Complete Private The Thing They Call Unsolvable

[Hanno Futaba]

Zalra - Nowhere in Particular
Early Afternoon
Cold Weather

Hanno tucked his chin under the thick scarf he always had with him. The edges of the scarf billowed with the strong wind that once in a while brushed against his face, sending chills through his body. The weather of that place was rather volatile and harsh as the usual, potentially caused by its wretched environment, that didn't allow vegetation to thrive as well as a normal forest would.

It was essentially a desert made out of crystals, that brought chaos along with it.

The creatures that hid in that environment were particularly dangerous. Not only they were far more aggressive, with the lack of resources that made them hungrier and more ferocious, but they also held the Zalrisis that cursed that land from the horizon and beyond.

Even if Hanno was already used to it, crossing that place always proved to be a challenge. But there was someone that needed him, and he wasn't one to let someone in need go.

'The situation must be worse than before, if she was desperate enough to go through all of this just to talk to the Lions'

Hanno muttered under his breath while thinking outloud, and his Shield, Ghast, rumbled in response while wrapping her tentacles tightly around his arms, narrowing her huge central eye while keeping her gaze intently at what was happening forward.

Ghast remained watchful for the next dozen minutes, until her eye opened widely, and her tentacle tightened around Hanno's arm and tugged it, while another tentacle slapped his back a couple times. "Hey buddy, I gotcha, but stop hitting me, please?" He chuckled, trying to see what Ghast was trying to catch his attention for... And it turned out... It was a Crystal Nomad camp.

"Bingo. Nice one, buddy!" He nudged the Shield, hurrying his steps to meet the camp.

 

[Amy]

The day had been pretty peaceful so far. Amy had been telling some fantastic tales to the kids... As in, stories she could remember back from the time she still lived in Earth. One of the rare things she liked from the fact she was born in that world.

Until... Amy saw something.

She instantly got wary. It was rare for her to see anything, and it usually meant danger. She instantly told the kids she had to leave for a bit, and asked one of them to guide her to one of the camp's warriors that she knew was nearby.

When she reached him, she thanked the child, then whispered to the warrior that she was seeing some magic nearby.

Things quickly got busier after that. With people preparing for the worst, and Amy going with the children to a safe place where they could be protected... It was always frustrating when this happened, but she knew better than to argue; to say that she could fight too... She knew she was better off being protected than protecting. She should trust her family to keep them all safe.

Of course, the best outcome would be for the magical source to simply pass by them without noticing the camp, but... They couldn't rely on this kind of luck.

And before long, Amy started seeing the magic approach them. She was scared. She was worried... She might lose more of her family today, and there was nothing she could do about-

Hold on. Amy took a more careful look at it... Now that the magic source was close enough, Amy started seeing a few defining traits that were a bit too familiar to her to be a mere coincidence...

She left the safe place and moved in the magic's direction, trying to confirm what she thought she was seeing... Her family was worried, but she told them that she thought she recognized the magic, and that it might not be harmful.

When it got close enough, Amy was sure of it. She smiled and waved in its direction, "Hanno! Ghast! It's been a while!" She considered saying, 'it's been so long since I last saw you', but she could only see Ghast, so better not.

Everyone felt at ease when hearing the names. An old acquaintance was certainly much better news than some magical beast approaching them.

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

It wasn't hard for Hanno to realize people were getting wary about his presence. And it was obvious, suddenly someone shows up and approach them? The chance of him being an enemy was huge, especially when he had a giant shield with tentacles waving back and forth.

But if anything, Hanno was relieved to see that they were actually there, and when he heard the familiar voice, he felt the pang of anxiety in his chest to disappear... At least partially disappear. "Hey!" He waved with his free hand, while Ghast raised her tentacles as if greeting as well, mimicking the usual gestures people did.

By approaching, Hanno's Aura slightly coated his body. The amount of mana and energy it spent was slim and nearly none, but he still felt the need, knowing @Amy could actually notice where he was as long as he did it.

He flashed a grin to everyone else, raising a hand for the greetings and slipping quicky apologies for the scare, before finally turning to the fellow faerin and checking on her quickly. No wounds, not Zalrisis. At least not clearly. His stiff shoulders relaxed, and he smiled, trying to not sound too worried. "It has been a while, huh? How have you been?" He asked when finally reaching her.

