Re: World of Adventure

by Xenosaga Wed Jan 25, 2012 6:05 pm

Famine takes 25 DMG!

Famine KO!

Hunger takes 14 DMG!

HP: 36/50

Episode 1c: Caught in the Act of Eating

Location: Outside of the Fishing Village Azule

Objective: Punish these impolite slimes for interrupting your meal! And damn it, move on already, you've been stuck in the same place for five pages!
Tip: You ate that fish, didn't you? Then go kick some ass already. Also, the stuff you missed? Still there for the picking. What, did you think they magically disappeared?

Status: Stats increased by 25% for 3 battles.

{t} { } { } { } { } { } {t} A
{t} {b} { } { } { } { } {t} B
{t} { } { } { } {p} { } {t} C
{t} { } { } { } { } { } {t} D
{t} { } { } { } { } { } {t} E
{t} { } { } { } { } { } {t} F
{t} { } { } { } { } { } {t} G
{t} { } { } {H} { } { } {t} H
{t} { } { } {S} { } { } {t} I
{t} { } { } { } { } { } {t} J
{t} { } { } { } { } { } {t} K
{t} {s} {N} { } { } { } {t} L
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7-

Nella is linked!

Salem is linked!

Enemy Phase 5!

Hunger moves to I-3.

Hunger uses Head Bash on Salem!

MP: 12/40

Salem takes 4 DMG!

HP: 8/38

{t} { } { } { } { } { } {t} A
{t} {b} { } { } { } { } {t} B
{t} { } { } { } {p} { } {t} C
{t} { } { } { } { } { } {t} D
{t} { } { } { } { } { } {t} E
{t} { } { } { } { } { } {t} F
{t} { } { } { } { } { } {t} G
{t} { } { } { } { } { } {t} H
{t} { } {H} {S} { } { } {t} I
{t} { } { } { } { } { } {t} J
{t} { } { } { } { } { } {t} K
{t} {s} {N} { } { } { } {t} L
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7-

Nella (Mana Mage) *Mana Field*
HP: 10/10 -----> 6/13
MP: 45/45 -----> 43/56
ATK: 1 -----> 1
DEF: 2 -----> 3
INT: 6 -----> 8
SPR: 4 -----> 5
MOVE: 2

Salem (Assailant) *Brutal Nature*
HP: 30/30 -----> 8/38
MP: 20/20 -----> 0/25
ATK: 7 -----> 9
DEF: 5 -----> 6
SPR: 1 -----> 1
INT: 3 -----> 4
MOVE: 4

Hunger (Green Slime)
HP: 36/50
MP: 12/40
ATK: 8
DEF: 5
INT: 3
SPR: 4
MOVE: 2

Famine (Green Slime) *KO*

Empty (Green Slime) *KO*

{p} - Plant
Trigger Command: Search

{b} - Bush
Trigger Command: Search

{s} - Stone

Player Phase 6!

Nella winced. Her wounds were hurting her more than she had expected. She always knew her body was fragile but this was ridiculous. She could walk for miles but couldn't even take a simple hit? The brunette sighed inaudibly. Raising her head, she was startled to note how close the last slime was. Nervously, she was sure she wouldn't be able to take another hit from it, the girl raised her hand and prepared to attack it.

[Nella] casts Five Point Star on [Hunger]. 9 INT DMG. 5 hits.
MP: 33/56

by **Masquerade** Wed Jan 25, 2012 6:51 pm

"I think we're pretty much through here," Salem stated with a grimace as he slashed away at the remnants of the pitiful slime creature, though the bruises he had were proof that they weren't as pathetic as he thought them to be. In fact, he nearly felt like passing out again. He found it difficult to kep his balance after the attack and fell to his knees.

Salem uses Tiger Fury on Hunger! 2 hits! 12 Dmg per hit! (ATK)

Nella's MP: 23/56

Salem laughed, trying to play it off as if nothing were seriously wrong. "Phew, these things gave us a workout. Even the Scourge of Slime had a hard time with them," he called out lightheartedly, starting to dig through the slime's corpse as if looking for items. Way to improvise there, buddy, Salem scolded himself in his mind.

Salem waits.

by Xenosaga Wed Jan 25, 2012 7:30 pm

Hunger takes 39 DMG!

Hunger KO!

