It's Been A While

It was a nice day. The description might have been very short and overused by those that didn't have much else to add to a conversation, but it was the truth. The temperature was comfortable and there were no signs of any bad weather threatening to cover the bright mid-morning sun. A soft breeze frequently blew, relieving the complaints of anyone that would dare to complain about heat that just wasn't there for most. Not even for herself. Her white blouse was thin even though it had long sleeves and the light blue pants she wore were also the same. All in all, Samira had very few complaints at that moment and none of them were about the weather.

"Do not even attempt it," Samira warned calmly, her eyes not even leaving the words of the open book spread across her lap. Even with her seemingly distracted, it wasn't hard for her senses to pick up on Serqet reaching for a basket of muffins and sandwiches. By that point even if she were robbed of all senses her mind would automatically know to expect it coming anyway. That was how that particular summon was. Predictable and only unpredictable when it came to the levels of silliness that even Samira was not prepared for. Thankfully there was not an ounce of creativity going through the scorpion-tailed woman to pull off a new antic that day. It was more of the usual.

Serqet groaned and fell flat on her stomach on the blanket that was spread across the grass. "Why not?!"

"Because you and the rest have eaten everything else the moment we got here. This is the only thing I managed to save. It would be disappointing if Leona arrived and there was absolutely nothing to offer her." Truthfully Leona's presence had been a bit unexpected. Samira had originally planned for herself and her spirit avatars to have a relaxing time for the Sommarsun Weeks celebration. That was why she had decided to stay at Rose Garden for a period of time. The city had never disappointed her in the past with its way of celebrating common holidays and festivals and it just so happened to be surrounded by a lovely green terrain that made picnics a lovely idea. Samira and her team of celestial spirits were not even the only ones doing the same thing. Although, unlike the crowded streets of the city everyone was more spread out. Some had even taken the steps to travel further until they reached the coast for the beach activities.

As a courtesy, Samira had sent Leona an invitation just like she always did. For a long while though it appeared that the Wizard Saint just wasn't available during those times. It was a sad truth that Samira missed spending time with Leona that wasn't tied to a mission or job, but she understood. The declines had even opened the door to allowing herself to make a new friend in a fellow guildmate, Victoria Sheridan, so there was a silver lining that she would never complain about.

When it turned out that Leona was actually free and willing to meet up for the event Samira was surprised. A little unprepared as well. A picnic would not have been the first choice if she had properly planned for Leona to be present. Something a lot more engaging or fun would have been more suitable. It had been too late to change plans by then though. Not unless she wanted to deal with the backlash of enraged and disappointed summons. Fortunately, the city wasn't far so neither were the other celebratory activities, and the beach itself was only a portal or ride away. Plenty of options were still available.

Serqet whined but ultimately accepted that she would not get her way at that moment. The strange woman rolled herself off the blanket and continued the action repeatedly as she descended down the side of the small hill. Samira ignored her and went back to focusing on her book. Many of the spirit avatars were close by doing their own thing. Samira could hear them arguing over a frisbee game they were playing. Others had chosen to remain in the city or head for the beach. They were always free to do as they chose as long as they didn't cause trouble. At least those that remained with Samira made it much easier to find her, though she was sure Leona would be able to find her easily just by the aura of her magic. Or with an iLac call.

Samira flipped the page of her book, not minding her method of entertainment to pass the time.

(Word Count: 780)

Wearing an open olive green jacket over a black tube top that covered her midsection and chest and khaki cargo pants with tan boots, Leona was not exactly the height of fashion no matter what time of the year it was, but she was comfortable and that was all that mattered to her. Today she had set aside her usual trademark outfit of green, gold, and white outfit that some would consider outdated in favor of a newer look, one more in line with the times. It was sad that it had taken reuniting with Masha and getting into a relationship with her for Leona to finally begin to be more comfortable with her body, but meeting the redhead had opened the floodgates. Now there was no turning back.

Leona had chosen a tube top because she did not want to wear a plain old t-shirt and a crop top was far too revealing. While the tube top was not the most modest covering for her torso, it fit her perfectly so that her large chest was not threatening to burst out of the garment whenever she moved, the perfect fit ensured that it was comfortable to wear for extended periods of time, and she had chosen the most conservative type she had. Besides, she wanted to try a new look. If it did not look good on her she was certain that Samira would have no problem telling the blonde so that the latter could change her look to one that was better. If push came to shove Leona could simply button her jacket closed and cover the tube top completely.

Leona carried her iLac in her right side cargo pocket in case she needed to contact Samira and ask for directions. Leona did not carry any weapons or armor because she did not anticipate any problems that required weapons. She would also be in the company of Samira, a mage who was probably more powerful than her and definitely a lot smarter than her. In between the two of them they should be able to deal with anything that came up on the off chance that something came up.

Choosing to think about something more positive, Leona focused on the impending reunion with her oldest friend. She was glad to receive an invitation from the teal-haired mage to join the latter in celebrating the "Sommarsun Weeks" event and had walked all the way to Rose Garden to meet up with Samira. Leona did not feel like flying on Winged Lion's back or piloting the C-128 Albatross, so she walked all the way to her destination for a change of pace. Now she was here and was looking for her friend.

