[Belrea] Adventures over the Sea (Karo x Tyiva) FIN

[Sabra Knight]

Tasinei

Coming to Belrea had been one of the many objectives in Tyiva's quest to gather knowledge for her young mystic, but now the Alkidike worried that it may have not been the most fortunate decision. Because of the recent events with the Dretch the blade was constantly worrying about home and also eyeing those who glanced towards the strange Alkidike with fear. Even though Belreans were supposedly knowledgeable and less superstitious and wary of strangers it appeared recent events had shaken the populace. At least towards Tyiva, something she expected considering her strange traits that stood out especially from any of the other races.

Just being in Belrea was strange in general. In Jahaur the blade was constantly hunting, foraging and living in a jungle that was full of tribal villages - the opposite of the life she was experiencing here. At the moment she was even sitting in a 'cafe', strange name for a fancier tavern, waiting on Karo while sipping on some strong tea and picking at some cakes. They had just arrived in one of the bigger cities and were supposedly going to explore the more mountainous region to see the farmlands and maybe even get a peek at this weird cart, 'train' things that the Belreans bragged on.

Funny how her earlier fascination and excitement had turned into a big knot of dread instead. Still Tyiva was curious about one thing - if Belreans were so capable would they have some form of technology to fight the Dretch? Secretly that was what she was keeping an eye out for while exploring the area with Karo. I hope she arrives soon. Just how late would the earthling be when Tyiva had promised to go ahead and struggle with the process of ordering.
 

[Tasinei]

Sabra Knight

Stretching, Karothdra gave a small sigh of relief. She was glad they had finally landed on solid land. She'd been looking forward to getting to Belrea for a long time now, away from her family's influence and grabby hands trying to drag her back to Oba. She was certain no one knew she was here and no one would come looking for her either. It would have been unlike Karo to be so far from home and that's exactly why she'd done it. Her mother or brother would never expect it. Still, Belrea came with its own problems.

Karo had not liked the way they had looked at the two of them as they'd come off the flying machine, particularly Tyiva. The Dretch hadn't helped with the Belreans feel safe, they ought to be scared of the Alkidikes, but right now it was for the wrong reasons. Karo was actually looking forward to maybe finding out a bit more about these Dretch too, perhaps it would settle all of Tendaji if they could find out more about them. It would be good for the Oban army to be well prepared for the eventuality of an attack as well.

Belreans... Karothdra didn't know what to think of them. Too smart for their own good was her first thought. As she walked the streets and looked at their buildings and how their streets were, it was just... Too formal? Too polite and neatly placed? Nothing like Oba's streets. What was she even looking for again? A cafe... Who named a tavern such a thing? Even cafe sounded way too polite and fancy. The Oban didn't come from a poor family, no, they were quite well off, but this all just screamed too much to her.

Finding the place they had set up their meeting, Karothdra entered and scanned the place. A few turned to look at her, observe before dismissing. She spotted Tyiva easily and made her way over to her, she gently placed a hand on her shoulder in greeting with a smile before taking a seat across from her. Karo eyed the cake in front of Ty and made a face. It was a great contrast to see something so wild and beautiful in such a neat and tidy place. Ty didn't belong here, she had been built for the jungle. Karo felt bad for bringing her here.

“How are you?” She asked softly, lowering her voice so the others did not hear their conversation.  

[Sabra Knight]

Tasinei

Tyiva's antenna jumped up at the sudden touch on her shoulder. If she hadn't noticed Karo from the corner of her gaze the blade probably would have already raised her weapons to the other woman's neck. However, the familiar touch of a dear companion instead only caused her to smile as she reached out to squeeze that hand before Karo left to take her seat. "Greetings." She nodded her head in welcome before picking up that 'fork' thing and poking at the cake they called a danish again. She enjoyed them truly, but it was so much simpler to just eat it with her fingers....but her observations had shown her that most used the fork instead of their fingers. A waste of time for Tyiva, but still she was trying to abide by other customs so that she could learn them.

And abide she would - despite how awkward she felt stabbing at the poor Danish, "I'm faring well." She replied quietly as she lowered her voice to match Karo, "Recent events obviously have affected a few things, but I'm bearing with them. Hopefully this venture will be more beneficial to my people than I had imagined." She made a face though as she twirled the fork in her fingers, "Though I doubt I will try to impose this upon my sisters..." She offered some humor as she glanced back towards Karo, "How about you? Is this fresh air what you needed all along?" She knew the woman wished to be far from Oba and hopefully being this far out would prove to be beneficial to Karo. Tyiva just wished that somehow they could find out something here that could help everyone in the end. She to help her people and Karo to figure out what it was that she should do next...

