A New Pack (Intro/Open)

Leona was not terribly surprised to learn that Tuco could care less if his chosen lieutenants took the bait and got captured, but part of her had thought that he would care a little about the people who had been by his side since the beginning. Oh well. There was no use belaboring the point any further, so Leona cut to the chase.

"Whenever you're ready to lure out Tuco or his lieutenants, let me know and I'll be the bait. Don't worry too much about me. Just be sure to complete the mission." Leona said to Jaesa. The Wizard Saint had faced death many times before and had come out alive, so she was convinced that she had a few more good years of fighting evil left. Considering the risks of her lifestyle and the enemies she had accumulated over two years, Leona had best make them count. One of the best ways to make them count was to eliminate any threats to the guild she had been entrusted to lead and protect.

Leona listened to Jaesa say that both of them did not start off in the best places but they had become stronger because of it. While that may or may not have been true, it had prepared Leona to be able and willing to kill to ensure that threats were permanently dealt with instead of sparing them out of misguided mercy and having to confront them a second time. In fact, her rough desert upbringing might have worked too well because Leona was able and willing to kill more than a Wizard Saint should be. However, job offers kept rolling in, so the blonde must have been doing something right.

"Yeah, you're right, Jaesa. If I didn't have that magic I'd have been just another statistic before I became strong enough to go from minor nuisance to major threat. I've got the Desierto outlaws so wary of me that sometimes different groups gang up just to try and get rid of me. They haven't succeeded yet, but I'm flattered that they want me gone so badly. If they're all gunning for me, they usually don't bother the desert villages that much... I can live with that." Leona gave a bit of commentary on her situation. Jaesa was right about her. While Leona's upbringing was rough, it had not eaten away her morals. The Wizard Saint was willing to fight for the little guy and was not averse to taking jobs considered "beneath" her status because she wanted to. Sometimes Leona appreciated a break from fighting all the time and wanted to do something different like help Dr. Anna on an archaeological dig or expand her knowledge of modern technology.

When Jaesa offered to help Leona with her desert bandit troubles, the Wizard Saint hesitated for a moment. She did not want to drag Jaesa into what had been a personal quarrel between Leona and the gangs, but then she thought about it a little more. Jaesa was no newcomer to the mage world. She was almost as strong as Theo Silversong and had proven her ability to handle herself. Maybe the Wizard Saint should swallow her pride and accept the offer.

"I may take you up on that offer, Jaesa. Not now, but one day I may need your help. The outlaws are starting to take the gloves off and go after me full force and I'm not sure I can handle it if they get serious about taking me down. And I appreciate the offer of help. Helping each other is what being in a guild's all about." Leona said to Jaesa, thanking her for the offer of help with one of the former's most persistent troubles. Leona did not want to get others involved in her own quarrel, but the outlaws were getting smarter and tougher. They were starting to send in their best men to oppose her and were coming up with new tactics to limit her effectiveness against them; the Crimson Sashes had already demonstrated their ability to use new tactics like employing poisoned weapons and fighting in coordinated teams. She was not helping Jaesa to build up favors, but the situation with the desert outlaws might be one time where asking for help was a good idea.

[Post Word Count: 716]
[Leona's Word Count: 8,658]

As the conversation had deepened, Jaesa had come to understand the magnitude or just what she and Leona were about to do in terms of changing the face of Lavanitir’s landscape. By killing Tuco and his men, it would hopefully allow the city to prosper and grow once again and yet there was a part of the hunter, the more cynical half that came to the conclusion that perhaps another criminal group would simply fill the void. The city was beyond the rules of the council for the most part and was self governed and those in charge were hardly trustworthy either. The government and the criminal groups were interlinked making the whole situation difficult. Well, perhaps shaking up the status quo would change things and frankly, Jaesa was beyond tired of the troubles that plagued both herself and her home. When this matter with Tuco was done, she was unsure if she’d return there again. Perhaps it was better if she just focused on Silver Wolf and abandoning her Lavanitir roots. What did she truthfully have left there anyway besides bad memories?.

There was a directness to Leona that Jaesa found rather refreshing and when the Guild Mistress confirmed just how willing she was in aiding the hunter, she couldn’t help but smile. “I don’t plan on hanging around too long in order to get this done. Once I’ve settled into the guild, I’ll be sure to let you know when it’s time to get things going. Tuco and his men’s time is up and there’s nothing more to do except pull the trigger. We’ll get it done and end this before his influence spreads any further.”

Jaesa wasn’t surprised in the slightest as Leona commented on her own situation and answered rather swiftly, “The fact that they continue to attack you rather than go after softer targets says a lot about how effective you’ve been in getting under their skin. I think that you’ve hit them where it hurts the most, the ego and that might be partly why they keep going after you. You make them look like trash by beating them so easily and so they’re desperate to try and repair their reputation, even if that means teaming up. I can only imagine the tension that there must be in the camps of your enemies right now and if they’re anything like the ones I have, then the slightest argument could end up resulting in violence. Who knows, they may break apart and turn on each other if you keep beating them so badly.”

