Misbehavior [Social/Lagi]

Weaving through Remano’s busy streets, Ayero grumbles under her breath as she searches for her serpent companion. Normally she was okay to let Kabu wander off on his own so long as he returned to her without causing harm to anyone or anything, save for the meals he catches on the streets. But lately the snake had been rather rebellious, nabbing one of a vendor’s chickens for sale as a snack and causing a panic among some of Remano’s jumpier shoppers as they perused the stalls.

Ayero always eventually found herself in the middle of it, often apologizing profusely for the trouble her beast had caused and paying for the damages does. One man even banned her from his restaurant, not that she could blame him. So she had banned the Heliohapt snake from going anywhere without her, but Kabu obviously didn’t respect her enough to heed her orders…which is why she had taken to the streets after returning from her bath and finding him gone.

”I wish he wasn’t so hard to see…” She mutters in irritation, squinting ahead as she tries to make out Kabu’s scaly black body and yellow diamond pattern among the crowds.

Lagi was going through the streets of Reim with his usual garments. The crown remained on his head as he used his free time today to see if he could pick up on anything interesting going on. Zygus was left home today for a number of reasons, so Lagi brought Orie with him. Then again, when will there ever be a time when Orie isn’t inside of him? Lagi would hold out his hand as Orie appears slightly outward, showing her blob body and smiling somewhat “So…. What should we do today Orie…” Orie shrugged with her small tentacles as she looked around intensely. “ hmm? “Lagi closed his hand as Orie returned inside him and looked around. There was a girl with red hair walking around. However, she looked rather familiar. Before Lagi knew it, he found himself approaching her. “ You, you’re the girl from the party…” Lagi would say lightly with a small point.

Caught up in searching for the wayward snake, Ayero turns sharply when Lagi approaches her. She wears a hard expression as she faces him, but it melts suddenly when she recognizes him as the newly crowned King of Reim. ”Oh, you’re…King El Nagi, correct?” She blinks in surprise as her eyes soften a bit. ”Forgive me, I just didn’t expect to see you out here…I’m afraid I was a bit distracted, I’m looking for someone.” Shaking her head, she chooses not to elaborate figuring that a King wouldn’t care for it. ”Is…there anything I can help you with?” She asks tentatively, wondering why the King would be out and about in the first place, especially unguarded. She scratches at the back of her head, unsure of how to speak with royalty.

“Looking for something, your posture is kind of hinting off that the thing you are looking for is pretty important to you in a way. “ Orie would pop up her small head form Lagi’s shoulder and look to at Ayero for a while. “This is my partner, Orie. Believe it or not, I’m actually a pretty prominent dominance user, and this little thing could be dangerous if she wants to be. “Orie was only 100 centimeters tall, but she was definitely worth a lifelong companion. “hm… you like animals? You have this air about you, so I just had to ask. ” Lagi would say simply as Orie started to look around as if she was distracted. Lagi had taken note of that, but he was currently talking to Ayero at the moment. “Also, I don’t believe that I ever caught your name that day.

She raises an eyebrow at Lagi’s guess, wondering how he was able to read her posture well enough to know that she was looking for someone of importance. ”Ah—“ She blinks in surprise as Orie makes her appearance, squinting her eyes a bit to peer closer at the blob. She’d never seen anything like her before, and the way she had literally popped out of Lagi’s shoulder was startling and…strange. ”Ah, hello Orie.” She greets a bit awkwardly, wondering what she was even greeting in the first place.

”I…suppose that I do. And my name is Ayero. I’m sorry that I didn’t properly greet you at the party, things got a bit…eventful.” She briefly recalls the chaotic night of murders and dancing before pushing it to the back of her mind. ”You’re a dominance user, are you?” This catches her attention and she realizes that she didn’t know very much about the King or why he was appointed.

