In A World Far Away (Closed, Raven Only)

[Abigail Parker]

The eastern road cut straight down the middle of the countryside, a rut of hard-packed dirt and moss-covered cobbles meant to make travel easier for the country's citizens, if only by a small reduction in time and expenditures. At present, the land was covered in an ankle-deep blanket of snow, as white as a lamb's wool. The sky was nothing but gray clouds, with not a single ray of sunlight to be seen. The wind was biting cold, and cut right through you no matter how much you were wearing. It was more than likely due to start snowing again. That, or everything was going to freeze over worse than the Ninth Circle of Hell. Unpleasant weather no matter which way you sliced it.

"Many times I've loved, many times been bitten. Many times I've gazed along the open road." A voice sang out, carried upon the swirling winds of winter. It was female, powerful and practiced in the art of song. Coming down the eastern road, the snow crunching beneath the worn heels of her boots, was a woman with fiery red hair, tied back into a ponytail. Her hands were stuffed carelessly into the pockets of her black jeans, and a wallet chain slapped against her left thigh with each step. Above that, she wore a black turtlenecked shirt with a simple design of two sets of perpendicular white lines intersecting to form a cross. Over the shirt, a red denim jacket, cropped to just above the midriff, with gold embroidered fleur de lis symbols on the sleeves. She kept the sleeves rolled up, with her forearms covered by a pair of black leather gloves that reached up to her elbows. The thumbs, index, and middle fingers were missing from the gloves, and a gold ring encrusted with a piece of moonstone was on her left ring finger. To be brutally honest, she was underdressed for this kind of weather.

"Many times I've lied, and many I've listened. Many times I've wondered how much there is to know." she continued singing, obviously invested in the song. It was a classic where she was from. Not only that, it was sort of a family favorite. Her father had been especially fond of it. So the tune was a source of good memories. As she reached the top of the hillock, she stopped in her tracks and opened her eyes, revealing mismatched irises of green and gold. The redhead looked ahead, out to the horizon, and saw her destination. She had heard of the city's grandeur, but was still taken aback by what she saw, her breath catching in her throat for a few brief seconds.

It was a walled city, the buildings all a similar, though not uniform style of white brick and flat roofs. At the center of it all was a massive stone hill that plateaued at its peak. Seated upon this gigantic formation was a grand fortress. Though it had seen grander days, going by the missing tower and crumbling walls. This was Era. And she hoped to find something that would point her in the direction of the woman she was pursuing. Inhaling deeply of the crisp afternoon air, the redhead began walking down the road again, singing all the way.

It didn't take long for her to realize that things weren't nearly as hunky dory in Era as they may have seemed from a distance. Many lots were empty, save for piles of rubble and debris. Construction crews were running about this way and that, hauling building materials to the vacant lots and moving anything that was beyond salvaging away from the sites. It was pure chaos. Curious as to the cause of this disorder, the redhead tapped a passerby on the shoulder to get their attention. "Hey, buddy. I'm new in these parts. You know what happened here?" she asked, jerking her head back towards one of the ruins behind her, in order to specify exactly what she meant. As she awaited a response, the redhead simply stood there, one eyebrow raised in curiosity and her hands once again in her pockets.

[Raven Flametongue]

It'd been awhile since Era had been a destination for Raven. Almost a year in fact. Not that he minded naturally. His help had been needed elsewhere and he'd been out where he was needed. Now he felt like checking in on Era. He had been disappointed by the state of things, but it was to be expected. He wandered the streets seemingly without a destination or purpose, kicking over stones as if searching for something.

Finally he came to rest. He was clad in simple blue jeans that came down over black combat boots. A white button up shirt with the top two buttons undone. Over that was his black leather jacket, the wings and scales on it glittering warmly In the sunlight. Finally, sunglasses shielded blue eyes from the sunlight, and accented his messy auburn hair rather well. The jacket was clearly unzipped, and there were no gloves covering his hands.

"Hey, buddy. I'm new in these parts. You know what happened here?"

This caused him to turn around to look at who was addressing him. He slid his sunglasses down do he could look over the top of them at the woman addressing him. She was tall, not quite as tall as him, but noticeably taller than other women. She also had a tan, which he noticed immediately. This was quickly followed by her eyes, which were different colors. During this time, he also made a mental note about her scent. Something was off... not quite human. But it was barely noticeable. That aside she was quite the looker.

“You must have really been off somewhere else then,” Raven commented as the sunglasses came off. He folded them and slipped them into the front pocket of his leather jacket. With a quick and gentle pat he continued speaking. “There was a war here a couple years ago. They made it here the Era before they were pushed back out.”

“Border cities like Clover took the most damage,” He continued in a softer voice so as to not attract the attention of the passerby’s that were walking around and working in the area. No doubt tensions were high because Era hadn't seen as much rebuilding. The last thing he wanted was to start more trouble. “So they saw rebuilding efforts first. It looks like they haven't even cleared the rubble out of Era yet.”