After a bit of walking Leona detected a very powerful magic signature and began to follow it. She followed it all the way to its source and spotted Samira sitting on a blanket. With her was Serqet, who was... well, being Serqet. Samira must have chosen to wear a new look for this event because Leona had never seen the teal-haired mage wear the outfit she was wearing. It was a good look on Samira... not that the blonde would say that out loud.

Leona walked over to Samira, who was busy reading a book. When she was close enough to be heard clearly she spoke to her longtime friend.

"Hey Samira. It's been a long time since we last met." Leona greeted Samira a little more formally that she had intended, but she had spoken the truth. They had not met for an event in some time. In fact the blonde had trouble remembering when exactly the two had last seen each other.

[Post Word Count: 616]
[Leona's Word Count: 616

Magic sensory was a convenient thing. Samira could tell Leona was near without having to put down her book. With Leona's powerful version, it was hard to mistake it for another's even when far away. The Wizard Saint was traveling slowly, at least that was what Samira could tell based on how long it was taking for that power signature to reach her. Either Leona chose to walk or was distracted, possibly by the other festivities going on. She couldn't tell and didn't care to. There was no reason to rush and that just meant she had more time to read.

It wasn't until Leona had spoken that Samira decided to take her eyes away from the pages. If she did not know any better she would have suspected that the woman standing there was a clone of Leona and not the actual esteemed mage herself. The familiar winged lion was not by her side, and neither were any of the other summons that Samira had seen by her friend's side time and time again. While that was certainly different what was most unusual and stood out the most was what Leona was wearing. It was very different than what Samira was used to seeing her in. In fact, aside from Halloween, she couldn't quite recall seeing Leona wearing anything other than the same usual outfit she always wore, and certainly nothing that even closely resembled a tube top.

"Indeed it has. Probably too long. I nearly thought that you were someone else with your new look," Samirs said with a small smile. Maybe it wasn't so new though. For all she knew Leona had a huge wardrobe of clothing she wore and just had the strange quirk of only wearing the other more familiar outfit while around her. The clothes she wore never was important before so that possibility never really crossed her mind until the sudden switch was right there for her eyes to see. Not that she minded aside from the initial shock. Just as long as Leona didn't start walking around in overly revealing and inappropriate clothing. That might be a harder image to take in and accept as reality.

Samira raised a hand and motioned towards the empty space on the blanket and the wicker picnic basket where the small number of snacks that had been rescued were kept under its lid. "Please, have a seat and relax a bit. There are some muffins and sandwiches there if you want a little snack. I am sorry to say everything else was eaten nearly instantly by a gluttonous group of magical summons that forgot how to be courteous." It was unfortunate, embarrassing, and shameful, but it was what it was. At least food was not far if a real meal was wanted. From what Samira noticed earlier there were tons of food stalls set up for the holiday, and Rose Garden itself had more than enough restaurants and stores.

"I also did not prepare them and I assure you that they are of the non-living variety so they are quite safe to eat." The Goddess of Ishgar laughed softly, intentionally joking and referring to one of their times together in a cooking contest. Samira had admitted to being a terrible cook and Leona... well it was hard to say what exactly caused the living grilled cheese and Recheeserator incident. Whatever it was, it would always be an amusing memory.

(Word Count: 573
Samira Total: 1353)

Leona was not sure how Samira would react to her new look. While Samira's opinion was not the sole deciding factor in what the blonde wore, Leona valued her longtime friend's opinion quite a bit. She valued it so much that she had worn an open jacket over her tube top in case Samira considered the garment to be a bad choice. However, that would not be necessary because her friend seemed to accept the look Leona was experimenting with.

"Yeah, I'll admit that the tube top's a major change from the norm for me. A few years ago I wouldn't have dared wear something like that in public, but I decided to try a new look for this event. If it works out I might wear it again at some point. If it doesn't work out I can always try something else." Leona admitted that what she was wearing was a big change from her normal outfit and defended the choice as her trying a new look. That claim was completely truthful. After years of wearing her green, white, and gold outfit everywhere she went she wanted to try something a little different.

Now that the greetings had been exchanged Leona sat down at her friend's side and listened to the explanation for the small quantity of snacks available. Leona let that pass without comment because she had taken her time getting here, so she really did not have much right to complain about what was being offered to her. She heard the reference to one of their past adventures and kept her facial expression under control. If Samira paid close attention or knew the blonde Wizard Saint well enough she might be able to tell that Leona was not entertained by the memory of the Recheeserator incident.

Leona recalled that obnoxious blond-haired chef and his prima donna antics during the contest, the Recheeserator stomping around and capturing people, and those obnoxious talking grilled cheese sandwiches. She also recalled that really weird dimension made of food and those people in food costumes. There was a lot about the adventure that Leona had put out of her mind, but Samira's reference brought it all back to the surface. While the Recheeserator incident could not begin to hold a candle to the outcome of the Ishgar Symposium, it was nevertheless a bad experience in its own right.

Not wanting to ruin the good mood with a stupid response to a remark that was obviously meant to be a joke, Leona actually used her brain and came up with a different kind of response.

"I'm not worried about any animated food today, Samira. If any appears you can always call your summons to finish what they started." Leona attempted to make a joke that piggybacked off of Samira's earlier jest.