Truthfully, the hunter wasn’t sure if Leona would accept her offer or not. Accepting an offer of help was never easy and having been in the same situation just a minute before, Jaesa could understand the hesitation. When the Guild Mistress decided to accept her offer, the hunter was pleased, nodding her head. “I’ll be there if and when you need me, Leona and I’ll take out as many of them as I can. I admit that I’ve not been to Desierto before and so besides what you’ve told me already, I’m somewhat limited when it comes to knowledge of the area. Still, that won’t stop me from getting involved and taking out the outlaw scum. We’ll get rid of them, I have no doubt of that.”

(556 Words)
(7650 Total WC)

Leona was glad to have Jaesa's offer of help with the bandits. It was nice to know that someone had her back without having to make a Faustian bargain like the one that had been made with the sultans of the Tri-Council Cities. Leona was sure that the price for their help with the bandit problem was only going to increase as time passed, but she had no choice but to accept their aid now and pay the cost later.

"Let me know whenever you're ready and I'll help you with Tuco and pals. I'll be there to help out. Just tell me how you want things done and I'll do my best to make it happen." Leona assured Jaesa that she was willing to go whenever the bounty hunter was ready. Since it was Jaesa's operations Leona would let her call the shots. The Wizard Saint did not mind taking a secondary role just as long as the threat to Jaesa and Silver Wolf was extinguished. When Jaesa spoke of how effective Leona was, the Wizard Saint gave a small smile.

"I've made a little bit of progress because some of the smaller outlaw gangs have quit attacking my village altogether, but some of the bigger ones are starting to band together. Killing an average of ten of their men per fight might be underperforming for someone of my power level, but they're starting to get smarter when they fight me and ten men per fight adds up over time. And that's not counting how many of their men die in clashes with the royal army or other outlaw gangs. If there's a silver lining to the situation, it's that many of the gangs will attack each other as readily as they attack me, which gives me and my village valuable breathing room." Leona said to Jaesa, pausing for a moment before making her next statement.

"However, when people feel like their backs are to the wall, they'll do anything to survive. Bandit gangs are no exception. I've been wearing them down over numerous encounters and they've been worn down by clashes with the royal army and with each other. I'm worried about the alliances they'll make to try and eliminate one of their biggest problems." Leona added. She then launched into a growing concern of hers.

"I don't know how they're getting access to them, but I'm also getting concerned because the biggest and wealthiest gangs are starting to arm themselves with bolt-action rifles and semi-automatic rifles." Leona added a note about the outlaws upgrading their weapons. The gangs were starting to trade in their bows and arrows for bolt-action rifles and that upgrade made fighting them more difficult. Leona only hoped that Nebdoui and its allies could get access to a reliable supply of bolt-action rifles and ammunition before it was too late.

"In addition, the gangs of Desierto have already banded together at least once before. I remember The Golden Band, a slaver gang, allying with another bandit gang to raid my home village a few months ago. The militia and I stopped them, but they brought about 200 men to that fight and there's no telling how many more men The Golden Band can throw into the fray if they get serious." Leona cited one example of outlaw gangs working together to try and take her down. She was not sure if The Golden Band was the gang that threw 300 or so men at her in the last raid on her home village, but it could have been. She definitely remembered them joining forces with another gang on at least one occasion.

"If you're still willing to help me, we'll need an equalizer against a lot of men on horseback armed with bolt-action rifles." Leona warned Jaesa before stopping. The Wizard Saint had told Jaesa a lot in a short time, so she paused for a bit to let Jaesa think over everything that had been said and to offer her opinions and advice.

[Post Word Count: 670]
[Leona's Word Count: 9,328]

There was a lot to process and Jaesa remained silent as Leona spoke, creating a mental picture of the situation. It sounded as though Leona’s homeland was a bit of a free for all in terms of outlaws. Royal guards, militia’s, bandit gangs, slavers, it sounded like an absolute nightmare to just survive in such a place and Jaesa didn’t underestimate the difficulties that Leona must have to face every time she went into battle back home. Politics had never been the hunter’s strong suit although it seemed to her that there must be something going on behind the scenes, especially in regards to the change in the outlaws weaponry. Jumping from bows and arrows to rifles in such a short space of time was just too suspicious to the hunter although there was a plus side to that, in a strange sort of way.

“The thought of taking on cavalry with bolt rifles is worrisome but I have a suspicion that by advancing their weapons so quickly, they’re not going to be all that great at using them in battle just yet. Firing a bow on horseback is difficult enough but a rifle is another level and I seriously doubt that the rank and file members of the gang are going to be that skilled. They are as likely to hit each other as they are us. The most effective way would be to shred through them using a weapon with a high rate of fire. I have a minigun in my arsenal of requips that can do the job and I should be able to take out a great deal of enemies before they reach me or at least cause enough chaos to cause their horses to bolt from underneath them.” Jaesa wasn’t quite sure just how many she could defeat but was confident in her skills. The hunter had spent almost her entire life going after one target or another and more experience than both. Alright, full scale battles were different from the norm but she wasn’t intimidated by that fact. Combat was combat regardless of numbers.