"One of my mates told me you paid us a visit, asking for help. I thought something had happened."

He looked around.

"... Did something happen?"

 

[Amy]

Amy giggled when seeing the Ghast's magic move around... Was it waving at her? That was so cute.

And then she started seeing some magic emanate from Hanno... Was it... Coating his body?

She smiled a bit when she understood the point of it, "Don't overdo it, okay? Wouldn't want you running out of strength due to being too considerate of the people near you.

"I have been... Well? Or as well as one can be over here. I made a friend back in Finweald even." And also met up with a seriously annoying Starcalled on the way back, but there was no point in bringing that one up.

She was surprised when hearing the following words though, "So they did actually pay attention?" It was more than what Amy had expected based on their dismissive replies to her pleas... Though in the end, they only asked Hanno to come, someone who already came from time to time... It was a bit annoying, but she was still happy to have him around again, so she was not going to complain.

When asked if something had happened though, Amy felt troubled... "I'm... Unsure." She lowered the tone in her voice, trying to make it so only Hanno heard her, "You know how my family worries for me. How they try to protect me as much as possible... But this also leads to them keeping some things from me. In the same way they keep it from the children.

"I'm feeling the tension being up these days... Nobody even tried to stop me from going to Finweald all by myself, even though they're always so overprotective of me... I feel like something might be happening."

Maybe Amy was just overthinking it... She had started paying very close attention to all the voices she heard every day. Trying to keep a tally in her head, to make sure she didn't lose another family member before she even realized it... So far, things seemed to be fine, but... She was definitely worried.

"Did you notice anything strange on the way here?" She didn't have many hopes when considering Hanno directly asked her if something did happen, but... That didn't mean he saw nothing note-worthy.

... Though Amy didn't know what answer she even wanted from him... It would be better if things were normal and she was just overthinking it... But she also wanted to know what made everyone tenser than normal these days...

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

Hanno chuckled, hand waving. "Aura is something that I can do without straining myself at all, don't worry." He puffed his chest confident upon adding: "Besides, if I run out of strength while being considerate, I need to step it up. What kind of knight loses strength helping people?" It was mostly a jest, as Hanno knew perfectly what @Amy meant.

When the fellow faerin lowered her voice, Hanno leaned in subtly after casting a glance over on the surroundings. He pondered about her words... Something different? He couldn't know right away. "I guess my travel here was more peaceful than I expected. And while it sounds like good news, now that you are telling me that, it could be a hint."

A grin widened when he straightened his posture, raising a thumb. "Don't worry though, Ames. We will figure it out. I can't talk to just you, right? I will ask the others if something has been troubling them. Maybe they will be more inclined to tell it to someone that they don't worry that much about." It wasn't said in a malicious tone, but rather in a playful one.

The idea that they would tell something important to a stranger, but not to someone they cared deeply about sounded weird, but if they were keeping something away from Amy to protect her, it was worth a shot.

 

[Amy]

Amy was relieved when hearing he wasn't straining himself, but the next words troubled her, "Well, we all have our limits. No matter how much we try, knight or not, we cannot save everyone." Amy was sure Hanno understood the feeling. He had been in Arcia for long enough, after all... She was certain he had to face his own limits and failures before. Everyone goes through that at some point.

"More peaceful than expected...?" Amy repeated the quiet words, trying to think of what could cause it, "It could just be luck, or someone could have recently taken care of the nearby threats, or... The threats might be gathering somewhere." Amy was scared after thinking this far. The animals possessed by Zalrisis weren't like the Zalri. They weren't smart. They were unable to do stuff like assembling a large group of them to mount an attack on a group of nomads... Or at least, not without guidance.

"Easier said than done..." How could she not worry? And why 'Ames'?

And also... It was frustrating, but Hanno had a point. Her family might be willing to share their troubles with him. They knew he was strong. They knew they didn't have to protect Hanno, differently from how Amy always needed protection.

So, she sighed, "You're right. They might share it with you." If we really are in danger, then her family is not going to refuse a helping hand. Of this much she was certain.

So, Amy tried to leave her frustration aside, and gave Hanno a troubled smile, "We'll be in your care.

"... And be sure to take good care of Hanno too, Ghast." This time, Amy could smile for real. She carefully moved her hand towards the shield's magic, and gently stroke it, "I'll be counting on you, okay?"

