[M] A Broken Revenge [Sorrow and Ash]

[Ashen]

Ignatius chuckled a bit at that. "You've jinxed us now," he said, shrugging his shoulders and holding his palms out. "Now we're going to get the craziest old bat in the world. Probably only talks in riddles that are also haikus. You just made this so much harder on us, Riss. Thanks a lot."

They continued walking for a few minutes, until Iris pointed something out. Ignatius squinted to see the large structure. "It's the sculptures," he guessed, though it was difficult for him to make out the details at such a distance. "It looks like a--Hey!" Before Ignatius could stop her, Iris was running ahead. He jogged to catch up to her, but Iris was increasing her speed. She was trying to race him. His suspicions were proven when she taunted him. Suddenly, Ignatius found the energy to press on. "Who are you calling a slowpoke?" he yelled, and he started going faster too. "I'll show you slow!"

Ignatius did catch up to his friend, though he could see that she was slowing down. Whether she was exhausted or trying to give him a chance to catch up, he couldn't tell. "No fair," he told her when he was right beside her. "You had a head start." He turned away and picked up speed again, racing for the large structure that had to be in Jandora. "But it doesn't matter," he called over his shoulder, "because I'm still going to win."

By the time they did hit the giant statue, Ignatius was exhausted. He was panting, and he needed a minute to catch his breath. Afterwards, he looked around at the new town.

Jandora was a lot prettier than their native Incolumis. The houses and shops were built with fine brick, and all the roofs were of neat terracotta lines. There were many statues about, in front of shops and beside benches, all of esteemed people or animals. Ignatius was caught by surprise at the simple beauty of the place. He then looked up at the great statue they'd seen in the distance. Its smooth marble surface looked brand new, as if it had been polished every single day since the day it was built, which, according to the plaque, was some fifty years ago. The statue depicted a woman atop a horse, her bow and quiver hanging proudly on her back. The plaque told of her pursuits in some battle, where she killed over two hundred men with her arrows. She was a national hero here, apparently, though Ignatius didn't care much for history. "The craftsmanship," he murmured. It was incredible.

But he realized that was not a good thing for them. If all this beauty in this town remained so intact, it meant that no fire had come anywhere close to this town. He wondered how much these people would be able to share about mages that had nothing to do with them.

Ignatius shook his head. He turned back to Iris. "We should get some food first," he suggested. The walk here had depleted his energy. "And... I think we have time to explore some of these statues. They're just so finely made. If only I could do something like this, then we wouldn't have to steal." He turned to her. "Why aren't you useful?" The laughter that followed told her he was kidding. Ignatius was sure the less useful of the two was himself, but it didn't hurt to joke.

[DragonOfSorrows]

The race completely drained Iris. She was thankful it was over as soon as it was, she needed time to wipe the sweat that beaded on her forehead. With one fluid motion, she wiped it off and tossed is aside like a child done with a toy. The immense beauty of Jandora took what little breath she had away. Once she finally caught her breath, she approached the marble statue of the woman and traced her fingertips on the letters of the plaque.

"That's what you call a woman!" she said. Iris stared up at the statue in awe. "I want to be just like her," the last bit was more to herself than it was to Ignatius. "Maybe when I get the justice I deserve, I'll get a statue of me?" she closed her eyes at the happy thought, picturing the statue of her. It would be of here striking a heroic pose with her boomerang at her side. It was a small thought that brought a smile to her face.

Ignatius' mentioning of food snapped her out of her fantasy. She put her hands on her hips and gave him a playful glare. She was sure he knew what she'd say, but she said it anyway. "Is there any a time you aren't thinking about food?" her chuckle was enough to break the glare she had. Iris started walking, waving for her to be followed. "For the love of boomerangs, please don't pick a place that's merely sweets."

As they walked, she admired the town and it's beauty. After all of this was over with, this may be a place she would settle down in. It was peaceful, and the locals seemed friendly enough, at least from a distance.

"After we do what we need to do, we might should train. I know it sounds silly, but what am I suppose to do to if my boomerang is taken away from me? Or, gods forbid, stuck in something? I'd rather not pay for that with my life." Her concern showed on her face as she glanced over towards Ignatius. She used her big eyes to attempt to pursued him. She chuckled to herself and glanced away. "Unless you're scared I'll beat you in the training?" That's it. She knew that would get him.

[Ashen]

When Iris mentioned the statue, Ignatius's attention was brought back to it. He imagined what it would be like to have a statue erected in his honor. What would it be like walking through a town in which he saw Iris's features exaggerated in stone or marble, a heroic stance showing off her courage, a detailed plaque telling the world of the way she overcame opposition and got revenge on her family? Would Ignatius be standing beside her? Would he even survive the journey they were on? He looked to his best friend, shifted awkwardly. No, he thought to himself. He would last, he would be right by Iris the entire time, until she couldn't stand the sight of him.