Thinking for a few moments, she’d then speak again, pondering about Leona’s comment about possible alliances the outlaws might have made, “I can't help but wonder that perhaps the sudden upgrade in their weaponry might mean that the outlaws are making deals with other groups, as well as each other. The sudden change in the level of their gear just sounds strange to me. I assume that there is a black market of sorts in Desierto which would explain that somewhat but is it possible that they’re getting help from someone in your country's government? Perhaps someone who you’ve crossed paths with before? As you’ve become the primary target, it wouldn’t surprise me if the outlaws were teaming up with anyone who may have prior issues with you in the past. Hate and revenge are powerful motivators, after all.” Maybe she was just jumping to conclusions because of her own problems but either way, she thought it was worth bringing up.

(511 Words)
(8161 Total WC)

Jaesa's insight into the situation was something that Leona had never considered. All the Wizard Saint saw was a threat becoming even more of a threat thanks to long-range weaponry she currently had no counter for. The experienced bounty hunter saw the sudden jump in tech level as something that could be exploited since the upgrade was so sudden and so far beyond what they were used to that most rank-and-file bandits had a hard time reliably hitting anything while firing. At the moment they were more of a danger to themselves than to their target; only the sheer volume of the bandits' rifle fire allowed them to remain a real threat.

Jaesa also added that while the sight of rifle-wielding cavalry was intimidating, the bandits would have a hard time reliably hitting targets while riding at a full gallop. Again Leona could use that to her advantage. While they could still be a danger due to the sheer number of rifle rounds they could fire, rifles were not an instant win for the bandits. Leona was an evasive target due to her speed and she had weapons that never ran out of ammunition... after all, one did not need to reload a sword. However, getting into range to employ that sword without getting turned into Swiss Cheese was the issue now that bandits were acquiring rifles.

"I never thought of it that way, Jaesa. Rifles are still dangerous, but they aren't the end for me because rifles are just like any other weapon. You've gotta train with them for a long time before you can use them effectively." Leona freely admitted that Jaesa's statement about the bandits was right. The Wizard Saint had flashes of insight from time to time, but her critical thinking skills were not yet what they should be. She then turned her mind to how the bandits were getting rifles and thought about Jaesa's hypothesis that there was a black market in Desierto.

"You're right, Jaesa. There has to be a black market somewhere in Desierto. The royal armories are locked up as tight as the sultan's palace and I haven't heard any reports of bandits making rifles themselves, so they've gotta be getting them from somewhere. But that makes me wonder who the supplier for the black market is." Leona added. That got the blonde to thinking, which was something she needed to do more often. Jaesa then put forward the hypothesis that the bandit gangs were getting help from someone in a high place, someone who was not likely to be suspected by the country's ruling elite.

"I know that I've pissed off a lot of bandits in Desierto for thwarting their plans, but I can't think of anyone in high places that I've pissed off. I've worked for one of the sultans several times and always gave him what he wanted, so I wouldn't think it's him. I don't know if any of his subordinates have it out for me, but I'd better get solid evidence of it before I make accusations." Leona said to Jaesa.

"You see, I've got two things working against me. Mages aren't exactly the most popular people in Desierto. Women have a subordinate role and are expected to stay in that role. I'm a female mage. Both of those work against me in a patriarchal society like Desierto's, so if I make an accusation that one of the sultan's people is plotting to have me killed, I've got to make that accusation bulletproof, airtight, and able to stand up to scrutiny." Leona grimly explained why she needed solid evidence besides the basic moral principle of not falsely accusing people of serious crimes. She was both a female and a mage, two things that did not help her in the traditional society of Desierto. While the younger people seemed to like her because she was a native of Desierto who was their age and shared some of their struggles in growing up and finding an identity, the older people had mixed opinions of Leona. On one hand, she was an upstart who did not know her place. On the other hand, she was a useful tool due to her power and the public relations potential that came with associating with one of Desierto's most famous people.

[Post Word Count: 718]
[Leona's Word Count: 10,046]

Leona’s comment about weapon use was perfectly true and Jaesa knew that better than most. The hunter had many weapons in her arsenal and even now there were still a few that she had yet to master. Guns and other long distance weapons came to her quite naturally but her more close ranged ones had taken far longer for her to get used to. She was proficient enough with them all but she did much rather fight from afar if possible. Whether she’d be able to do that while fighting these bandits was a question that caused her to pause but she’d been hunting long enough to be able to adapt to her surroundings. The bandits wouldn’t know what hit them, that much was certain. She couldn’t help but feel a little pumped up from all of the talk of combat and Jaesa had to control her more adrenaline fuelled tendencies. She’d be willing to admit that she hadn’t expected such a complex conversation when she’d walked through the guild doors but if it was a window into what her time in Silver Wolf would be like, well, she was going to enjoy her time as a member immensely.