[Post Word Count: 468]
[Leona's Word Count: 1,084]

And there was the confirmation. The outfit was indeed a change after all and not something that was worn outside of their previous meetups. It was a good look in Samira's opinion. A little change could be a good thing and Leona seemed to be optimistic about her current choice and future outfits. Samira herself had been wearing something a little different as well, after all. Although, that was for a different reason. Changes in appearance were sometimes necessary to have a little peace. She just didn't think it would be something as simple as changing an outfit. People were so used to seeing her wear her normal few outfits and accessories that whenever she wore something else, like the current day, she was mistaken as a Samira lookalike instead of the real deal. It was amusing if not just a little bit insulting, but the Goddess of Ishgar couldn't complain about the great results.

The reference to the memory of the Fall Equinox festival all those years ago was a miss, it seemed. Leona's face remained controlled but the joking reply was not filled with as much enjoyment as there should have been. The words were there but it was given weakly. It was sad but not Leona's fault. Samira had done the same thing with Victoria. Apparently, she couldn't have a nice conversation with a friend without making someone feel awkward or triggered. When did that start becoming a habit? She couldn't exactly blame being around her group of deity avatars as some kind of influential factor because she had always been around them even before meeting the actual people in her life.

Inwardly she sighed. Samira didn't know. At that moment she just chose to play along and move on. "No. They would likely sit back and watch. Something like that would be considered a form of entertainment for otherwise bored celestial beings." Samira looked over to where the group that was with her entertained themselves. The frisbee had been disintegrated. Very few were happy about that. Normally that would have caused a disturbance where they used their powers against each other instead to settle their issues but Samira had seen that as a possible scenario earlier. They had been made to promise not to do that for the safety and peace of those around them. So came the game of dodgeball. A violent game of dodgeball in which she was certain many rules were being broken.

Samira's eyes narrowed slightly in disapproval. She'd let their antics slide for now and let herself hope that she wouldn't have to intervene and make the game stop. "Bored celestial spirits..." The summoner whispered with a shake of her head. She closed the book on her lap and set it beside her. Leona was her focus now and so she gave her all the attention.

Actually, as she stared at her friend her eyes got wider. A realization hit her. It was a moment of catching up. A moment in which she could get some new details of Leona's ongoing life. The vital information for the Leona Jarnefeldt book that had to be written! Actually, did she even mention that plan to write it one day to the Wizard Saint, or was that just something she had in her head as a passing thought? Ah, who cared? It was a normal conversation to have between friends anyway. It was a kill-two-birds-with-one-stone scenario.

"It has been a while since we sat down and talked," Samira stated, completely ignoring the time they were riding her SPATE out of Iceberg after completing the Ice Behemoth mission. That was a more torturous circumstance, having been stuck playing board games with Serqet the whole time. Leona's mood also had not been all that great thanks in part to a certain flying serpent. "How are things?"

(Word Count: 640
Samira Total: 1993)

"Oh." Leona remarked in response to Samira's assertion that the latter's spirits would be no help against the army of animated food if one should choose today to come to life and attack. She had tried to make a joke but it had fallen flat. She was not terribly surprised by that... it seemed like every time she tried to make a joke it ended up being a flop. Leona knew that her people skills were not what they should be, but her failure was just a bit sadder than usual because she was talking to Samira, the person who had been her friend for years.

Oh well. There was no point trying to salvage the joke because she would look even dumber for trying to save something that was already a loss. Leona would just take the loss and move on. She glanced at Samira and tried to figure out how to move on from the failed attempt to be funny but was given a way out by Samira herself, who asked a question that she could answer. That question would be a good distraction for the blonde, who otherwise would have likely floundered for something to talk about.

"Things have been going OK, Samira." Leona started off calmly. She wished that she could report that everything was going great and that she had finally shaken off the mental trauma of the Ishgar Symposium, but that was not the case. Instead of a big triumph to report Leona had a smaller one, that of buying the C-128 Albatross.

"I've purchased an aircraft for transportation, Samira. It's called the C-128 Albatross. I should have brought it here for you to see, but I wanted to walk somewhere for a change, so it's not here. The next time we do something together I should bring it." Leona calmly reported that she was now the proud owner of an aircraft.

"It has passenger accommodations so you won't have to sleep in the cargo bay. There's two passenger's quarters and each one has its own bathroom with shower, toilet, and running water. I also installed single beds in each one." Leona listed the amenities in the passenger cabins in case Samira ever decided to become a passenger on the Albatross.

"It has an autopilot that can get me to where I need to go without me having to control it, but I'm learning how to fly it manually. It's a slow learning process, though." Leona told Samira that while the Albatross had an autopilot function the blonde was learning to fly it herself in case the autopilot malfunctioned or if she wanted to exercise her new skill. After telling the teal-haired mage all of that Leona stopped talking so that Samira could respond to everything she had been told so far.

[Post Word Count: 468]
[Leona's Word Count: 1,552]

Samira remained quiet as Leona spoke of a type of aircraft that she now owned. That by itself was interesting. Even more mind-blowing was that Leona was on her way to learning how to pilot it. It was slowgoing as she put it but it was a remarkable feat to be sure. Samira herself had trouble with most types of technology so she could only imagine how difficult it must have been to safely fly an aircraft. She also had no idea that Leona was even interested in doing so. Funny enough it seemed everyone she knew was improving their knowledge of that sort of vehicle or already had it to begin with. Samira was certainly behind with the times. Possibly more than Leona would ever know. Many features of the iLac were still a mystery to her.