A few moments after she finishes speaking, a black snake winds his way expertly through the crowd before gliding his way around Ayero’s body. ”There you are! I’ve been looking all over—“ She cuts herself off as Kabu sees who she had been conversing with, moving so that his face was just inches from Lagi’s. He flicks his tongue out as he stares curiously into Lagi’s eyes while Ayero reprimands him sharply. ”Kabu! How many times do I have to tell you not to invade someone’s personal space! I’m sorry about him, he doesn’t listen to me sometimes…”

“Yes, I’m a part of the El Nagi Clan, the strongest group of Dominance users in Reim. Our way of life is a bit different, since the search of true prosperity is by the bonds you make with your companions, as well as putting other dangerous creatures in check.  “ Lagi would speak about the clan with much pride, they were really trying to improve life through the use of animals and the abilities they obtained. Lagi kind of started to remember that night a little more, though there was plenty of wine present and Ayero was simply one of the pretty faces who seemed to split as soon as he came around. He often questioned if it was the Kou cologne that did that.  “hm..” Lagi would say as he eyed the snake with a very intimidating glare, there was a hint of defiance in the snakes eyes and Lagi didn’t like that at all. “It’s fine, he just needs a bit of discipline is all. The point of being considered as a dominance user is to reign your dominance over your companion. It is your comrade that you would love and treat as equals, but forgetting their true place would cause them to act on their own.”

Orie didn’t like the way the snake was looking at Lagi, she started to fidget inside of his body but Lagi managed to contain any involuntary actions she was going to take. After the intense stare down, Lagi would look up  to Ayero and smile. “It’s a hard path, but it shows you have a kind heart if you are willing to devote the time. But that same kindness has to be as equivalent as your sternness, don’t be afraid to be rough if you have to. Lagi would say as he would transfer that same smile back to the snake

Ayero was mostly silent as Lagi speaks of his clan and how to deal with Kabu’s disobedience, not out of intimidation but rather out of thought. She just now connects Lagi’s family name to the one she had heard Azix mention when she accompanied him in capturing the ravenous beasts. It began to make sense to her, and the warrior in her began to wonder how well the man could fight. She unfortunately didn’t stick around for his coliseum match with Yakuroro and didn’t hear of the outcome.

Kabu meets Lagi’s glare with one of his own, but after a few moments the snake’s gaze began to waver. He’d never been confronted this way by a beast tamer before, the only other he’d met being Yakuroro and Diego. But Tetsu, Trixie and Zanzibar were all well behaved and the snake had never seen their tamers behave sternly with them. Ayero had tried to be strict as well, and though the snake did grow to care for her he occasionally did as he pleased even if it defied her orders.

His eyes flickered away during the standoff as he gradually receded back around Ayero’s shoulders, disgruntled. ”I see…”  Ayero mutters softly before smiling politely at Lagi in response. ”Then he just needs some tough love, is it? I know of a beast tamer who uses such methods. His beasts are kin to him.” She recalls the young Fanalis, Diego and his companions, wondering where they were and how they were doing.

”Forgive me if this is too forward, but would you mind giving me a few pointers? I want to understand how to be a better dominance user, but I feel as if it must be something that I do on my own.” She glances back at Kabu who tilted his head in curiosity at Lagi’s smile. ”He always aids me in battle, and I let him go off and do as he pleases when we travel. But lately he’s been getting into trouble, so I can’t trust him on his own.”

“A few pointers huh?” Lagi would say as he mulled over his choice of words. “Well, the beasts independence is important, due to the fact that there are some situations where you would be unable to command them constantly. That’s why it’s best if the beasts possess the IQ and the experience to make the appropriate decisions that the situation demands on its own Though I wouldn’t recommend you leaving them too much on their own, unless you are able to tough it out when it comes to the discipline that you would have to enforce. Like for example, you could keep it grounded, withhold dinner for the rest of the day and only feed it the bear necessities. I personally whip them senseless and then heal them afterwards, it’s a somewhat cruel punishment but I never leave the wounds untreated. However, you spare the rod you spoil the child punishment is necessary to enforce proper habits and domestication. “ Lagi would say as he revealed some of his own tendencies in disciplining his creatures.

“Though, maybe I’m being a bit of a hypocrite. I never had to do that for Orie, she’s just overprotective at times and she never leaves my side. If there is one thing I like about being a dominance training, it’s the amazing bond you made with your partner, and the willingness of your partner wanting to be around you all the time. Kind of helps to know that someone will always be there when you’re lonely, right?”

