneak up on them, and it serves to make her existence and location quite obvious for about anyone who would happen to glance up at this point. And from such a lofty pedestal built of pride and aspiration, the woman atop her pegasus high in the sky will never realize it. 

### | @tagged | notes

❖ nox ❖

[Ariel]

Well, it seemed that whoever had flown over the proverbial cuckoo's nest liked the arid climes as much as Ariel did - that is to say, not at all. She could bundle up as much as she needed when it got cold, but in the sweltering heat there's a hard limit to what you can take off. It wasn't exactly a slog back to Altea, but on horseback made for an incredibly slow trip through the remainder of the desert. At least she was alone, the High Preistess thought. Well, until that first arrow whizzed by her mount, anyway. The troubadour grit her teeth as her options became clear - while she wasn't quite pinned down, it was unlikely she'd be able to outrace the small band of archers (Royal Plegian Military, no doubt) and her last visit with the manakete had been on less than ideal terms for her to try asking a favor. That really left her with one choice, and a bad one at that. But having to bank on a bad choice was better than banking on no choice at all. Rasing her staff, Ariel focused as several bolts of magical energy sailed into the sky above her - hopefully the light show would be enough to attract whoever was flying overhead.

TAGS victorie

 

[victorie]

Victorie would blink blankly, her lips pursing as her head tilted somewhat to the right to peer down at the bolts flitting into the air and then fizzing out. She would stare a bit longer, right arm crossed over the pegasus' neck and hanging on to her tightly as she leeeaned over further in her saddle to peer down at the ground. She'll watch the alarm for a few more moments, trying to figure out what exactly would posses someone to be in the middle of the desert (Without a hint of irony) and shooting bolts of magic into the air? She idly considers passing on, her head turning as she pushed herself back up wholly on the saddle, resting her hands back on the reigns as she slumps back a bit to get comfortable and close her eyes...

Wait


She'll snap her eyes open, leaning over right once more to peer down at the ground and the bolts as her eyes shoot wide and her brain kicks into overdrive. She would curse aloud, her voice lost in the sound of the wind whipping by her as she wrapped the reigns around her left fist, kicked gently and turned left as her steed turned and rolled. It was quite an impressive display, the rather large animal's wings snapping to it's side as it nosed over, dropping into a sharp dive that forced Victorie's eyes shut as they were stung by airborne dust and sand, her braids whipping behind her as she leveled her lance straight, stomach now sitting in her throat as she surveyed the specks on the beige expanse of nothing that filled her vision. 

There was the one in front, pursued by several more, she would have the sight for a scant few moments as she dipped her chin into the bevor of her chestplate, eyes painted forward as she PULLED the reigns hard, her whole world would jump as the wings of her steed snapped out, acting as an airbreak before it came into a screaming glide aimed at the group behind Ariel. Which, much to the Pegasus Knight's sudden horror, was comprised largely of archers.

[Ariel]

While the archers' target was still well within firing range, the presence of an interloper gave them pause. On one hand, bringing someone else into the conflict made an already sketchy scenario even more risky - this was no distressed damsel they were told to kill, it was the Grimleal High Priestess herself - who knew what diabolic tricks she had up her sleeve? On the other hand, an Ylissian Pegasus Knight was just too good an opportunity to pass up. It didn't take long for the archers to lock on to the newer target, firing a rapid salvo of arrows at her. While most of them missed, falling a bit short in the searing heat, several bolts struck true, a couple sinking into her mount's flesh while one dangerously aimed bolt found purchase in Victorie's armor, a shard of her breastplate flying off from the impact. The pegasus flailed wildly, almost knocking its ride off before a soft green glow washed over the beast, sealing its wounds. Standing behind her was the brunette Troubadour, sweat apparent on her brow and worry on her face. "Thanks for noticing me..." Ariel says, before hopping on top of the beast behind Victorie, her arms clasped around the knight's waist. "Gonna need your help taking them out, if you don't mind. Don't worry, I'll make sure you're both safe." While the young woman didn't seem to be in a position to make such demands, having a trained healer against a squadron of archers would make taking them on a much less deadly affair - especially if she was as good as she claimed.