“I honestly don’t expect them to have much in the way of tactics besides spraying and praying,” Jaesa answered after Leona’s comment. “I’ve never tried shooting on horseback before but I have tried it on moving vehicles and it’s not an easy feat at all. If we remain elusive and keep moving, I highly doubt they’ll even get close to hitting us. Wouldn’t surprise me if more than a few of them actually fell off their horses while trying to aim, especially on unsteady ground like sand.”

The hunter pondered as Leona replied to her earlier comment about there possibly being a black a market and the hunter tapped into her own experiences in trying to help find a possible answer. “If the gangs are that desperate then they may be willing to buy goods from anyone in order to try and stop you. The suppliers could be inside the cities, have a hideout in the desert or heck, they could even be traders from another nation who the gangs have made a deal with. It’s difficult to pin down just who the supplier is although saying that…” She paused and then added, “If we could grab hold of a few of their weapons, it could help lead us to who sold them, with any luck.”

There was a noticeable sigh from the hunter as Leona spoke about the male dominated culture of Desierto. That was not going to help in the slightest and would add another level of difficulty, with the nations dislike for mages only increasing that further. Jaesa was beginning to understand the scale of the task and it sure as hell wasn’t going to be easy. “Then we’re going to have to get stuck in and try and find the truth behind all of this. The longer this carries on, the greater the risk to not only you but your friends and family too.”

She didn’t say it aloud at that point but she had another worry as well. If the gangs could get a hold of rifles did that mean that they could potentially upgrade again? There were far more powerful weapons than rifles in the magical world and if they managed to get a hold of them then who knew what damage they could, especially given their lack of training. They would be a danger to anyone and everyone and could potentially shift the balance of control in Leona’s country. Perhaps she was over thinking it a little but if her own experiences were anything to go by, anything was possible.

(627 Words)
(8788 Total WC)

"Spray and pray, huh?" Leona asked in mild amusement. She never knew that there was a term for poor marksmanship.

"That pretty much sums it up, Jaesa. It's alarming to be on the receiving end of, but the only real danger comes from there being so many bandits firing. As we both know, it takes just one lucky shot to dramatically change a situation." Leona opined to the bounty hunter. While she knew that individually the desert outlaws were poor marksmen, even they could get lucky with so many of them charging and firing at once. It would take only one rifle bullet to a vital area to kill or cripple Leona for life. She could acquire armored coverings for her arms and legs to lessen the risk, but they would weigh her down and increase the chances of dehydration in the notoriously hot desert country due to their lack of breathability.

Leona listened to Jaesa explain that there might be a possibility of multiple sources of arms for the outlaws besides a black market in Desierto. She put forth the possibility of outside merchants selling the outlaws rifles. The Wizard Saint found the "outside help" hypothesis to be valid and worth looking into. The bounty hunter then suggested the idea of capturing a few of the rifles to try and trace them back to their manufacturer. That was another great idea.

"You're right on all counts, Jaesa. The black market could be supplying them, arms dealers who are working with them either of their own free will or by coercion could have a hidden base in the desert, and they could have struck a deal with outside merchants for arms. I also agree with trying to capture a few of the weapons and tracing them back to their manufacturer." Leona voiced her agreement with Jaesa's ideas. They were solid hypotheses and they were all worth looking into. Leona began to think a little about where Jaesa was going with those and thought that she was beginning to pick up on Jaesa's approach... the key word being "thought."

It sounded like Jaesa was proposing an attack on two fronts. In addition to facing the outlaws in the field, she also wanted to go after their logistical base and either restrict or completely cut off their access to rifles. Jaesa had a good reason for doing so... the rifles emboldened the outlaws to strike against desert villages not similarly equipped and emboldened them to strike at Leona.

Jaesa then suggested that the pair get going on their mission to stop the bandits before it was too late. Leona agreed with that, but her concern was how they should get started. They would be treading on ground much more dangerous than the shifting sands of the desert. If they had to go into the sultan's court they would be entering a viper's nest of intrigue. In addition to lacking the political acumen needed to easily navigate the court, they would also be at a further disadvantage since both were female mages going to a country that disliked mages and believed females to be subordinate to men.

"You're right, Jaesa. We need to act against the desert outlaws now rather than later. But we'll need to approach this situation carefully or we'll only end up sharing the same grave." Leona said to the bounty hunter.

[Post Word Count: 562]
[Leona's Word Count: 10,608]

Jaesa smirked as Leona referred to her choice of terminology although she waited until after Leona had spoken a second time before replying, “Yeah, the old spray and pray technique. Fire enough bullets and you’re bound to hit something. Not one that I’m fond of myself and it always just asks for trouble. My best advice for those types is just to take cover and wait for them to run out of ammo. You’re right though, it’s certainly a nightmare to be on the end of, especially when there’s a lot of enemies doing the same thing. I try to take them out from a longer distance if I can but I know that’s not an option for everyone.”