Ayero listens intently to Lagi’s words, hoping that he’s suggest something that she hadn’t thought of yet. But as he laid out his method of taming and controlling beasts she couldn’t keep a startled expression off of her face. Withholding food? Though she can recall a few times where siblings had been sent to bed without dinner for a particularly bad act of misbehavior, she was hesitant to apply the same method to Kabu. When Lagi goes on to mention whipping his beasts into submission, Ayero’s eyes narrow in distrust. She connected whipping to slavery, and slavery was something that had affected her and her family. As often as she found herself in the midst of battle, Ayero disliked the use of needless violence. Her strength was something to be used in defending herself and others, or so she liked to think. Perhaps mindless beasts who pose a dangerous threat to those around them can be subdued by physical force, but Kabu was an intelligent beast. Glancing at the serpent on her shoulder, she wondered if Lagi’s method would work, or if Kabu would develop resentment or fearful feelings towards her.

Though initially turned off by Lagi’s explanation, she began to wonder if it was because she didn’t have the heart of a beast tamer. What if those were the only methods to truly dominate a beast? She’s a bit hesitant to speak out against it, seeing as how the man standing before was the King of Reim and hailed from one of the foremost dominance clans. She began to wonder what type of person that Lagi truly was, if she was comfortable with him being in charge of her country. Alas, she had the good sense to hold her tongue in that regard.

Sensing Ayero’s unease, Kabu fixes his gaze on Lagi once more and hisses lowly in warning. A hand on his head in a reassuring gesture was her response and the snake backs down, though he still maintains a sharp gaze on Lagi. This brief display reminded Ayero that she and Kabu did indeed share a bond and while the snake was increasingly unruly, they still cared for each other. Perhaps she just needed to be stricter, and perhaps withhold his favorite snacks and activities until he could learn to behave himself. She couldn’t bring herself to raise a hand to him in malice.

”I see… …On my travels I met a young beast tamer. His methods seems to be the polar opposite of yours, and yet his beasts are vastly loyal to him. He’s rather patient and kind.” She gives Lagi a curious look, wonder how he’d respond. Though she’d never seen Madam Trixie or Zanzibar act out like Kabu, she didn’t know how things were before she had met them. Diego and Trixie seemed to share a deep bond and respect with one another, something she figured that could only be forged after years of working and growing together. Diego seemed to have a knack for dealing with beasts, and she began to wonder how the boy developed such a skill.

Clearing her throat, she spoke once more. ”Forgive me, but dominating through fear and intimidation is too reminiscent of slavery. I’d rather find a way to reach a mutual trust and respect with Kabu.”

There’s not much can say about that , though my partners would think otherwise. I was like that for the time being, but it was more towards my own partners and less towards the wild animals. I dislike slavery, but it’s a bit of a naive way of thinking if you expect a dominance user to only rule over other animals through acts of kindness alone. They are still predators, beings that outlasted us; their existence touched the earth before humans came about. For such a reign to come to an end, why do you think that an act of kindness towards them could change their thought process? To make them think that we are more than food. You might dislike my methods, but its an el nagi format of making these beasts understand exactly where they stand. “ Lagi would then take a deep sigh, feeling some kind of tension in the air when the snake started to get a bit defensive.
“However, I didn’t say that I was trying to have my methods resemble slavery. Do slavers take the time to tend to the injures after discipline has been initiated? I can be harsh, but I’m not heartless. On top of that, i don't like slavery either..

“Lagi then whistled out into the sky and looked up. Soon after, Zygus appeared and land right behind him. The massive metallic bird was 8 meters tall, eyed Ayero and the snake with determination and getting the wrong idea entirely. “See what I mean, I think your way it’s just fine. The way your partner looks at me shows how much he cares about you and your safety, if he’s that defensive I mean. Also, this huge fella over here is Zygus, I had him ever since I was a little boy. Once again ,I guess you could call me a hypocrite, because I never disciplined him that way either”

Ayero takes in Lagi’s words, albeit with a skeptical look on her face as she does so. ”I’ve never attempted to tame such dangerous beasts that you describe. I’ve only killed the ones I’ve come across if they pose a great threat, I admit. I wouldn’t know how to tame them, but perhaps I don’t have the stomach for that sort of thing as it is.” She raises a hand to her chin in thought, contemplating the point that Lagi had brought up. He was raised by a clan of beast tamers, so it’s no wonder that he thought this way, be it right or wrong. But he had likely been exposed to dangerous creatures most of his life, so he knew firsthand what they were capable of.