[Abigail Parker]

The auburn-haired man whose attention she had managed to gain was young, maybe only ten years her junior. But that was just a guess. He could be in his forties for all she knew. His clothes were the typical "rocker boy" affair she had seen so many times over when she was in high school: leather jacket, blue jeans, heavy duty boots, and a white shirt. The only thing the guy was missing was the Gibson guitar.

If he breaks out singing "Born to Run"...

The incomplete thought shot through her brain like a bolt of lightning, in all its implausibility. She knew the chances of anyone here singing a song she knew were slim to none. Hell, she was convinced that these people didn't even have rock 'n' roll music. Not as she knew it, anyways. But the state of music in this world wasn't the most important thing to be worrying about.

While she had been busy musing over his taste in threads, the youth answered her question as to the state of Era, after making a comment akin to "Where've you been living? Under a rock?" Under any other circumstances, she would've been sorely tempted to get smart with this guy. But there was no need to go making enemies in a world she knew absolutely nothing about at this moment in time. So she simply stood there and listened, maintaining eye contact.

According to him, there had been a war just recently, and that many of the towns along the borders had suffered worse damage than Era, so they received aid first. He uttered this latter fact quietly, most likely to avoid tempers flaring in response. No doubt there was more than a little bad blood. The redheaded girl sighed, bringing a hand to her forehead.

"Of course it was a war. What else could be so needlessly destructive...?" she said in a put-upon tone of voice, exasperated beyond all reason that she had found herself in yet another war-torn world. It was beginning to sound like a broken record. "Oh, we're at war with such and such." "Yeah, we just ended a war with those guys." "Word is there's war on the horizon." She had to agree with Edwin Starr's declaration that war was good for "absolutely nothin'!" But it really wasn't her business. She would just keep on as she always did, lending a hand whenever the opportunity presented itself. And by the looks of things, there were a lot of things she could focus her efforts on here in Era.

Realizing she had spaced out, she shook her head and looked at the auburn-haired youth. "Sorry, you don't need to hear me preach my 'give peace a chance' message." she said with a nervous chuckle, twisting a strand of hair around her index finger. She extended her other hand for the man to shake, hoping he'd understand the meaning behind the gesture. "I'm Abigail. Abigail Parker. And you are?"

[Raven Flametongue]

It'd been awhile since Raven had a chance to just sit down and talk without it dissolving into blowing something up with magic. And it seemed this woman, who introduced her as Abigail, disliked senseless destruction. It's a good thing that's not the kind of destruction Raven dealt in. Though once in awhile he did wish Draco had taught him something a little less... explosive.

After her introduction he smiled slightly. “The name's Raven. I'm a wandering mercenary of sorts.” Not wholly a lie, but not the whole truth either. After all, secrets needed to be kept. “I've been sorting out bandits and other assorted baddies that have popped up in the post war mess.”

“But, no need to apologize for wishing everyone could get along,” Raven grinned at her, perhaps showing a little to much of his fangs which were elongated slightly and pointed, somewhat similar to a vampire. But of course, he wasn't one as he was standing in the daylight just fine. “It's something I wish people said more often around here. There'd be less bodies to bury.”

“Depressing talk aside however....” Raven decided to change the subject. She seemed nice enough, and the weather was fairy decent. So he would indulge in a little socializing, even if the two never met again. After all, that was the fun of meeting people wasn't it? Meeting them just to never see them again? “What brings you to Era then?”

[Abigail Parker]

The man introduced himself as Raven, claiming to be a wandering mercenary who had been keeping himself occupied cleaning up the local bandit problem that's become endemic in the post-war mire. Abigail had noticed as much, having had to deal with a group of highwaymen on her way to Era. To say that they didn't get a cent out of her was an understatement. Though she was beginning to wish she had taken one of their swords for herself. She felt practically as naked as her nameday without one on her belt, angel powers or no.

Regardless, Raven seemed to appreciate her sentiments of love and peace, anyways. Which was a start, at the very least. The grin he gave her was also encouraging. She noticed the fangs, but didn't pay them much mind. After seeing yourself in the mirror with a set of chompers sharp enough to tear through flesh like tissue paper, you tended to not really care about such things.

Abigail began walking down the road, expecting Raven to tag along. She adopted a lazy, laid-back posture that comprised of a hunched back and thumbs hooked through her belt. It had been a while since she had just walked around and shot the shit with somebody like this. Five years, at least. She had been too busy with the chase, sidetracked only by her compulsive heroism. And what perfect timing. Raven asked her what brought her to Era. Abigail sighed.

"I actually came here to get some information on somebody I'm looking for. I figured maybe the locals had seen her." Quickly, figuring she might as well get it out of the way, she followed it up with the usual battery of inquiries. "You haven't seen her, have you? She's about six foot nothing, fifty one years old, black hair-unevenly cut-and brown eyes, pale skin. Wears a black cassock with a hood and red trim. Usually carries a staff with a blade on it." Abigail doubted that Raven had seen Emiliana. That would be too easy. But she still had to ask around and try to get ahold of some sort of lead to follow. She continued walking as she waited for a response.