{t} { } { } { } { } { } {t} A
{t} {b} { } { } { } { } {t} B
{t} { } { } { } {p} { } {t} C
{t} { } { } { } { } { } {t} D
{t} { } { } { } { } { } {t} E
{t} { } { } { } { } { } {t} F
{t} { } { } { } { } { } {t} G
{t} { } { } { } { } { } {t} H
{t} { } { } {S} { } { } {t} I
{t} { } { } { } { } { } {t} J
{t} { } { } { } { } { } {t} K
{t} {s} {N} { } { } { } {t} L
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7-

The slimes have been punished!
BATTLE COMPLETE!!

EXPERIENCE:

+3 - Green Slime Kill x 3
+2 - Battle Completed in less than 10 Turns.

Nella: 2/10 -----> 7/10
Next Level: 7/10

Salem: 2/10 -----> 7/10
Next Level: 7/10

Items Found:

Slimedrop x 1
Green Jelly x 1

The Party has gained 150 Gold!

Inventory Updated!

"Ow," Nella whimpered slightly, rubbing the spot the slime ball had hit her. Though relieved the battle was over, she was still in pain from the previous attack. She really needed to do something about her lack of defenses. Seeing Salem with wounds all over him, from protecting her again, Nella closed her eyes and concentrated on healing all that she could. With the link still in place, she sent as much mana needed to heal him of his injuries as she could. Once finished, Nella gently cut the link and smiled.

"It was a nice after meal work-out," she agreed, trying to sound casual. Nella had found she could not heal her own wounds and had hid her injury from Salem's eyes. It would heal on its own, she wasn't that weak. Walking back to the stone, and leaving the item collection to Salem, the brunette picked up her bag before returned her attention to the boy. "Shall we keep moving then?"

by **Masquerade** Wed Jan 25, 2012 8:53 pm

Letting out a sigh of relief, Salem began to actually focus on his task instead of doing it just to hid the intense pain. When monsters toss balls of slime at a velocity high enough to break bones, that's when things become dangerous. "Thank you, Nella," he said to his friend as to not seem ungrateful, for he was definitely glad to have her with him. Without her, there was no way he could take on the monsters, even the weakest ones--the slimes.

"It just goes to show how much growing we still have left to do," he uttered to himself listlessly as he pried a block of jelly from the depths of the creature, dripping with slime that he would collect as well. The boy stood up and spread his arms out, stretching, a yawn elicited from his mouth. He strolled over to the other slimes, bending down to inspect each one. They all had a sum of gold which he collected, but only one had the slime and jelly that he was intentionally seeking. Standing up, he walked the items and currency over to Nella's bag and deposited them within.

"We probably should be going. The longer we stay here, the higher the chance of us being attacked again, not saying that we won't get attacked somewhere later down the road, but at least we will have made some progress," he affirmed with a swift nod. His weapons were covered in the disgusting, viscous goop. It dripped along the blades slowly until it reached the tips, the heavy drops eventually dropping to the ground with an inaudible splat. Some of the slime was beginning to congeal; he would definitely have to clean the blades off at some point.

by Xenosaga Thu Jan 26, 2012 8:09 am

Nella looked up. The sun was starting to set. If they left now and encounter nothing along the way, they could possibly make it to the halfway point of the road. They could travel the rest of the way to Rubidel tomorrow morning. Returning her gaze to Salem, she nodded firmly.

"As long as we don't get attacked again," Nella began, shifting the position of the bag on her shoulder to a more comfortable one. The slime had hit her right shoulder, where she usually hung the bag strap. "We can make half the trip today and the rest tomorrow." Sending a glance at the mess of green slimes they had made, Nella tapped her lip thoughtfully. "Even if the slimes aren't that intelligent, they probably know better than to attack us now. We should be safe for a while."

Hopefully, the while would last until nightfall. Smiling at Salem, she continued, "Anyway, are you ready to go?"

by **Masquerade** Thu Jan 26, 2012 10:18 pm

"Sounds like a plan to me," Salem confirmed upon hearing his friend out. His keen eye picked up on the shifted of the backpack and remembered that she had become hurt in the skirmish with the slimes. He wasn't sure where she had been attacked, for his attention had been diverted, but he had a sneaking suspicion. "Hey, why don't you let me carry that thing for a while. It must be a bit heavy, am I right?" he offered, reaching out his hand for her to hand over the bag to him. He seriously hoped she wouldn't say no.