Closing her gaze briefly Tyiva reached down to pluck the danish with a fork, "You should try the food here, it is rather sweet but filling." She held the piece of danish out towards the other woman with her fork, "We should keep our strength after all since we plan on traveling through this whole city quickly."
 

[Tasinei]

Sabra Knight

“I wish we had come under different circumstances…” Not running away nor walking in when the dretch were at large. Still it was no use dwelling on the past, they were here, they had landed, and they would enjoy their time together while it lasted. Karo was far too aware that she would have to return home when she returned to Tendaji, she was not resolved to do so yet, but once they left this place she knew it would be time to find her place again and take care of her family the way her father would have wanted her to.

“It is already quite odd to see you sitting here; I cannot imagine any other Alkidike dong so.” Karothdra chuckled softly.

“The fresh air has been good to me, seeing different things and such.” She didn’t want to admit yet that she would return home once this was all over, not yet; she didn’t want to spoil their fun or their mood. “I think this is exactly what I needed, granted a bit odd and weird in places. It feels nice to see other things and such. Maybe I’ll even visit Yael at some point!” It all sounded like a grand adventure, but if Karo went to Yael it was on a military mission, not on vacation.

“We’re both going to get fat and lazy if we stay here.” The Oban chuckled but did grab the fork and snagged a piece of the danish. It was sweet, quite sweet in fact, something Karo wasn’t used too. “Not bad,” Karo took another quick fork full of the danish before setting it down. “I don’t want to eat it all I will order my own.” The Oban waved over the woman serving customers and asked for whatever was good on the menu.

“What’s on the plans for today?”  

[Sabra Knight]

Tasinei

Tyiva smiled faintly, "As they say fate works in mysterious ways, correct? Or as we say Aisha's will is mysterious." The Alkidike shrugged, "Perhaps it'll turn out that these circumstances were what we needed and maybe one day we will come back under more pleasant times, that is if we don't turn this into something enjoyable." She finished more of her sweet and attempted to wipe her mouth with that cloth that others had used around them. It was a strange movement for the Alkidike but she managed, if albeit a bit hesitantly.

"True." Tyiva smiled, her gaze glittering with quiet amusement. "I suppose out of many of my Sisters I've always managed to find the strange situations." But who was she to complain? Simply because it was strange did not mean Tyiva was disappointed or frustrated with it. How was she supposed to learn if she stayed in the jungle? That was not what her mission was about at all.

Yael...that was the one place that made Tyiva's expression sadden ever so faintly. The island prison for their extremist sisters...could she one day go there? It seemed only like a troublesome spot for her, but she didn't linger on that because she didn't wish to ruin the mood. When and if the time ever came then she would deal with it just as she had to deal with the strange customs of this new land, "Then I should refrain from ordering another one." Teased Tyiva as she took the last bite of her own danish, "I believe we should explore outside of the town and take to the mountains. If we are to explore the whole continent then we must venture towards the South where more settlements await."  

[Tasinei]

Sabra Knight

“Indeed it does.” All of these mannerisms felt weird to watch, normal on the others around them that fit so seamlessly into the world but Karo had seen Tyiva in the wild and that was where she looked her best. Fierce and powerful, she owned the world around her when she was out there. She wondered what Tyiva would look like in Oba, walking next to her as they roamed the crowded streets and shopped the busy sections of town. “A strange but good situation I hope?” Karo offered her a small teasing smile.

“I like that idea,” they would need supplies though, they had brought so little with them. “Should we shop around for a couple of necessities before we leave? We don't know this region so we may want to take some extra planning precautions while we are here.” There was also the dretch to be wary of. “Also when did you want to leave? Later today or tomorrow early in the morning?” Karo was fine either way, she just wanted a solid plan before they left to go explore the unknown.  

[Sabra Knight]

Tasinei

Tyiva quirked a brow, her antenna twitching with her amusement, before she smiled and answered the question with her own teasing remark. "A good situation indeed since the company is quite enjoyable." If not for Karo would she have even ventured this far away from home? Her young mystic had asked for her to be her eyes but Belrea was a very long trek from home. She could only pray that Aisha kept those she loved safe while she traveled in these strange lands. Her dark gaze swept over Karo at the thought the slightest of flushes decorating her cheeks. Loved ones...yet here I am going overseas for an earthling. What a strange world her life was becoming and yet she wasn't complaining.At least these...sweets are nice. Though those were not the only sweet things that she seemed to have on her mind lately. The thought caused the Alkidike to glance away as if studying the outside through the windows when in reality she dared not to look at the Oban sitting across from her.