"I am impressed, Leona," Samira stated in awe. "When we first met I did not ever consider that one day you would be a pilot of a large aircraft." Samira caught herself after saying that, realizing as the words left her lips that they could be taken offensively. As if she was saying she thought Leona was too stupid back then to learn anything so difficult. That hadn't been the intention. It was more like the warrior of Disierto didn't quite fit the theme of being in the same category of technological advances. If someone from the future had told Samira that fact back then she wouldn't have believed it. "Sorry, I did not mean it in the way it sounded. I meant that your interests have gone in ways I did not expect. Learning to pilot I am sure is a challenging skill to learn. I have only met a handful of people that excelled at it." Even then she wasn't quite sure how many of those relied on autopilot the majority of the time.

(Word Count: 314
Samira Total: 2307)

"Yeah, I didn't think I'd ever become a pilot either." Leona nonchalantly remarked in response to Samira's statement. Leona had never imagined that one day she would find a high-tech aircraft sitting outside of Silver Wolf Guild Hall. It was an unexpected surprise, but not an unwelcome one.

"It's all right, Samira. I didn't take offense to what you said. When I left Desierto all those years ago I never expected to fly an aircraft, let alone own one." Leona assured her longtime friend that the former did not take offense at all. Samira was Leona's friend from way back when, so it was very hard for the teal-haired mage to upset her. Leona was also using her brain for a change and did not see anything offensive about what was said. She was going to keep using her brain and exercise her awful social skills by trying to keep the conversation going in a meaningful way.

"I've been looking for ways to add to my skillset so that I can do something besides fight, Samira. Being able to fly the Albatross myself would give me a new skill in addition to giving me a new way to travel. And like you said, learning to be a pilot isn't a walk in the park, so learning a skill not everyone has is kind of a big deal." Leona confided in Samira by telling her one of her few solid goals in life. It was not a big secret, but it was not something that the blonde Wizard Saint told everyone she met. Samira was the first person privileged enough to hear that and was one of the very few people Leona trusted enough to tell something so personal. Masha was the other person, bringing the total number of people who knew anything personal about Leona up to two.

Well, three if her mother was counted and four if Leonidas was added to that count.

At any rate, it was a number small enough to be counted on one hand. Leona stayed quiet for a few moments to think through what she was going to say next. Once she had thought it through as well as she could Leona spoke again.

"Piloting an aircraft is a tough skill to learn. I took a manual flight over the Forgotten Deserts once and it was a challenge, but not only because I was just starting to fly. The controls to the Albatross were a lot more responsive than I thought they'd be, so I had to be really careful how far I moved the control yoke." Leona told Samira, deliberately omitting the part about the flight being so rough on her that she had to go to the Pilot's Quarters and lie on her bed while Coleridge the AI flew her back to Silver Wolf Guild Hall. Leona might tell Samira about that part later. Right now the blonde did not want to discuss that embarrassing moment.

[Post Word Count: 494]
[Leona's Word Count: 2,046]

Impressive. Admirable. Courageous, as would fit her title. Many other words could easily describe Leona's experience and motivation for learning something out of her usual skillset. It was one that could find use at any time. Even during a war. Samira knew she was very different in that regard. Her skill set had always been magic based. Her useful talents never expanded beyond it. Even with physical combat she was very limited despite having been trained by several of her spirit avatars and others. Leona would always excel over her there. Not that she considered that a bad thing, nor was there any form of envy or jealousy there for it. It was just a fact she knew. Her expertise was in the magic she could use and her knowledge of it, but well, that was not much of a benefit or game changer in the current war, was it? Not against Pergrande and their Oblivium. Not even for a Goddess of Ishgar.

"I hope to one day ride in this aircraft of yours and watch you expertly work the controls," Samira said, meaning every word. It'd be an enjoyable experience and educational. However, the charm of the subject regarding aircraft flying was now lost. The other topic in her mind had taken over. As unfortunate and uncomfortable as it was.

Samira didn't like the idea of getting serious during what was supposed to be a relaxing and joyous time with a friend. It was just supposed to be a small conversation to catch up before moving on to some of the activities that were spread around Rose Garden and up toward the coast. They never really got to talk all that much until then though. The two of them never even spoke of the conflict at the border between Pergrande and Bellum and they were there at that time together. Whether that silence on the topic was by choice or because they rushed themselves onto the next thing she wasn't quite sure. Possibly more of the former if Samira was being honest with herself.

"I do not like the idea of bringing this up so suddenly, but it is something I wanted to get your view on." Samira paused for a moment so Leona could understand that the conversation was possibly switching tone. Even if the words themselves didn't give it away Samira's expression would. Gone was the smile that had welcomed her friend before. Now it had been replaced with a look of serious curiosity. "What are your thoughts on the war? Have you been there to see it?"

(Word Count: 431
Samira Total: 2738)

Leona was mildly amused at her friend's overly generous description of her flying ability. Right now it was best described as "mediocre." She knew enough to maintain a somewhat level flight path and knew enough to engage the hover system if she got in over her head, but at some point in the next few months she would be able to use a simulator made by the Albatross' creator to learn how to fly the aircraft properly. Using the simulator would have the advantage of letting Leona learn to fly without risking her life, the lives and homes of those who happened to be in the same area as her, or an almost two-million Jewel aircraft.

Leona listened to her friend's words and her mood shifted when the subject turned from the Albatross to the ongoing war between Bellum and Pergrande. The blonde had hoped that the topic would not come up, but it had come up nonetheless. She was going to address it directly instead of dance around the issue. Leona faced Samira before speaking.