His crimson eyes shot down the road, gazing at the path ahead for just a moment. Uncertainty of the future fell upon his mind like a veil, but that was all part of the excitement. I don't know how excited I can be with Nella in so much danger, and even myself at that, he thought, thining back on the times he was near collapse in the battle against the slimes. Better turn this pity into determination. I have to get stronger. Once we get to Rubidel, things should be a bit easier on us. His gaze had already returned to Nella as he awaited the handing over of the backpack, his visage defiant, but in a gentle way.

by Xenosaga Fri Jan 27, 2012 7:07 am

Surprised by Salem's request, Nella couldn't hold back the hot blush that soon filled her face. Wrought with both embarrassment and guilt, the girl meekly handed the bag into her friend's waiting hand. She had intended to hide it from him but it seemed she could hide nothing from Salem. He always found out in the end. Nella wondered if she was that easy to read.

"Well, let's get going then," was all the girl could say, a bit nervously as she grabbed hold of Salem's free hand, careful of his claws, and pulled him along with her. She set into an easy walking pace to follow, unable to look her friend in the face as she felt the warmth of his hand in hers. Her hand ached to entwine her fingers with his but she withheld the urge. Not to mention his weapons got in the way so she wouldn't be able to do it even though she wanted to.

by **Masquerade** Fri Jan 27, 2012 4:30 pm

Salem took hold of the strap tightly, and let out a slight sigh of surprise as he realized it was fairly heavy. They had, after all, been continuously adding more things to it like dead rabbits and slime byproducts. Hefting the thing over his shoulder, he smiled. The warmth of the sun still embraced the duo as they stood there on the path. Salem basked in it without even realizing. It was welcomed compared to the heat of battle. Letting Nella take his hand, he walked alongside her down the road to draw ever nearer to their destination.

by Xenosaga Sat Jan 28, 2012 6:06 pm

Like this, time seemed to just fly by. To Nella's shock and relief, they didn't encounter any other rabid monsters even as the sun began to disappear behind the trees and the moon appeared to take its place. It seemed that even these hostile creatures needed their rest. Despite knowing they were only human and needed rest as well, Nella tugged her friend along even when the stars twinkled in the dark sky. It wasn't until an owl started to hoot did she stop at what she deemed an appropriate place.

"Let's rest here," she suggested as she pulled Salem to a grassy area by the road that was devoid of trees, unwilling to let go of his hand just yet. It made the ideal place for a camping spot, with enough room to make a small campfire and at least four people to sleep. "I have blankets in the bag. Can you get them out?" Seeing as how her friend was the one with the bag now, she would have to ask him to get everything. Nella felt a stab of guilt at that but shook it off.

by **Masquerade** Tue Jan 31, 2012 7:40 pm

Without much thought, Salem walked over to the area Nella had pointed out. It seemed like a cozy little place to camp out for their first night. The walk to the spot seemed to be lost to him. His mind was captivated with how close they were to their destination. When they had stopped, it came almost like a shock to him; he hated being so distracted like he was. Setting the bag down, he removed to blankets from the bag as Nella had told him, setting them out without any problems.

"All set," he said, a bit weary but with a grin on his face. "If you make a fire, I'll set up the warding charms your grandpa gave us." He reached a bit further into the bag and pulled a few out, waving them in the air. "Think you can handle it?"

by Xenosaga Sat Feb 04, 2012 10:22 am

"Of course!" Nella smiled in response to her friend's question, eager to be of any help. The warding charms were simple enough to use, just one was enough for the night. All that had to be done was to place the charm at the center of their camp area and then pour enough mana in it so a barrier would appear around their designated spot. It was a small place so it wouldn't take too much mana. Salem could easily take care of this.

Unfortunately, the warding charm wouldn't be able to protect them against the stronger monsters but Nella wasn't too worried about that. The monsters from Azule to Rubidel were some of the weakest there were, there was no way they could break through the barrier her Grandpa made. They would be able to get a good night's sleep like this.

Humming happily to herself, Nella began her task of picking up sticks for their campfire. There were lots to use since there were so many trees around. Now that she thought about it, it was about to enter the Rain season. The realization made her a little worried about whether it would rain on them during the night or not. Warding charms weren't made to prevent anything other than monsters from entering the barrier.

But they would be alright, she was sure of it! Nodding to herself firmly, Nella picked up the last of the sticks she needed and hurried back to her friend.