She pauses to gather her thoughts, likely intending to say more when Lagi whistles for Zygus. Her eyes widen as the giant metal bird descends from the sky, startled at it’s sudden appearance. She takes a step back and rests her hand on the hilt of her blade out of reflex, immediately catching the wary look in the beast’s eye as he seems to think that Ayero and Kabu are threatening his tamer. Kabu keeps a keen eye on Zygus, ready to strike if need be despite the bird’s intimidating size.


”I…see…” She nearly gawks before shaking her head and relaxing her posture a bit more to hopefully show Zygus that she wasn’t a threat. ”Actually, I’ve never quite seen creatures like Zygus and…ah, Orie was it?” A sudden thought strikes her as she lets her gaze drift over Lagi’s shoulder, eyeing the busy streets. It seemed odd to her that Reim’s King would be out amongst the commoners, but perhaps that spoke to his character. She didn’t expect to ever meet with him face to face again, but she got the feeling that she should try and assess this man’s personality while she could. He seemed to have a good heart, but she couldn’t be sure from just this small conversation they shared.


”Would you permit me to ask you about them? I’ve traveled all over and I’ve never seen beasts so…interesting.” She fixes her gaze back on Lagi before speaking, her eyes drawn to Orie’s small blob body. ”Perhaps over a drink or two? Ah, but I understand if you must decline.” She offers a mild smile, hands placed at her hips as her eyes bore sharply into Lagi.

It’s not exactly about having the stomach for it Ayero, it’s about having the will for it. If you are willing to believe that animals and human beings can learn and grow to understand each other, then you are willing to endure the hardships that come with it, both mentally and physically. You shouldn’t let such despair swallow you, your methods do not truly define who you are, or what you try to represent. Once you break the threshold when such methods aren’t needed anymore, you could then focus on the love and attention they deserve as soon as they are domesticated. Like I said, this is the way it has to be at times, but you can find your own way that works for you as well. “Lagi would say as he rubbed Zygus’s nose, Zygus started to caw happily and lick Lai’s hand as he edged over to Ayero and Zazu and sniffed them. “Caw *Well, if master thinks you’re ok…. I’m ok. *” It’s mostly an understanding that one animal cold have with anther, so Lagi and Ayero wouldn’t know what they were saying to each other, but it didn’t matter. Zygus acknowledged them as friendly natives for the time being.

Lagi almost instantly blushed when Ayero gazed her eyes into his. “Ahh, of course I would love to have a drink with you to talk about it. You now, it might seem strange for the King to be among his people like this, but I do it to remind them that I was one of them. A people person, that hasn’t changed. But anyway, do you have any place in mind?”

After seeing that the giant metal bird potentially meant them no harm and that Ayero and Lagi seemed to relax more in eachother’s presence, Kabu backed down a bit and rested his head on Ayero’s shoulders. He still stared at Lagi and his pets with his large red eyes, no longer out of hostility but now with an intense curiosity. He too had never seen creatures this strange.

”Oh?” She seems a bit surprised yet pleased, a clam expression settling onto her face. ”So you came from common beginnings, then?” She speaks with curiosity in her voice as she waves for him to follow her, gaze searching the buildings nestled along the sides of the street for a familiar place. ”That’s interesting to hear. I’m afraid that I don’t know too much about the…circumstances of your inception.” A light of remembrance flickers in her eyes as she recognizes a pub after a few blocks of walking and leads him inside.

Zygus, stay outside. Give me a holler if anything happens ok?” Lagi would say as Zygus waits outside patiently and Orie retreats inside of Lagi’s body. Lagi wasn’t the type to bring his pets inside of local establishments; it would be rather rude of him to do so. In addition to that, Zygus was pretty  big. “Well, I was practically disowned by my family a few years back I made most of my living off of cooking. I owned a cart around the streets of Reim that I had Zygus pull for me. My specialty was beef dumplings, they sold pretty well  at a good price, I also had a bunch of good customers that would come back to shop from me. However, it was a dumpling shop that sold all kinds of dumplings, chicken, vegetable.”

Lagi cut himself off short when he realized that he was talking about himself a bit much. “Sorry about that, I guess I was running my mouth about the past a bit much. “Lagi would say simply as he took  a seat at the front of the bar. There were some people that noticed that he was the king, there were a few whispers among them as to why he was here.  However, the people who knew Lagi before he was kin gave him a short wave.