"I've seen the war alright. In fact I've participated in it." Leona told her friend that she had indeed seen the war up close and personal. Her participation in the latest segment of the conflict had been in Bellum's Western Grasslands, where a large force of Vikings from Iceberg were making moves in that region. Leona had found and eliminated one raiding party, a modest success that gave her just enough confidence to remain a Wizard Saint. While eliminating a small Viking force would not undo the trauma of the Ishgar Symposium, that victory had given Leona what she needed to continue fighting on the side of the Luminous Covenant instead of sitting out the conflict because of her fear of failing like she had failed at the Ishgar Symposium.

"I went to Bellum's Western Grasslands and encountered a Viking raiding party in one of the villages in that area. I eliminated the entire party by myself. It wasn't easy, though. I didn't face a ragtag mob but a competent fighting force of fairly strong enemies." Leona gave a summary of her participation in the latest segment of the conflict. She recalled the knife-wielding Vikings who moved with speed and agility and gave her a good fight with their dexterous knife usage. However, they could not stop Leona from triumphing over them and protecting the village.

"As for the war itself, I'm committed to fighting in it to the end. I don't want the Ironheart Pact to get to Fiore, so I'm doing my best to help the Luminous Covenant any way I can, even if it means fighting away from the big battles." Leona told Samira that she was in the war for the duration. Leona had not been physically and mentally ready for the big stage and she was not sure if she would get a chance to fight in the big battles, but if she did not she was OK with that. She would let more competent mages take center stage while she fought on other fronts to give the Ironheart Pact trouble and show them that they would not get their way without a fight.

Leona closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again and confiding in Samira for a second time.

"I was hoping that I'd leave the world a legacy that wasn't mounds of corpses. Something that showed people that there was more to me than fighting ability." Leona started off with an audible tone of unhappiness.

"But that's not an option anymore. I can't worry about such things when the Luminous Covenant needs me to fight. The Ironheart Pact won't stop unless someone makes them stop. I'll kill as many of their soldiers as I have to until the war's over." Leona told Samira, making it clear that she was willing to kill Ironheart Pact soldiers for as long as the war lasted. She was not sure how the teal-haired mage would take her words, but the blonde had laid out her true feelings on the war. It was up to Samira to decide how she felt and whether or not she would continue to be friends with Leona.

[Post Word Count: 704]
[Leona's Word Count: 2,750]

Respectively Samira remained silent as Leona spoke. She listened intently as her friend confirmed that she had indeed seen the battles of the war with her own eyes and had participated in it by eliminating a Viking raiding party. Although Samira had visited Iceberg a few times she had never directly crossed paths with the people of that country. The closest was when fighting the Icebourne creature that threatened to destroy one of their towns. Even without the experience of seeing and fighting them herself, she could understand the truth of Leona's description of it not being easy. A country as harsh as Iceberg would not create soft and easily beaten natives. It'd create the opposite just so they could survive the day. Thankfully Leona had been there and succeeded in aiding there.

Once Leona got around to explaining why she had joined the war Samira couldn't help but feel ashamed for not doing the same. The idea of killing and leaving mounds of corpses didn't bother her as it did Leona. She had never been as soft or bothered by that sort of action unless it was used as an extreme solution just because it was there. War didn't exactly have peaceful alternatives and the Ishgar Symposium had been a disastrous attempt to avoid it. That couldn't be used as an excuse as it could have been for Leona, who chose not to do so and instead tossed aside her feelings and wishes to fight for the Luminous Covenant to stop Pergrande and its allies from winning the war.

Samira was more bothered by who she would be fighting. She had formed bonds and made allies in many countries during her time as a mage. Now entire countries had become enemies. At one point she had thought mages were there to protect the continent and beyond from threats that wanted nothing more than to destroy it. Now the continent was split, divided by an unnecessary war that was only causing the very destruction mages of the past and present had fought tirelessly to prevent other threats from doing.

It took her participation in the battle at the border between Bellum and Pergrande for her to realize that she just wasn't prepared for war, nor did she agree with it. For a while, she had been content to remain neutral and only act if Fiore and its citizens were in danger. For a while, she had also convinced herself that if another threat were to reveal itself while the other powers of the world were distracted by war then she would be available to deal with it. For a while, she had been conflicted with the uncertainty of her decision to remain out of the fight. Perhaps she was foolish and naive. Even if she believed she had no place or desire to be a soldier of war there should have been something she had done to help bring its end. What a difficult time to be a mage that never once expected the continent to be in its current state.

"You do have a point. I suppose it is true that the likely scenario is that Pergrande and its allies will not stop unless forced to do so in some way. I just hope that it does not tear the continent apart to get to that conclusion if that is even possible." Samira's words were a bit pessimistic but, to her, they were also true. It was entirely possible that the Ironheart Pact would win the war. She wasn't so blinded by mage supremacy or completely delusional to deny that.

Samira looked over in the distance to watch her summons join in a game of dodgeball with a group of kids. They didn't care about the war at all. They'd fight if they had to buy to them that was Ishgar's problem. Talking to most of them about the topic was a futile effort. That was why she had wanted to take advantage of Leona being there. She wasn't so sure just how honest the Wizard Saint would be with her but so far she had said quite a lot. Even went as far as to say that she'd kill as many of the enemy as was needed, which many might have judged and criticized her for. Samira was in no place to judge her for that, not that she had an issue with it in the first place.