"Salem! I got the wood!" she called to the male, making sure her voice wasn't too loud. Just in case there were still things lurking in the forest surrounding them.

by **Masquerade** Sun Feb 05, 2012 5:04 pm

Salem nodded as Nella affirmed that she was going to be all right with her task. Taking a single ward and placing the rest back in the bag, he found a spot to place it on the ground and did so. Touching it with a couple of fingers, he closed his eyes and began to focus his mana into the thing. He took a sharp breath as the necessary amount was transferred and took his hand away from the ward, standing up and taking another deep breath. It was certainly a handy thing. Now the duo would be able to rest easy. His ears caught sound of Nella informing him that she had the wood, so he looked up to see her near him with the sticks. Alleviating her of her burden, he set them out and began to place them in a certain fashion keeping one stick to the side.

"Perfect. You picked some good ones, Nella," he said lightheartedly, finishing the basic structure of the kindling before taking the solitary between both hands and setting it vertically into a small space between the rest of the sticks. He twisted the one stick around, and then back to the other side, holding it in place. Nothing happened at first, so he grimaced and began to perform the action more vigorously. Smoke could be seen starting to wisp into the air before a small flame was created in the heart of the wood. The sticks were rather dry, so the fire expanded at a decent rate. Salem nodded in approval.

"Well, that takes care of that. I figured that skill would come in handy," the boy said, checking around the fire's vicinity to make sure it couldn't spread. It would be horrible if it did; the last thing they needed was for their possessions to catch fire.

by Xenosaga Mon Feb 06, 2012 8:44 am

Nella clapped her hands lightly, a bright smile on her face as she watched the campfire burst into life. Taking a seat by the fire, she scooted a little closer and watched the fire burn, the light dazzling her eyes. It brightened the darkness that had surrounded them, causing Nella to realize just how late it was. It was only thanks to the moonlight and starlight that she had been able to make out the sticks on the ground when she had been searching for them.

"This is my first time sleeping without Grandpa around," she said nervously, shivering slightly as a light breeze blew by. She raised her hands to warm them by the fire and then giggled. "It's too bad we don't have any marshmallows. Or chocolate or crackers. We could have made s'mores." She could still remember her first experience with that little treat. Her first marshmallow had fallen right off the stick and into the fire. Her second one had caught fire and she had nearly flung her stick in her panic. "Do you remember, Salem? Grandpa made us camp right there, in the middle of the village." The other residents hadn't said much about their antics though, it was well-known around the village that her grandfather was eccentric.

by **Masquerade** Mon Feb 06, 2012 3:35 pm

With the job done, Salem sighed contentedly and enjoyed the warmth of the dancing flame. At the mention of s'mores, Salem's mouth couldn't help but water. He loved sweet things, and there was nothing too sweet for him. S'mores were the perfect treat for camping; he had to agree with Nella concerning the fact that it was sad they didn't have any. Perhaps they could pick up the supplies for them once they started making a decent income.

"Yeah, I remember. Wasn't exactly the same as what we're doing now, but all that mattered was that I was with you and it was really fun," the boy replied nostalgically, thinking back to the time. Grandpa Joe really went out of his way for people, especially his family and their friends. Salem never saw his grandparents much, and if it hadn't been for his friendship with Nella, he would most likely be jealous of her for having such an amazing grandpa. However, his closeness with the girl brought on the action of Grandpa Joe treating the young boy as if he were one of the old man's own. Salem looked up to the old man; he was a revered adventurer, after all, albeit retired now. He still possessed great strength and wisdom though.

"That Grandpa Joe really made it great. He didn't hold back, that's for sure. He never was the type to do that anyway!" Salem smiled and laughed a bit. He was going to miss the village, that was for sure. However, he would always possess memories, not to mention they could always go back to visit once they got into the groove of things.

by Xenosaga Tue Feb 07, 2012 12:21 pm

It always made her proud to hear someone speak praises of her grandfather. Especially if that someone was Salem. Nella knew how much he admired her grandfather and to have someone so special like her grandfather, why, she couldn't be any happier! But now that she was here, away from the village, away from one family she had left, Nella was slowly beginning to realize just how much she was giving up. The full impact of her decision hadn't really sunk in until now, in the cover of darkness where hidden emotions were always being revealed.