TAGS victorie

 

[victorie]

Victorie gasped, her eyes shooting wide as she cringed and tilted backwards as the bolt found her chest. She'll try to catch her breath, her pegasus thrashing under her as she puts a hand to her chest and tries to swallow air that simply refuses to fill her lungs as she winces. "Ahng-Bastards!" The noblewoman will groan, her voice choked as fingers blindly grasped at the ragged crack that now split halfway down her silver breastplate. T-They shot her! They damaged her armor! HER armor! How simply, utterly, absolutely entirely unacceptable! Her face is a scarlet red, cheeks blazing and eyes narrowed in a glare that could simply set firewood alight as her steed essentially shields the unknown woman behind her. 

And then there's the hallow 'thnk!' of arrow impacting flesh, followed by a startled squeak from the woman as she throws one hand up, the pegasus bucking and jumping below her as she pulled up on the reigns tightly. "A-Ah! Rose!" She'll wail, legs clenching as she tries to secure herself with another cry, lance going in the air as she pumps her arm up in an attempt to balance herself as the pegasus rears one more time! 

And then she'll lean to the right, the sensation of hands working across her waist as surprising as the sudden healing mist that had surrounded her pegasus. "E-Eeeeh?" The Young woman will start, her little moment of stuffy rage replaced by utter confusion as she tries to glance over her shoulder, a silver braid quite likely whipping the poor high Priestess in the face as the noblewoman clutches the reigns tightly. "I- You're welcome?" She'll start, giving Ariel the oddest look before she suddenly straightens up at the sound of arrows being knocked. "S-A moment!" She'll cry out, suddenly turning her chin back down to hide it behind the bevor as she kicked her foot down and leaned in, pushing her mount forward with a dash along the ground at a sharp gallop, lanced leveled once more in muscle memory as sand is kicked up in large jets behind them. "For Yliesse!" She'll roar, more akin to an angry little kitten than a seasoned warrior as the pegasus suddenly kicked up with a flap of it's wings, coming several feet up into the air as they closed on one of the archers. There'll be a mere beat before the pegasus dips it's body down, landing on her forelegs and pushing forward so that Victorie's lance point was driven directly towards his chest. 

That's for Rose!

[Ariel]

The first Plegian archer didn't have time to do much before his life was snuffed. The other three however, were quick to draw a bead on the pegasus knight that had slain one of their own. Any of those bolts aimed at the young woman's unarmored head would be lethal if it connected. Time seemed to crawl, Victorie's body unable to do anything but watch the bolts flying towards her, each ready to indignantly end her life. *TING* There's a clashing of steel meeting steel, and the unmistakable sensation of not having ones brain impaled. Her passenger's staff was held high, one arrow trapped cleanly between the two arcing pieces of steel that held the healing crystal in place. Obvious evidence of two other impacts marred the staff's surface, but the crystal continued to glow, functioning still. "Not today!" Ariel screamed, her voice carrying such presence that even Victorie felt a shiver run down her spine. The archers were clearly shaken, taking way more time to reload than what should have been necessary. The time to strike was now, regardless of how close the pegasus knight's brush with death had been. "If they shoot you down, I'm dead too! Come on, I need you in this!" Ariel's voice was charged with emotion, with drive, and that same drive carried over to the lancebearer in front of her. No matter how messy it was, or how damning a sentence it might be, either they died here, or the two women would be slain. There was no choice - kill or be killed. And that one fact was enough to push the armored woman's fears aside, at least for the time.