As she said that, another thought came into her mind. If Leona and herself were going to team up multiple times then there was a rather important piece of information that they were both lacking. Namely, the type of magic that they used. Jaesa might have been a bit of an adrenaline junkie and could be a little gung ho once combat had started but that didn’t mean that she’d been around long enough to at least try to find out the strengths of her team mates, for the sake of the mission being successful. During her time in her old clan, she’d been surprisingly meticulous in discovering the advantages of disadvantages of each of her clan mates. It was only a shame that she’d only gone as far as combat and not tried to delve deeper than that.

“Since we’re talking about the possible strengths and weaknesses of our enemies, I suppose it’s only right that we talk about ours too,” she went on to say, turning the conversation just for a few moments. “If we’re going to be teaming up then we should at least be aware of what the other can do. For me, my entire magic is weapon based although I’ve got a pretty large range when it comes to what I can summon. I prefer to work from a longer range with guns, bows and larger types of weapons but I can mix it up by fighting up close too if I have to. I don’t have much in the way of support skills although I’ve got a healing staff if someone really needs healing. Mostly though, I’m all about offence. Since you’ve taken out so many bandits, I’m guessing that yours is pretty offence orientated too?” She hoped that she wasn’t prying too much but it seemed only prudent to ask about such things. The more they knew about each other's magic, the easier it would be for them to work well together. In her mind anyway,

The hunter was relieved that Leona seemed to agree with her plan of action although setting it in motion would be easier said than done. There were so many question marks surrounding the situation and until they were able to either find someone in the know or grab hold of some of the rifles, they were kind of stuck although she was coming to the theory that everything was linked. The specific attacks on Leona and her village, the upgrade in the bandits gear and even the sudden attack of the slavers guild that the Guild Mistress had mentioned. It was just too well organised to be random.

In response to Leona’s warning of caution, Jaesa thought for a few moments longer and then answered, “Yeah, I’m not saying that it’s going to be easy or anything and I sure as hell don’t want to end up as a corpse in the middle of the desert but if we’re too cautious then the amount of lives being lost is going to ramp up. Politics has never been my thing and I honestly wouldn’t know how to speak to a sultan or any form of royalty. The world of kings and queens isn’t one I know anything about. You’ve definitely got a lot more experience with those types than I do.”

(673 Words)
(9461 Total WC)

"My magic's almost exclusively offense-oriented. My magic's offense-oriented with a single defensive spell, but I can attack from either close range or long range without any trouble. It's a nasty surprise for people who think that I can only use magically enhanced martial arts or sling spells like a normal mage." Leona described the basics of Wind Strike Magic to Jaesa. It had served her well from the very beginning of her journey and it would continue to serve her until she retired or died. While it did not hit as hard as some magics and lacked a specialization it excelled at, the balanced nature of Wind Strike Magic allowed Leona to give opponents who saw the sword at her side and pegged her as a melee fighter an unpleasant surprise. Hanging back did not protect them and neither did getting in her face since she could fight at both close and long range.

"I can also summon flying creatures to aid me when necessary. They can fly me to distant places, carry me over gaps in the floor or to higher ground, and fight by my side. Nothing gives opponents an unpleasant surprise like realizing that a person they think is alone really isn't alone." Leona told Jaesa about Wind Summon Magic, her second magic. It had come in handy many times over her career. Summoning a few creatures made many a difficult fight a lot easier since the arrival of her summons forced opponents to split their attention between her and the summons. That splitting of attention allowed Leona to break many a stalemate and reverse many a losing battle.

Leona listened to Jaesa talk about the political aspect of their mission with a straight face. Once Jaesa was finished she spoke up.

"To be honest, I'm not very good with politics either, Jaesa. I've only been in the sultan's palace a few times and each time the sultan was polite but distant. His vizier did most of the talking. Also, if you're thinking of trying to win friends in high places, you'd better not bet the house on it. You're just hired help, nothing more." Leona gave Jaesa a brief rundown of how the palace worked.

"Also, I've only been in one palace of the Tri-Council Cities, so I don't know how exactly the other sultans believe. I suspect that they feel the same way about me, if not even worse." Leona warned Jaesa that her knowledge applied to only one of the cities. She would need to visit the other two sultans so that she could give Jaesa a rundown on how they felt about female mages. Chances were high that they felt the same way as the first sultan, but one never knew. However, that could cut both ways. They could be really kind towards Leona or really dismissive of the Wizard Saint because she was a woman.

