Ashan 2nd 718
The mortal born left her room and took a deep breath through her nose as she made her exit, not like before during the super storm.
Lavana could leave the mess she made behind as shed run away with Kura, that was this girls big plan help her achieve her goal and bail. Leave the hurt, the failures behind and never look back she was on a clear tactical retreat. Lavana had not mentioned it with her slip up in Adunih but this girl oh she came with a fucking exit strategy as she mentally prepared herself, figuring the best way off the island. And the imperial owl was indeed the golden ticket. Shed left her old self behind as shed gone out for a day on the town. Shed take her time as she took even steps towards the bazaar.
Fuck work, fuck that stupid ass job at the butchers shop she was beyond that now as she walked passed the glass window flipping off her manager with a wild laugh as she freed herself with this new found mentality as she continued in stride with coins to burn in her pocket.
It was a new and improved no fucks given attitude, as she felt gloriously reborn after tearing herself down. She smiled with a skip in her step following winding cobblestone paths that led her to the hustle and bustle of the Bazaar, and her eyes were aglow as she soaked in the shear size of the place.
Shed lusted for new armor after her run in with Sephira in the cemetery now Amber eyes were alive as she made her way to a local shop and started making her purchases. Blackened steel, getting fitted as she held her arms out and let the tailor fidget over her while she looked at herself in the mirror knowing she had places to be and she wanted to present herself like a conqueror upon arrival. As she took her time selecting premade pieces, picking up some and putting them down evaluating there worth. She was different now her demeanor had changed, as she felt the weight and put back.
First came the padded leather as she picked out that she liked vendor, and fitted herself in it. Chainmail? A full suit to be worn over the the padded leather, sure why not she could afford it. Burn those coins, as she buried her feelings with every toss of the hand as gold nels departed from her purse.
She wanted more, as she sat down on the chair and put on her new sabatons and walked around in them making sure they felt comfortable and didn't pinch her toes, and assistance outfitted her lacing up the pieces and tightening the leather straps and clicking buckles on Amber eyes widened as she smiled and pointed at a pair of spiked gauntlets. And the assistants helped greatly, ready to accommodate the big spender and make there sales. While they slid them on as she felt there heft, as she opened and closed her hands and made a fist envisioning giving somone a fist full of nails they were perfect.
But still not enough, more, more, more as she watched her coins flutter from her hands and onto the table of one of the next stalls. As she helped herself to the wares of her choosing, while merchants with there greedy eyes were more then happy to relieve her of her coins as shed gone on a spending spree.
Breast plate, pauldrons, grieves it was all on the list she wanted the whole nine yards, everything and anything if it was ebon she wanted it; unfortunately she had to settle for standard but that was ok she was used to settling. Just like her sister Valtharn though shed have plate, even if it wasn't in black. Standard steel of course, and it was an easy enough request to fill with plenty of pieces to choose as she had the money and they knew it when she flashed her purse letting them know she was there to make a sale. New weapons as hands snatched a replacement combat and something like a Bandolier with ten throwing knives.
One thing was left a helmet, she remembered being flicked by that stick so now she wanted a new piece. Something special as she selected her great helm that was certainly a unique piece. It contained a flip visor that took on the shape of a maidens with a teardown her cheek. When pulled down it was like a mask only made of steel with ornate wings on the sides. She stuffed it over her head and flipped the visor down, and she was taken back. She was no longer Lavana, she was an impregnable battlefield monster her face hidden behind that veil of steel she could hide and become something else a maiden of indiscrimate murder and death an elegant executioners shroud.
Content the last piece would be a steel claymore, the old bronze one was stupid so she was ready for an upgrade as shed set out blow her money almost all as shed felt shed earned herself the right to do so.
When the mortal born collected her gear, she was ready to go. Looking back shed felt like shed spent at an easy three hundred nel.