[Raven Flametongue]

When Abigail started walking, Raven was quick to follow. It didn't take him much time with his long strides as he adopted a comfortable speed. She seemed more than willing to talk at least. And he couldn't shake how strange her scent was. It was as if she was foreign, or didn't belong. Which warranted investigation in his opinion.

"Can't say I've seen anyone by that description," Raven replied with a shrug. Though, he did mentally catalog the description away in his head. One never knew when such information would become important. And if she was looking for someone, chances were that she was also foreign and strange.

Then he glanced around taking in all the work around them. There were several dozen people running around even in the cold to work on things. He paused in his walking for a moment before nodding slowly to himself.

"There's a tavern nearby that has good drink and even better food," Raven spoke with a small, aloof grin. His hands made their way into the pockets of his leather jacket, making it seem like the wings on his jacket folded next to him. "We could talk more there if you'd like."

[Abigail Parker]

"Damn..." Abigail cursed under her breath, not at all happy with the fact that Raven had no information. She wasn't surprised. But not having any leads still sucked. With every shake of the head and every utterance of the word "no", the hope of cutting that vile witch off at the pass before she committed some kind of atrocity continued to shrivel and die. Too many times now she had gone through this routine of trying to locate her sister before more innocents were killed, only to learn of her whereabouts when it was too late to stop her. Abigail wanted to get the drop on her this time, but the chances of that actually happening seemed to grow slim every time she tried to gather information.

Still, she had the feeling that it was all going to end here, one way or another. This was where the chase was finally going to stop, and they would be able to settle things, once and for all. No more quick escapes for Emiliana. End of the line. The thought brought a rather vicious smirk to Abigail's face, her teeth poking out from the left corner of her mouth and her eyes gleaming sinisterly. Thoughts of violence usually made her sick to her stomach. But when it came to Emiliana, she made exceptions. To say that she'd be glad when the curtains were finally called on this tragedy would be an understatement.

Pushing those thoughts away from her mind, Abigail continued walking, observing her surroundings. The chaos all around reminded her of home. Crowds of pedestrians, packed together, shoulder to shoulder. The sounds of construction, music drifting on the air from some unknown source. Guess that just went to show that no matter where you found them, people were people.

When Raven spoke up again, mentioning a tavern with good food and drink, Abby smiled warmly at the idea. "I could go for a beer or two. Might take the edge off." she said, interlocking her fingers and then stretching out her arms, the joints popping loudly. "Would you mind covering the cost, though? I pretty much blew all my cash trying to get here." In truth, she had lost whatever money she had possessed after stepping through that door. But she wasn't going to tell Raven that. He'd probably just think she was crazy. Continuing to walk, Abigail slowed her pace a bit so that she fell in behind Raven, so he could lead the way to the tavern he had mentioned.

[Raven Flametongue]

Raven watched as Abigail cursed and looked rather unhappy. He wished he could help her in some way, since it sounded like lost family or something. But with no real leads or clues, that was that unfortunately. Fortunately, information circulated through bars and such all the time. And even rumors generally had some hint of truth to them.

And so they walked down the chilly streets of Era. Despite their faults Raven could see why his foster father cared about them so much. Adversity brought out the bad in them, but it also brought out the good in them. Even now, when it was cold, they were rebuilding what was destroyed. There were tents with steam and smoke rolling out of them where workers would step in to warm up.

“I wouldn't mind covering the cost for a pretty girl such as yourself,” Raven grinned again, this time sounding a little more playful. He had the spare change for a few, and he had nothing to do. And maybe he could learn something about her strange scent if she was willing to talk to him more.

Once they were at the bar he opened the door for her and let her step through before stepping in himself. At the door he continued as he surveyed the atmosphere. “Here we are. It's not the best establishment around, but it's not really scummy either.”

The bar was surprisingly full considering how many people were outside working. It was lunch time and many of the workers were enjoying a warm food and good drink before going back to work. Some grumbled, but much of the atmosphere was surprisingly up beat for a town rebuilding after a war...

[Abigail Parker]

Abigail couldn't help but laugh out loud when Raven said that he wasn't bothered about having to pay for her drinks, since he considered her a "pretty girl". And here she thought her age was starting to show. A grin on her face, the Parker woman offered her reply. "So long as that's where it starts and ends, man. I'm happily married, I'll have you know." She tried her best not to sound defensive, but still held up the hand she wore her wedding band on as proof of fact that she was indeed hitched. The polished moonstone shimmered, even with the sky overcast. Really, Abby didn't mind Raven's playful flirting. He certainly wasn't the first. She just didn't want to lead him on and get his hopes up. It wasn't her way. Besides, nice guy like him didn't deserve that kind of treatment. So, best to just tell him outright that she's spoken for.

With that brief exchange out of the way, the two kept walking, Abigail's long strides carrying her down the smoothed cobbles of the street at a brisk pace. Almost automatically, without really thinking about it, the redhead reached into her jacket pocket for a pack of cigarettes. Then she realized, after rooting around for a couple seconds, that she didn't have any. Clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth in disappointment, she made a mental note to get her hands on a pack sooner or later. If they even existed in this world. When they arrived at the bar, Abby took a moment of her time to give it a cursory once-over. Architecturally, it didn't look all that much different from the other buildings in Era. And yet it still gave off that vibe of being a bar. She couldn't exactly place it. Still, it was something else that was familiar, even if only in spirit, so she wouldn't complain.