[Post Word Count: 483]
[Leona's Word Count: 11,091]

Jaesa listened keenly as Leona spoke of her magics, her curiosity piqued by what she was hearing. She wasn’t all that surprised to hear that Guild Mistress had an offensive style as well and had assumed as such although to hear that she had a summoning one was a little surprising to her. Well, that’s what she got for assuming and the hunter was quite looking forward to seeing her fellow blonde’s magics for herself. Leona’s summoning magic had caught her interest rather strongly though and she found digging a little more into it, intrigued. “So your summoning magic is based around birds? Or can you summon larger creatures too? I admit that I’ve not come across many summoners during my travels and your magic has me curious.” Sure, requip was kind of similar but the ability to actually bring living, breathing creatures into the human world was fascinating to the hunter.

Pulling herself back on track, Jaesa mused to herself as Leona spoke about her own lack of knowledge regarding politics. It just wasn’t a topic that the hunter had ever really needed to engage in before. Back home, she and her clan mates would be given a target and they’d get to work on bringing them in or taking them out. There wasn’t any thought given to what her work might have caused in the grand scheme of things. It was at that point that she realised the true differences between her clan and the guild that she was about to join. She had to focus more on the bigger picture, which would do doubt take some getting used to. As Leona spoke of her probably getting a frosty reception by the country's rulers, Jaesa gave a wry smile, “I think it might be better if I just keep my big mouth shut if we end up finding ourselves having to speak with one of the Sultans then. I wouldn’t want to cause any further tension. I admit that I don’t like stuck up folks and from what I’m hearing, that’s precisely what the higher classes of your country seem to be. I don’t expect to make any friends there but maybe if we can foil this plot then that maybe a start. Perhaps that’s just wishful thinking though.” If what Leona was saying was accurate then there was probably more chance of Jaesa growing another set of legs than that happening.

She paused for a few moments and then added, “Maybe it would start to open their eyes to the fact that we're not second class citizens just because we’re women either. To learn that there’s a country out there who still believes in a male dominated world makes me sick to be honest.” The blonde had come across a few members of her clan who had the same view but Jaesa had usually been able to set them straight. There hadn’t been that many women who’d climbed the ranks of the clan and perhaps there had been a bit of sexism, well, more than a bit. She feared for the girls who were still there now, with Tuco at the head. Just another reason why she had to go back and set things right. Soon, with any luck.

(543 Words)
(10004 Total WC)

"My magic can summon creatures like harpies, a winged lion, a mechanical lion, and other creatures that can fight on land and in the air. I can travel on the winged lion by riding on his back. In fact, that's how I get around whenever I need to travel long distances in a hurry." Leona explained a bit more about her summon magic. She then realized that she had not yet told Jaesa what its name was. It was no secret. Anyone who picked up an old copy of Sorcerer's Magazine could learn all about it.

"Wind Summon Magic's not quite as good or as powerful as the magic of someone who's a devoted summoner, but it works for me. It lets me call in backup whenever I need it and they get here in a pretty short time. They've given many an opponent a nasty surprise." Leona summed up the benefits of Wind Summon Magic. Her second magic was not as good as that of someone who was a devoted summoner like Samira Nassar or Nessa Cordelia Lux, but it was good enough for Leona's needs. Like with Wind Strike Magic, it let the Wizard Saint give opponents an unpleasant surprise when she called in support from winged creatures or a giant mechanical lion after they had moved in on a supposedly lone mage. Like with Wind Strike Magic, the surprise factor tended to work only once on the same opponent.

However, Leona usually needed to surprise her enemies just once to win a fight.

Leona heard Jaesa's opinion of Desierto's nobility and how the bounty hunter was going to stand back and let Leona do the talking. That was probably for the best. Leona did not know how the court would react to an outsider who was also a female mage if Jaesa made a faux pas of some sort. Leona was a Wizard Saint, so she had a small measure of protection that Jaesa did not have.

"I hate to burst your bubble, but it's probably wishful thinking that we'll get on someone's good side for breaking up a plot... if there is one to start with. The nobility's more interested in what we can do for them than making friends with the hired help. They'll see foiling a plot as something we're supposed to do as part of our jobs instead of us going above and beyond the call of duty. But maybe that's me being too cynical." Leona said but admitted that she could be thinking too cynically. She hoped that she was wrong and that she and Jaesa could win at least one powerful ally in the Sultan's court. However, Leona did not have much grounds for optimism because each time she had went to the court she was seen as a curiosity and nothing more.

Leona then heard Jaesa express the hope that they could convince the nobility of Desierto that women were the equals of men. Since that was clearly a sore subject for Jaesa, the Wizard Saint had to think carefully about what she said next. Again, she did not want the bounty hunter to get her hopes up that things were going to change any time soon.

"Desierto's been a patriarchal society for centuries. It's been that way long before the sultans even thought to establish the Tri-Council Cities. Change in that attitude will come slowly, if it ever comes." Leona stated as diplomatically as she could, applying a bit of what she had learned from long hours of late-night studying from the numerous books she had bought from Capital Crocus.

