Gallant Aspirations

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"Yah!"
The pounding of a steed's hoof across the earth brought light tremors tot he plains of Forelock as one of the youngest knights of the kingdom rode towards the kingdom. Ganz Astaire, a young man of twenty three born into servitude to the Kingdom Forelock had worked as hard as he could to attain the title he now held. He was returning from his very first mission. A simple one it had been, to escort one of the nobles to the Eastern Dessert. He had completed his task expertly and was well on his way towards the place he had now come to refer to as home.
"Woooah Nexus." He tugged against the reigns to draw his trusted steed to a halt near a stream. With little effort he hopped down from the horse and tapped its side , leading it by the reigns to the stream. "Lets rest here for a bit. Riding all night must have exhausted you. " He allowed the horse to drink from the stream as he sat down near a tuft of grass and opened a canteen to savour its contents. It would not be long before he would lean back against the grass and drift off to slumber...

[Lovely]

Certainly he would have hoped so, however, a galloping white horse was seen from a distance, only to have stopped by the near by stream of the forest. Among its back was a woman perhaps 18 if not a little older, however; she was perhaps one of the most beautiful woman of all of Cyllaron. She leaned forward as she headed towards the stream, her long white hair flowing behind her as they met the curve of her shoulder, her blue eyes were calm, and she seemed to glow from the rays of the sun that met her face. She guided her white horse to the stream of water and suggested the horse to drink along with her. It was only a matter of seconds however she noticed the Forelockian knight and in her defense drew her closes weapon, a large oversized hammer, marked in Holy Azriellian symbols.

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Ganz snorted as an insect crawled across his face, wiping the bug off wit the back of his hand before turning unto his side and drifting back to slumber. Nexus his steed trotted slightly, his hoof gently pacing the Earth as though trying to silently signal his master that danger approached disguised in Azriellian beauty. The horse cautiously lowered its head and drank from the stream again without removing its eye from the approaching stranger.

[Lovely]

The man would snooze, and the woman felt threaten. She neared him as she grabbed the rope that hung off her hip and laced it around his arms. She quickly began to tie him up as quietly as she could be, and soon backed away, he would have never known she had done it, until she had hinted him of her presence. "Forelockian soldiers shouldn't be asleep in the open like this" The woman's voice was soft, calm, but hinted an essence of eagerness. She was adventurous, and it was evident from her persona. She clasped a hand to her side, and began to speak. "My father wouldn't allow your kind to survive, but I'm a little softer than he is."

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A startled snort caused him to roll over and into the stream. " Wha - AH OH!"
Nexus, startled by the sudden noise reared unto its hind legs, threatening to trample the Azriellian.
Meanwhile, Ganz splashed around , trying to catch his footing in the stream, inadvertently muddying the water in the process.
Between the neighing, the splashing and Ganz's shouts each time he got and lost his footing, the silence of the plains had been transformed into a melody of madness. After much effort he finally managed to stand, although it was spread legged and strenuous but with his arms tied he could not exactly help himself much. He shook his head to get the water out of his eyes and looked up. "What is the meaning of - " His sentence was cut short as his eyes fell on the girl. "Ariellian!" He moved one foot but quickly remembered where he was and the fact that he was already at a disadvantage, Nexus was angrily rearing and stomping at the girl, bravely trying to defend its master.

[Lovely]

Only to have been head butted away by her white horse, the horse challenging Nexus. Its nostrils flaring as if ready to strike at any time, warning Nexus to stay away from the girl. The woman neared the man her hips swaying as she felt little to no threat at all from Nexus, she knew her horse whom she had bonded with for so long, would protect her. She laid her heel on his chest, as she caused his head to knock back, and clunk slightly on the patch of grass under his head, and smirked. A proud smile in which that hinted her enthusiasm towards this situation. She leaned forward and soon she began to speak, "I'm on a mission here, and I doubt a Forelockian will stop me, I need questions, and I need them answered fast, now speak! Do you know where the Eastern Desert is? I need to get there, and I need to get there quick!"

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ooc: He's in the stream

Ganz looked at the woman then cocked his head to the side slightly as though studying her. "You're not too bright are you?"
He questioned earnestly finding her eyes. "I mean , you ARE looking for the Desert. Doesn't it make sense to just head east? You don't need to be an alchemist to figure that out."
He drew his foot back to its original place feeling less threatened by the Azriellian woman with no sense of direction. The water began to slowly return to its natural color as the mud settled on the bottom of the stream again. Ganz shook his head, trying to rid his face of the water dripping from his hair. "Mind releasing these now?"