TAGS victorie

 

[victorie]

Victorie barely had the time to compute it, her chin tilting ever so gently downwards as she closed her eyes and waited for the hit. Right, a Helmet, that would have been helpful (and oh so very fashionable!) is the only thought that runs through her mind, she even misses out on a vapid reflection of her life up until this point (It's all very boring though, so that makes up for it?) as she bemoans the fact that she missed out on being even pre- 
*Ting!*
Her eyes will shoot open, though she's oddly void of the feeling of not having her skull pierced by an arrow, if only because that's how she normally feels and it's quite hard to differentiate between that sensation and the next. "What in the name of na-" She'll start, her head turning a bit as the pegasus wheeled about on the ground, she'll give Ariel just the widest eyed look, she's impressed and shell shocked! And then the yelling continue, the woman steeling herself for the moment and turning back about within her saddle as she spurs the pegasus to the right towards a group of two archers. She'll pump her lance once more into the air and then level it with bloodied tip pointed forward as she charges one more, intent on spearing the man on her left and trampling the one on the left as she attempts to turn about on him. 

It's far from the stories of graceful knights diving down from the heavens to engage the undead swarms of Arisen, or the songs of elegant air to air combat. In fact, it was quite messy, an that's overtly distressing to the poor knight, but! One must sacrifice in the course of good deeds, and she is most certainly saving a maiden in distress! 


She just wished it didn't include getting blood on her boots and her armor cracked.

[Ariel]

Seeing three of his comrades slain within moments at Ariel's hand (and that of her sudden ally), the remaining archer felt that primal instinct - fear of death. This mission was supposed to be a walk in the park - ambush the High Priestess as she was alone, and use their superior numbers to kill or capture her. And yet through some demonic stroke of malevolence, the tables had been turned entirely. Damn that woman and her accursed luck! The mission, however, wasn't dead yet. All it took was one bolt and the priestess would be naught more than a lifeless corpse. Even in death he would be a hero, all it took was one perfect shot. The pegasus knight's lace lunged as the man loosed his final vengeant arrow. Steel sunk into flesh, and the relief of knowing the archers were slain was cut short by the searing pain Victorie felt under her collarbone, an arrow clearly sticking out from inside the split in her armor. The woman's vision became blurry, a deathly chill capturing her as she felt her body slipping... ... A bright light washes over the woman's face as her eyes open again. the ground beneath her felt soft, and the light was soon covered by a shadow. what was that? Victorie's eyes had a bit of trouble focusing, before clarity returned to her. The person standing over her was a young woman, certainly just out of her teens if even that, her bright blue eyes sparkling even in the shadow she cast. Short brown hair fell to her shoulders as the Plegian troubadour waved a hand in front of Victorie. "Hey...you awake?" Whether she's dead or not isn't quite clear yet, but wherever she is, she's not alone.

TAGS victorie

 

[victorie]

"Victory!" The pegasus Knight will scream, teeth barred as her lance found purchase. "Hnnhk?!" She'll sound, her voice dying in a gurgle as it catches in her throat and one hand reaches up to her collar, numbly grappling at the armor as she cringes. It felt like she had been punched, and the searing pain fell way to a wash of confusion as that creeping sensation of cold washes over her chest and her head as her vision dulls. "F-Ffuuhf..." She'll groan, hands still held to her collar as the world fades into darkness and she slumps sideways into her saddle. She won't fall off since she's secure, but then, just pulling one of those straps would send her tumbling off so that's not too large an issue. She'll be annoyed by the bump on her head if she pulls through though. 

...


"Mother... No, ten more minutes... I- Don- want to go to classes... Celeste is going to be Duchess annny..." She'd mumble, her mind an absolute fuzz as she's aroused from that soft blanket of warmth and nothingness that she had been wrapped in. It was wonderful! Absolutely at ease and utterly devoid of any worry, that is of course till her eyes flit open and she groans as she turns her head a bit to avoid the light. At least the sand was comfortable, and the heat coming off of it kept her at such ease, she could just sit here forever... And then there's the hand, the fallen knight squinting before the circumstances come back to her and she cringes, eyes wide open as groans once more. "More or less." She'll report groggily, squinting some as she stares up at the High Priestess. "So... Did we win? Unless we're both dead." She'll remark, her accent is soft and flowery, positively steeped in high class as she clicks her tongue.


