Blood of Life, Blood of Death
Lisbeth Elliea
Soldier

Age: 20 | Height: 4'10" | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 2 - Strg: 6 - Dext: 30 - Endr: 6 - Luck: 17 - Int:
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#1
Lisbeth trudged her way through the Celestine, struggling to breathe. For as beautiful as the mystical gardens were, they were hell on her allergies. Too many different scents, likely seen as lovely perfumes by most, filled her lungs with thickness that weighed them down. She had to stop more than once to get over a coughing fit before she could continue on her way to the shrine.

When she finally reached the shrine, she dropped down on her knees, half in genuflection, half just to catch her breath. She leaned forward with her hands pressed against her knees, wheezing a bit. If only her sergeant could see her now. Her lack of stamina had been a problem all throughout her training, and she was sure that if there hadn't been a war on the horizon, she would have been booted out before they ever let her touch a bow. As it was, she'd been all but banned from sword training, instead being relegated to a position in the back lines where she could mostly stand still while she was fighting. The members of her squad had mocked her for it, but she did her best to pay them no mind.

Once she had mostly caught her breath, she pulled the thin rapier from its sheath on her belt. The thin blade was much shorter than one carried by anyone else in the army, more of a weapon of finesse than strength. The blade, along with the bow and quiver strapped to her back, would soon be the only things between her and death at the hands of the enemy.

She lightly scraped the edge of the blade against the side of her arm. It didn't take more than a whisper of a touch to draw blood from her pale skin. She leaned forward and let a few drops of blood touch the ground before the shrine.

"Blood of my life in tribute to Vi," she whispered to the shrine. "Blood of my death as a promise to Mort. Keep me alive in the coming conflict, or should I die, bring me to the promised eternal rest."

She closed her eyes and let out a long, slow breath. She trembled. She wouldn't let herself admit that she trembled.
Alex Moore


Age: 31 | Height: 5'6" | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Nomadic
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#2
A black flag, is a flag of freedom
Alex entered the shrine with a small bag of peaches, just int time to see Lisbeth's offering and hear her prayer. The pirate let out a low whistle once the soldier was done, "Damn kid. You are one intense little thing, aren't you?"

She walked over and placed her peaches on the alter to Frey and closed her eyes for a moment, "Frey. Let the coming days prove fruitful, may my sails hold fast, my ship conquer the waves, and may our enemies drown in the sea." She paused before sighing, "And may Rhys not burn the ship down in a fit of rage in the process." Giving a little clap, Alex finished and glanced down at Lisbeth.

"Seriously though kid. Blood? Someone would think you were one of the cultists that used to live on the outskirts of the tundra."  
Alex
Lisbeth Elliea
Soldier

Age: 20 | Height: 4'10" | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 2 - Strg: 6 - Dext: 30 - Endr: 6 - Luck: 17 - Int:
Played by: Terra Omen Offline
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Posts: 117 | Total: 419
MP: 0
#3
Lisbeth nearly jumped out of her skin when the other woman spoke. She wavered on her knees and fell backwards onto her ass, dropping her rapier in the process.

She gathered herself together, taking out a handkerchief and applying pressure to the small cut. Her face was paler than usual after the bloodletting. She took a moment to catch her breath then looked up at Alex.

"I've already offered my blood in their service for the war. Offering it here can only serve to cement that bond further. The Old Gods are life. And my life is theirs."

She kept the pressure on the cut. She had always been a bleeder; her father had said she had thin skin. Even the smallest of cuts took longer to close than it would for most.

"I wasn't expecting to see you here," she said, lifting the cloth to check the cut, then pressing it back down again. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were following me."
Alex Moore


Age: 31 | Height: 5'6" | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Nomadic
Level: 1 - Strg: 12 - Dext: 13 - Endr: 12 - Luck: 10 - Int:
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#4
A black flag, is a flag of freedom
The pirate merely raised a brow at Lisbeth's equally intense explanation, "I see." No, no she did not. Nothing of what she heard of the Old Gods correlated with the soldier's actions. Perhaps it was a Stormbreak thing? Alex herself was from Torchline originally, so that very well might have been it.

Seeing that the blood was still flowing, Alex tsked and reached into her coat to pull out a roll of gauze. She walked over and handed it to Lisbeth. She'd considered tossing it, but she had a feeling that the soldier wouldn't be able to catch it. "Here, kid."

"And no." The pirate chuckled, "If I were following you, you wouldn't know." Alex would have sent one of her stealthy crewmates to follow Lisbeth for her.
Alex
Lisbeth Elliea
Soldier

Age: 20 | Height: 4'10" | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 2 - Strg: 6 - Dext: 30 - Endr: 6 - Luck: 17 - Int:
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#5
"Thanks," Lisbeth said, not quite meeting Alex's eye. She begrudgingly accepted the help, tying up the wound on her arm a bit better than she could have done on her own. The bleeding would stop quickly enough, but there was always the risk of infection. She internally chided herself for not thinking of that sooner.

She rose back to her feet, just the tiniest bit unsteady. "Hey now, I'm pretty light on my feet myself. If I don't want to be found, most people can't find me." She mostly knew that from the years after her father had died. She had been a young teen at the time--too young to join the army yet, but old enough to draw the wrong kind of attention, from the kind of people who had certain ideas about a young girl with no one around to protect her. Anyone she couldn't hide from, would face the skills her father had taught her. She was quite good with both the bow on her back and the rapier on her hip.