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

"We can't—" Hanno agreed, raising a finger with a grin. "But we will always try to. It is the least we can do. Besides, if I have people like you around, saving people is easier, right?"

Hanno was far from being the naive guy in his early days of Terrasphere, where he thought he could save the world by himself. He had learned to put his faith on others as well, but also accepted that not everything could go right all the time.

"Yeah, it could be that. And if it is, it is a ticking bomb just waiting to explode." Hanno frowned at the possibility.

At the concerned words from @Amy, Hanno could only smile warmly. Ghast rumbled at the trust and stroke, wrapping her tentacle around Amy's arm and squeezing it softly in a reassuring way. "I'll be right back." Hanno smirked, turning away to try and find some answers...

...

When Hanno returned, he maintained a quiet approach and voice— "Hey Ame." He cleared his throat, gently nudging her to follow, guiding her to a quieter and secluded space. When noticing they were far enough from eyes and ears of others, the knight started spilling the beans.

"The good news is that it isn't related to the Zalri, and the reason things are more peaceful, is that another stronger group of nomads are nearby." Hanno explained, but his voice soon turned sour.

"The bad news... Is that this particular group isn't exactly friendly. And they have been... Coercing you guys into giving them your supplies."

 

[Amy]

It felt... A bit strange to be able to see Hanno's movements. While there was still a distinct lack of detail, just being able to see that he rose a finger was strange enough to Amy.

Though not strange in a bad way... It was just the kind of thing she hadn't been able to experience in way too long. Too many years had already passed since she lost her eyes.

Either way, Amy was surprised at Hanno's statement... She had to stay silent for a second to comprehend what she had just heard... Until eventually, she decided to just say what had instantly arrived at her mind in the moment she heard his words, "I can't see how a burden like me would help save people..." She was one to be saved, not to be saving. She knew that way too well... Best she could do was to try minimizing the burden she caused others.

Nonetheless, despite Amy's thoughts and Hanno's concerning words about a ticking time bomb, she could still at least smile a bit with Ghast's reactions to her touch... Well, the feeling of touching Ghast was very strange, but Amy didn't mind it. It was just nice to know that there was someone always looking out for Hanno. It really put her at ease when thinking about what they would have to face next.

---

Amy couldn't go back to the children's side while waiting for Hanno, as she knew that whatever they were going to talk about was not for their ears... Just like how it wasn't for hers either, but she had enough independence to make her own decisions. Children didn't have that yet.

So, Amy just sat on a free spot and waited. Listening to the surroundings, paying attention to the voices of her family. Letting herself be filled with warmth as she remembered the many happy occasions that they went through together.

Until eventually, Hanno returned... Amy wasn't quite sure why he got her name wrong again. Surely he hadn't forgotten it... She decided to not mind it though, and simply followed him.

What they were doing was probably a bit too obvious. Hanno came, talked to Amy, went around asking for information, then immediately came back to Amy's side... Surely someone would notice.

But even then, if Hanno was trying to move Amy away from her current spot, then it was probably because he did obtain information... The thought brought a smile to Amy's face. Her family must have decided to respect her will. Her desire to help; just like they did when she decided to go to Finweald... There was hardly anything that could make Amy happier.

The smile quickly disappeared once Hanno explained the situation to her though, "You can't be serious..." Yet she knew he was.

"No wonder we have been moving around so often these days..." Amy clenched her fist... How could people be so heartless? They surely know what we went through here in Zalra. They certainly went through the same hardships too... How could they possibly exploit us like that?

Amy was way too frustrated... "Seems like trying to move away from them isn't an option..." Survivors preying upon other survivors... It was plain insane, "Yet fighting shouldn't be an option either when considering you could so easily get information about how they're stronger than us..." A fight most likely already broke out before... And to think Amy was relieved to hear that the last people who suffered heavy wounds were not actually infected... Now she knew better. They weren't infected because they weren't fighting neither Zalri nor monsters infected by Zalrisis in the first place.

Amy wanted to scream. She could already feel tears forming on her glass-filled eye sockets... "Can we even do anything about this?" If her family thought she could, they would have certainly told her earlier... No wonder they kept quiet about it, "A late night escape, maybe? An illusion to scare them? A conversation to make them understand that we're all children of lady Rhiannon and should help one another?" It all felt either impossible to work, or too risky to be worth it... Amy truly didn't know what to do.