[Post Word Count: 601]
[Leona's Word Count: 11,692]

“I imagine suddenly having a large flying lion chasing after you would scare the hell out of anyone,” Jaesa replied with a smirk. Leona’s magic sounded like it would be incredibly useful in a fight and the hunter was looking forward to seeing her summons for herself. They’d certainly help with dividing the attention of their foes and if they were fairly tanky, then perhaps they could give Jaesa the time she needed to get her sniper rifle out. It was unlikely but she never missed the opportunity to unleash her most powerful weapon. There was no greater rush for the hunter than to score a hit with a weapon of that calibre. Maybe she was a little bit sick in the head for getting a buzz from it but she’d been raised with a weapon in hand and those instincts would never go away. “I’m sure that they must pack quite a punch too, right?”

When Leona replied to her comment about perhaps making an ally or two among the courts, Jaesa shrugged, “Maybe but even if we don’t make any allies, we can at least give them another reason to keep hiring us which will only give us more opportunities to increase our influence. Besides that, I’m sure that if it turned out that there was a plotter within their ranks then surely they would be grateful and perhaps win us a favour or two, right?” Judging from what had already been said, Jaesa pondered if she was being far too optimistic about their chances but she felt it was better to think positively rather than negatively. “Call me an optimist but I’d like to think that there’s someone within the courts who’d appreciate our work of finding a traitor within their ranks.”

Her optimism did take a bit of a hit though as Leona explained the patriarchal nature of Desierto a little more, feeling even more sickened by that particular viewpoint. There was no place for it in the world in her opinion, just as there was no place for people to judge based on race, orientation or beliefs. The hunter believed that everyone was equal and always tried to keep an open mind but prejudice was something that she just couldn’t stand.“Sometimes the status quo needs to be shaken up a bit in order for change to happen. As long as people just accept that the way things are is how it should be then they’ll always remain that way.” A feminist at heart, Jaesa couldn’t help but feel that this mission in Desierto was going to be more than just a test of her skills but of her beliefs too. Well, she might not be able to change things for the natives but she could at least stick to her own beliefs. Politics or no politics, she’d stick to her guns, figuratively and literally although she’d at least try to keep her mouth shut long enough so that the Guild Mistress and herself didn’t get shot at from the start.

(506 Words)
(10510 Thread WC)

(100Y Freeform WC reached.
Leona: 11692
Jaesa: 10510
Combined: 22202)

"I remember chasing down some Red Sands Bandits riding on horseback while I rode on the back of the Winged Lion. They were so afraid of it that they didn't even bother trying to fight me and just ran for their fortified camp... which I proceeded to storm once I got to it." Leona recounted a scenario where people were so terrified of the Winged Lion that fighting was the last thing on their minds. The Winged Lion was a helpful partner in that regard. He was another way that Leona could break up groups of enemies and make tough fights easier... few people were brave enough to stand up to a lion that could fly.

"That is true, Jaesa. Even if we don't make powerful friends, saving them from a plot would give them plenty of reason to keep hiring us. That's worth something right there. And who knows? Maybe we'll at least make a contact who can point us towards people who need our services." Leona admitted that Jaesa had another point that the Wizard Saint had not really considered. She had been so fixated on making everyone at the sultan's court a friend that she had not considered the fact that all they needed was one good contact to make everything worthwhile. One good contact that they could earn through stopping any plot against the sultan or his court.

"There's bound to be someone besides the vizier and sultan who could use our services. Even if there isn't, just getting steady work from the sultan would make everything worthwhile. While we might not become his go-to mages, keeping our guild name in the spotlight might mean we get some difficult and good-paying work thrown our way every once in awhile." Leona said, looking on the bright side of things for a change. When Jaesa had brought up the possibility of changing the court's attitude towards women, Leona approached the subject in a diplomatic fashion like she had last time. She decided to share the story of her home village.

"My home village used to think the same way, that women were meant to be in a subordinate role. However, that changed once the outlaw raids started taking their toll and the village's men were killed, carted off into slavery, or were wounded in battle. Women had to be able to fight as well as cook, clean, farm, take care of the pack animals, and raise children. While Nebdoui's still not 100% on women being equal, you don't hear much talk of women being second-class citizens anymore." Leona gave Jaesa an example of attitudes changing for the better.

"That might not be the best example since it took outlaw raids and a lot of people holding the old attitudes dying or otherwise being indisposed, but that's the best example I have. Nebdoui's remained pretty open-minded on women being equal because going back to the old ways would be suicide. When your village is short on manpower, you don't turn down the help of women." Leona did her best to offer Jaesa hope that attitudes could change. While Nebdoui might not be the best example since a remote desert village was not a good representative for a whole country, it was still proof that attitudes could change if there was a shake-up in a society. Outlaw raids definitely counted as a shake-up.

[Post Word Count: 563]
[Leona's Word Count: 12,255]

Jaesa chuckled as Leona spoke of her encounter with the Red Sands Bandits, completely unsurprised by what happened. The mental image of the cowards running for their lives while being chased was an easy one to conjure up although having a mage as powerful as Leona riding it could probably be just as frightening as the lion, if not more so. The bandits must have been shitting bricks when facing the Guild Mistress and her summon. The hunter could also imagine what was left of the camp after Leona had finished with it. Good thing too. One less camp would only help Desierto prosper in the long run.

