Chapter Text
“So, how did you end up here?” The newly named Vina asked, gaze turning from Zael to Oran. The sylph had taken off his hat, holding it in his lap as he ran his hands over the large brim of it.
“What?” The teen asked, slightly spooked that he was being addressed when he was lost in train of thought.
“How did a pirate of the high skies end up down here?” The strix expanded the question, making it more specific as to not confuse the sylph. He shook his head a little at her question, the braids that sat over his ears swinging a bit at the motion.
“If I tell you how I got here will you tell us why you lied about your name?” Oran countered, metal hand gesturing towards her as he placed his hat back on his head.
“Sure, why not?” Vina sighed, if they were going to be sharing things about each other then she supposed she would have her own turn soon enough.
“Alright, first off; I’m not a captain. You and Mr. Tannhauser assumed that when we first met and I kinda just… let you believe that.” He admitted, eyes locked onto his hands in his lap, avoiding looking any of them in the eyes. “I was first mate of a crew, you guys already know that I was on a quest to find Gorgamungar after he went missing. But we were attacked just barely outside of Outset, a knight of some sort boarded our ship, cutting our crew down one by one.”
Oran paused at that, choking up slightly as he remembered whatever horrors he was forced to witness. Of course in her own tribe Vina had seen plenty of carnage, but a child watching as his friends were torn asunder was something different. They had all seen a variety of bloodshed in their time travelling, every time it didn’t make it any better.
“My captain pushed me off the side of the ship to save my life. I ended up in Outset after a bit of travelling, and you guys know the rest.” He finished, clearing his throat before looking back up at the rest of them as though he had said nothing. “So what’s your story Ms. Vina?”
“Oh, my story? I guess I did say that I would tell it, didn’t I?” The strix hesitated, large peacock wings fluttering behind her as she scrambled for anything else to say.
“You did say you would share.” Zael reminded her, sharply elbowing the other woman in the side. Vina did the best she could to not let it show that the hit did more damage then the warrior was probably trying to do. Or maybe she was very aware of the fact that she elbowed her bruises, who was to say!
“As you all know, I took my mothers name when I ‘left’ my tribe, but I didn’t leave. My mother kicked me out, I did a lot of stupid things, cost people their lives and my mother her money.” She summarized, hoping for a moment that they wouldn’t press any further then that.
“I understand friend, parents are not always the most loving.” Rehua nodded, hulking form of stone sitting on the ground instead of a log.
“No, that's not… my mother loves me. I was just an idiot, made trade deals for booze without the tribe leaders permission.” She sighed, it was tough to think about everything that had happened. “Pride and stupidity got to me, made me think I was a lot more important then I was.”
“That happens to everyone, don’t sweat it.” Zael soothed, hand patting her shoulder once before returning to whatever small mechanism she was toying with as they talked. “People give into their pride and inner thoughts all of the time, that doesn’t make you a villain until it leads to mass destruction.”
“That's true? I think?” The strix questioned, mind lopping over itself as she tried to decipher what the other lady had said.
“It’s your turn now Baldric!” Rehua cut in, horned head with the concave indent where an eye should have been turning towards the metal man.
“What, are we going in turns?” He huffed, but straightened his back regardless, they would get to hear his story anyway it seemed. “I am a soldier from a land of sand and heat, a fellow soldier brought me here after seeing so much of what was happening at home. She saw the way we were treated and the dictator that had us in chains and fought for what was right.”
“She sounds like quite the person, to do what is right in that situation must have taken a lot of guts.” Zael noted, her face weathered by anger and time wearing a look of respect for this stranger.
“Yes. Victrix was the bravest of us, able to stand before the blades of the cars and going so far as to pick me apart from the wreckage. I would not be here without her, wherever she is now after she has gone missing.” Baldric concluded, metal body free of any sign of what he felt, but maybe that wasn’t a good thing.
“I am sorry for you, my friend…” Rehua commented, just as unexpressive as the soldier aside from tone alone.
“You have done nothing, you should not feel sorry.” The man stated, all of his boisterous personality had left him by then, leaving only somber acceptance. “It is in the past now, in this present time I have set that aside to continue what she started.”
“And we’ll help you with that, bud,” Vina agreed, raising up her almost empty flask in a cheer.
“Does that mean it is my turn?” Rehua asked gently, looking over his friends who had each taken time to tell their stories. It was only right that he share his own story in turn he supposed.
“Yeah! How’d you end up here?” Oran piped up from Rehua’s other side, making Baldric have to lean around the construct to look at the teen.
“It is a much simpler story then any of yours, I was made by a man who called himself the ‘king of moths’. For reasons unknown to me he disappeared, and after looking for him for some time I found my way to Outset.” The moving stone statue explained, clawed hand tapping at the shin of the skull like lower half of his face. “Wherever he is now isn’t important to me anymore, I have you guys now and that is all I need.”
“Word.” Vina agreed, wishing she had more alcohol to drink so that she could do another cheer.
“That’s really sweet Rehua!” Oran smiled, earning a nod from Lady Zael as the woman continued to tinker with the thing-a-majig in her lap.
“Yes. We make a good team.” Baldric growled, earning agreements from all of them, they had survived this far at the very least.