She was truly frustrated at her own powerlessness. Not for the first time, and certainly not for the last.

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

"I can't see how a burden like me would help save people..."

@Amy's words echoed in Hanno's mind as he searched for the answers they wanted. Words that hit way too close to home, from a time that uncertainty clouded Hanno's heart and mind for a long time. He was over it by now, far over it— But the fact someone was in the same situation as he was before didn't sit well for him.

The complete shock that crossed Amy's face was understandable when Hanno finally revealed what has been occuring. Her frustration was palpable in her voice, but despite the shock, she was managing to assess the situation with the very little information she had, bringing many possible solutions, even with the uncertainty of how feasible they were. That was enough to bring a grin out of Hanno, though it faltered when he noticed the tears about to form in her eyes.

His hand clenched shut for a moment before he reached for her hand, taking it in an encouraging fashion.

"We can do it." Hanno said, confidently.

"I told ya, with people like you around, saving others is a piece of cake." And he meant it, no matter how many times she and some other people would disagree.

"Escaping isn't a choice, and illusions won't work, I think. But talking to them? I think it is an option we can take." Hanno said firmly. "Some people will do really nasty things when cornered in despair... And I assume that is the case here, they are coercing you guys because they are feeling cornered. And I believe in that because they are coercing... Considering they are stronger than you, what is the point of slowly taking your supplies, when they could just attack and claim everything by force?"

Something was off.

"So I'm sure we can try to talk things out, or... They aren't as strong as they look, and are too coward to put their lives at risk or take any losses, so they are working under threats after showing they are stronger, without having to engage in fight any further."

 

[Amy]

"Eek!?" Amy did not expect to have her hand taken... Nor did she expect to see Hanno's arm suddenly move towards her like that. She basically jumped in place when it happened.

Was seeing always so scary? Amy wondered to herself... It's been so long, she really got completely unused to it... She wondered if she would have understood that Hanno just wanted to hold her hand if she was still used to seeing... Well, it didn't really matter in the end. There wasn't much point in dwelling into 'what ifs' for things that are never going to be true.

So instead, she focused on Hanno's following words... She stopped herself from scoffing at him saying that it would be a piece of cake to save people while being near people like her though... It wasn't going to be productive to react like that.

"Talking?" She couldn't believe this was the answer Hanno thought to be the most likely one to succeed.

Yet as she heard he elaborate on his point, she understood where he was coming from.

But at the same time, she felt like there was a flaw in his reasoning, "I think it's nice that you always try to see what is best on people, Hanno. But this is not ideal in this kind of situation." Amy wiped out the tears that left her eye sockets before continuing, "They may simply be leaving us be because it's more efficient. Wiping us out gives them supplies once. Keeping us alive gives them a steady supply of resources for as long as they can control us.

"However..." Amy took a deep breath, "I don't think the theory of them feeling cornered is entirely without merit... Something must have pushed them towards actively stalking another nomad group and coercing us into giving them supplies." Which absolutely disgusted Amy... How could they exploit her family like that? "So, I believe that it might be a good idea to investigate their situation... Though I doubt they would openly talk about it if asked directly." If they wanted help, they would have just asked for it, after all... Those people weren't humble enough to simply ask for help.

Amy clicked her tongue. She really wanted to make them pay for harming her family... "Do you have any plans? I believe father may let me go aid you if we have something on our minds..." Not like she thought she would be of much help, but Amy did think she could be more than just a dead weight if their goal was to investigate... At the very least, she'd be able to see if there was any strange magic in the other nomad camp.

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

"Ah, sorry!" Hanno released @Amy's hand as soon as she slipped the startled reaction. Ghast's tentacle slapped the back of his head, and Hanno's eyes opened widely as he glared at his Shield, scolding her quietly.

"I mean—" Hanno returned his attention to Amy once again. "You are right, they could be just very cold and calculating. But there are a lot of stuff to consider. So yeah, who knows what they are up to!" He shrugged. "But that still means that talking is a possibility, as they are not simply brute forcing their way through... Now, if they aren't willing to listen—"

Hanno cracked his knuckles with a firm grin. "I don't like that, but my mouth isn't the only thing that can talk."

When asked about any plans, he nodded. "It may sound like crazy, but let's go there in the front door first. I want to get a feeling of what we can learn on surface... And also learn what is their disposition, and take a look of how the place is." Hanno explained. "After that, we can wait for a while before stealthing in. If there isn't much room to stealth, Ghast can make a good distraction while we get in."

