The Job Never Ends (OPEN)

[Alainya Igniatus]

Alainya noticed Jasmine's change in expression once she mentioned Nemus Village, but decided not to question it. After all, what Jasmine wanted to tell her and not tell her was her own business.

Alainya looked out the window, "It's ok, but it's quite a small village, so not much happens there," she said, knocking lightly on the table with a hand. "The war has torn up a lot of places, and families..." Alainya trailed off. She was thinking about her father. She looked down slightly and pulled her hand in a fist.

"So, what's the Crepusculum Kingdom like? I've always wanted to go there, my father had described some of it to me," She said, looking at Jasmine, a little hopeful that Jasmine would be able to describe it in better detail.

[glitters]

Jasmine could read Alainya's actions very well, seeing the look on her face as she spoke about how the war affected the families involved...it wouldn't have surprised Jasmine to find out that Alainya too had her own tragic tale to tell of her family.

But on to something a little happier, something that she felt they both needed as Jasmine moved on to answer Alainya's question, "Crepusculum is truly beautiful. From the Shade Mountains, you can see everything like the Shimmering Lake and the small towns around the castletown...it's wonderful. The mountains change from a warmly lit path to a cold and treacherous one depending on what side you travel on, and when you look down at the lake..."

Jasmine's face lit up as she spoke about the lake, memories flooding back to her. In an instant she and her mother were back walking together with their baskets and parasols just coming in from the town, checking their gardens, waking up in the early morning to bake bread and stock their shelves with newly concocted medicines and caring for the travellers few and many that needed help or a place to stay for the night. There were the mornings of seeing Andy off as he went to train with Kevin, having girly talks with Kara by the lake's shore, and helping mother with dinner for when the boys (and Kara when she decided to leave with them for the day) got home...

"The Shimmering Lake is wonderful. That's where I grew up, we lived in our own little home by it, nearly twenty minutes walk away from the nearest town. It was beautiful, by day it shined as brightly as the sun and as the evening set in little fairy-like bugs would come out and light it up with a mix of blues, purples, pinks...all such mystical colours. It's hard for people to travel out there though when they've never been before because as it is, everyone is deceived by what is physically beautiful out there," Jasmine smiled, "they say twilight is created by a divine mixture of light and dark and one cannot go anywhere without the other. For everything beautiful in Crepusculum, there is something that can make it ugly. A beautiful creature by day can become a deadly beast by night and vice versa...but that aside, it truly is a wonderful place that you must visit sometime."

She'd blathered on so long that the food had arrived at some point during Jasmine's 'story'. Awesome, Jasmine.

[Alainya Igniatus]

Alainya smiled as she listened to Jasmine describe Crepusculum Kingdom. She looked so happy and excited about describing everything, and she certainly got carried away in the moment.

The more Jasmine talked about Crepusculum, the more Alainya wanted to visit it. She had heard many stories from her father, but she still wanted to see it for herself.

Alainya paid for the food when it arrived, "It certainly sounds like a beautiful place," she said, as she started to dig into her food. "I'll definately have to visit it sometime."

[glitters]

Jasmine thanked Alainya graciously again for the meal and ate it silently for a few minutes, not eating very much but at least eating what would fill her up. She smiled and desperately searched for more conversation.

"So...um...Miss Igniatus, what kind of work do you do?" she asked, having noticed the woman carrying a sword and shield earlier, "are you a soldier of sorts?"

[Alainya Igniatus]

Alainya continued eating, enjoying the silent solitude for a few minutes. "I'm sort of a free-lancer of sorts, I do whatever comes to me, but it's usually guarding items of the sorts, family heirlooms, a dearly beloved, a prisoner being transported, and so on and so forth," Alainya said, taking a sip of her drink.

