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Sons of Sword: Tales of Glory – Lost and Found #037

The moment the lady walked through the door Nolwenn knew something was wrong, not exactly wrong but, very not right about her.  It was her skin.  It was too… good.  Nolwenn had had extensive conversations about how to bring out her adult color faster.  She spoke with her parents, read all of the holo-pages, tried all of the creams; even the expensive ones.  At best, all the advice and secret techniques almost worked for a short while; but not really.  In the back of her mind, she knew they wouldn’t.

Even after the expensive skin creams and painful scrubbings, she and all the other girls in her class had a little, a little green in their hue.  She knew why but didn’t want to admit it.  In the end, their basic biology dictated that the nymph green skin never really disappeared until a crisho was in the twenties.   

This lady looked only a little bit older than Nolwenn’s classmates but had a definite, clear, yellow-orange hue with long bright golden-brown patches.  The colors had a certainty unknown to those under the age of twenty seven!  

Something worked for this lady, or did it?  She looked young but, she just… wasn’t.  She couldn’t be.  This lady dressed the part but carried herself way too strongly and properly to be a teen.

She doesn’t match herself.

The suspicion was amplified as the lady was in a hurry and seemed quite aware of her surroundings but not aware enough to close her van door.  

“Excuse me! Miss,” waved Nolwenn.  The lady kept walking but Nolwenn Yan didn’t get promoted to the front desk lead at such a young age by being ignored.  She continued waving her dark green and black spotted hand frantically and raised her voice almost to a shout before the lady stopped and turned.  

“That van your’s?” Nolwenn was pointing just beyond the lady’s line of vision.

“Oh ey,” the lady said, but seemed unwilling to turn her head until absolutely necessary.  Something was definitely off about this lady.  Her eyes were distracted with something that was quite urgent and she was headed towards the toilet.  However, something about her spoke that her urgent diversion was beyond the basic.  

Nolwenn saw a similar facial expressions before, usually when customers were in a pinch.  This lady was way more intense.  The lady didn’t need more cash for food.  She had just stopped by, and left her door open.  “You left your door open.”

“Oh!  Thanks,” the lady said smiling, “but I’ll be quick.”  She started heading for the toilet again in a rush.

Who is this lady?  

After a few months Nolwenn had gotten familiar with everyone that went in and out of this store.  This lady was a new and awkward one.  Nolwenn stood by the panic button in case the bot patrols needed to come here, they were nearby after all.  “The droid patrols have really been moving today,” she said with questioning eyes, “There may be some dangerous types about.”

As to emphasize her point, a large group of speeders flew by just as she finished talking.  Among them was a much larger much slower transport ship holding a machine.  The loud hum of the motor made sure that no one in the convenience store could ignore it.  

The lady’s eyes were shocked at the sight.  Of course, so was everyone else.  “Then again,” the lady said with a giggle, “I should check the door.”

 

—–

 

Insula walked out and felt the clerk’s eyes followed her.  

She may be one for watchtower training.

As for now, Insula had to keep her uncertain enough not to raise the alarm for just a bit longer.  She looked up to see more speeders passing above her in patrols high in the sky.

Unfortunately, there was no time for funny business.  No matter how much Metcalf would want an open window, an open anything, Insula’s character was supposed to be in a big hurry.  She had to cause as little suspicion as possible.  

Of course, it could already be too late for that.

On turning back towards the store, she realized that the clerk had indeed been keeping close tabs on her.  She had given notice that the town would be used for an event.  That didn’t mean that everyone had checked their notices.  All in the same, it was good to have someone truly authentic there.

Walking through the store, Insula made a quick dart to the facilities.  She couldn’t help but take another glance at the clerk.  Still looking at her, he hadn’t moved from the register.  

Perhaps there’s a panic switch and he was waiting for an excuse to use it.  

She didn’t have time to figure any of it out.  At least, a toilet run explained her situation suitably enough.  

A few minutes there, and then ‘groceries.’  

#1 – Lost and Found #36 – Lost and Found #38

Champions of Battle: AD7 – Awakening #041

The food arrived exactly when expected.  The waiter delivered their food with practiced hands and walked off after the practiced question of additional needs.  Of course, the ladies’ had exactly what they wanted.

After the waiter left, Chaeri leaned onto Tosca and couldn’t help but comment, “You think we should swap our orders to confuse them?”

Tosca smiled and returned her lean, “They’d probably get our food right anyway.”

“I like what I get,” Adrianne added before taking the largest bite possible into her spiced pulled meat sandwich.

Much more than liked, Adrianne loved the food at this particular  restaurant.  It was always better than she remembered.  There was a Ge’s in Rubin’s Trail but it wasn’t as authentic.  The meat wasn’t as fresh; the vegetables weren’t as flavored; the seasonings weren’t quite right.  At the first family’s restaurant, the old techniques were still used.  Some of these techniques were frowned upon in the big city.  

Leaning onto and laughing with her co-worker, Tosca was happy that she didn’t let the past bitterness stop her from joining her sisters.  Though a small portion of it lingered, there was a pact among them separating work from personal life.  Both sets of lives were important but one directly affected the future of entire kingdoms.

Chaeri looked around to make certain that they weren’t being watched then placed a device the size of her finger in the center of the table.  As it activated, sound and light outside of their table was warped signaling its sound muffling effect.  

Now safe to discuss important matters, Tosca spoke up, “How was the experiment?”