Seeing that Raven had opened the door for her, Abigail nodded in thanks and stepped through the threshold. The inside of the establishment was a nice, cozy sort of warm that made her want to sink into a chair. The atmosphere was lively, with a clamor of voices that was almost dizzying. But it was by no means uncivil. The smell of booze and tobacco smoke was heavy on the air. Closing her eyes and inhaling deeply through her nostrils, Abigail smirked. "Just like home..." she said quietly to herself. And in a lot of ways, it was. She half-expected to see her father tending bar, shooting the shit with aunt Ali and Marian.

In response to the change in temperature, Abby slid her jacket off, revealing that the turtleneck underneath was without sleeves. This left the swirling tribal tattoos on her left arm (what wasn't covered up by the mouth of her glove, at least) exposed to even the non-discerning eye, as well as the toned muscles of both arms. Stuffing one hand into her pocket and draping her jacket over a shoulder, the fiery-haired adventurer sauntered over to the bar and planted herself in a stool, seemingly already comfortable. The barkeep, a sultry twenty-something blonde woman, came over and asked her what she wanted to drink. "Just a beer, please." Abigail replied. The barkeep nodded and turned towards the shelves behind the bar to retrieve the drink in question. Abigail simply drummed out the tune of a song as she waited.

[Raven Flametongue]

She was married? That was fine by him. That meant she wasn't going to get overly attached to him. Good, less facade to stress over maintaining. He was happy when people were automatically not in a position to slow him down on an emotional level. However... there was still the problem of where she came from. Or rather his lack of knowing. This was compounded by him having his own secrets to keep.

"Bourbon, on the rocks," He was never a fan of beer, despite how much cheaper it was. It just didn't have the kick he needed to feel from his drinks. Not that he drank much anyway, but even so. If he was gonna drink, it needed to be a bit stronger.

With his drink ordered, he took off his Jacket and set it on the stool next to him, opposite of Abigail. Then when his drink arrived he swirled it over the ice slightly before taking a sip. Letting out a sigh as the liquid fire flowed down his chest and into his stomach he turned back to his companion for the afternoon.

"So, you grew up around a bar then?" He asked with drink still in hand. However, his voice was far from judgmental, rather it was laced with curiosity. He was choosing his questions carefully... she might be talking about hating war, but that didn't mean she didn't come to cause trouble. "I guess that explains the tatoos and toned build a bit."

[Abigail Parker]

Abigail nodded in thanks when the bartender came back with a foaming mug of beer. Wrapping her fingers around the perspiring glass, she proceeded to cock her head back and chug down a couple slugs of the stuff, some of it dribbling down from the corners of her mouth. As far as beer went, Abby had admit it tasted pretty damned good. Not as good as that spiced rum she had that one time in Port Royal, but better than the piss-warm swill she was used to being served. When she had her fill, the fiery-haired adventurer pulled the mug away from her lips and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She had to hold back a belch before she could reply to Raven's comment.

"My father's a bartender, so yeah, I guess you could say I'm at home in that kind of an environment." Abigail said with a grin, knocking back another gulp of her beer. "The muscles are another thing entirely, though. Ya gotta be fit in my line of work. Adventuring ain't easy, by any means. But the thrill makes it more than worth it. 'Least in my opinion." she continued, rolling her neck to work out a crick. "As for the ink... I like tattoos. It's just a thing, if that makes sense."

Finished with her explanations, Abigail took one final swig of her beer, the liquid inside the mug disappearing in the blink of an eye. As if on cue, the bartender came around to give her a refill. Before she walked off to fill the mug again, Abby stopped her. "Sorry, but I was just wondering if you maybe had some spiced rum? Maybe some gin?" she asked, nibbling on her lower lip out of nervous habit. The bartender shrugged. "I can have a look, I guess." she said, her tone neutral. Abigail simply nodded, and the bartender walked off.

That out of the way, Abby turned in her stool to face Raven. "So I just realized. I've been answerin' all your questions about me, but ya haven't really said much about yourself." Swiveling even further in her stool, the redhead leaned up against the bar in a lazy fashion, wishing she had a smoke. "It's only fair that I get to ask some questions about you, then. So let's start off simple. Where'd ya grow up, Raven? Round hereabouts?"

[Raven Flametongue]

Raven admired how she answered his questions without revealing much about herself. Though some details popped up, they weren't exactly the details he was fishing for. Although, he was asking some rather superficial questions in that regards himself. He'd have to delve deeper, but that would require more in depth questions... and he didn't want to reveal his hand or his power if he didn't have to.

As she ordered her next drink, he began thinking of his next batch of questions. Then a thought hit him... maybe he was taking his guardian role too far? He'd never really been taught the limit of how far he should go by Draco... and he'd done drastic things in the past.

That's when her drink arrived and she threw questions at him. Now how to answer it... it was vague, as if feeling out how much she could get without prying too hard. It was the same thing he'd been doing, which was funny. Still, he did owe her answers. But now it became a game of wits. Who could glean information without spilling the beans on themselves. At least he wouldn't be bored.