"I've had some pretty weird jobs though, like this one time, my job was to take a doll, climb up this hill, then tie it to the very top of this tree on top of the hill, then proceed to cover it with honey..." she shook her head, it was such a stupid job, "Although, that one actually did pay pretty good, don't understand why though..." she sighed. It didn't matter to her though, as long as she got some money. Alainya took another gulp of her drink, she didn't realize how thirsty it was, and she now just noticed that the buzz in the inn had died down slightly, It must be getting late, Alainya thought to herself.

[glitters]

Jasmine listened, having lost track of time entirely as they finished their meal. She blinked as Alainya finished her story about he weird mission, though.

"That certainly is odd," she finally spoke, "do you get a lot of jobs like that?"

[Alainya Igniatus]

Alainya shrugged, "Mostly guarding jobs or delivery jobs, but those are on occasional," she chuckled, "It's basically odd jobs, but it pays the bills," she said, finishing her food. The meal she had was satisfactory, and it did fill her tummy, so it was all good.

"So, Ms. Loque, is there anything you do besides helping others with injuries and ailments?" she asked, spinning her glass around in a circle.

[glitters]

"That sounds exciting," Jasmine had answered, trying to imagine doing something like that, "perhaps I should try to convince my papa to take jobs like that--that way he's not coming to me missing an eye and dying of poison." She let out a nervous chuckle, trying to make a joke but it was too morbid yet for something to joke about.

"As for me and what I do? I...well, as said I am a healer and was trained to be one. Mother sent me out to seek out and help a good-hearted warrior in the war against the Sumata actually," she lowered her voice in case there were soldiers nearby listening in, "I met Andy, and he's part of a group of people who've come from Earth to help us. They're called the 'heroes', and Mr. Yeligar Maelstrom is helping lead us all with a prophet to stop the Sumata."

She hadn't thought of it until now, but she didn't read far enough into Alainya to know if she was actually part of the Sumata all along. For the love of anything and everything holy she hoped that she wasn't but...still, she'd spent time enough with the woman to get the idea that she wasn't going to harm her.

...Then again, she thought that about Mark, too.

[Alainya Igniatus]

Alainya listened intently as Jasmine explained everything. About how she was helping this "Andy", someone from Earth, to defeat the Sumatas. She had heard about the Sumatas before, from her father, and she disliked them very much. Even though anyone who wasn't any sort of evil would dislike them, she thought they were the reason her father had disappeared.

"Your current position sounds interesting..." she paused, putting her glass down, "I would like to join you in your travels, if you don't mind, I know he have just met, but it would really please me if I could join you and help you and this 'Andy'," she said, becoming hopeful. Alainya really hoped that Jasmine would say yes, for she wanted to do anything in her power to stop the Sumatas.

[glitters]

Jasmine blinked.

"You want to help us?" she spoke quizzically, but was quick to replace it with an ecstatic smile, "o-oh but that's wonderful, we could really use more help. I know I wouldn't mind having an extra ally for sure and I know Andy will not. He's an absolute dear, he is."

As the plates were cleared and Jasmine finished her drink, she added, "you can come along with us and I'll introduce you to Mr. Maelstrom and Profeta when we see them again. How does that sound?"

[Alainya Igniatus]

Alainya was surprised that Jasmine accepted her offer so quickly, but she smiled. "Great!" Even though she had no clue who Profeta was, and only heard of Yeligar from Jasmine's explanation of what she has done thus far, she was still excited to know that she would be helping out with the battle to defeat the Sumata.

She let out a yawn, then looked out the window, seeing that the sun was nearly done setting, "I think it's about time to call it a night, I'm sure you're just as tired as I am from today's events," she said, finishing off her drink.

[glitters]

Jasmine nodded.

"I'd agree. It certainly has been interesting. We shall rest here, shall we? I'll be up late but I'm usually out of bed either as the sun is rising or shortly after," Jasmine answered, having gotten used to never having a lot of sleep by now. She rose from her chair and gave a polite bow to Alainya.

"Miss Igniatus, it's been a pleasure to meet you. I guess I'll see you in the morning then and we shall start our travels. Until then, I wish you good night."