 

[Amy]

"Ah, no, you don't need to be sorry..." Amy felt her now free hand grasping only air... It felt a bit lonely, "I was just a bit... Startled." Amy was aware that her reaction was unwarranted in this situation. She knew Hanno had done nothing wrong, after all... She just wasn't expecting it.

Although... That magic movement... Was Ghast slapping Hanno? Was this what this was?

Amy felt a bit more at ease seeing the silly exchange between those two partners. It wasn't enough to make her smile amidst this heavy talk, but it was enough to let her relax a bit.

"Hanno..." Amy interjected as she heard him crack his knuckles, "I won't stop you if you're willing to help, but please remember that lady Synra cannot protect you forever. Take care of yourself. Nobody is free from lord Urukhan's grasp, not even the Starcalled." Amy wasn't sure if her words would be understood though... Hanno was a nice exception amongst Starcalled, but that didn't mean he understood much of her religion... So, Amy forced a cough, "I mean... Please don't die." and rephrased it the best way she could.

And Amy was... Flabbergasted at Hanno's complete lack of a plan, "Just... Go there from the front...?" It felt so absurd, but... "Perhaps... That may just work. They won't think of us as hostiles like that, so it does increase the chances of a conversation happening..." Though Amy really doubted it would work, it was certainly better than doing nothing. Better than just letting them exploit her and her family while she sat around, telling tales to the children while being completely oblivious to what was happening around her.

"... I'll talk to father to get permission to go. We can meet up again at the camp's border when I'm done." Amy decided.

---

Talking to her father-in-law about this was a bit frustrating... Amy was already an adult. She could make her own decisions... Yet she knew she was not leaving this camp without him allowing her.

However, she also understood where he came from. He worried for her. She was blind. She was not strong. She needed to be protected... And she had already lost enough, so he wanted to stop her from losing any more. That's why he was overprotective... That still didn't make her any happier about being treated like a child though.

So... Well, she talked. He listened, he tried to tell her that it didn't need to be her going with Hanno... But Amy insisted and stood firm. Whatever it was that they had tried so far hadn't worked... So she just asked him, 'please let me try'. Maybe things would be different this time. She wasn't very hopeful, but she still felt like it was worth a shot.

In the end, she got permission and met up with Hanno. It was much easier to find him than it was to find her father. This aura thing of Hanno really was convenient.

"Ready to go?" She asked. She certainly didn't feel ready, but it was too late to back down now... She just had to rely on Hanno to protect her if it came to that... And on herself. She was not going to be a burden this time... She had to.

She held on tightly to her cane as she waited for his answer.

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

Hanno looked at @Amy with an apologetic expression, rubbing his nape with a hint of guilt, but this kind of thing happened.

When interjected by the fellow faerin, he looked at her and puffed his stance. "If Syndra can't, Rhiannon sure will." Hanno retorted confidently, "And you will be there too." He added, nodding firmly.

"I feel like we can even catch them off guard better going on front than trying to sneak our way in. And well, I'm not particularly sneaky either." He moved back and forth, showing how much clanking his armor made. Then, he nodded as Amy voiced she needed to ask her father's permission.

The last thing Hanno wanted was to make her father's worried, even if he was a bit more rebellious and free spirited, finding a 'permission' unnecessary.

When she returned, his expressions brightened up. "Seems like you can come then, great! I'm more than ready, and so is Ghast." He thumbed up, then glancing back at his Shield. "Right, buddy?" The Shield rumbled, wiggling her tentacles, bringing a chuckle out of Hanno.

His gaze then returned to Amy, and he offered his arm if she needed. "Let's go then?"

 

[Amy]

Amy smiled when hearing lady Rhiannon's name being brought up, "That's not what I meant, silly." she was sure he understood this much, though.

... And she didn't comment on the part of she being there too. She being there was not going to help him stay safe, she knew this much.

Still, she giggled when he tried showcasing how he wasn't very good at being sneaky, "Not like I'm any better." She poked her walking cane on the ground a few times to highlight the point.

"I'll be going, then." Amy said before she left to talk to her father.

---

After coming back and hearing Hanno's cheerful response, Amy's mood got a bit better... She wondered how it was even possible for him to be this optimistic, "Yes, father gave me permission."