"I was born in a village far to the west," He began as he took a sip from his drink before setting it down, the ice making a clanking noise in the process. "You can't get there now, not that I'd want to return to those ruins.

"Life has always been as it is now for me," He'd been slightly vague, but he wanted to mention his home wasn't there anymore without really saying it. "My father taught me a lot as he traveled. And I was with him as he traveled... And I've not stopped traveling since."

[Abigail Parker]

Abigail grinned when Raven provided his answer, mentioning that he was a traveling sort. "Guess we've got something in common, then. I'm a bit of a wanderer, m'self. A 'knight errant,' I guess you could say, if ya wanna get all romantic about it." she said with a chuckle, stretching her arms up towards the ceiling. The tension in her muscles slackened, and her shirt lifted up a bit, revealing the six-pack underneath, as well as a white lily tattooed right on her waistline. "Of course, the only maiden in distress that can turn my head is my wife." That little tidbit was accompanied by a cheeky tone of voice and a wink.

Finally, the bartender came back with a bottle of dark brown liquor and an empty glass. "You're in luck. Still got the last bottle of a rum shipment that came in a month ago. Still want a glass?" she asked, her hand on the cork, ready to pop the bottle open at a moment's notice. "Yes ma'am, I would." Abigail said, genuinely grateful. The bartender nodded and pulled the stopper out, pouring into the glass until it was full. "Thanks." Abby said, picking up the glass and taking a sip. The sweet, sugary taste filled her mouth, and a sigh of elation escaped her lips. Much better than beer.

A bit of rum in her belly now, Abby returned her attention to the conversation at hand. "You mentioned your father. What was he like? Mercenary like you?" she asked Raven, an eyebrow arching upward in curiosity. She hoped she wasn't being too nosy for his tastes, but she was genuinely intrigued. Maybe it'd be better if she offered up information about her own father. Make that avenue of discussion seem more inviting. "If it makes you more comfortable, I can tell you about my old man...?" she quickly added, voicing it as if it were a question rather than an offer. As she awaited a response from Raven, Abigail continued to nurse her rum, as if she were savoring every last drop of it. Which she was.

[Raven Flametongue]

“A romantic view on life didn't hurt anyone,” Raven chuckled at her comment about being a knight errant. She was right though, it was something they shared in common. And in his opinion, there was nothing wrong with being a wanderer like that. It was a way of life Raven couldn't see himself ditching anytime soon.

Her comment about her wife was interesting. To each their own he supposed.... and life was different from where ever she was from. But that made him wonder what it was like. What was her home like? What were the people like? What were the problems like? She referred to herself as a knight... so they still obviously had problems.

“My father?” Raven asked and tapped his chin thoughtfully. He had to be careful about how he worded it... even if she was from another world, his upbringing could still be troublesome if she found out. After a long moment an idea came to mind, and he smiled slightly.

“He was an old, wise father,” Raven said with a firm nod. “He taught me everything I know. My magic, how to fight, how to be a person. He... cares about this world on a deep level. Sometimes he even called himself a guardian, protecting the world from bad people. And he raised me to be the same.”

[Abigail Parker]

"'Old and wise.' Heh. Sounds like my dad." Abigail said when Raven answered her question, a nostalgic smile playing across her face. There was a pause as she took a sip from her rum, and then she continued. "Though I think the means through which they acquired their wisdom is where our fathers differ. My old man was a student of the school of hard knocks, and he lived a decidedly unwise life in his youth. Just like his own parents. Guess it's just sorta in the blood." A quiet chuckle escaped her lips when she made that observation. It really did seem to be a family thing, now that she was taking a step back and looking at the tradition from afar. Her grandparents, then her father and aunt, and now herself. It wouldn't be all that hard to say that adventuring was the family business.

She took another sip, then looked Raven in the eyes. "Now, my dad never would go as far as to say that he's the guardian of anything, let alone the world I come from. He just helped in whatever little ways he could. Bounty hunting, soldiering, charity concerts. Hell, he was talking about opening an orphanage, last time I saw him." It was funny. When boiled down to basic personality, ol' man Parker and Raven's dad were scary similar. But their approaches and outlook were so different, so distinct. Abigail couldn't help thinking that the two of them would get along swimmingly over a drink. Seemingly ignorant of the fact that she let slip that she wasn't from this world, she continued with the parallels.

"Other than those differences, my dad reads like a carbon copy of yours. He taught me everything. How to walk, how to talk. How to use a sword. We were on our own, so he didn't exactly have the choice to delegate some of the parenting to mom. But he made the best of a bad situation. That's what matters." With that said, Abby brought her glass to her lips and slammed back what was left of her rum.

[Raven Flametongue]

Raven listened as Abigail talked about her father. A pang of envy struck as he listened. He didn't remember his biological father. Part of him wished he did. Wished he'd gotten to know the man who helped bring him into the world in the first place. But alas, that wasn't going to happen. So instead he took another drink before letting out a tiny sigh.