"I have not played a part in the war myself or seen the various battles that are occurring at different parts of Ishgar. I had hoped my being there would be unnecessary." Samira sighed and cast her gaze back on Leona. "I am certain most would have expected me to be there as a Goddess of Ishgar and yet I was not. Do you think my absence to be terrible?"

(Word Count: 810
Samira Total: 3548)

Leona had expected Samira's reaction to everything she had said to be worse than it was, but the blonde supposed that she did not know Samira nearly as well as she thought she did. She kept her mouth shut and listened to her longtime friend express her hope for the war's conclusion. Leona could not help but to agree.

"I'm with you, Samira. I'm hoping that this conflict will end before the entire continent gets caught up in the war. Hopefully it'll end in a Luminous Covenant victory." Leona seconded her friend's sentiment before telling the latter who she wanted to win. She did not want the war to end in an Ironheart Pact victory because she had no reason to believe that anything good would come out of it. The Wizard Saint of Courage was going to do everything she could to bring about a Luminous Covenant victory, but she had to remain aware of the possibility that no matter how hard she worked things might not go her way.

Moving away from that subject, Leona decided to address what Samira had said about her participation in the war.

"I was hoping that you wouldn't have to fight either, Samira." Leona commented on her friend's statement in a tone of regret. Leona was hoping that she could do enough to keep the teal-haired mage from having to join the fighting, but that was a foolish hope. Despite her strength, determination, and commitment to the Luminous Covenant, Leona was only one mage and she could only do so much. She closed her eyes for a few moments.

Leona had been so naive.

She was not nearly strong enough to make up for Samira's absence. The blonde had wanted to spare her friend from the fighting because she did not want Samira to run the risk of dying, but that was a thought that spoke volumes about Leona's naivety and stupidity. Samira was a Goddess Of Ishgar and had the strength and intelligence to do that title justice... she did not need Leona to protect her from anything.

Leona, on the other hand, was a desert bumpkin who was in over her head and was too dumb to know when to quit.

Leona's eyes flew open when Samira asked her a question that she never expected to hear. She turned and looked at her friend. The response was going to be tough to give, but it needed to be said. Samira deserved nothing less than the blonde's honest opinion.

"I'd say that you should have participated, Samira. The Luminous Covenant is facing long odds and it needs all the help it can get. You're stronger, smarter, and an all-around better mage than I am... they need someone like you." Leona told Samira how she really felt on that subject. Samira was more powerful and more intelligent than Leona. The Goddess Of Ishgar also had a stronger moral compass and would fight for the right reasons as opposed to Leona, who had thrown herself into the war in a selfish and misguided attempt to make up for her failure at the Ishgar Symposium.

Leona thought over what she had just said and realized that the phrasing was far from the best. The blonde had tried to give Samira a truthful response, but instead she felt like she had tried to make the Goddess Of Ishgar feel guilty for not entering the war the moment it started. Samira was her own person and made her own decisions; she likely had good reasons for not getting involved right away, but Leona had been too short-sighted to consider that before speaking.

Leona felt like she had just dealt their friendship a serious blow, if not killed it on the spot. Despite the intense guilt she was feeling she still looked Samira in the eyes while waiting for the response. She owed her friend that much.

[Post Word Count: 650]
[Leona's Word Count: 3,400]

It was just as she thought. Although, it didn't take a genius to make an accurate guess of the general answer to the question. Because of that, the truth didn't hit Samira like a truck. Hearing it didn't bring about a great feeling to be sure, but she was very appreciative of the honesty. If a different answer had been given she might have been more disappointed as that would have meant that Leona was likely lying to her about what she truly felt. Honesty in general was to be valued but honesty among friends was even more so, at least in Samira's opinion. The only thing she didn't like about Leona's reply was how she put herself down. She could understand the reasoning for going that route, but Samira was never in favor of someone seemingly putting her on a pedestal above them in ability regardless of what it was.

"I cannot say that you are not right," Samira said softly and choosing not to be argumentative about the technicalities of who was the better mage. The truth was they were both skilled mages and right up there with others that could be considered the most well-known and powerful in Fiore, and possibly the world. Of course that small percentage of mages at that level would be beneficial and needed by the Luminous Covenant. Those that had already played a part in the conflict had proven to not be enough. Even her joining in still likely would not be. The Luminous Covenant needed something more than just powerful mages, though she did not know what it could be. Perhaps, if she did play a part in the war in the future, she could at least be enough of a distraction for those far smarter and more experienced to find out what that winning strategy could be.

"I have much to think about," Samira continued with a low sigh as if she had not already had the topic plaguing her mind more than she wanted it to. Talking about it with Leona even for just a little bit did ease the heavy weight of those thoughts though. She had forgotten what it was like to just talk to someone else about concerns and less-than-joyful topics. "Thank you for answering the question, Leona. I put you on the spot like that when I should not have, especially now of all time, but I have been conflicted about the whole thing for a long while and wanted to hear a different opinion other than my own." Her words weren't exactly an apology because quite frankly she didn't feel guilty over it. The most she wanted to convey to Leona was why she had asked in the first place and hopefully, she would understand. At the very least, the Wizard Saint would recognize that their friendship had not been dealt a blow as far as Samira was concerned. To her, being honest and having a more serious conversation for once just meant that it grew.