Ayero raises her brows at Lagi’s story, wondering if she should believe the young man or not. If it was true, then he had a bit of a rags to riches tale, but Ayero wasn’t one to judge without knowing more of someone’s story…or at least she thought she was. It could happen that he was making this up in order to gain her sympathy or trust. But it wasn’t entirely unheard of for someone in such a situation to gain a position such as his through some crazy turn of events, and she wondered if Lagi was more than a simple beast tamer. Nodding to the bartender in thanks, she lifts the mug of ale to her lips and observes Lagi, feeling far less intimidated by him now.

She catches a few friendly waves directed at Lagi out of the corner of her eye, causing her to feel as if his story was more true than false. ”Might I ask how you became king, then?” She leans an elbow onto the counter, resting her head in her hand.

“Ahh…well..thats the million dollar question is it?” Lagi would say as he tapped on the table to mull over his choice of words for this specific question. “ There was a power struggle that ended with a truce, that about as straightforward as it would get. I was at odds with two men named garret and Azix, death was sure to follow due to the fact that had every intention of protecting my country from the Kou empire. I fought with Aix for a little bit, due to someone named the contractor due to separating everybody but us. Afterwards, a lot of people died and an agreement came. “ Lagi would say as he looks back up at Ayero. “That’s what happened. It’s not as highly detailed as you would wish for it to be, but the information itself is classified. However, it’s still nothing but the truth.

Even though she was casually leaning onto the counter, Ayero eye’s reflected her curiosity as she listened intently to Lagi’s story. A small frown bends her lips when he mentions fighting Azix. She recalls her first meeting with the magician, and though he was patient and friendly towards her, this new information as well as his recent involvement at the ball led her to believe that he was more involved with the takeover than she had initially thought. Sighing lightly, she tilts her head back and takes another swig of her drink, a more relaxed expression emerging from behind the mug.


”No worries, I understand that there’s not much you’d be allowed to reveal to a commoner.” She doesn’t seem bothered by the short explanation and swiftly moves onto the next topic. ”But I’d really like to know how you obtained your beasts. Where did you get them from? What sorts of things can they do?”

Well, for starters, Zygus Is a metallic bird. I had him my entire life, there is a mountain with a nest that drops eggs from time to time, some of the members saved the eggs and entrust them with the children when they are young. It leads to more success and more of a bond when a child and a creature is raised together in that way. Zygus’s race has a lot of control over magnetism, these birds can magnetize all things that’s metal to fuel their own attacks, or cause complications among enemies who use weaponry or anything that’s made of metal at all. He also has an amazing sense of hearing, nothing gets by those metallic birds. “Lagi would say as he spoke about Zygus with a small smile on his face. The smile kind of dispersed as soon as he started talking about Orie. “Well, Orie is a different case. She tried to eat me or take over my body or something. I had a strong will so I was able to overpower her control and I guess she took a liking to me afterwards.. Maybe all she wanted was someone that can contain her in a sense; Orie is a very complex creature that acts like a symbiotic being. What makes her dangerous is that shes a formless amoeba that can copy the dna of other creatures. She can probably even copy something special about Zazu that she could use temporarily, humans also count as animals in a sense. Maybe she could mimic our speech, take our form? I’m still trying to discover what she capable of, but I honestly get a bit nervous when I think about it. “

Lagi would say as the bar tender brought him a small mug, in which Lagi took a sip of wine from. “Symbiotic class technicians are dangerous, you have to be really good to use someone like her. “ After that, Lagi finished talking about his pets for a while. “What about you and Zazu…”

She listens fascinatedly to Lagi’s explanation of Zygus, unaware that there were beasts that had metallic features. She thought metal to be a man-made creation, and her mind briefly ventured to the nest that he had mentioned, wondering if there had been any sort of human intervention in the species’ creation. But that wasn’t for her to judge, based on their small interactions and the way that he spoke she figured that Lagi treated Zygus well. Especially considering how protective of him the large metal bird seemed during their first meeting. ”Control over metal, eh? That seems useful. I bet you could sweep gladiators pretty easily, then.” She muses of the edge of her glass, wondering just how strong Zygus’ powers were.