"What kind of ship do you sail?" she asked. "I heard you praying for good winds. And...for your enemies to drown. You said you were going to fight for the old gods, but you're clearly not in the navy..." She looked Alex up and down. Her style of dress was decidedly not military.
Alex Moore


Age: 31 | Height: 5'6" | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Nomadic
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#6
A black flag, is a flag of freedom
Alex simply winked, "I'm sure you are, kid. But a professional is a professional." Maybe calling a pirate a professional of stealth was a bit of an exaggeration. But hiding in plain sight was something that all of her crew were capable of. Authorities had to be avoided, targets needed to be scouted, and supplies sometimes needed to be stolen.

Chuckling at the direct question, Alex shook her head. "If you haven't figured it out already, I'm not telling you." She put a finger to her own lips, "A lady has to keep some secrets you know." It was fun to tease Lisbeth and it probably was best not to outright to admit her profession to a soldier. Granted, Lisbeth appeared to be low in the ranks. But still.
Alex
Lisbeth Elliea
Soldier

Age: 20 | Height: 4'10" | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 2 - Strg: 6 - Dext: 30 - Endr: 6 - Luck: 17 - Int:
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#7
Lisbeth crossed her arms, frowning at Alex. "All right. Fine. You don't even try to be subtle, with the way you dress and act. And the only kind of sailor who won't be upfront about their business is one who works in illegal business. So you're either a smuggler or a pirate."

She shrugged, spreading her arms out to either side. It wasn't like it mattered. Short of witnessing a crime with her own eyes, there was nothing she could do about it. She wasn't law enforcement.

"I just hope you're not in the business of hurting the innocent. You don't seem like the type. I'd hate to be wrong about that."

She actually did like Alex. But that would immediately change if she found out the woman was violent. It would be a shame. Otherwise she might think the two could be friends.
Lisbeth Elliea
Soldier

Age: 20 | Height: 4'10" | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 2 - Strg: 6 - Dext: 30 - Endr: 6 - Luck: 17 - Int:
Played by: Terra Omen Offline
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#8
Lisbeth crossed her arms, frowning at Alex. "All right. Fine. You don't even try to be subtle, with the way you dress and act. And the only kind of sailor who won't be upfront about their business is one who works in illegal business. So you're either a smuggler or a pirate."

She shrugged, spreading her arms out to either side. It wasn't like it mattered. Short of witnessing a crime with her own eyes, there was nothing she could do about it. She wasn't law enforcement.

"I just hope you're not in the business of hurting the innocent. You don't seem like the type. I'd hate to be wrong about that."

She actually did like Alex. But that would immediately change if she found out the woman was violent. It would be a shame. Otherwise she might think the two could be friends.
Alex Moore


Age: 31 | Height: 5'6" | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Nomadic
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#9
A black flag, is a flag of freedom
Alex threw her head back and cackled at Lisbeth's clear exasperation. "There's no fun in subtlety, kid. Hide in plain sight and make it so obvious without giving proof. It keeps people scratching their heads and second-guessing what they see and know." The pirate winked, "Works like a charm." It generally worked on the common folk. On sailors, merchants, or other dubious sea-folk, not as much. That smuggler Jack had sniffed her out immediately to no one's surprise.

Lisbeth's next statement took some of Alex's mirth and she turned grim, "I try not to." Some situations were dire and not harming an innocent in them might kill a crewmate. That was something the pirate refused to allow. Her crew avoided harming innocents whenever possible. Whether it was avoiding any ship that was known to have children on board, or only knocking out the crew of the ship they were invading. They tried.
Alex
Lisbeth Elliea
Soldier

Age: 20 | Height: 4'10" | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 2 - Strg: 6 - Dext: 30 - Endr: 6 - Luck: 17 - Int:
Played by: Terra Omen Offline
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Posts: 117 | Total: 419
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#10
"You 'try' not to..." She waved a hand in disgust, her face scrunching up. "You know, maybe you should try a different line of work? Try using your skills to help people instead of just seeking to profit for yourself. Tell me this...when you 'try' not to hurt people, and they get hurt anyway, was it worth it? Whatever you gain from their pain, from their deaths, is it enough to help you sleep at night?"

She shook her head. "You could be better than that. I can see it in you. I might not really know you, but I can see it anyway. You could join the navy. Pledge yourself and your ship to defending the innocent, not taking from them."

She crossed her arms and raised her chin. She only came up to the other woman's chin, but she knew she could hold her head high, with pride in what she did with her life. She wondered if Alex could truly do the same.
Alex Moore


Age: 31 | Height: 5'6" | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Nomadic
Level: 1 - Strg: 12 - Dext: 13 - Endr: 12 - Luck: 10 - Int:
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#11
A black flag, is a flag of freedom
Alex sighed sadly, "I became what I had to be to survive. And it may be cruel to say, but I will always choose my loved ones over the common good." Her crew and the others came first. Her quartermaster Rhys in particular. If she didn't keep an eye on that firecracker, he'd burn all of Caido to the ground. Fuckin' pyro.

Still, it was touching that Lisbeth saw something good in her. "I'll be honest kid, I'm not sure if there's much good left in me. But...I'll think about what you said. Promise." The pirate hadn't chosen her path. Being kidnapped by pirates as a young teen tended to set your course in life. She'd had to adapt and become the best to survive. And Alex would never be ashamed of that.

Reaching over, Alex ruffled Lisbeth's hair, still smiling slightly. "I'll see you around, kid. Take care of yourself." With that, the pirate returned to her crew, deep in thought.

-{FIN}
Alex


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