Hello Crocus! (Ven/Priv)

Fight you?

Ardere shuffled around in his pack looking for his packed lunch. Come on, it's definitely in here. Shuffling deeper, making crinkling and crackling noises from all of his supplies, the mage's hand came out of a hole in the bottom. You're kidding me. Sighing slightly, he tossed the bag over his shoulder, over the sword on his back and made his way out from behind the rock he decided to take a break at. Strangely enough, he wasn't out this way on business of any kind. It was recommended to him by a higher ranking officer, that it would be a good trip for an aspiring Rune Knight to come to Crocus. It was the capital of Fiore after all, full of life and grandeur. Getting his head out of the clouds, he continued onto the path to Crocus for just a couple minutes before making his way to the top of a hill. As he reached the top of the hill, he could see the great city of Crocus. He would even see Domus Flau, the arena where the grand magic games were held. It was certainly a magnificent city to look at, not disappointing in the slightest. The fire mage would only be here for a few days, so he would need to live it up while he was in the city.

Making his way onto the end of the path, he would enter the great city of Crocus. As he expected, it was full of people roaming about and buying or selling things. Era was probably the only other city in Fiore that compared to this one in terms of size and population, but there was a royal military rather than the Rune Knights. Being off duty, he wore his normal pants and green shirt, with his red sports jacket. His long red hair wavered slightly in the wind, making his face and neck tattoos more visible. Breathing in the fresh air, he nodded. This was definitely the kind of city he could be used to, and they probably had a hell of a library. He may be a member of the Combat Corps, but Ardere had come to realize he was a book worm through and through.

On his way to the library, he would decide to stop at a small cafe, called the "Sunset Cafe". It was a quaint little place, with lots of decoration and style. Luckily at this time in the afternoon, he didn't have to wait in line. Sitting down to grab a cup of coffee, he exhaled deeply, relaxed. He would set his sword, which was wrapped up in cloth, to the side. It had been a long travel to get here, and sitting down for some coffee would be just what he needed right now.  As always, his day of relaxation was quickly ruined. A small group of men ran into the room with magic powered gun, aiming them at the cashier. Oh jeesh. Slowly unwrapping the sword, he kept his composure. Keeping the blade under the table, and being in a corner booth, helped him stay unnoticed. But perhaps he would not have to be the hero and beat the crap out of those guys, at least this this time.

Tags:@Allison WC: 544

Fight you?

Ardere stared down the men robbing the cafe, they seemed to be mentally tough, but he was vastly superior in physique. Being a mage, he was naturally stronger and faster than most people, but even so his slayer magic enhanced that. The end result was that the flame god slayer was physically superior to even mages of his own rank. His sword was completely unwrapped and still under the table, it seemed a woman had distracted one of the robbers. Her comment resonated with his own feelings about this situation, causing him to whisper under his breath. Tell me about it. He would continue to observe the men, one collecting the money while two would be keeping the room calm, and serving as lookouts. Directing his attention to the man who had the gun to the woman's head, he would wait until the other two were not focused anywhere near him, then leap out. At maximum speed, which would be too fast for the man to react, he smacked the side of his head with the side of his blade. The man would topple over onto one of the empty tables, unconscious.

The other two men reacted immediately, the one still collecting money, and the other pointing his weapon at the mage. Just perfect. Sliding to the right, then to the left, bullets would fly past him, but due to his body being crouched they would hit the ground. As a Rune Knight he had to make sure none of the people in the cafe were harmed. They had been minding their own business, just like he had. Everyone came here to have a good time, and these men just walked in like they owned the place. Ardere smacked the gun out of his hand with his sword, then punched the man right through an empty table. Turning to the last man he pointed his sword at his throat before his gun could be drawn, then held out his left hand. In the fire mage's left hand, a ball of black flames would appear. The flames were more intense than normal flames, like they had some sort of strange destructive property to them. Any educated wizard would know these were god slayer flames, but all this man knew was he was being threatened.

The man shivered where he stood, and dropped the bag of money before running of. Sadly he was on duty, so he couldn't arrest them technically, but there were royal guards outside and they were sure to capture him. Everyone, enjoy your coffee. He would begin re-wrapping his sword, before turning his attention to the woman who had the gun to her head. Sorry about that, you alright? She had acted calm in the face of death, so chances were she had combat experience or was a mage. It was a fair assumption. Regardless he was in need of some allies out here, in the big capital.

Tags:@Allison WC: 494

Fight you?