He was shaken from his thoughts when Iris teased him. "As a matter of fact, yes, I think of things besides food all the time." He rolled his eyes. "I'm sorry for trying to make sure we have enough energy to kick some ass. Forgive me for being the responsible one for once." He gave an exaggerated sigh, then laughed out loud. Of course, Ignatius wasn't serious. He enjoyed teasing his friend probably as much as she enjoyed teasing him. Ignatius shrugged his shoulders, and he started off. He wanted to find something filling to eat, but a part of him still wanted to find a sweets shop, just to spite Iris.

As they were walking, Iris spoke again. Ignatius turned towards her, though he did not slow his pace. "Train?" he repeated, debating her request. "I think training is a good idea, actually. We need to make sure we are well equipped for the fight against the mages. You're right, if we're unarmed, we need to be able to get out of serious combat." He stopped walking, hesitated. Ignatius looked down at his hooked blades. "I wonder if we would be able to find a dojo of some sort in one of these towns. Maybe even one that works with fire..." He shivered at the thought. Looking back to Iris, he shook his head. "When we're ready, of course. Playing with fire right off the bat is too dangerous." Ignatius continued walking then. "You're not going to beat me," he added. "Don't think I forgot you said that. I'd take much joy in watching you try."

Ignatius shook his head again. "We can worry about that later," he told her. "I'm hungry." He motioned towards a building before them. Its high columns gave the place a regal air, and the smell of seafood wafted from the open doors. "This looks like a good place to eat," he said. He felt around for some spare coins, then looked to Iris. "What do you think? I'm sure I could eat a horse at this point, I'm so hungry."

[DragonOfSorrows]

Iris stared up at the building, giving a questioning look towards Ignatius. "Uh, isn't this a bit out of our price range?" she asked before stepping ahead of her hungry friend. "I don't want to blow all of our gold without the first few hours of us adventuring. Plus, I don't want to steal to afford everything, ya know?" The smell of the seafood had hit her a few moments later, causing her to repeatedly sniff the air like some kind of animal. She knew Ignatius wouldn't care to throw a jab at her for doing it, but she didn't mind. Her stomach growled loudly, causing her to glow red from embarrassment, "Oh not now.." she muttered to herself.

She turned to look around the town, trying to find a vender's stall that had enough food. She didn't want to spend an arm and a leg to eat. She grabbed Ignatius by his hand and practically dragged him away from the regal building. She knew he'd have that sad look on his face. She tried not to look at him when he gave it. He knew it always worked on her. She pointed towards a few stalls in front of them, all of them littered with food from baked goods all the way to freshly caught fish. The stalls were on both sides of the streets, venders calling out their various deals trying to attract attention and business. "This will be a good place to find something for a good price."

She approached one of the stalls, giving the man running it a charming smile. She examined the different kinds of fish he had, trying to pick out a large one her and Ignatius could share. "Which do you think? I'm having trouble picking out a good one for us." She gave Ignatius a smile, hoping he'd know a little more about fish than she did. She somewhat thought about flirting with the vender in an attempt to get a discount, but she pushed the thought from her mind. She could pull it off, but she didn't want to use her beauty in that sort of way.

"I was thinking this yellow spotted carp. They're generally pretty sweet fish and are compared to honey when it comes to how sweet the meat is. That could knock out your craving for sweets. A two for one, yeah?"

[Ashen]

Ignatius pouted when Iris pulled him away from the regal-looking restaurant. He wanted to celebrate his best friend's birthday and the beginning of their journey, but she did have a point, much as he wouldn't admit it. He was no good at finances, never had the money enough to think about it, so he thought it for the best to put Iris in charge. Reluctantly, Ignatius followed Iris to the more affordable foods, the far lesser quality, without complaint.

While Iris looked for food, Ignatius was more interested in the wares of other vendors. He noticed a vendor selling knives, small things used for utility and not warfare. Ignatius was drawn to them, and his hands fluttered to his own swords. He thought about training again, about how he'd help Iris gain confidence. He shook his head and, noticing iris had asked him something, he slipped back beside her without her even noticing.

"Sweet fish sounds good," he said hastily, not much paying attention. "Yeah, let's get that." He waited for Iris to pay for the fish and headed off to find somewhere to eat. He plopped himself down in front of a statue of a dog, an apparent hero in the town. "Iris," he said quietly, "you ever think about wielding a sword?" He looked over her, her thin frame. "Your boomerang will help us plenty, sure, but it's not going to get you very far in close combat. I have two blades, and I should teach you how to wield them. If anything ever happens to me, I trust you to them."