(Word Count: 502
Samira Total: 4050)

Leona was not happy about what she had said despite Samira's assurances that her answer was appreciated. In a way it seemed like Leona had told Samira to disregard how she felt and put her life on the line in a war with all the perils that entailed even if she did not want to. No matter how upset Leona felt it was too late to take those words back now... the Goddess Of Humility knew exactly how the Wizard Saint of Courage felt on the matter that had been brought up. Leona took a breath before speaking, maintaining eye contact with the teal-haired mage sitting beside her.

"You're one of my best friends, Samira. Telling you that you needed to get involved in a war wasn't easy, even if that war's for a just cause." Leona started off. The blonde did not have any problem fighting and not only because the war was for a just cause. She was also drawn to the action and even though she was not on the big stage with the whole world watching she was satisfied with her piece of the pie. Some might think Leona was dodging the big challenges, but the blonde was content to do her part away from the limelight... she had been in the limelight before at the Ishgar Symposium and she had failed horribly. She might somehow find her way back to the big stage one day, but right now she was going to do her best to fight where she was needed and make herself a nuisance to the Ironheart Pact whenever the opportunity presented itself.

"But you asked for an honest opinion, so I gave it to you. You deserve that much." Leona told Samira. The blonde was far from the most eloquent speaker around, especially after being put on the spot by her best friend. While she wanted to let the matter drop with that, the blonde still had something to say and now was a good a time as any to say it.

"I thought that I could do enough for the both of us so you wouldn't have to fight. I called myself trying to protect you, but you don't need anyone to protect you, especially not me. You're the Goddess Of Humility... you've been a mage for a lot longer than I have and you're a lot stronger than me, not to mention smarter. You've got what it takes to do just fine without me." Leona admitted something she had thought about while reiterating a point she had made earlier. It was a point that she would stand by if called on it by Samira. However, she was not going to throw a pity party for herself nor was she trying to elicit sympathy from her friend. Since Samira had been honest with her on something that was difficult to talk about Leona was returning the favor by discussing a motive for her participating in the war from the get-go.

"Even though I was a little more blunt than I had intended to be, I'm thankful that you value my opinion even when it's not expressed in the most articulate way." Leona ended on that note for the time being so that Samira got a chance to speak. She would also let her friend decide whether she wanted to continue the conversation or change the subject. If Samira wanted to change the subject Leona would not object.

[Post Word Count: 576]
[Leona's Word Count: 3,976]

Samira was in a state of mixed emotions as Leona spoke. She had already felt mildly bad for bringing the whole thing up in the way that she had and from the truth that had been acknowledged. Then there was that uplifting positive feeling from being labeled as one of Leona's best friends. A great void inside Samira had been created when a good friend of the past had disappeared for unknown reasons. To that day it was still something she had never fully gotten over, although she had learned to move past it and live her life despite it all. To hear Leona give her such a powerful label, at least in her opinion, helped tremendously in filling that empty space to where perhaps one day she could forget entirely about the past.

But then came that guilt that had not been there a moment ago, along with shame and surprise, but for a different reason. Leona had felt it necessary to protect her and thus a reason for her joining the war. There were most likely others on that list, of course. Friends, guildmates, the country. Throwing herself into a dangerous war to ensure those she cared about were safe was just how Leona was. Still, Samira felt that she should not have been on Leona's mind in that regard. Not when she was fully capable of fighting and yet did nothing with her power and abilities. Regardless of Leona's kind-hearted intent, it was impossible for her to fight so much that it would fill the gaps of those not there. Not in that conflict. To know that she thought she could even try hit hard. Leona being affected by her decision to stay out of the war had not been her intent. It was proof though. Proof that whatever she did had a consequence. Possibly several. She just had to decide which ones she was willing to live with.

Then there was disappointment. Samira had to restrain herself from releasing a tired and disappointed sigh. Once again Leona had commented on her belief that she was inferior. As much as Samira wanted to deny it the conversation would have been very similar to one she had had with Victoria. It'd feel pointless and hollow by the end. The opinion would never change. There really were no words that could break that image where they saw Samira as being more perfect than she really was. Actions worked better as evidence and well, neither of them had really seen Samira in peril or challenged in any way. She supposed because of that it was an understandable opinion to have, but it was so very tiring hearing it. So very tiring trying to dissuade others from thinking and believing it. Perhaps it was just best if she just stopped getting bothered by the over-glorified version of herself. They'd realize the truth at some point in time.

"Well, I may not need protection today, but in the future, who knows? That is something left for our future selves to find out." Samira said after taking a moment to think of her reply. She knew quite well that she was not invincible. There were those out there that truly seemed to be, and perhaps maybe they really were, but she wasn't one of them. Not even close. Much like in the past, a time would come when she would be dealing with much more than she could handle. That was an accepted reality.

"I am just grateful to have you here now for what I did need. Your insight and opinion are something that I will always value and consider, and you did not fail to speak truthfully. I do not know if I will join the war fully as you have, but I do believe it is now a path worth more consideration than I had originally given it." With that said, the summoner was ready to let her part of that conversation come to a close. There was still a whole day ahead of them! It might have started off a bit serious but that didn't mean the tone could not change to something more exciting and carefree. "I do think we have been sitting around much too long. We should be doing more on this day like everyone else! Would you like to go back into town and explore the activities there?"