Nella knew she could return to Azule whenever she was free to visit. She also knew she could always send letters whenever she had a moment to rest. But, her grandfather had always been there for her. Day and night, rain or snow, when lightning streaked through the sky and thunder boomed in the distance, all she needed was his warm hand against her forehead and it was as if all her worries just drifted away. He had been there when her parents had left, their promise of returning in three months time never being fulfilled.

Tears began to stream down her cheeks, dripping off her chin and onto her lap. Some hit the ground and was absorbed into the dirt. Nella barely noticed her state, lost in the memories of when she had started to lose the things in her life that made it colorful.

by **Masquerade** Tue Feb 07, 2012 1:22 pm

Gazing into the fire, Salem continued to smile. To be able to reminisce--it was a marvelous ability. However, as he looked over at Nella, he realized that the same couldn't be said of her. He frowned and got up, quickly kneeling by her side. "Nella, what's wrong?" he asked worriedly. He was aware she was in no mortal peril, but that didn't mean she wasn't hurting from something, most likely something within her mind. Quietly, he placed an arm around her shoulder, and brought her a bit closer to him so he could whisper in her ear. "Hey, don't cry. What would Grandpa Joe say if he saw you like this? There will always be time for tears in the life of an adventurer, but we're just getting started. You set out to do what you wanted to do, and your grandpa not only respects that decision, I do believe, but encourages it as well. He wants to see you get stronger and make friends and see different places. Just think of all the things you'll accomplish." His voice was gentle, and he put his heart into it. There was no point in fallacy; what he spoke was what he believed to be the truth. There had to be at least a bit of regret in the poor girl's soul to elicit such a reaction, but she couldn't let it overwhelm her.

Feeling suddenly overwhelmed himself, he wrapped his other arm around her as well in a comforting embrace--an attempt to give her a shoulder on which to cry. He would have felt embarrassed by the occurrence, and such a feeling would set in later, but for now, he couldn't care less about anything except getting Nella to feel at least a bit better. The tide of memories and emotions was a strong one--one to be reckoned with, for sure. In but a moment's notice, it could sweep one away, and Salem concluded that this was what had occurred now. He thought about what to say next, but nothing came to his mind, so he stayed calm and quiet.

by Xenosaga Tue Feb 07, 2012 4:19 pm

Pain shocked her out of her reverie but not enough that she reacted violently. Instead, Nella jerked slightly and slowly raised her head. Salem had wrapped an arm around her shoulders, most likely having forgotten about her injury, but she did not mind. Feeling the warmth and comfort emitting from his body, the young girl sniffled and allowed herself to be pulled into his embrace. As his other arm came around her, Nella couldn't help but smile softly through her tears.

How could she have forgotten about Salem, her best friend? The one who had shared her dreams of exploration, when all the other kids were fine with what they had. Though her grandfather was no longer by her side, Salem was. He was right here, his warmth, his being, his everything. He wasn't going to leave her alone, she wasn't alone. Bringing her own arms up, she wrapped them around Salem's torso and buried her face in his shoulder. Her fingers gripped at his shirt but not tight enough to tear or choke him, but just enough to know that he was there.

She was glad, so glad, she wasn't alone. Nella had never been the most confident, despite her dreams. To have Salem by her side, she was so happy. Her eyes closed, her breathing evened, and she allowed her exhausted self to sleep, right there against her friend. No nightmares would come, only dreams of adventure and laughter and the warm presence of her best friend.

by **Masquerade** Tue Feb 07, 2012 8:01 pm

Salem let a sigh escape his lips as he held her gently. Moments passed before he noticed that she was starting to calm down. Looking at her face, he realized she had fallen asleep on him. He was a little taken aback and blushed furiously, but he couldn't bring himself to move. Thus, he held her just like she was while she slept for a while longer. Being careful not to disturb her, he arose and scooped her up in his arms. He wasn't the physically strongest lad around, but he could handle Nella. He brought her over to one of the blankets he had set out and set her down upon it, taking care to wrap her up well. It had grown darker now, and the fire continued to dance despite this fact. Salem remained by the sleeping Nella on his knees, gazing at her face. It was much more peaceful than it had then. His heart skipped a beat as he realized he was leaning forwards. It seemed so fast. His lips gently touched the side of Nella's cheek, and the boy pulled back just as quickly as he had started the action.