And she smiled at Ghast's wriggles too, "And I'll be counting on you, Ghast. Don't let a scratch get on Hanno, alright?"

Then... She saw the offered arm... It still felt unusual to be able to see movements. It really had been too long since she had last experienced this sensation... Still, she nodded, then hooked her arm with his, "Let's. I'll be in your care."

So.... The two of them left... Or that was the plan at least. Until Amy suddenly heard stepping noises quickly approaching them and... Suddenly, she was being hugged.

"Be careful out there, dearie." Were the words that entered her ears.

Amy smiled, "Thank you, mother... I will." like a child going out on a trip for the first time... It would normally be frustrating, but this time it felt warm. Amy was just happy that her mother was not trying to convince her to give up, and instead simply showed how much she cared for Amy... This much was plenty.

Once the hug ended, Amy just said, "I'll be going." and left with Hanno towards... Wherever the other nomads' encampment was.

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

Ghast rumbled at the vote of trust @Amy gave to her, tapping her tentacle on her shoulder before shooting a smug gaze to Hanno, making the knight roll his eyes playfully before turning to the fellow faerin.

"Leave it to me, I won't let you get hurt!" Hanno grinned confidently to her.

He waited patiently for Amy to greet her mother before they left, voicing that he would make sure she would come back safe and sound, to ease any leftover of worries from her relatives...

---

A long travel followed, and Hanno had plenty to talk about, even if he kept the conversation brief to avoid distraction and wary ears from the enemies.

Any conversation would slowly die out as they started to approach the supposed encampment... And Hanno couldn't help but frown. He expected tents and perhaps wooden barricades... But instead, Crystals surrounded the camp, with a single man and a large frame next to it, that would be able to be seen even by Amy.

And the reason was because whatever that large and vaguely humanoid shape was, it was surrounded by Zalrisis, that only became thicker and denser the closer it was to its core. The creature remained still, so still it almost felt like a statue.

It only moved when the man next to it moved as well, when he adjusted his posture to shoot a glare devoid of emotions toward the duo.

"Don't come any closer, or you will regret it."

Upon closer inspection, the large frame wasn't the only thing that was surrounded by a thick Zalrisis... But behind the 'gates', with a magical gaze it was easy to notice structures that followed the same idea.

Those structures would resemble Igloos, being recognizable even by a magic silhouette the magical sight allowed.

"We aren't enemies." Hanno rose his hand, trying to hide his surprise on his voice and face, and keeping Amy close. "We just want to talk. Understand what's going on, and maybe we could even—"

Hanno was about to take one step forward, but the man bluntly warned—

"You aren't an enemy but you are one feet away from becoming one."

The faerin frowned, not expecting such a hostility, but he wasn't planning to give up so easily.

 

[Amy]

Amy was scared.

Sure, the small talk with Hanno helped, as she could focus on something else other than how much of a bad idea this was, but... It certainly didn't make her fear go away.

And it only got worse once Amy started seeing something... There was too much magic concentrated in one place... And they were walking right in that direction, "Hanno... Please tell me this big locus of magic is not the nomad camp we're heading towards..." Amy knew that it was very unlikely for this to not be the place they were looking for.

Especially when Hanno stopped moving, and then Amy heard a voice.

It was... Coming from right up ahead? From the huge magical source? But that one seemed to have a somewhat humanoid shape, and the voice wasn't coming from above, so... Maybe someone else? Was someone near this big magic thing?

It really was way too scary... Amy never felt safe near visible sources of magic... Especially not big sources like that... And there were more of them further ahead.

And to top that off, the person talking to them was showing obvious hostility... What am I supposed to say here...?

Amy held on tightly to Hanno's arm, hoping to gain some confidence from the contact, "Listen, I don't... Don't think it's safe to be gathering as much magic in one place... You're putting yourselves in danger...

"W-we can help." With what? Amy had no idea, "I understand a bit about magic... I can try seeing if there is any volatility on whatever ritual you're preparing..." She knew nothing of rituals. She didn't even know what kind of magic this was.

Amy was trembling... She knew this was a bad idea... She was just putting Hanno in danger here. They should have never come. Trying to negotiate was stupid.

And yet... It was still the best bet they had, "Can't you... Let us in?"