As if he'd said nothing out of the ordinary, Ignatius grabbed the fish from Iris and used one of his hooked swords to cleave it in half. He handed a half to Iris and inspected it. It was cooked decently, seasoned sparingly. It wasn't the gourmet meal they would have gotten at the restaurant he'd wanted, but it was something. "Might benefit us to train with other weapons, too," he suggested, mouth half-full with fish. "And without weapons, but..." He looked over Iris. "Might be better to make sure you're not just fighting with your fists."

[DragonOfSorrows]

Iris picked at the fish that was handed to her. It wasn't the best meal she'd eaten but it would be enough to give her energy. She slowly set it to the side, pulling out her boomerang. She inspected it closely, polishing a few places on it here and there. She stared at her reflection before turning away. She watched the busy people all around them. Their lives were perfect, at least compared to hers. Kids laughed, animals played, adults went about their business. She wondered about that life for herself. It was a simple life, but one she longed for.

She cleared her throat before looking over and up at Ignatius. "You're right," she said. "I need to work with other weapons. My only problem is that my boomerang is the only thing I'm comfortable with. It's silly, I know. Go ahead and laugh at me." She gave Ignatius a playful punch ahead of time, knowing he'd more than likely poke fun of her. "I mean, I could use a sword. Though I always imagined myself using my boomerang up close like a dagger or short sword." She clutched the necklaces she wore before letting out a deep sigh. She stood, dusting herself off. "I'm sorry Ignatius, I need to walk right now," before he had a chance to respond she started to walk off. "I'll meet you by the fountain later."

A nice walk will ease my mind. Why am I even getting so upset? Is the stress from all this sinking in? I thought it already did. Iris walked, arguing with herself in her head. She didn't understand what upset her. Did the idea of using a new weapon bother her that much? No, that would be foolish. Maybe the idea of her dream actually coming true was getting to her? She sat on a bench, watching as people passed by. She envied them so. So naive to the outside world, oblivious to other places but their little town. She stood once more and ventured further around. She came to the edge of the town, hardly anyone around. She gripped her boomerang roughly, aiming it high in the sky. With the way she angled it, it would come back to her. With a forceful grunt, she hurled it with all her might, watching it fly high above anything else. It reflected the light of the sun before it turned to come back. Iris focused, she even took a squatting stance.

In a fluid motion she had jumped and caught it. Her heart raced, her blood pumped. She let out a satisfied sigh and continued on. It felt nice to just throw something, letting free of the negative feelings she held on to. It wasn't much longer until she made her way to the fountain. She watched as the water fell beautifully. She pulled out a single gold piece and held it close to her. I hope Ignatius isn't too mad or worried about me when we meet up here.

Plop! The coin slowly fell to the bottom of the fountain. It was a silly wish, but it was something that made her smile.

[Ashen]

Ignatius didn't understand Iris's irritation, or why she got up and left, but he didn't dare run after her. She needed some time to herself, so he would give it to her, even if he didn't understand where the need was coming from. He finished off his meal and, taking one of his swords to the skeleton, fashioned the bones into sharpened mini-swords. Amused with his handiwork, Ignatius tossed the miniature weapons aside and got up to explore the town.

The people around seemed so carefree, and Ignatius felt he could get used to a pace like this. He had no plans for after their mission was completed, and he wondered what might happen, where they might go. A part of him knew planning was pointless. Ignatius knew Iris would get where she needed to be, but he also knew he would easily give up his life to get her there. He looked down at his hands, hands trained in pilfering and amateur swordplay. Would these hands really be able to lead Iris to her dream or, like he was predicting, would they lead to his downfall?

He shook the thought. There was no reason to think something so depressing, not on their very first day. After browsing a few shops and snooping around in a few conversations, Ignatius made his way to the fountain, wondering if Iris was okay.

The crashing waters provided a serene symphony for the town, and the fountain itself was surely a beautiful centerpiece. Ignatius admired the marble fountain for only a moment before his eye caught on Iris. "Oi!" he called out to her while approaching her. His eyes scanned her face, looking for the familiar trail of tears or the furrowed brow. Finding neither, he arched a brow expectantly. "You good?" he asked. "If we're all fed and everything, I was thinking we could get out of here. Heard something about some arsonists out in the east, just some gossip, but it could be a clue that we need, so it might be worth checking out. Unless you had a better idea, I mean."

[DragonOfSorrows]

The calling of her name made Iris turn, seeing her happy companion approaching her. She gave him a half smile before giving him a gleeful nod. She was happy to realize her small wish had came true, even if it was a little silly. "I'm okay," she said. "I'm really sorry if I made you worry." She shifted her stance, placing her hand on her hip as she listened to the gossip that was heard. Her eyes trailed to the eastern exit before darting back to Ignatius. Despite her deep down fear, he was right. This could be the first step she took in her path to her well deserved revenge. She was ready.