She's going to be quite upset once she realizes how she looks at the moment, from the sand in her hair, to the blood that has stained her collar and all the way down out of sight behind her armor and the crack in the breastplate. It's just all bad, but, most certainly could be worse as she coughs once more and attempts to push herself up.

[Ariel]

"Sadly, it appears you're stuck in the world of the living with me." The brunette smiles meekly before gently pushing against Victorie's shoulder to stop her from getting up. "Best for you to stay still, haven't been able to check for any other injuries. Horrible luck with that last archer, right?" Ariel's voice was certainly as gentle as her manners around the wounded knight, but they carried a certain weight that made not following them seem wrong. It was clear Ariel knew what she was doing, unbuckling the now ruined breastplate to see the extent of the girl's injuries. "Hmm...first shot must've cracked it, second hit that same crack and dug itself through a seam in the leather. You know if this plate were fit properly, I don't think it'd have even been dented." There's another burst of green light as the pegasus knight's body relaxes, barely registering the sensation of the arrow being pulled out of her clavicle as the wound is almost instantly sealed. Ariel herself wipes a bit of sweat from her forehead, but otherwise seems fine. "So, who are you and what in Grima's name are you doing flying over the deserts of Doluna like this? I mean I'm grateful for your help, but all the same..."

TAGS victorie

 

[victorie]

Where there is Unity

Victory Lies

"Well, that is a relief in the least." She remarks with a gentle shake of her head, taking in a deep breath and closing her eyes for a moment before she cocks one open and peers intently at the troubadour standing above her. "Death tends to be exceptionally unfashionable." She mumbles as she's put back into the sand, frowning a little bit as she can feel the sand underneath her. She'll end up cocking an eyebrow about the last archer before the young knight sighs and stiffly nods her head. "I will wholly admit that I was not aware that the mean pursuing you were archers." She'll remark sharply, furrowing her brow somewhat as she continues to lay there, normally she would have been quite prissy about making sure everything was in order, but that voice soothed her quite aptly and kept the young Noblewoman from doing anything brash.

Then her eyes will snap open as she hears the clasps about the ruined cheastplate being undone. "A-Eeep?" She'll squeak in a very undignified manner as she feels the rush of comparatively cooler air rush down her front. "You are supposed to ask a lady before you stri-" She'll start before her breath catches and she blinks several times as she realizes just what was going on. Cue the cowed looking Knight as she tries to relax once more...

"It was perfectly fitted!" She'll retort back, sending a mournful look to the breastplate so she doesn't have to watch the arrow be pulled from her flesh, even if just felt more akin to a twinge one gets while stretching. "I will have you know that that is royal Ylissean steel!" Yep, she certainly was compensating for something with the armor, and that's quite evident now that she's been shed of most of her armor save for the pieces protecting her shoulders.

"Wait. Grima? Doluna?! Is that where this is?" She'll start, eyes wide as she tries to push herself up now. "Oh I am a fool." She'll trail off, eyes rolling upwards as she groans. "Mrmn, where are my manners. Victorie, of Ylisse, Third Daughter of the Duke Superior and aspiring knight." She remarks smoothly, though it has that tone of voice as if she's been rehearsing how she would say that.