Adrianne continued eating for a while.  After a few seconds she swallowed, looked up with a smile, and simply said, “Perfect.”

“How perfect?”

“Turned rock to glass in a heartbeat”

Chaeri stopped leaning on Tosca, to make sure she heard Adrianne correctly.  She knew exactly what it implied but had to check just in case, “What about steel?”

Adrianne, grinned back at Chaeri to make sure she understood, “Didn’t have time, but it should work.”

Tosca now leaned heavily onto Chaeri, looked at her and stuck out her tongue, “So?”

Chaeri held a stiff expression for a little while but after a few seconds gave a defeated sigh and said, “Fine, I’ll buy.”

Adrianne just now realized what was happening and shouted, “You two?” Her face twisted in frustration, “No gambling!”

“It was so statistically improbable,” Chaeri reasoned, “So technically… It wasn’t really gambling.”

“But you lost,” Tosca reminded her of the obvious.

“Okay fine,” Chaeri knew when she had lost a battle but at least it was good for the clan.  Still, curiosity overcame her pride, “I’d like to see the video.”

Adrianne took another bite of her sandwich before removing her communicator from her coat pocket.  Soon the holographic recording of the missile test was displayed for those inside of their distortion bubble.  Their eyes widened as the missile head broke into parts and grabbed the rock and melt it in midair.  The dirty heap landed and rolled, setting fire to the grass.  Droids put out the flame before it got out of hand.  The beautiful and precise device would serve them well in the trails, incredibly well.

“Whoa,” Tosca shouted, “That’s better than I thought!”

Adrianne held her grin during the entire recording.  She correctly predicted their responses and knew what should come next.  “So,” said still smiling, “to celebrate?”

“Hunting?” Chaeri suggested.  It wasn’t her favorite pastime but Tosca loved it.  As a form of apology for earlier bitterness and acknowledgement of Tosca’s recent victory, it made sense.

“Yes!” Tosca cheered pumping her free first into the air.

It worked.

Adrianne too wasn’t particularly fond of hunting, but there was something about it that kept their senses sharp.  Also, the animals around here were particularly strong, heavy, and kept the restaurant filled.  “Well, they’re always looking for more meat,” she said before taking another large bit of her sandwich.

#1 – Awakening #40 – Awakening #42

Champions of Battle: The Very Best – Opportunity #039

“What do you mean, ‘You don’t know?’” Jaquan leaned forward in his chair.

“It’s random,” Justice mentioned casually, “All of it.”

“No one knows who will fight who, until the name tiles are drawn,” Liana added.  After hearing the tournament’s layout a few times now, it was nice to know that their fighter listening.  This was going to be a new challenge for everyone.  They had to adjust quickly.

“But… what?” Jaquan’s eyes went wide, “how…?”  How can I fight without knowing anything?  

Information about challengers had always been a given.  The World Circuit always freely gave this information to all its Champions.  Champions could pick three of the twenty four Talent Sets and use them very differently.  This, combined with different weapon and enchant usage, made each fighter grossly unique.  There had to be some information about the fighters.

“So, files?” Jaquan asked eventually.

“Files of what?” Justice asked.

“Fighter information,” Liana translated for Jaquan.

“Yeah, I have those,” Justice said reaching into his pocket pulling out his palm-sized communicator.

Jaquan exhaled.  If these tournaments had similar Champion files like the World Circuit fights, he had some chance.  He’d do some studying, but how much, “How many Champions have signed up for the tourney?”

“About two hundred so far,” Justice replied; searching through the apps on his communicator without missing a beat.

The Wha!?  Jaquan’s eyes dilated for a brief moment, “Shouldn’t be a problem,” he said with practiced confidence.

“Riiight,” Liana’s mask distorted her voice but still spoke a volume.  She’d known Jaquan long enough to recognize faux reactions.  

“Found ‘em,” Justice sang.

It took less than a second for Liana to transfer the data from Justice’s communicator, “I’ll look at the major players first.  Might help a bit,” Liana’s digitized voice sounded over her mask’s speakers as she leaned back.  Her fingers danced in the air hitting buttons and switches that only she could see.

“Good… good” Jaquan continued his confident act as his mind raced.  There was no way to ‘wing it’ at this level of competition.  There had always been a well-formed detailed plan in his fights.  This will be such a new experience.  He had fought many in the past but each fight was specific.  Some of his old ideas may come back but

In the silence, the train hit a slight bump.  Small enough to be unnoticed normally however, the train was fast and empty enough that it skipped ever so slightly and rocked for a few seconds in the silence.  

“Wait a second,” Liana’s voice echoed in the silence.

“What?” Jaquan said coming out of his

It took a long second for Liana to get her words correct, “These files don’t have notes.”

“No notes?”

“They’re only the fights.”

“We’ll have to do without.”  Two hundred of these thing.  No notes.  This is going to be a busy trip.

Without notation, they would have to figure out the specifics of each Champion’s moves, talents, enchants by repeated observation.  It would be ridiculous to try specific strategies for each individual.  Perhaps a general strategy for the lot can be worked.

Nevertheless, the rest of their travel entertainment was set, they sat in silence as Liana’s suit interfaced with the train car to play the fights out one after another.  Two tiny life-like holograms appeared, one held two butterfly swords while the other held a sickle and chain weapon.  They stood frozen in place until Liana gave the command to start the recording.

#1 – Opportunity #38 – Opportunity #40