Room 101A

[Daniel]

Outside the room was a large placard: Room 101A: Agaenos, Kellos, Ryuujin, Lucky

Inside the room, Lucky the Lutran sat on an empty bunk, feeling a bit sorry for himself. One of his roommates had just gotten discharged, another promoted to corporal, and the third had been wounded in the Vyssie attack and would not be returning to the dorms.

"Oh well, I guess that means I will have 3 new roommates!" As a Lutran, Lucky always tried to look on the bright side of life, and today was no exception. He knew that Piotr was giving out new billets and assignments, and he looked forward to seeing who would be coming here.

While he waited, he glanced around the room. It could have been a college dormroom save for the way it was furnitured. There were two bunk beds in it and four desks, four closets and four chairs. All of it was very spartan and standard issue, and of course the walls were bare. One of the closets happened to be open, and Lucky could see a standard-issue foot locker at the bottom of it.

That was one thing that as a Lutran he found a bit hard to get used to-- the sheer uniformity of everything on base.

[Ryuujin]

Ryuujin walked into the room 20 minuites after he got the assignment from Piotr. When he opened the door and saw the Lutran he was a bit suprised. He had never met, or even heard of, a Lutran before now and did not know what they were like. It was almost a funny situatin when you thought about it. A 7 foot tall Dracon with scaly skin and long wings walking into a room and seeing this 3 and a half foot tall otter like creature. "Serale", said Ryuujin. This was the only thing he could think of to explain why he had suddenly come into this Lutran's dorm carrying 2 axes in his belt. "I was assigned to your dorm I guess. Please don't think that I am rude but.....what are you?" Ryuujin felt that this was a terribly rude thing to say but he figured that since he was going to be sharing a dorm with this man then he might as well know now what he was.

[Kellos Vastak]

Kellos walked down the hall until he reached the door to his room. The door had a number on it that simply said 101A.
He took his key from his pocket and unlocked the door. As he walked in, he turned quietly and shut the door, making sure that the door was firmly locked again, he moved back around, and just gaped.

There before him stood a 7 foot dracon, and before he even had time to think his instinct was to unshethe his longsword. It was halfway out of its scabbard when he noticed the two axes by his side, the same way the human he had seen before, Ryuujin if he recalled correctly, wore his.

Kellos almost burst out laughing at the situation. Of course, the human had looked a little strange and under the weather, but hr would have never guessed that he was a dracon.

He bowed his apologies at the small offense, and fully sheathe the longsword.

"My apologies, Ryuujin, I had no idea you were a Dracon. I guess that us two are now-" he cut off as he spotted the Lutran, and he cracked a grin, "Three, then. Us three are now roomates." Kellos turned to both of them and bowed slightly.

"Er, I assume neither of you know my name. I am Kellos Vastak, and am honored to make your acquaintance."

[Agaenos Phidion]

Within the room, the door could heard audibly clicking, and turning.

Then a Man, tall by Human standards, appeared.

"Three? I presume you meant four..."

Grinning amiably, Agaenos appeared around the corner, laden with blankets and rolls. Stumbling slightly, he unloaded the items carefully onto his bed, before turning to the others, an Elf, a Dracon and a Lutran. Indeed, what better combinations are there? Four people, of four different races, living together in one same, albeit spartan, room. The arrangement, Agaenos thought, was "simply perfect."

One thing he could not believe, however, was that he was the first in the queue to obtain a room - but the last to come in.

Sticking out his hand, he shook the hands of Kellos, Ryuujin and Lucky (and he thought he had a rather strange but well-thought name).

"Greetings!" He commenced optimistically. "I am Private Agaenos Phidion, and am delighted to be acquainted with you." What better way is there to start an introduction of oneself? Not "Hey, I'm Agaenos Phidion!!" at any rate.

Unclasping the two scabbards from his belt, he laid them on his bed, and sat down, seemingly steeped in thought. Then, looking up, he said again.

"How long have you been in the military?"

It seemed like a stupid thing to ask - but it is the only thing the Man could think to ask.

[Kellos Vastak]

Kellos cracked a small grin.

"I am new to the military, but I intend to fight for as long as Abestat needs me. I came only recently from Candaceburg, when I heard that Abestat had declared its indipendance. I haven't been in Abestat for long, but from what I see, the people are as zealous for their freedom as Jalat is for its heros!"

"What about you Agaenos? I'm assuming that you have not been here long either?"