"We can shop." She finally answered her gaze slowly returning to Karo as she calmed her treacherous thoughts, "We could gain information and perhaps an awareness of the area through maps or by descriptions from some Belreans before proceeding. I would assume that the time it takes to do such things could affect our decision to leave so unless you would like to camp under the stars tonight I would say we can leave in the morning." Though honestly being outside was something she found herself missing in a sense. All the plush beds and the buildings seemed smothering at times. The corners of her mouth tipped downwards as she thought about such things, about missing the trees in Jahaur and the feeling of grass beneath her bare feet, but the Alkidike quickly forced a smile, "Shall we begin?"
 

[Tasinei]

Sabra Knight

Karothdra found her inner self happily smiling away like an idiot at Tyiva's comment. Yes she had rather become quite fond of the Alkidike's presence by her side. Truth be told she had become so used to her that the Oban didn't know what she was going to do when she returned home. Tyiva had to go home at some point, but so did she... She didn't want to lose her connection with the Alkidike either but she could not travel to Chibale with her either. What a perplexed situation, Karothdra quickly stored the thoughts away. She didn't want to sour such a good mood.

"I don't think camping out under the stars would be such a bad idea, it would kind of be like how we used to do it." The more Karo thought back at their time together on Tendaji, the more she left the itch to reach across and just gently squeeze Ty's hand. She couldn't explain it, or maybe she could but she didn't want to fully admit that she had feelings for the Alkidike just yet. If there was one thing she was quite certain of was that she'd never felt like this before and she wasn't sure how to act about it.

Pushing back her chair and stood up, stretching before quickly putting her arms down when she noticed the Belreans looking at her. Sheesh, couldn't a woman stretch for a few seconds without getting looks?! Karo made a face before exiting the store onto the streets, looking back briefly to see if Ty was following her.

"At least some things don't change, let's hit up the marketplace." The Belreans marketplace wasn't as open as the ones back in Tendaji, so this was going to be an adventure i and of itself.  

[Sabra Knight]

Tasinei

A small smile curved Tyiva's lips upwards, while the Alkidike wasn't often prone to revealing her emotions in public the agreement to camping outside and the way that Karo had seemingly beamed earlier stirred her, "That sounds fine to me then. We shall see if Belrea's skies are similar to our own." It was hard to tell with those strange street lamps that they lit night after night, but perhaps in the wilderness of the mountains they could finally see the stars that she once saw from the islands of Chibale. The same stars that her Sisters saw...the thought both comforted and saddened Tyiva. What would she do when she did have to return home? She wanted to do so desperately but now things were getting complicated because of connections....mainly one connection that she stared at now before narrowing her gaze towards others that stared.

If anything she simply found her hands tracing downwards towards where her blades nestled themselves at her hips. She wasn't one to make a scene or to act outwardly from jealousy but it did bring her some comfort to see that a few noticed the movement and went back to their morning meals. As Karo moved away from the table Tyiva stretched her own legs and headed after her. The whole idea of cities were still strange to her and having clothing to protect her from the cold was still something that made her tug at the cloth material which clung to her arms and legs, "Aye." She nodded her agreement before boldly walking next to Karo and slipping her fingers into the Oban's hand. It was easier to stay connected this way, right? That and she felt better to have some physical connection to Karo, especially after noticing those lingering stares in the cafe.

"We'll need provisions...I can hunt but we are still unfamiliar with the flora and fauna of the area." Noted Tyiva quietly as they pressed forward on the strange cobblestone paths and towards the widening streets where small shop buildings lined up - another strange thing from the open markets she once saw. Belrea truly was a place to get adjusted to and she was thankful that she was not alone, an idea which had her squeezing Karo's fingers.  

[Tasinei]

Sabra Knight

When Karo felt the handclasp around hers she looked down and blushed before looking straight ahead with a large smile across her face. She was feeling quite content right now even though they were on new land with no real concrete plans. Still, just having TyIva at her idea gave her confidence, like she could do anything in the world right now and nothing could stop her. It was the best feeling in the world, she didn’t think she’d ever felt this way before. At least not like this. She was going to cherish this moment, who knew exactly what they would face once they were back home.