Ardere held the wrapped up sword behind his back, it was red, not like his hair but more of a crimson mixed with orange. It sort of stood out, even as far as swords went, so he kept it wrapped up. If any Rune Knight or Royal Guard were to stop him, they would find that he had a permit for that weapon, in the form of a tattoo. Rolling up his sleeves slightly, his Rune Knight tattoo on his forearm would be revealed, it was a blood red. The woman he was talking to was attractive, and seemed pretty laid back like he was. It wasn't very often in busy cities like this that he found someone to be calm with. My name is Ardere. He slid a pale finger through his red hair, and rubbed the back of his neck. As much as he enjoyed fighting, it was stressful when he was just trying to have a good time. Mind if I sit down? If she approved of his offer to sit with her, he would take a seat across from her, sliding his sword against the wall.

As far as places went for meeting people, in the middle of a robbery was probably the biggest stretch thus far. The people at the bar had been anxious throughout the whole ordeal, as was expected, but they calmed down slowly. Incidents like that were probably common here in a big city, the more people the more chances there were for criminals to pop up. Luckily this city was heavily defended, and the Royal Police could take care of any threat that should arise. Ardere was just a low ranked Rune Knight, but he was making progress with the missions he had been on lately. He was above average strength for his level, and he had a decent mentality. As for now though, he was curious about this woman. She had an accent that was definitely not from Fiore, which made him feel good, because he was not from Fiore himself. He would then order another cup of coffee, since his never actually came due to the robbery that interrupted his relaxation time. He kept his cool throughout the escapade, luckily.

Mind if I ask where you're from? You have an interesting accent. Being from Joya, he would normally have an accent, but throughout his travels around Ishval he had developed a more neutral accent. There was a slight hint of Joyan in his voice, and definitely in his skin tone, but only an extremely trained eye would know that. His flame tattoos and red hair made him stand out like a sore thumb, luckily he was in the Combat Corps where that didn't matter, he took out the enemy head on. Hopefully this woman did not mind conversing with a very different looking and acting man such as Ardere. He was supposed to go to the library, but he would not have an enjoyable vacation if he didn't meet anyone.

Tags:@Allison WC: 504

Fight you?

Ardere smirked a bit, and nodded. So you noticed then? Yeah it kinda comes out in the "o" and "e" sounds occasionally, but it's almost gone away over the years. He was surprised she had picked up on that, it seemed that his assumptions about her were correct, she was a individual with some sort of training. The way she faced down that gun man, and the way she observed him made it obvious. He saw no guild tattoo, so it was likely she was a guildless mage. He could relate considering he had not been in the Rune Knights very long. The two were slightly similar people, from what he had gathered. He would lean forward on the table a bit, folding his arms. I left Joya when I was young, not necessarily by choice, but it is what it is. Fiore is a bit more diverse, fitting for my tastes. He had come to love Fiore for it's diversity, the people, the languages, etc. It was just a great place to live, and many of the people cared for each other. But like most countries, it had it's evils, which was his job to stop. As much as he tried to be a regular fighter and not a hero, the years had changed his instincts.

Also, Ionia, not a place I have been. Must be interesting. He had never heard of such a place, so he assumed it was one of those small countries not many referred to. Ardere tapped his fingers on the table, tap, tap tap, then he asked another question. The mage was being very casual and relaxed, as he was good with most people. So what brought you to Fiore? You wouldn't happen to be a mage would you? It technically wasn't any of his business, but it was a very fair question to ask in this town. Not many people stare down the face of a gun without showing fear, it's generally a mage thing. He was very good at observing and reading people, but it seemed she had picked up this trait as well. Ardere took note that the streets were beginning to thin out a bit, as was the cafe crowd. Crocus was a busy city, but it was not Balsam, people had things to do other than roam the streets. So far his adventures in this city were going well. He had taken out some thugs and made a possible friends. It seemed like every journey started off with some form of crap, then gravitated towards being a bit better. He just hoped she didn't mind socializing with him, it's not like he had anyone else to talk to around here.  

Tags:@Allison WC: 456

Fight you?

Ardere nodded, it seemed she didn't want to say too much about where she was from. Perhaps it was overrun or something of the sort, but it didn't matter, he was just curious after all. I'm sorry, my home wasn't in the best condition when I left myself. A memory occurred in the fire mage's head, flashes of his village burning to the ground, and him being stolen from his parents. It was all shady these days, but the clearest thing he remembered was that village. He tried to not be distant from the conversation for a moment, he had gotten used to the random flashbacks every now and then, so when they happened he generally appeared unaffected. Many years of channeling those memories into fire mage had made him a stable person, capable of his own decisions.