She’s taken aback when Lagi goes on to discuss Orie’s powers and how they’d become companions. She casts a wary glance at the shoulder she’d seen the amoeba-like creature pop out from earlier. Though Orie did not seem particularly hostile towards her and Kabu, it certainly sounded like she held some frightening powers if she was able to copy the abilities of other creatures. But what made her uneasy was the fact that Lagi was aware that he didn’t know the full extent of her powers. Of course, that did mean that he didn’t love her any less and vice versa. Ayero wasn’t sure that she could live with such a creature, especially by keeping it inside of her body. To her, it sounded a bit…parasitic, and the only thing she could bring to mind in comparison was pregnancy. She takes another long drink to stifle a chuckle at the thought of Lagi carrying a child.


”I can imagine.” She agrees mildly, tilting her head back down and placing her mug onto the counter after gesturing for a refill. ”I’m sure that it must be a delicate balance in housing another being inside your own body.” She drums her fingers thoughtfully on the counter when Lagi turns her question back at her.


”Well…I didn’t become a beast tamer by choice. But I certainly don’t regret it either.” She adds the second part in quickly, glancing at the snake on her shoulder. ”I met Kabu in the deserts of Heliohapt. I saved his den from a jackal, and he insisted on following me. We’ve been together ever since.” She pauses for a moment, a faint look of realization in her eyes. ”It actually turned out quite well. I’ve been traveling alone, so it’s nice to have someone around. Even if he doesn’t say much.” She muses, a small smile of contentment settling onto her face before slowly fading into her more usual neutral expression.


”Kabu’s a good help in battle, too.” She pats the sword resting at her hip, suddenly aware that it was indeed made out of metal. ”I can usually fell most of my opponents on my own, but Kabu’s poison makes things easier. Recently, his saliva seems to have developed healing properties too.”

“Interesting, so the snake isn’t a species that’s native to the Reim continent. You must have traveled far on your own. I never been to heliohapt, but I have heard much about it. Too bad, there’s so much expectations of me nowadays, I can’t afford to venture out as much unless it’s about something or someone important to me. Like for instance, El drago. The legend beast that belonged to the founder of my clan.” Lagi always had somewhat of a smile on his face as he mentioned the name of the legend beast that represented the entire history of his clan. “The world of creatures is massive; there are also the existence of beings of legend. They can harness an element as skillfully as a magician can, as well as containing their own special traits and properties that makes them unique. Could you imagine? There are some people wo dedicate themselves fully to this specialization that could make even a creature like Kabu or orie into a legend beast. That would be amazing, to have Kabu control poisons, and healing saliva, along with an element of his own?” Lagi would say as he took a sip from his cup. Surprisingly, he was trying not to derail from th conversation and flirt with ayero off the bat

“That the main goal for most dominance users, but speaking of professions, what about you? What do you do when you aren’t going off on missions and travelling the world? Surely being a sell sword isn’t your only way of getting by? Are you a blacksmith perhaps? I’m not trying to be sexist by counting you out as a female blacksmith or anything. “ Main skills usually open up to professions. Lagi was obviously a beast tamer but he didn’t know what Ayero specialized in.

At the mention of legend beasts, Ayero raises a brow and tilts her head towards Kabu with a grin. ”How’d you like that, eh? I’d be a bit jealous if you’d be able to wield magic better than I! Ha, you probably understand it better than I do at this point…” She drowns her last sentence with a freshly pored mug of ale, closing her eyes and taking a few moments to enjoy the bitter yet comforting taste. She’s heard folk tales of beasts bearing amazing powers. In the stories they’d either punished humans for some immoral act or saved a village from destruction…perhaps these were the legend beasts of which Lagi spoke? She didn’t think that something like them would exist, but she wasn’t discounting the idea that those stories could be true. After traveling and seeing the many oddities the world has to offer, she’s hesitant to dismiss anything as legend.


But she begins to wonder if she should take her dominance training more seriously. Kabu had been a traveling and fighting companion up until this point, but would it be possible for her to help him become even stronger? ”Ahh…” She rubs the back of her head at Lagi’s question, a glimmer of a sheepish grin on her face. The alcohol had loosened her up a bit, enough for her to speak more freely. ”No, I’m pretty much a sellsword. I do odd jobs when I can to make money, but my skill happens to be in fighting. I’d say I’m rather good at it too, so I’m usually able to find enough work to make decent money.”