"Let's do it," she said. "I want my revenge, but I don't know where to really start. This could be the first step out of many I need to take." She grabbed her boomerang clipped on her side and angled it in such a way the sunlight reflected off of it, just to show off some. "I can do this." I can do this! She continued to repeat that sentence in her mind over and over. She started to walk off, following where the rumors were coming from. With each step she took, the more nervous she became. Her heart raced, her legs ached. She battled these feelings in an attempt so no one would see it, especially Ignatius.

She paused for a calming breath, inhaling deeply before exhaling in the same manner. The wind brushed past her, caressing her face as she stood still. She collected herself, walking onward with a newfound confidence. She had no reason to be nervous after all, it was just a small rumor her companion overheard. She had glanced back towards him, giving him that playful smile he was used to. She didn't want him to worry about her, but she knew he always would.

The sun beamed high above them as they walked towards their destination, causing beads of sweat to form on Iris' forehead. She wiped them off with her forearm, glancing over at Ignatius wondering how he was doing. The only relief they had were the small streams of wind that would slip past, just enough to make them want more. They hadn't been walking long, or at least she had thought. Glancing back she could still see the town on a small hill in the distance, slowly fading away as they continued on. Iris let out a small laugh. "If I had known how hot it was going to be, I would've just not bothered."

She cleared her throat and shook her head. "So," she said more seriously. "What about this location where the arsonists are? Did you hear anything else about it?"

[Ashen]

Iris was trying to save face, to prevent him from worrying, but Ignatius saw through her. He'd known her for years now, and there was no way he wouldn't notice the wavering of her eyes, the uneven bounces in her steps. She was nervous, behind nervous. She hadn't been this way that morning, when he'd told her they'd be setting off for this. Was Ignatius wrong in planning for this trip? Was it too early? Should he have waited longer? Countless doubts rushed to his head, but Ignatius dismissed them with a single exhale. It wasn't like him to worry this much. It was only day one; they had the rest of their journey to prepare.

The sun was already getting severe, and absently, Ignatius untied his hair and tied it back again, as always failing to catch a few strands that went their own way. He glanced over at Iris, chuckling at her complaint, and shrugged his shoulders. After all this, a bit of heat wouldn't get to him now. "I didn't hear much," he admitted in response. "There were some fires set in a town out east. I didn't hear what it was called. Tree-something? Anyway, apparently the police suspect arsonists behind these, but some people are wondering if it's the mages after all. It seems unlikely, especially if the authorities are saying it's just some isolated thing. But hey, you never know, right? Maybe we can find the arsonists, and they'll tell us something about our people anyhow."

As Ignatius spoke, he walked along towards their destination, knowing their home was growing ever further away. He didn't have hopes about the gossip he'd heard, but it was the only lead they had, and he didn't mind spending more time with Iris before finding the mages, anyway. "After this," he continued, "I was thinking we'd drop by your hometown, yeah? That's far though, so we should plan for a few days on the road, unless we manage to find a horse in this next town or on the way. Would help a lot, assuming we can find the food to give it." He glanced back at her. "But we've always been good at finding things, huh?" He laughed softly as he turned away. Ignatius didn't feel remorse for the people he stole from, because he never stole from anyone with less than himself. Besides, he reasoned, if it would get his best friend the justice she deserved, he'd just about steal the moon.

[DragonOfSorrows]

The lack of information Ignatius had made Iris frown, causing her to cross her arms. They were traveling to a place based on a mere rumor, but it was their only clue so far. Anything and everything could happen once they arrived, or even nothing at all. Iris kept her hopes low in fear for getting hurt in the case they didn't come true. She had prepared herself just in case the rumor was false. Deep down she wanted it to be true more than anything, but she was fighting herself. That would mean homes and innocent lives could've been taken. She wouldn't wish that upon anyone, but it was also a small sacrifice that would be made in her ultimate goal.

Her eyes trailed up to meet Ignatius' as he spoke. She laughed along with him, agreeing that they had always been very lucky. She never looked down on Ignatius whenever he would steal something. Sometimes it was needed, right? They could barely afford anything as it stood, so swiping things here and there was no big deal. A thought of 'what if we get caught' had crossed her mind, but with a small shake of her head she tossed it. They would cross that bridge when they got to it.

"Stopping by my hometown could prove to be useful," she said. "We might could find some clues of something there, but then again, it's been years so it's possible we may not find anything at all." She reached up and grabbed the pendant her mother gave her for a moment, almost using it to gain emotional strength. She exhaled before letting it go. Any time she started to feel overwhelmed, it always seemed to calm her.

Iris stared off into the distance, distracted by something. If the rumors were true, wouldn't they see a dark smoke looming in the distance? "Unless the attacked happened a few days ago, shouldn't we still see smoke?" No matter how hard she looked, she wasn't seeing anything yet. "Do you see anything, Ig?"