She said she was a mage, but that she was a bit different. Perhaps it had to do with her country or just her style in general, but regardless he was intrigued. Taking a sip of his coffee, she posed her first real question. Smiling a bit and leaning back to put his elbows on the back of the booth, he would give her a simple and easy answer. Yeah, I'm a part of the Rune Knights. He turned over his forearm and pointed to the tattoo. Not all knights chose to get the tattoo, but he had made a commitment and he would stick with it. Haven't been in it long, but it seemed a logical choice for my talents. Finishing up his coffee, he would set it to the edge of the table for the waitress to refill.

He slid his arms back onto the table, still keeping his relaxed and leisurely posture. I was thinking of going to the library, and I dont really have any friends out here. Mind joining me? It's probably more relaxing than a cafe that just got robbed. He had been a book worm for so long, but it had been a while since he had met someone intelligent enough. Ardere felt a bit forward, but she seemed kind enough to share some company with. He just hope that she had a slight interest in reading, or at least gaining knowledge. Libraries in towns like this tends to be massive, so talking usually wasn't a problem either. He imagined that day that he asked a girl out would probably be even more random and forward than this. Perhaps he should refine his skills with women before considering that, or perhaps just his social skills in general.

Tags:@Allison WC: 450

Fight you?

Ardere would nod and stand up from the table, grabbing his sword before exiting out the cafe through the front entrance. He guided his new friend out of the cafe, and looked towards the left, which was where the library was located. Yeah, I asked directions earlier so we should be fine. Just follow my lead. The town was busy as always, but it was dying down slightly. The ruckus caused earlier probably prompted most of the citizens to go back to their jobs or stay at home where it was safe. The library should not be far from the cafe, the fire mage thought. This way. He continued down the side walk, making sure to not increase his pace too much. He wanted to stay at the same pace as Vendredi, as to not make her feel like he was rushing her.

Making their way down the side walk, throughout the great city of Crocus, they would pass many interesting people and shops. This town was full of places to adventure, but he had mainly come to relax and check out this library. The weather was fair in the city as well, great for a summer's day. He had spent too many hours in the weather of Era, so it was nice to get out once in a while. Clutching his wrapped blade, they would arrive at the library. Ardere and Vendredi stood at the large double doors of the entrance. The library was multiple levels, and painted white with blue trims. Golden statues of lions guarded the front door, though they were just for decoration. Hmm, fancy. Ladies first? He would open the door for her, and hold his arm out as to motion for an entrance into the library. The fire mage tried to be a kind man, even as much of a loner as he often was.

If she accepted his holding the door open for her, the two would enter the massive library, full of books about everything. The multiple levels were connected with large ladders, that were powered by lacrima and could raise or lower. There were lacrima vision stations, if needed. There were also lacrima versions of books, but he preferred the hard copies to read. I like to read, if you haven't guessed as much. Ardere absolutely loved to read, he had since he was a child. This fact usually caused most of his enemies to think he was a wimp, but this was not the case. So far he had grown to like his new friend, they seemed to have quite a bit in common for people who hadn't known each other very long.

Tags:@Allison WC: 447

Fight you?

Letting his friend enter, Ardere would close the door as he admired the vastness that was the Crocus library. He slid his hands into his pockets, and looked around, observing the area more. Then Vendredi posed a question, probably due to the fact that she was not from here. They're sort of like ladders, but because they are powered by lacrima, they can sort of hover or rise. Kind of like an elevator. He laughed a little bit as she sat by one and poked it. Walking over to her, he opened the door to it and hopped in. Extending a hand, he offered her entrance to it. Come on then. If she accepted, he would look at the fairly simple controls. The lever allowed them to move up and down, as well as right or left. I suppose we should go to the top floor. Moving the lever up, they would begin to ascend slowly. Passing each level of books, they saw many categories on things from this country as well as others. There were librarians organizing books on some of the levels, and others had people who came to read or study. The lacrima lift did not move significantly fast, but enough to ascend at a decent rate. In a minute or two, they would reach the top level.