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

Hanno glanced briefly at @Amy, slipping a whisper—

"If you mean the crystals... Yeah. Don't worry though, I am here for you." Hanno reassured before being struck with hostility by the man that guarded the entrace. The crystalized golem that was near the supposed guard was the one thing that truly made Hanno worry. It would be a tough fight if conflict were to happen.

And things seemed to be going South really quick, with the following words of Amy bringing forth even more rage from the faerin man.

"And who's asking for your help? Insolent. I should—"

The golem moved along with the man's outrage, and Hanno took a step forward and braced himself for a combat. But the man suddenly halted, frowning and dropping his shoulders as he partially glanced back before letting out an annoyed sigh.

"Tch."

His gaze locked on the 'visitors', especially on the faerin woman.

"Very well, you may enter. But any weapon you may have stay with me."

Hanno didn't relax completely, standing protective to Amy, but not raising the tone of his voice.

"We don't have any weapons on us. I'm not here to attack, I only have my shield to protect her." Hanno said.

"I don't care, it stays with me... And that?"

The guard pointed at Amy's cane. "That's just a cane." Hanno said.

"It could be a staff or a scepter, give it to me."

"Hey!" Hanno hissed, but the man didn't budge.

 

[Amy]

Amy's worries got a thousand times worse when hearing the word 'crystals'... Were they going to a camp filled with Zalri?

Though the person talking to them did not sound like her husband once did... Perhaps they were not Zalri then? But why would they be so close to multiple crystals!?

Amy really, desperately, wanted to leave... When the man raised his tone, she was ready to run, and it was only the touch with Hanno that kept her in place.

But then... Something odd happened... The strange big mass of magic moved... And then stopped. And then the man was suddenly letting them in?

Though without taking any weapons... Which was fine for Amy, as she had none, but she didn't know about Hanno.

Except the man asked for Ghast!? How!? They shouldn't know anything about it... And he didn't seem to know, in fact. Judging by his following words, he was just being through.

But then something else was asked for... And Hanno said it was a cane... And the man said it stays with him.

... Amy held on to it tightly, pulled it as close to herself as she could, "You will not have it." Her voice was trembling. Her body was trembling. But she would not give that away to anybody, "I will not lose this too to Zalrea." I already lost enough...

Amy was ready to flee... Or to charge. She didn't know what she wanted anymore.

She was terrified.

But also... She was angry. Angry as the situation slowly settled in her head... Those people... Those people oppressing her family... They were using Zalrea's power for that! How dare they rely on her when she took so much from everyone she loved!?

Amy wanted those people gone... She wanted to flee... She wanted to go home and never think of them again... She wanted them to disappear so that she would never need to think of them again...

Amy just felt desperate right now... Desperate to do something... Anything.

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

"It doesn't matter—"

The guard frowned, giving no care to @Amy's concerns. "Hey! Like I said, it is just a cane." Hanno responded, but tried to not raise his voice too much, even if Amy's reactions worried him.

Taking a deep breath, he removed the shield from his back and tossed at the guard's general direction, but not really aiming at him, followed by his pauldrons and his half-plate. "There. My shield and my armor, isn't it already enough? We will be outnumbered, and now with even more disadvantage. We aren't here to fight, we are here to help."

He stared at the man intently. "She needs her cane. You guys can handle a couple of unarmed people, don'tcha?" Hanno said.

"... Hmph. Alright. But if she tries anything weird, you are both dead. No questions."

Hanno grimaced and rolled his eyes briefly at the threat, but before continuing, he turned to Amy. "What do you think, Ames?"

He was only going as far as she could and wanted.

 

[Amy]

Out of all possible outcomes, Amy did not expect the man to actually yield.

What was it that caused the change in demeanor? Amy was both worried and confused about that... But if she could keep her cane and also go inside the camp, then she was willing to put those worries aside for the time being.

She was worried about Ghast though. She didn't know much about the magical shield, but she figured it wouldn't like staying away from Hanno... Whispering here to ask that was probably a bad idea, so she just silently prayed to lady Rhiannon to keep Ghast safe.

"I am fine with this much." Amy replied. The trip would be wasted otherwise, and Hanno already took the initiative to try appeasing their enemies anyways.

She could only hope that they would be able to gain something out of this... Other than learning that those nomads were mad people who dealt with Zalrea's powers.

She tightened her embrace on Hanno's arm and took a deep breath... "Ready when you are."

@Hanno Futaba