"It certainly sounds like they were similar," Raven nodded with a small smile. He was reminiscing for a moment. The training, while brutal on the body, was fulfilling. He remembered the nights curled up next to the crimson dragon. The days he spent learning everything the dragon had to offer and then some... He let out a soft sigh. "I miss it all..."

"I've been looking for years now," Raven shook his head slowly. He still managed a grin, though it lacked the luster his previous grins had carried. The alcohol he'd had was making him a little chattier. Well, her similar upbringing seemed to help him talk more too. He took another sip, finishing his drink, and set it down for a refill.

"It's probably been about ten years," Raven elaborated quietly. He was still leaving out the dragon part, since that was supposed to be a secret. He watched as the bartender took his glass idly for a moment. "He left without a word. Just sent me out for supplies and when I came back he was gone. It was as if he'd never been there in the first place."

[Abigail Parker]

Abigail listened to Raven describe the events surrounding his father's disappearance, staring down into her empty glass with a glum expression. It was difficult not to think of how her mother died. She could empathize, even if the circumstances weren't the same. "Sorry you haven't found him yet. I know what it's like, losing a parent." she said to Raven, not exactly sure what she was trying to accomplish by doing so. "Just take comfort in the fact that there's a chance yours might still be out there, somewhere." Abigail was really wishing she had a pack of cigarettes on hand right about now, because she could really do with gunning a stick.

Sighing, the redhead stared down at the hand which bore her wedding ring and began twisting the band of metal around the finger, mostly because she had very little else to say at present. The bartender came around to collect her empty glass, setting Raven's refilled drink down in front of him as she passed. Figuring a change in subject might be the best for the both of them, Abigail spoke up. "So... I heard a bit about these 'guilds' on the road while I was makin' my way here. Think you could enlighten me as to what they're all about...?" she asked, tilting her head to one side in curiosity.

[Raven Flametongue]

"Yeah, probably," Raven shrugged, not missing how she looked. But she said nothing, and so he was going to act like he didn't notice. He leaned back slightly, stretching his arms. She seemed like she was a good person, who wouldn't try to blow up Fiore. He could let her roam about without worrying about her causing trouble. "The problem is, he doesn't seem to want to be found. Not that I'm giving up."

"Guilds huh?" Right, she was new to the whole Fiore thing. Well, explaining that was a little difficult to start with. Well, finding the start at least. So he decided to start from the part he thought might make the most sense.

"The guilds, originally, were sort of like groups of wizards who banded together to help the cities they formed in," Raven said as he got another drink. "Only a few people can naturally use magic here. And it's a powerful force. In a way, the guilds regulated the use of magic in their respective cities."

"The magic council was formed to handle wizards who abused their power," Raven continued, pausing long enough to take a sip from his cup. "They acted as a police force that was strong enough to handle the guilds. Since they sometimes got a little... blast happy shall we say."

"During the war, they did their best to work with the Council to fend off the invaders," He said with a small grin. "And it worked. Because of the freedom guilded wizards had, they were fairly strong. During the war, the Council collapsed, and only reformed towards the end of the war. Since then the guilds have been a bastion of order in the major cities, helping to rebuild many of them. Magnolia's a good example. You wouldn't think so, but the guild Fairy Tail was the most notorious for living by the blow things up now and ask questions later before the war. Even now they're still a rowdy bunch, but you wouldn't know it from how the city looked."

[Abigail Parker]

Abigail simply nodded in understanding when Raven observed that it appeared as if his father didn't want to be found. She could only imagine how much time he had devoted to his search, only to come up more or less empty-handed. She always had the same problem in the hunt for her vile witch of a sister. How many times had it been now that she had set out to stop Emiliana before she caused more damage, only to not find anything until it was too late? How many times has someone died needlessly when she could have been able to save them? Abigail's hand tightened into a fist, the leather of her glove creaking as her nails dug into her palm. She swore, the next time she saw her sister, she would rip out her goddamn heart. If she even had one.

Letting out a sigh, Abby listened as Raven gave a brief overview of what the guilds were all about. Basically, if she was understanding what he was saying correctly, the guilds were nothing more than government-sanctioned groups of magic users, with some sort of grand council put into place in order to keep them in line. Sounded like a far cry off from the far-flung, secretive mage academies of her own world. She had to wonder how her cousin Marian would react to this. Knowing her, she'd probably be somewhat wary of the government's involvement. Hell, Abigail herself had to wonder how much of a good idea that really was. But if the guilds themselves did a lot of good for the people, she couldn't exactly complain, now could she?

The bartender returned with her glass, refilled with rum, and Abigail took it with a curt thanks, knocking back a gulp. "I figure not everyone's down with the idea of signing up with a guild, though. Some people enjoy not being under somebody else's thumb, after all." she observed, brushing her hair away from her face. She personally didn't see herself rushing to sign up with a guild. While their resources would undoubtedly be useful, there was bound to be some sort of catch, some sort of fine print that would prove detrimental to her entire reason for even coming to this place. Taking another sip of her rum, Abigail began humming a slow, bluesy tune.