"..." Salem's heart was beating so quickly. He stood up and walked over to his own blanket to take a seat. "Good night, Nella." His words seemed to be lost in the serenity of the night. With the ward in place, they were practically in a sanctuary. Salem lied down and watched the flames for a long time. They danced and danced until eventually they died out. Salem's eyes were closed as the final embers perished. The boy was fast asleep.

by Xenosaga Sat Feb 11, 2012 8:07 pm

Nella woke to the light of the rising sun against her eyelids. She groaned slightly, the glare of the sun somewhat painful against her sleepy eyes. Shifting so her face was in the blankets to block out the light, Nella allowed her mind to come out of its hazy mist of sleep. It took only a moment, luckily, and she slowly sat up. She yawned, covering her mouth to stifle it and then stretched, arms rising high above her head.

Strange. She hadn't even noticed she had fallen asleep. Rubbing her eyes to clear them, her gaze went skyward and the girl was surprised to note just how early she had awoken. The sun had barely even risen! She could still see the hint of red and orange that singled the dawn of a new day. Nella was surprised, she had thought it much higher. It would probably be best if she rested a little more. Nella frowned. She had always been terrible at falling back asleep once she woke up.

Well, since she was already up, Nella stood and began to gather the blanket she had been sleeping on. Again, she frowned. She didn't remember falling asleep on a blanket. It was almost as if the whole night was a blur to her. Pondering this as she walked over to the bag to stuff the blanket back in, the brunette froze midway through the process. After a moment, her blood rushed to her face and her cheeks turned dark red.

"Oh my gosh!" she squeaked, dropping the blanket in the bag as she remembered. She had fallen asleep in Salem's arms! "I can't believe myself!" Realizing she was speaking out loud, Nella slapped her hands over her mouth. With how loud she was being, there was no doubt Salem had woken up. Nella moved her hands from her mouth to cover her face. How embarrassing!

by **Masquerade** Sun Feb 12, 2012 2:50 pm

Wandering the perpetual darkness of slumber, Salem was roused from his sleep at the sound of someone's voice. It was Nella's. She had woken up before him. Opening his eyes, he was surprised by the lack of sun; it must have been extremely early. The boy sat up and straightened his hair carefully, though he had forgotten that he had taken his claws off before going to sleep. Looking at the girl standing near the bag, he gave her a gentle smile before frowning. She seemed a bit distraught about something. "Is everything okay, Nella?" he asked in concern. There didn't seem to be any monsters around or anything. He stood up and collected the blanket he had laid out for himself, taking care to put his weapon back on. He strolled over to the bag and stuffed it in.

"Did you sleep well? You look like something's the matter," he inquired, tilting his head a bit. Nightmares, maybe? Nah, she would still be lying down if that were the case. He crossed his arms and awaited a response. Trying to look serious, his expression was broken with a slight yawn and a smile crept back onto his face. He had slept well, but there was always that little period of time in the morning where the body has to kind of get itself back in shape, ready for the action of a new day.

by Xenosaga Sun Feb 12, 2012 6:22 pm

"Nothing!" Nella practically squawked, a little too quickly. She hurriedly pulled her hands from her face and busied herself with organizing the items in the bag. "Um, I slept very well, thank you. Did you?" She tried to hide her nervousness with a smile but with how much it was twitching, it was clear she was anxious about something. "A-anyway, if you're awake, we should clean up and move on."

Inwardly, Nella winced. That hadn't come out the way she wanted to. Hopefully, Salem didn't take it the wrong way. She mentally sighed. There was no need for her to get all worked up about this. They were childhood friends after all, she shouldn't be getting all flustered around her friend. Still, Nella closed her eyes with a frown and the blanket she had dropped half folded in her lap, it was embarrassing. She couldn't remember ever falling asleep in Salem's arms before. Her cheeks pinked.

"Ahem," Nella cleared her throat, placing the folded blanket into the bag. She pointedly did not look at Salem as she spoke to the space directly in front of her. "Sorry. I'm just a little excited, that's all. We finished half of our journey. Just one half left to go."

by **Masquerade** Mon Feb 20, 2012 9:52 pm

Salem winced a bit at Nella's sudden outburst, but cracked a smile as she spoke. Was she embarrassed about what happened last night? She was rather excitable, but for her to be this flustered must have meant she definitely remembered. He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "Looks like we're on the same page," he replied calmly, going over to scatter the charred wood from the fire last night. He also picked up the used ward and tucked it away into one of his shorts pockets. He'd dispose of it properly when they reached the city; it was better than just leaving it on the ground.