[Agaenos Phidion]

He shook his head. "No - I came here only recently, from the "anarchaic" Citadel of Prime - if I could say it this way." He paused for a very brief moment, pondering whether that was actually a word (since he created right on the time he spoke it).

"Well, I have heard about Abestat's military recruiting in the Herald, and therefore I decided to come to this city. My original plan was to return to my home, Olympia, in the Eunesian Isles. Have you heard of it?" He asked enthusiastically, for he had always loved and longed for his home, where he had left so long ago, the buildings, the trees - its majestic antiquity... it is all coming back to Agaenos.

"At least, Abestat is rather large, I must say, and I get to learn swordsmanship and Arcana for free!" He added a childish conclusion to that sentence, and smiled smugly to himself.

Ah... the Human who takes joy in simple things...

[Daniel]

Ryuujin
Lucky nodded at the Dracon. "Oh, I take no offense. Many hobbits like yourself have never seen a Lutran before, just as I have never seen many non-Lutrans before."

He stood up, his tail spinning around a bit as he spoke. It rose and fell on certain words just as if it was a third arm, but whatever deeper shades of meaning it conveyed were lost on Ryuujin.

"Actually, there have been many Lutrans in Abestat over the years, because this city is closest to our watery homeland, and of course this is where my famous littermate Looie resides."

Kellos
Lucky spent a few minutes talking about Lutran culture and society in general, then paused when Kellos came in.

"Serale, Kellos, I am Private Lucky Lotholder, pleased to make your acquaintance." He offered his tail to the elf then realized his gaffe and offered his hand instead. "It is indeed a pleasure to meet an orc."

Agaenos
Lucky chatted a bit then paused when a Minotaur entered the room and introduced himself. Lucky introduced himself as well, then looked around at the other three.

"Well, we certainly do have many fine and exotic races here, though all non-Lutrans look alike to me of course."

When the question about how long they had each served was asked, Lucky scratched at his tail and thought about it for a minute. "I joined the same time as my Dorin friend Piotr, so I am hoping to make corporal in the next batch of promotions at the parade grounds this weekend."

[Kellos Vastak]

Kellos paused for a second, then burst out laughing, clasping Lucky's hand and shaking it.

"It would appear that you are just as confused as the rest of us, my Lutran friend!"

Kellos knelt down, until he was eye level with Lucky, and poitned to himself.

"I am an elf. Elves typically are more fairer looking than orcs. Typically..." He laughed heartilly, and after a few moments continued. "Elves are a bit taller than most species, and we have pointy ears" he said almost comically, as he brushed aside his hair to show the Lutran what he ment.

"Agaenos there, he is a human. Humans look very similar to Elves, except that their skin is usually more yellowish pink or black. Also, they don't have pointy ears."

Kellos then continued on to Ryuujin. "Ryuujin there, is a dracon. They have scales as opposed to skin, somewhat like those of a fish. They also have wings, and slightly resemble a snake, though their basic anatomy is humanoid."

Kellos then pointed to Lucky. "What about you, Lucky? TEll us a bit about the Lutrans, and of your litter mate, Looie?"

He paused a moment, then rose to his full height, looking to Agaenos.

"Olympia... I have not heard of it, but if it is as an island as you say, it is no doubt very beautiful." A childish grin stole across his face. "Perhaps I will journey there sometime. As for me, I do not rember my home..."

[Ryuujin]

Ryuujin was very quiet through all of this, but he laughed along with Kellos when he explained to Lucky what they all were. This was a new experience for him. He was never very close to anyone before, unless you counted Scadrisk, but they had barely know eachother and had went their separate ways after they helped eachother escape from the prison wagon. Ryuujin thought about sharing that story but he did not think that his new roomates and possibly new friends would want to know that they were in the room with an escaped convict, even if he had done no crime. "Kellos, Agaenos, please tell me how are your wounds doing that you recived when we crushed that Vysstichi Moriqendi rebellion?"

[Agaenos Phidion]

The Man chuckled as best as he could, trying to ease off and hold back what would be an imminent burst of laughter, purely of mirthful tone. Well, he succeeded - barely.

At length, after the explanation about the races of each member of the military within Room 101A (and asking the Lutran about himself), Kellos commented that he had not been to Olympia, and he could not remember about his homeland.

"Ah, I am not trying to promote my homeland like a black-hearted merchant," he said, masking his usual hideous humour with a face of half-seriousness, "but it is very beautiful. The architecture! How I miss those. Simple but elegant, as you might say."