She pauses, a thoughtful look in her eyes. Maybe it was time for her to pick up a trade skill, especially considering how long she’d been lingering in Remano for. ”I usually don’t stay for too long in once place. But that might not be a bad idea,  I’m not sure how I’d go about learning a profitable skill though…” She takes another sip, lowering her glass with a light smirk playing on her lips. ”So you think that I have the look of a blacksmith, eh? I suppose it would align with my interests to forge weapons.”

“I think you have what it takes to be whoever you want to be Ayero, whatever you want to be. That’s my dream for Reim in a way, for it to be a city of opportunities. Nothing should be beyond your grasps as long as you are willing to put in the work and effort for it. The fact that you seem so willing to be a sell sword and rather good at it speaks volumes. You are determined, fierce…. Beautiful….’ Lagi said that last part in a much more lowered tone as he finished his wine cup and felt as if he didn’t need to have any more for the time being. “Maybe you should stay here then? And stick around more often; open up your own shop of famous weapons. I’m pretty sure that I would buy from you if you decided to make a shop of your own.” It was an enticing offer, Lagi wouldn’t mind to see more of Ayero in a more friendly setting more often.

Ayero hums softly at Lagi’s suggestion, gently swirling the remaining liquid in her mug. She stares down at the ale in thought, wondering if it would be worth it to settle down in the big city and do something more…stable for a living. ”Thank you…and I suppose. But I’m not sure that I’d like to be tied down with obligation so soon.” She muses, draining the remaining liquid in the glass with a tapering sigh.


She pauses for a few moments in gathering her thoughts, staring down into the empty glass. ”You seem like a good guy, Lagi. With the people’s best interest at heart.” She speaks lowly before raising her head to address him. ”Tell me, how much of our country have you traveled?” Her gaze is not directly as friendly as before, but rather has a bit of passion burning behind her dark brown eyes.

“Don’t get distracted, don’t get distracted….” Lagi was saying in his head as he had a rather sheepish smile on when her eyes met his. It’s one of those moments when you fell like a kid again and you get to talk to a cute girl from the village the first time, it was a nice feeling. “All over, I pretty much seen all there was to see in Reim. Especially places that you probably didn’t know about, hidden nests of creatures and I been had the chance to partake in an underground excavation for buried treasure. I’ll be honest with you, I don’t even think that’s the tip of the iceberg when I feel as if Reim has so much more to offer. I’m sure there are places that I haven’t been yet. “ Lagi would then take out his rukh compass and put it on the table. “This is a family heirloom of mine; it’s called a rukh compass. It’s pretty simple, designed to find one specific thing or person, this one is tuned to find a beast of legend that I have taken interest in. Whenever it spins, it usually brings me on a wild goose chase to a place I never been before but I’m sure every trip has meaning or purpose.” Lagi felt that it was ok to feel normal for the time being, even if it was just for a little bit. “Anyway, even if you aren’t thinking about it now, I promise that Reim is definitely a place you can call home. Lagi would say as he takes the rukh compass and puts its back in his pocket.

Ayero hummed in approval, pleased that Lagi hadn’t spent his entire life in the capital. She’d have appreciated it more if he’d traveled to other countries as she did, but not everyone had the opportunity to do such a thing. Being worldly often came at a price as well.

She rests her chin on her fist while examining the compass, figuring that it was some sort of magical object like Yakuroro’s flying carpet. ”Perhaps it’s broken…or perhaps you’re not quick enough, eh?” She muses, wondering how such an object worked, or even if it did work. ”Maybe each place it takes you to brings you one step closer to the real thing.” Her lack of magical knowledge made her skeptical in matters like this, but she chooses not to comment further lest she expose her ignorance.

Exhaling through her teeth, she focuses back on Lagi. Her expression seemed a bit troubled, as if she was conflicted with what he had said. ”It’s not that. Not for me, anyway…” She closes her eyes and drums her fingers on the counter while she gathers her words. ”I’m no patriot, but the people of Reim…I worry for them. Times are frightening and confusing for them, and they need someone to guide them. I can only protect myself. I wonder what kind of king you will become, because what you want to be and what you end up being can be two different things entirely.” She opens her eyes and fixes Lagi with an intense gaze, curious to see how he’d respond.