Seeing that there wasn't much else to take care of, he approached Nella once again. "If we're all packed up, I think we should get going," the boy said with a easygoing grin. "We're so close to our destination that it would be a shame to slack off now, right?"

by Xenosaga Fri Apr 06, 2012 1:31 pm

Seeing Salem act just like always despite what had happened the night before caused a great amount of relief to flood her being. Nella pretended not to notice the twinge of disappointment that accompanied and, instead, smiled brightly at her companion.

"You're right," she agreed, reaching over and grabbing her blanket. Folding it neatly, she placed it into the bag before taking a quick survey of their campsite. It didn't seem as if they had left anything behind. Shutting the flap of their bag, she touched her shoulder for a brief moment and then removed it. It didn't hurt as much as before but there was clearly now a bruise where the slime had hit her.

Nella mentally frowned. She was far too fragile.

"I think that's everything," she stated, getting to her feet. Nella paused, looking down at the bag and then at Salem. She bit her bottom lip, worrying it, and then came to a decision. Holding back would only cause problems for them later on. With an apologetic look, she spoke, "Sorry, Salem, but do you think you can carry the bag? I. . . ." Nella trailed off, not wanting to say it.

by **Masquerade** Fri Apr 06, 2012 7:54 pm

Salem grabbed the bag quickly and slipped his arms through the straps so it was resting perfectly on his back. "Don't apologize; I forgot. I should be the one saying sorry," he said, a bit ashamed of himself. Really, he shouldn't have let her carry the bag from the beginning, just to be polite. It was rather heavy, but it certainly wasn't something he couldn't handle. If she could bear the burden, so could he. "See? No problems," Salem said reassuringly to her, a smile on his face. By this point, even if he couldn't handle it, the eagerness was enough to give him the energy to carry it and be on his way, with Nella by his side of course.

"Are we all set? I know you've got to be as excited as I am," Salem remarked, pointing off in the direction they were headed. Today would be the day. When they got to where they were headed, it would be like a whole new stage of life.

by Xenosaga Mon Apr 09, 2012 1:05 pm

"Yep!" Nella chirped, all smiles once more. Brushing off her clothing, she grabbed hold of Salem's hand and gently tugged him along. "Let's keep moving then!" Laughing happily, a great difference from how she was just a moment ago, Nella faced the road and stepped forward. With her face turned, she did not allow Salem to see the determined gleam in her eyes.

With the sun rising high enough to signal the ending of dawn, the two companions trekked their way down the dirt path. It was an eerily similar scene to how they started their journey but, then again, it wasn't as if the scenery would drastically change.

But, of course, the journey could only stay peaceful for so long. . . .

Episode 1d: A New Morning

Location: The Dirt Path to Rubidel

Objective: Defeat all Enemies!
Tip: There's nothing to pick up so kick some ass! Green will now indicate status increases. Red will indicate the opposite. (Even if there are no significant changes)

Status: Stats increased by 25% for two more battles!

{t} {t} { } { } { } { } {t} {t} A
{t} {t} { } {B} { } { } {t} {t} B
{t} {t} { } { } { } { } {t} {t} C
{t} {t} { } { } {R} { } {t} {t} D
{t} {t} { } { } { } { } {t} {t} E
{t} {t} { } { } { } { } {t} {t} F
{t} {t} { } { } { } { } {t} {t} G
{t} {t} { } { } { } { } {t} {t} H
{t} {t} { } {N} { } { } {t} {t} I
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7---8

Nella (Mana Mage) *Mana Field*
HP: 13/13
MP: 56/56
ATK: 1
DEF: 3
INT: 7
SPR: 5
MOVE: 2

Red (Red Slime)
HP: 50
MP: 20
ATK: 7
DEF: 4
INT: 1
SPR: 3
MOVE: 3

Blue (Blue Slime)
HP: 35
MP: 70
ATK: 1
DEF: 3
INT: 6
SPR: 4
MOVE: 2

Players can start in rows H-I!

At the sight of their new adversaries, Nella blinked and then pursed her lips.

"I guess we'll be up against the tougher ones now," she said a little apprehensively. Pulling out her talismans, she glanced back at her friend. "I'll keep watch over the bag now since I don't move much. Be careful out there, okay Salem?" The girl gazed up at her friend with imploring eyes, not wanting to see her companion in pain again. It was inevitable that he would be hurt but it made her sad. "I'll do my best to support you."

[Nella] starts at [I-4].

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