The top level was primarily about magic, the types and their origins. It also had stories about the ancient magical weapons and items, which interested the fire mage. Allowing Vendredi to step off of the lift first, the two would now be on the top floor accessible, as some were only for royalty and the royal guard. The library was full of books as old as Fiore, and some even older than that. There were tables scattered through out, with lamps at each for reading. Where to first? He would allow her to pick first, seeing as she was his new friend and he invited her. Books were probably the only thing outside of combat that excited Ardere, though excitement was not something he would show easily. The only thing that would be obvious, was that he was an avid reader. This was one of his biggest hobbies after all, and certainly his longest running. They had several sections to choose from; Magic Types, Magic History, Magic Items, Magic Weapons, and Magic Legends. Which one was chosen did not matter to him, he just wanted to read and bond a bit with his new friend.

Tags:@Allison WC: 420

Fight you?

Ardere nodded. Magical legends seems to have the weapons and items from tales told long ago. Might as well check it out. He would lead her over to the section about the legends, which would include types of Lost Magics as well. The shelves were organized in alphabetical order, just like in most libraries. There were no people on the level they had arrived on, so if they wished to talk they would not disturb anyone. It seemed his luck was looking better today, at least for now. The two would casually stroll through the different sub sections of Legends, passing books about swords that saved entire countries, and beasts that destroyed cities with ease. These sorts of things had interested him for a long time, but to most it just seemed like fairy tales. He was in the mind set that fairy tales were the founding of this country, and made it so extravagant. Hmm. The fire mage was having fun, looking at a mass amount of books and shifting through him, so hopefully Vendredi was too.

Ardere stopped at the section marked with the letter "S", meaning all of the books in that particular section started with the letter S. Letting his fingers tap each book on the way down the aisle, he would stop until he found a book about slayer magic. He quickly took the book off of the shelf, and tucked it under his arm. Anything in particular you wanted to look at? The items and weapons are over there. He motioned over to the other section, and would follow her if she decided to go. He knew that was her interest, and didn't want to take away from her time. As they walked he would flip through the book a bit, skimming it but still paying attention to her. He had picked that specific book because even though they had learned so much about slayers in the past hundred years, they still knew so little about some of the others. Dragon slayers seemed easy, but the other two were harder to peg down. Being a god slayer, it was his business after all. There were so many books on so many things, it was hard to make a decision. There's so many books. Did you like to read a lot back in your country? He was curious about the young woman, seeing as they had become quick friends, these questions were sort of ordinary.

Tags:@Allisn WC: 414

Fight you?

Ardere flipped through some of the pages of the book, letting Vendredi look at whatever she wanted to find out more about. Flipping through the pages he found pictures of some of the dragons that had taught humans how to use magic, it seemed there had been a war of sorts. The book was structured between the three slayers, the most information being about dragon slayers of course. God Slayers were the only one of the two slayers that didn't have to be taught by their respective race, some had in fact learned the magic from books. It made him wonder where the power for a god slayer of that kind would come from, seeing as it was a Lost Magic after all. Perhaps it was a fate thing, something that was predetermined. Maybe the energy to become a god slayer came from within, and only some could learn it. He had a corrupted flames inside of him for years, Hephaestus just opened what was inside of him and made it stronger. Very intriguing knowledge, he thought.

Looking over to Vendredi, the fire mage saw her looking at books, so he went back to his. It seemed demon slayers were actually quite interesting, as they were not necessarily stronger than god slayers, but different. They were more pure, and this explained why they would eat such a corrupted element, as they could purify it. He lifted his head up to see his new friend on the ground, as if she had fallen over. Stupid, he thought of himself. He was so into his book that he had not noticed her fall over. Vendredi! He would run over to her, quite fast actually. Being that he was faster than the average mage, even of his rank, he made it there within a second. He would help her up, holding one of her hands and putting an arm around her shoulder to lift her up a bit. You alright? You should take better care of yourself Ms slippy. Patting her on the back, he was a bit teasing but he did care. Come sit down over here. Taking her over to the table and sitting her down, grabbing up her cook and handing it to her.

Sitting down in front of her, he would also sit his book down. I read a lot as a child, though I had to sneak it, or else I would be beaten. As kind of a person and as much of a gentleman he tried to be, he still had a darkness in his eyes and a rustic demeanor at times. It was obvious he was a mix of the two, which was probably why he was better as a combative rune knight. He could be kind to the innocent, and harsh to the enemy. This trait made him a bit mysterious though, which he didn't necessarily like. The god, or godly being I should say, that gave me my powers didn't teach me as much about the origins of it as I would like. Kind of a cryptic bastard he was. Running his fingers across the cover of his book, he took his sword off of his back and leaned it against the table. Myself aside, what book do you have there?

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