[Raven Flametongue]

The sound of creaking leather reached Raven’s ears, and he resisted the urge to look down at her hands. He knew what he said hadn’t directly made her angry or anything. So it was something she probably remembered. Not that he’d be sorry, she’d been asking questions and he’d been answering them. She seemed to relax again fairly quickly though, so whatever it was, it’d been a passing thought.

“Aye,” Raven nodded slowly and tilted his glass back to take a longer sip. The ice clinked against the side of the glass as the orange liquid burned on it’s way down his throat. “While the guilds are free, members are still bound by the guild’s ideals and objectives. For some guilds, it’s just a family that looks after it’s own, Like Fairy Tail. Others it’s… more complicated than that.”

“And as you’d expect, not everyone wants to be saddled by those ideals and objectives,” He continued as he set the glass down. He stared down at his drink for a long moment as he continued. “Some want the freedom that only traveling alone gains you.”

“I, myself, am without a guild,” Raven nodded slowly and shrugged as he looked back at Abigail. “Of course… that’s a problem nowadays it seems. One of the bases for the Magic Council got attacked recently. So it’s against the law to be practicing magic and not be a knight or be in one of the guilds.”

“Since you’re new I’ll give you a friendly warning,” Raven shook his head slowly. “If you have magic, don’t use it unless you have to. You sound like you wouldn’t do well in a guild, or as a knight. All guilds have a brand that they tattoo to your body, and if you’re caught using magic, the knights will demand to see it. If you don’t have it, they’ll try to haul you off.”

[Abigail Parker]

Abigail nodded slowly as Raven explained that the Magic Council was cracking down on magic users, basically forcing them to be in guilds. Well, that certainly confirmed her fears of the government body in control overstepping their bounds. And it meant that she'd have to be careful about using her angel form. No more automatically sprouting wings at the first sign of a brawl. In a way, Abigail didn't mind that. She had other skills, so it wasn't like she was absolutely helpless without lighting the battlefield up. Still, this turn of events made it even more important that Abigail get her grubby little mitts on some kind of blade. Hand-to-hand combat could only carry a girl so far in a scrap. And if she were up against armed opponents, there'd be a good chance of her getting skewered like a shish-kebab.

But Raven didn't need to know anything about her troubles, whether they be her distinct lack of armament, or her having to keep her angel schtick under wraps. Lifting her glass to her lips and sipping her rum, Abigail spoke up in response to Raven's warning. "I assure you, if I did have magic, I wouldn't be so foolish as to be relying on it like a crutch, law or no law." she said to her drinking companion, wiping some excess alcohol away from her mouth with the back of her hand. "But as it happens, I don't have to worry about that. I'm just a simple mercenary. Don't have any mystic mojo. Just some decent skill with a blade."

It was a lie, sure. One she told often, either in situations like this where revealing her true nature would be detrimental, or when hiding it could give her an edge. The whole "I am not left handed" bit and all that jazz. Usually no one saw through it until she told them outright... or she turned into an angel and ran them through with a spear of light. Abigail figured Raven was sharper than most people, though. So it was purely up to chance whether he'd know she was lying through her teeth. Sighing, she spoke again. "Thanks for the advice, regardless. Getting arrested wouldn't exactly make my job easier, now would it?" Abby stared down into her drink, her reflection rippling in the golden liquid with every breath she took, as her mind once again turned to Emiliana.

"And my job is far too important for me to screw up, especially now."

[Raven Flametongue]

Raven, of course, wasn’t fooled by her attempt to hide her magic. He could smell it on her… It was foriegn, different, and exotic. But it was magic none the less, even if it came from someplace he couldn’t place. It didn’t smell like Fiore. But he decided not to mention it, as that would give away his own powers. And while she was nice, and seemed like a noble person, he had his own mission.

“Not having magic might make life here a little difficult,” Raven commented with a nod. He went back to his glass, emptying it. He could hold his liquor, but he could feel that all too familiar buzz coming on. That buzz when one was approaching the cliff of being drunk, but hadn’t taken the plunge just yet. It was his favorite part of drinking, and he considered riding the buzz for awhile.

“There are shops that sell magic infused weapons,” Raven commented off hand. For all intents and purposes, he was buying her lie. But only to hide his own. The irony in that was rather amusing to the fire dragon slayer. “Though… having those is just the same as having magic naturally in the knight’s eyes.”

“Mission, eh?” Raven tilted his head curiously. The two were so similar it almost hurt. From irony or amusement, he couldn’t tell yet. He tapped the counter to get the bartender’s attention and motioned for a refill. As that was being taken care of he continued. “What kind of mission would be that important to you?”

[Abigail Parker]

Hearing Raven mention that enchanted weaponry was considered the same as actually having magic in the eyes of John Q. Law made Abigail scoff contemptuously. Those kinds of extremes were uncalled for, and only served to make your organization look like a bunch of jack-booted jagoffs in the eyes of the common folk. Not the kind of image coppers wanted to cultivate in the public consciousness if they didn't want resistance and riots, in her past experience. At this rate, the Council'd need a shovel to dig its own grave, and she doubted any "guildless" spellslinger would mourn their passing. More likely they'd start singing, "Ding dong, the witch is dead."