"Kellos, Agaenos, please tell me how are your wounds doing that you recived when we crushed that Vysstichi Moriqendi rebellion?" Ryuujin asked.

A glint of shadow, of darker memories, seemingly out from the distant pass, shone on his eyes - though his face did not change. Of course, anyone who could read his mind would know he certainly did not find the Vysstichi Rebellion at all pleasent.

"They are all healing well," his smile turned to that of a kind, caring Human, "I do not think my ear would grow back to its original shape at any rate, and that arrow... hmmm..." He lowered his head for a brief moment in thought, before rising again in exclaimation. "Why, that reminds me! I still need to buy a crotch guard!" He sighed non-descriptly to himself. The experience he received from the female Vysstichi kneeing his "precious" was certainly a deep one; though he reckoned he would buy it later, after everything in this room is sorted out.

"Not now, though - I think this room needs a bit of... tidying..."

[Ryuujin]

Ryuujin saw that Agaenos did not want to talk about the Uprising. Ryuujin had forgoten that not all races liked to recall battles like Dracons did.

When Agaenos said to clean up Ryuujin agreed. He walked over to the bunk below Lucky's and carefuly removed his two battle axes and placed them on the bed along with his small hand ax and his two bucklers and his coin purse and bedroll which had his ring mail armor rolled up in it. Then he tried to start the conversation up again. "You know I was thinking about the bucklers that I have and thought that they could be put to use as great weapons also. If I go to the base weapons shop do you think that they could fit some spikes around the leading edge of them?"

[Kellos Vastak]

Kellos nodded to Ryuujin.

"Indeed, my wounds are doing well enough, and I pray yours are as well. At any rate, I will have to get this gauntlet fixed..."

Kellos grinneda bit, and looked at his left gauntlet, the back of which had been cut through when he he put up his hand to fend of journey to Jalat via his throat being slit. It have been painful enough, but the Vyssitchi had been silenced by a rogue arrow of Llanst's. He never recalled being so happy that an ally was inexperienced with a weapon...

"The Vyssitchi uprising was succesful indeed, but a success with a price. Many of Abestat's soldiers died with honor there. At least they can rest knowing their deaths were not in vain..."

Kellos smiled as Agaenos commented about the messiness of the room.

"Agreed, this room will require 'tidying'. But not to worry, a couple of days with us as its occupants, and it'll be as clean as a virgin blade!"

[Agaenos Phidion]

He stretched himself out slightly, and began to burrow busily to work. He laid out his pillow and blanket neatly on the bed, and began to inspect places for dust. The desks were, undoubtedly, blanketed by it with some eras of disuse. Carefully, he sweeped them onto his hand, and rolled it into a ball, disposing it outside of Room 101A. Arranging the desks and chairs, the four Privates now had a set place to sit down and work, or study, when they are off-duty.

Some dusts were still floating mischeviously in the air, however - and mischevious, for they caused mischief on the nose of Agaenos. "Darn... I f-fo-fa-aaaarrr-chooooo! - forgot to cover my nose..." He sniffed, his nose evidently slightly redder than it was, "when I was dusting. I knew I sh-should've got some water first... Aaack-chooo!" His last sneeze was slightly quieter.

Waiting for his nose to settle down, he could not find any more thing to do - so he started to meditate on his bed, slipping into the state of Clara...

[Ryuujin]

Ryuujin watched Agaenos begin his meditation. He instantly recognized it as being part of Arcana. This brought back memories of his training, which made him ask the question.

"Kellos, are you learning any arcana?" When Agaenos had finished his meditation Ryuujin asked the same question of him.

[Agaenos Phidion]

Reaching the state of Clara, he opened his eyes at Ryuujin's question.

"Aye - Elementalism. Ever so admired, renowned and feared - but I always wanted to find out other uses of the Elements besides blasting Vysstichi with endless streams of lightnings," he remarked somewhat dryly. "So, Lucky," he turned to the Lutran, "Ever learned Arcana?"

He started to connect his Vis together with his Ara, welding them, forming a connection to the Plane of Water. Channelling the raw energy from it, he stored the icy manifestation as Mana within his mind.

"Hmmm... what to cast... ah!"

He willed the Mana to form a globe of icy surface, reflecting light, and hopefully his attempt would not fail him. Then, when successful, he would start searching the nooks and crannies of the room by moving the Glowing Sphere - who knows, it might yield surprises!