“Provisions would be good”, she said, giving Tyiva’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “It’s a bit strange that everything is in a building. Open markets feel much more efficient.”

She didn’t understand the point of having to bother going inside and then back out. Wouldn’t it be a lot better to simply walk down the street and look at things they needed? Perhaps the Belrean’s weren’t all as smart as they thought themselves to be. This certainly didn’t seem like a practical solution. KArothra felt this was a big waste of time, but they needed provisions and well there was no choice.

“How about we head into this one?” Karo pointed to a brownish building where the sign seemed to have some food on it. Again, she thought this was quite silly considering if it had simply been an outside market, they could have seen the product or moved on to a better stall. They’d need food and probably a backpack of some kind and some bedrolls to sleep out in the wild. Also something for water in case they weren’t following a river. Karothdra looked out at all the buildings and internally sighed, this was going to take all day.
 

[Sabra Knight]

Tasinei

Tyiva was one to usually try her best and keep her emotions in check but she could not help the faint smile that crossed her lips when Karo blushed, "They have crowded streets. It would be best to stay close." She commented quietly, her beating heart seemingly far louder to her own ears than the soft tones of her voice. Honestly if it wasn't for Karo, Tyiva probably would be far more miserable with this traveling experience. Not that the countries they visited were bad or anything....it just wasn't home. Her antenna flicked thoughtfully before she found herself nodding at Karo's comment, "Open markets in other countries were busy enough for me as is. I cannot imagine how crowded these buildings are when everyone is shopping."

It would be hard to have a true fight inside. Tyiva's free hand inched towards a blade at the thought. Would they really experience trouble here? Wasn't Belrea supposed to be a peaceful continent compared to their homelands? I suppose we will find out. It would be a pain, especially for the taller Alkidike, but she would try her best to stay inside the confines made by the earthlings. She could only imagine how much trouble another Sister would have. Thankfully Tyiva was considered petite when compared to many of her Sisters. Stature did not bother her as it didn't stop her from being lightning fast and made darting through the trees much easier. But a wall? That would definitely hinder her movements.

Tyiva glanced about the streets one last time, surveying for any signs of danger or of others with ill intents, before nodding in agreement. A shop with such a sign surely had supplies that they could use, "I can hunt but dried food and some water pouches would be helpful." She still didn't know much about the fauna here so there would be no telling what they could and couldn't hunt or eat, "Even a map would be helpful along with fresh food." Anything fresh to make up for the worn down materials that they had mostly discarded before jumping onto the flying ship to Belrea.

Daring to be bold,Tyiva moved forward and pushed at the wooden door before them. A tingling noise from a bell nearly made her jump in surprise and her hand tightened protectively around Karo's own. An alarm? What type of system was this? Her mouth pressed into a thin line until the welcoming tones of a Belrean woman reached them.

"He-hello there! How may I help you, strangers?" The shopkeeper's tone changed as she realized that her new customers weren't quite from the area. The warm welcome slipped mid-sentence in surprise before the shopkeeper did her best to plaster a warm smile on her face. Tyiva respected that she pressed through the hesitation to try her best at being polite. As long as the woman got her coin, what did it matter if she sold wares to strangers from Tendaji?

It was strange though to see such a wide variety of items in the shop. Was this some sort of general merchandise store? Tyiva glanced around, "If it's alright we need to browse. Do you have good travel gear?" She watched as the petite woman left the strange wooden counter to begin pointing out some shelves and recommending any nearby shops for other essential supplies. Glancing cautiously at Karo, Tyiva let go of her friend's hand so that she could begin to browse the wares.
 

[Tasinei]

Sabra Knight

Trying to shorten this so we can get to the good stuff and their reunion biggrin

“Let us hurry then.” Karo said with certainty before following Tyiva through the streets. She didn't doubt Ty’s abilitys out in the wild, but this was a new place and they needed to be careful. She soon went into the shop and was also startled by the noise of the bell. What kind of trickery was this? Karo looked around, ignoring the shopkeeper as she tried to calm her senses again. She let Tyiva deal with the shopkeeper as she moved deeper into the store, picking up things and sometimes setting them down.

The shop keeper eye’d Karo but didn’t mention anything, she tried to focus on Tyiva. “Yes I do, if you have a look on the far right side there’s everything you would need.”