Then Raven asked her what her mission was, if she was so determined to see it through. Abby stared down at her ring, twisting it on the finger as she thought about everyone she left behind, solely for the purpose to protecting them from her own insane sister. Emiliana had threatened her family and friends numerous times in previous encounters, and Abigail figured it was only because she was constantly dogging her that she hadn't followed through on those threats. And there was the obvious; Emiliana wanted to see people die, for no other reason than she felt they should. But Raven didn't need to know all of those grisly details, let alone her familial ties to such a monster.

"That woman I mentioned earlier? The one dressed all in black? She's a wanted felon where I'm from." She explained, not lying, but not exactly telling the truth, either. She had no doubt Emili was on numerous bounty lists. Hell, she'd checked the bounty postings herself dozens of times to keep track of her. But that was far and away from being the reason behind her pursuit. But it was a convenient excuse to hand out to strangers. "She killed about fifteen people that the cops know about. Probably more that just up and 'disappeared', as far as official records are concerned. She's somehow able to make her victims' blood boil while it's still inside their bodies. It's about as pretty as it sounds." Abigail paused and lifted her drink to her lips, knocking back a slug.

"So as you can imagine, she's got more than a fistful of simoleons on her head. But honestly, scum like that? I'd bring 'em in for free." Here was where the acting began on her part. The usual song and dance of passing herself off as a no-nonsense bounty hunter with a righteous streak. Lord knows she'd put on this show for people numerous times before. Not that it didn't come naturally. Bounty hunting and mercenary work was in the blood, from her grandparents on down. One of the few instances where she didn't take after both her parents in equal measure. This was her old man, all the way.

"Besides, a little pro bono work can be a nice change of pace from fortune and glory." She added with a coy smirk, downing another gulp of rum.

[Raven Flametongue]

Raven listened to Abigail speak and nodded slowly to show he was paying attention. She had seemed rather disdainful about the whole magic council thing. He Couldn't really blame her. He didn't like it one little bit himself. Control through force and fear was not the path for humanity. It was too bad they were blind. Why was it that everyone but the humans could see the folly of their choices?

As she continued about the mysterious blood boiling woman his gaze grew slightly more concerned. If such a person had landed in Fiore, that was big trouble. Too much to go unchecked. However, he doubted she would just let him jump in and lend a helping hand. She he shrugged off those thoughts for the time being and took a sip from his own drunk.

“I see,” He said nodding slightly. Then he glanced down at his glass as his vision swam a little. Closing his eyes he took a deep breath to focus. Great, he'd had too much. Well, not a life threatening amount, but it was still more than he usually drank. Setting the glass down he looked over at Abigail. “These hit me harder than I thought they would.”

After the admission he chuckled, slightly nervously. The last time he'd been this drunk, someone picked a fight with him, and he didn't have proper control over his magic. Oh well, this bar didn't look nearly as seedy. So it should be okay, for the time being at least. “I guess I haven't been out drinking as often as I thought I had been. All work and no play.”

[Abigail Parker]

(Gonna exit here if you don't mind.)

Abigail noted the look of concern in Raven's eye when she went into detail Emiliana's modus operandi. She couldn't hold it against him in the slightest. Even without being fully aware of just how psychotic and destructive the woman could be, knowing that she had the ability to set your veins on fire with a thought was... disturbing. And that wasn't even getting into what Emili could do with her own blood. Whips, needle-like throwing weapons, and other such nastiness. Abigail's hand went to her collarbone, as if to soothe the scar she bore there, currently hidden by her turtleneck. Sighing, the fiery-haired warrior downed what was left of her rum, shaking her head when the bartender came around to refill her glass.

When Raven made his comment about how his drinks were getting to him far more than he'd anticipated, Abby smiled. "Usually it takes me a couple bottles of the strong stuff to get me tipsy. Guess you could say I drink too much for my own good." She said with a giggle, rolling her shoulders to keep them good and loose. "But then, everyone has their vices, right? So long as I don't hurt anybody after I've had a few shots, I figure I'm free to drink until I'm seeing triple." She continued, as a small addendum more than anything. She was unaware of the fact that she was basically expressing the same "Keep it safe, sane and consensual" attitude that her cousin Marian lived by, albeit in a decidedly non-sexual context.

Sighing, Abigail rose from her seat and slipped her red jacket back on. "Well, Raven, I appreciate the drink, not to mention the what's what of this pleasant little country of yours..." She said to her drinking buddy, pausing to zip her jacket up. Not much against the winter chill, but it was something. "...But I do believe it is time I take my leave. Got a murderer needs catchin', after all. Don't want the trail to go cold." With that said, Abigail gave Raven a friendly pat on the shoulder and made her way towards the door.

She stopped a few feet from the exit, then turned around. A grin was spread across her face. "Take care of yerself, alright? I'd like to be able to pay you back when we run into each other again." Those final words exchanged, Abigail turned away from Raven and opened the door, a blast of cold wind blowing in from the outside. And then she left, whistling a tune to herself as she did.

[EXIT]

[Sponsored content]