### | Ariel | notes

❖ nox ❖

[Ariel]

"If Ylisse knew how to make steel worth wearing, they'd actually wear it - and royal steel or not, the reason it didn't help you any was the big pocket of air between you and it. You need the armor to be in direct contact with the under-armor, like layers of an onion. Otherwise it's worthless, doesn't matter what it's made from, even enchanted silver." To be fair, the padded cloth armor Ariel herself was wearing did leave little the the imagination, but the lack of scars or tears spoke for itself. Finding that the woman was from Ylisse made the Grimleal priestess bite her tongue, but hearing that she was a noble's third-born daughter...well, perhaps she could take a chance. The young woman certainly didn't lack skill, but her conviction might pose a problem if she didn't owe the troubadour her life. She'd certainly done better with less to work with. "My name is Ariel. Plegian-born, a bit farther west of here. I'm honestly a bit surprised you got this far without the royal army spotting you. Maybe they were too busy looking for me?" There's a pause before Ariel continues. What exactly do you know of the Grimleal, and their leaders?" It's an innocent enough question, Victorie feels - certainly the person who just saved her life couldn't be associated with those demon-worshipping cultists, could she?

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[victorie]

Where there is Unity

Victory Lies

Victorie would blink, her head tilting ever so gently to the right as she flicks her eyes along Ariel, her lips pursing some as she nods gently. That all sounded very reasonab- "I- Are you implying what I think you are?" She'll snort, huffing and puffing and pouting like the noblewoman she is! She is not small! She's trim, perfectly proportional! But she'll suddenly sigh, letting the crimson blush on her cheeks pass as she clicks her tongue and shakes her head. "One day and I have already ruined my armor, do you happen to know how positively hard it is to find something so... Well made? It was the epitome of form and function." She remarks, shaking her head and sounding for all intents and purposes as if she just lost a dear friend or a pet as she finally works at getting herself up.

"Then it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance My Lady Ariel." She'll remark, doing her best to put on a serene smile even if she keeps shooting looks at her ruined breastplate. She was going to be the Silver Knight! Now that entire idea had to be thrown out the window, how could she charge into battle as a shining beacon of valor now?! She'll even shoot Ariel a little curtsie even if she doesn't happen to be a noble, though the last bit will draw an odd look from the pegasus Knight. "Apologies, but why would they be looking for you?" She'll ask, suspicion gently hinting her flowery voice before she cocks an eyebrow. "The cult that worships that... Dragon was it? The Fell blood or something of the like." She most certainly was not as well versed in history or theology as her sister, all she knew was that they were supposed to be bad. "Started... Several wars with Ylisse didn't they?" She'll add, cocking her eyebrow further as she regards the woman before her. There's soemthing going on here, but she's not yet sharp enough to get it. But then, she can trust her so far, seeing as how she's now saved her life some three odd times.

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❖ nox ❖

[Ariel]

"I'm implying nothing - just that breastplate is fit for a woman with breasts so comically over-sized one would confuse them with watermelons." It wasn't meant to be an insult, though the Ylissian knight would likely take it as one. How so many people could be such thin-skinned fools baffled the brunette. Hearing Victorie's learnings of the Grimleal was less baffling - Grima's followers had always had something of a bad image. "The Grimleal until quite recently were so irrevocably tied with Plegian Royalty that differentiating the two was futile. However, due to the schism between the religious and the noble-born in Plegia, Civil War has broken out - as I'm sure you've heard. I'd hardly say we're a cult, but then again, I am a bit biased." Ariel giggles while the wheels in the silver-haired pegasus rider's mind start to turn. She had used "we" when referring to the Grimleal. Surely she couldn't...? Ariel sighs as she continues. "I am Ariel, High Priestess of the Grimleal, Mouthpiece of the Fell Dragon Grima, and you happened to witness an assassination attempt by the Plegian Royal Military. You have my thanks, but I'm afraid your knowledge of us is a bit...skewed. It seems the Royal Army had ideas to remove the head of the snake out here, hoping it'd take weeks or even months for my body to be found. Chances are the war would be all but over my the time a replacement was appointed." Ariel remained silent for a few moments, giving the Ylissian woman time to get her bearings. On one hand, everything she knew about the Grimleal spoke of them as a warmongering demon-worshiping cult of fanatics who killed innocent maidens for pleasure. On the other hand this woman, a complete stranger she'd never met, saved her life. And she did so with no strings attached or expectation of a reward. She couldn't be that dangerous, right?

TAGS victorie