But with even with the satisfaction of her picture perfect panoply she couldn't help but notice there really wasn't much in the way of element guards. When she saw one it was usually a woman, in fact thinking back on it they were all women and they were few and far between. It didn't feel right, people were spending money but security was extremely loose In one of the most important financial sectors of the town.
Aye, bitch how bout you take off that gear and give me what's left of those coins? What you waiting for? Give it up, or I'm gonna have to use my steel to persuade you.
The man in question wasn't looking smart, he didn't have armor like her and had what looked to be a shitty hand me down sword a saber. Amber eyes seemed to look around surveying the scene only too see a female element watch, then look around then jump ship as she carried on like nothing was wrong. Like she wasn't part of the system here, a fill in looking for an easy payday, and didn't answer to the bazaar.
Lavana was alone with an injury in her chest, but she was tired of being a second rate swordsman. No one seemed to care about what was happening or perhaps they were afraid as everyone including the people shed given money too turned a blind eye. That was bullshit!
As she slid her visor down and withdrew her polished steel claymore, it was lighter in her hands then bronze. But her chest did squeel in pain, but she breathed in deep both hands held a firm grip.
Lavana would hold the line there was more at stake then she thought as she saw it for it was an abandonment of there post and duties.
For the grace and might of her immortal lord shed live and die by her sword for it was her soul. As shed give her life so boldy to meet her mother at the steps of her domain, her path to salvation.
As she assumed her stance, she was having trouble keeping it steady but it was the path to damnation to turn, it was time to cry put now. As her opponent made her way towards her with his long sword and swung it at her, and the mortal born reacted but realized she could rely on wild wind up swings shed flinched and had been struck, but shed been protected by plate and leather padding absorbed the force as shed been rattled.
Her hands were quick to work together one moved forward while the receeded back making a deft movement as steel clang against steel as shed defend herself against his wild follow up. As Lavana stepped back again the shock of the clash of resonated through her body and aggrieved her wound as it let her know it was still there.
He came in again thrusting this time raskalarns daughter measured the length of his steely blade as she performed the same move but this time with vigor as she matched his steel with her own towards the tip of his weapon and his hands that were wrapped around the the handle dipped down not being able to handle the awkward weight as Lavana was discovering a new talent with leverages.
As the mortal born stepped off to the side to take advantage of the opening she relied on forward backwards hand motion on her handle and would make a disciplined chop, aiming behind his cross guard where her sword deftly cleaved the meat of his hand as his weapon clattered in a resonating twang followed by a coup da gra as she used her hands to roll to the side causing the edge to flip side to side while she pulled out in a horizontal stroke that kissed his face as it flayed the meat and dug its way in deep, into the tendons and joint of his jaw ripping into the flesh of his mouth and exposing his teeth.
It had been a quick exchange but Lavana stepped back as the Elements had finally come back it was two woman that had begun rounding up the grievously wounded thief.
"It was self defense"
Yea I saw and ran to get help, we are short handed now go move along before we change our minds.
"Really what the fuck was that guy thinking? He had nothing but a sword?"
Flashing money like a fucking idiot in Almund, walking around wounded and unsupervised, you looked like an ~easy~ mark. I saw you a a mile away.
Lavana had turned around after taking that as her cue to leave. But she stopped for a moment hung up on that word, as she raised her sword with fresh blood streaming down it's polished surface. Even with armor, was she so weak that even this fool thought he could best her? Is this truly, how far her daughter had fallen? A beautiful rose that turned into a dandy lion? Nothing but a weed in her garden, even with her new armor on she was a catastrophic failure that even this naive tried to best her as he thought the chips were in his favor even while so heavily armed and armored.
Of course she couldnt stop to think about Sephira in all this, what shed said to her was wretched she was trying to do the right thing on a shrinking ship. And her assumptions of the elements, at least what was left of them seemed like displacement of her feelings as they had indeed came back for her albeit late. She still had to process this, it was far to soon to put the transgressions against her in the past.
The mortal born was still bitter.
She was left in quiet contemplation, about her choices as she walked away.