 

[Sabra Knight]

Tasinei

"Thank you." Tyiva nodded her head respectfully as she browsed wares with Karo, "I believe this would be good and we will need rope. This will also be good for trapping and that water skin is nice." She chose items without hesitation, ignoring the fancier decorations to instead focus on purchasing the sturdier items that would be useful in their travels. Her experience in traveling was showing quite well as she navigated the Belrean currency with the coin they had brought from Tendaji. After getting directions from the shop keeper to another shop, Tyiva did the same thing this time bartering some rare Tendaji herbs for similar Belrean ones. This way she could learn about what was edible and poisonous from the market. She also found herself having some fun with their supply run by reaching over to have Karo try certain fruits that were native to the new continent and asking if the earthling had any preferences for other certain items or necessities. Despite having fun exploring the goods with Karo, Tyiva's main focus was on the herbs and foods that they learned about while purchasing supplies.

If I have examples then I surely can compare them to anything we find in the wild. The same happened when they bought new cloaks and sleeping packs for hiking across the mountains. A few pouches of medical herbs, dried food, water skins and other necessities later the sun was already lowering itself in the Belrean sky. Exhausted from interacting with so many Belreans and from learning so much in one day, Tyiva found herself actually flopping down to sit in one of the stone benches that decorated the exterior of a small grassy park that ran through the center of the town.

"I hope we do not have to do that again for many moons." She commented before glancing towards Karo, "Pray tell me that was plenty enough for supplies. I cannot think of anything else that we need before tomorrow morning comes." She even had a map clutched in her hands, a crude representation drawn by a shop keeper of the surrounding mountain area leading towards the southern area of Belrea. Hopefully it was accurate and would help them as they began their trek in the morning into the mountains.

Only a few more hours of sun and then rest. Excitement and nerves made her stomach tighten. It was one thing to ride a ship across the open ocean, but it was another thing to go blindly into the countryside of a foreign country. Somehow being separated from the mainland of Tendaji made this task feel so much more daunting. At least Tyiva had Karo with her. The earthling's presence surprisingly gave her much comfort and she was truly thankful as she glanced towards the Oban, "Are you prepared for the morning?" She found herself asking quietly, "How should we prepare for the night?" Maybe they would have a bath house here or something so that they could relax and feel refreshed for the morning? Tyiva wasn't certain but for the moment she was just happy to rest on the strange concept of a thing known as a park bench.
 

[Tasinei]

Sabra Knight

Karo was so content with simply watching Tyiva as she moved through from one shop to another, bargaining for them. The Oban sighed softly with a small smile on her face, it made her really happy. She’d even included her as she offered her different items to try. Some were great, others not so much, but she appreciated the thoughtfulness and gesture being it. How could she ever go back to Oba when she had Tyvia on her mind? There would be no way for her to even consider an Oban marriage, no way. Not until at least, she knew where she and Tyiva were headed. And if her family wasn’t happy, well perhaps they’d stop chasing after her!

“You did an amazing job,” Karo commented when Tyiva sat down on the bench, fighting the sudden urge to give Tyiva a kiss on the cheek. The Oba also took a seat next to her and gently gave her shoulder a squeeze. “I’d be running around like a headless animal if it weren’t for you.”

“Maybe it would be best if we found an inn and rested well for the night.” It had been an exhausting day and they needed to be well rested for tomorrow. “I saw a steam house earlier, perhaps we can get some baths for the muscles and then a good meal before bed?” It sounded like a very good plan to her.  

[Sabra Knight]

Tasinei

"I'm glad my efforts were not in vain then. Thank you." Tyiva teased lightly before tilting her head ever so slightly and resting a cheek against Karo's hand that was on her shoulder, "I agree. Rest sounds like the best option for now." The Alkidike was used to always having contact with her close siblings, but with Karo the actions were less of a familial bonding and hinted more about deeper affections. She was quite fond of the Oban warrior and receiving praise for her earlier work at shopping warmed Tyiva's heart.

As she rested her head against Karo's hand, Tyiva's antenna flicked upwards with interest, "A steam house? I've never actually experienced one of those before. If you think that would be relaxing then I would be interested." Her muscles still felt cramped from that airship and a warm bath would be lovely. The Alkidike was so accustomed to the natural hotsprings they had visited, but she could only wonder how a society like this built their own. Belrea had already proven to be fancier than any country so had ever visited and while overwhelming at times it did have its charm. Surely a bath house would be the same.

Reluctantly, Tyiva left her spot on the bench so that she could stand and stretch her arms, "Lead the way and I will follow you, Karo."