[Lovely]

With a sense of stupidity flowing her thoughts, the woman's face flushed with embaressement, he was right she had no sense of direction, especially without a map, and she wasn't about to trust the enemy continent right away, especially a man in his stature, she swallowed hard and giggled, brushing the back of her head hoping it would wipe away her mistake, the embaressement washed away just as quickly after his question. Her eyes looked at him with uncertainty, before a response came out of her. "Wait...how am I suppose to trust you? You might smite me just as quickly..." She looked around, almost as if scoping for people keeping a close eye on them, and she neared him. "I need a guide, I'm willing to grant money if you guide my way through the desert...I'm looking for a..." She scoped around once more, and as if illegal to say what she was about to say she whispered, "a man"

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Ganz rolled his eyes. "Why the hell would I kill you?" He trudged through the water, confident now that he could move about without falling over. "Do I look like the type to walk around hacking up women, much less Azriellian women?" He dragged himself across the ground and up unto the bank.
"It doesn't make sense you trying to show some cold, frightening exterior, if you wanted me dead then you would have killed me already. Now release these damn binds." He raised his still tied hands towards the girl's face. "My wrists are starting to itch." He whined.

[Lovely]

Her eyes glared at the man as she looked at him, she wouldn't annoy him any further she cut off the binds as she backed away and bowed. "I'm sorry, I really am" She insisted, as she kept her head bowed. She felt her face flush with embaressement as she looked at the man a little while longer. She rubbed the back of her head as she began to speak yet again, this time a hint of concern seeped through, "My father is gravely ill, and he told me never to trust a man in armor from Forelock"

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"That would make your father a smart man." He rubbed his wrists and took off his shirt wringing it dry. "But still here you are in the company of Forelock. Is it danger that you love girly?" He walked over to a nearby stone and placed his shirt there with a sigh ruffling his hair with his fingers. He leaned nonchalantly against the stone, tightening his ab muscles so that the bare definition might show up. He was not the most muscular nor was he a chiseled god among men. He was pretty much average...in shape but average. Ganz looked the girl up and down shaking his head ever so often. She was quite a looker herself, not too bright but very good looking. He wondered which Azriellian idiot had sent her out here on her own. Ill or not her father would not have sent her into enemy lands and anyone who asked her to do it must have hated her secretly if that wasn't the case....
"You ran away didn't you?" He spoke out suddenly.

[Lovely]

"Ran away? PFEH Noooo...I mean what makes you think such a thing?"
The woman looked at him as her eyes met his, she blushed lightly perhaps the guilt of her lie was overpowering her. She did runaway, but not permanently it was in fact to help her dying father. She wasn't about to just let him fall into the arms of the shadows, and meet the maker. Who was she to allow such a respected man fall prey to death, and allow her brother claim the thrown, she wasn't going to tolerate it. She looked around nervously as she sighed, she had given herself away and she knew it.
"Is it that obvious?"

[Deleted]

Ganz sighed. "Women." He shook his head and walked towards Nexus. "I suppose the you'll be hoping somewhere inside that I'll take pity on you and escort you to the Eastern Desert then?" He half asked though the answer was pretty obvious given the hints she had"subtly" dropped. "Why should I though?" He turned to face her, stroking Nexus' mane. "I know nothing of you other than you're Azriellian impulsive and not too bright. The whole father thing is a fringe benefit." He crassly added. His mouth had always been quick. He rarely ever thought before he spoke and even when he did one could rarely tell the difference but he was almost always guaranteed to speak his mind. Blunt and honest, at least as honest as Forelock Knights came.

[Lovely]

The woman was fuming as he degraded her mentality level, her eyes burned onto him as she spoke "I don't know how to act in unknown territories, that doesn't give you the right to insult me Forelockian!" She covered her mouth as quick as she snapped and swallowed the other words that begged to be release, She sighed as she looked at him, "I am Azriellian, but I mean not to be the enemy, I'm not asking you to consider me as a friend, but as my guide for the time being, my father is the reason I am here, and I want to make sure he'll be fine" She bowed, almost as if begging in a sense, "I'm willing to give you anything if it means helping him"

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Ganz burst into a fit of laughter at both her outburst and her reaction to her own words. He hugged his stomach waving her off as he laughed stopping to catch his breath. "Word of advice little missy, if you're looking for someone to be your guide then I wouldn't suggest you go tying them up the first time you meet them. Sends a bad message ya know?" He chuckled then sighed, studying her again. "What is it you need in the Eastern Dessert anyways? That place is not exactly known for its saving attributes."