(Word Count: 733
Samira Total: 4783)

Leona listened to Samira's response and accepted that on some level the former had fallen prey to her tendency to put her foot in her mouth. She would learn to live with it. She was learning to live with a lot of things lately and she would have to add the feeling that she had guilt-tripped her friend into joining the war to them. The blonde kept quiet as she thought about what Samira had said to her.

"Yeah. We'll find out later." Leona said in a neutral tone that might or might not have disguised her unhappiness. She quickly let that drop and focused on what Samira had said next, which was an expression of gratitude for Leona being truthful to her despite that truth being unpleasant for the blonde to say. Not wanting to bog the conversation down by repeatedly apologizing to the Goddess of Ishgar, Leona would instead keep moving forward with it.

"Being honest with the friend I've had the longest was the least I could do, Samira." Leona reiterated an earlier statement and let it go at that to avoid being repetitious. Samira was the one who had been honest with her during the Recheeserator incident and that honesty had jump-started the blonde's long road to something approaching maturity. After Leona had complained about the state of her skirt at some point during the incident Samira's response had made Leona feel so much shame that it made her go from being a total idiot with no ability to think before she spoke to someone who had some ability to think before they spoke. Now Leona had been honest with Samira about something important.

Seizing the chance to get away from serious topics and sideline the guilt she was feeling, Leona eagerly embraced the chance the teal-haired mage had given her.

"I agree, Samira. Let's go to town and see what's going on." Leona agreed with the idea and put the serious topics they had been discussing out of her mind because they had been discussed to completion and there was nothing new she could meaningfully add. She could deal with the question of whether she could have phrased her response better later. Right now the blonde wanted to go to town and participate in a festive event with her longtime friend.

[Post Word Count: 386]
[Leona's Word Count: 4,362]

"Wonderful!" Samira stood up, not forgetting to grab the book she had placed beside herself much earlier while doing so. The rest of the items could stay. The summons that were there would take care of it, the remaining snacks included. There was no need to worry about that. In fact, Serqet had already inched her way up to the picnic blanket and nabbed the basket. The oddball took off running, holding up her prize victoriously. Samira could have stopped or scolded her, of course, but there was no need to. The Goddess of Ishgar simply ignored it and instead created a small portal that was used for the simple action of tossing the book inside it. Carrying it during their town exploration would be a hassle that she wanted to avoid suffering from.

As the tiny portal disappeared and once Leona had stood up Samira got closer to her friend and took her by the arm. "Now I do believe that the town is bustling with new things just for the celebration. There should be plenty to browse and buy." It was apparent that Samira's mood had shifted dramatically. Or so it seemed. The woman had become quite the master of pushing certain feelings away in favor of something else. It was a shock that it had not started to rain to be more in line with their previous conversation. Since the sky was still very blue with a shining sun there was still hope to add a bit of fun and joy to the day. Samira was excited to try. "We really should get you something real to eat too. You did not eat a single sandwich or muffin while here. You must be starving by now." Thankfully Rose Garden was never short on food vendors and stalls during a celebratory event.

During her talking, Samira was gently pulling Leona along to lead her to a larger portal that had appeared in front of them. All thanks to Janus, the avatar god of portals. He was too busy laying under an umbrella at the coast to arrive and greet them in person but making portals from a distance was a trivial task. With his mind linked with his summoner, he knew exactly when and where to create one. An instant trip back into Rose Garden it was. Portal magic really was great, wasn't it? He certainly thought so. As did Samira, who fully intended on making use of it.

If Leona had no objections regarding walking into a swirling vortex of magic Samira would lead her through it. In the next instant, the pair would be on the other side and standing at the center of Rose Garden.

(Word Count: 450
Samira Total: 5233)

Leona was glad that the serious discussion was finally over. Now that everything was said and done and nothing more could be added she could move on from it and actually have fun today, which was the whole point of walking all the way to Rose Garden to meet with Samira to start with. She observed as Serqet grabbed a picnic basket and fled as fast as she could with it, leaving Leona wondering what had led up to that taking place. There was a lot of information that Leona did not have that would likely explain things, but at any rate Serqet was being Serqet and in the end that was all the blonde really needed to know about the summon's behavior.

Speaking of Samira's summons, where was Kukulkan?

Leona did not have much time to wonder about the location of Snide Serpent because Samira had gently taken her arm and was guiding the blonde in the direction of one of the Goddess of Ishgar's portals. The blonde could not recall whether she had traveled with Samira by portal or not, but she kept quiet and let the teal-haired mage talk about what awaited them in town. Leona was glad to hear that there would be no shortage of things to do and see, but what she really wanted right now was something to eat. That made her amenable to going along with her friend's suggestion with no resistance whatsoever.

"Yeah, I could go for something to eat right now. I'm not sure what I want just yet, but I'll likely find something when we get to our destination and start taking a look at our options." Leona told Samira, the conversation from earlier and the feelings associated with it being sidelined in favor of spending time with the Goddess of Ishgar. The blonde would not think about what they had discussed for the rest of the day... she could do that on her own time back at Silver Wolf Guild Hall. Right now she was with Samira and going to a festival. The rest of the day was going to be spent in Samira's company and it was going to be a time of happiness for the blonde.

[Post Word Count: 370]
[Leona's Word Count: 4,732]