It was a relief for Jaesa to hear Leona speak in a more positive tone about the situation and she was all too eager to keep that state of mind going, “Precisely, the more we accomplish, the greater our influence becomes and more attention that we’ll attract from the sultans and their courts. Yeah, it’s a dangerous plan and it’s probably going to stir things up but I think a shake up is just what Desierto needs in my opinion. We just need that one contact who can open up doors for us over there and who knows what could happen if we could find one. Could do the world of good for both Desierto and Silver Wolf. Seems like a double win to me.” Yes, it could also cause the bandits to become even more desperate but if Silver Wolf were in the sultan's good books then perhaps they’d be willing to aid in handling them? It was an incredibly long shot but Jaesa had never been afraid of going for the long shots.

Listening carefully to Leona’s example of her village’s changes in view on women, Jaesa remained silent as she mused to herself about it internally. It wasn’t exactly the ideal scenario, being that it was a change that was forced upon the people rather than occurring naturally but Leona had admitted that herself. Still, it was something. “It’s unfortunate that it took something like that in order for attitudes to change but it gives us hope that perhaps if done right, things can change for the better. Maybe in time the views of Nebdoui will spread to other villages and regions of Desierto. I know that it’s going to take a long time for your country to adapt to it, if they ever do but I honestly hope that we can at least help it to occur.” The hunter knew well enough how difficult it was for people to change, especially if they had their vows and beliefs driven into them since childhood. It was clear that Desierto had always been patriarchal and Jaesa realised the difficulty of the task. Still, anything was possible and the blonde wouldn’t give up on at least trying to help turn the minds of Leona’s people to a far more open minded view on women. She felt it was her duty and only right to try.

(505 Words)
(505 Spare WC)

"I've made modest inroads into the court because the sultan has hired me to do several jobs for him in the past, but I can't rest on my laurels. Neither can Silver Wolf. We'll see what we can do to keep Silver Wolf's name out there, Jaesa. If we can do that, then we benefit and so do other guild members who might travel to Desierto looking for work." Leona affirmed the positive side of things. Leona then recalled that one of the sultans was always looking for people to either work as a laborer or as a guard for one or another of the archaeological sites under his protection. That was one way that Leona and Jaesa could use to keep the guild name out there.

"One of the sultans is always looking for workers or guards for archaeological sites under his protection. Such work definitely aligns with our guild mission, but I'm pretty sure the sultan wants whatever is found for Desierto's museums or his own collection. I wouldn't try to take anything from the sites for the guild because the sultans don't forgive and they definitely don't forget." Leona informed Jaesa of one possibility that was open to them and added a warning. Leona had done a bit of work for one of the sultans before and had found a few items from Desierto's past on his behalf. One of those jobs was finding and bringing him the sword Sand-Splitter, a magical sword that was rumored to have once belonged to King Saarghon, the first king to rule over a united Desierto centuries ago.

Turning to the more serious matter of gender attitudes in Desierto, Jaesa had lamented that outlaw raids were necessary for Nebdoui to reverse its attitude on the role of women. She had also expressed the hope that the views of Nebdoui would spread to the rest of the country. Leona was not holding her breath on that, but there was a slight possibility that it could happen. It would take a lot of luck and a lot of hard work on the part of Leona, Jaesa, and any other female members of Silver Wolf who decided to take jobs in Desierto. Leona had a slight advantage due to being a native of the desert country and having already built a reputation, but everyone else would have to work for it.

"Yeah, you're right, Jaesa. It's unfortunate that it took repeated outlaw raids and a lot of deaths for Nebdoui's attitude to change, but that was the silver lining in the whole mess. Without that change I wouldn't have learned the magic that got me to where I am today. I also wouldn't be a hometown heroine if I was only allowed to raise children or tend to pack animals." Leona said seriously, leaving out the fact that her mother Sophia was one of the holdovers from the time when a woman's place was strictly in the domestic sphere. Sophia Jarnefeldt believed that her daughter's place was in Nebdoui and raising children. Jaesa did not need to be regaled with that story just yet, so the Wizard Saint left that out for the time being. Instead she looked on the bright side of things.

"It's often said that the sultan's rule ends at the city gates. While that means the desert villages are on their own as far as self-defense, it also means that they're free to keep their own customs and form their own attitudes just as long as they don't threaten the sultans or the Tri-Council Cities. That means that there's a small hope that a more enlightened attitude can spread through the desert." Leona said to Jaesa, trying to stay positive for a change.

[Post Word Count: 623]
[Leona's Word Count: 12,878]

“I’ll do what I can to help spread the guild’s name and strengthen its reputation,” Jaesa replied sincerely, now knowing how difficult it was going to be in order to do much of anything in the desert country. Well, it was a goal that the blonde had already agreed to mentally but it made everything feel more concrete by saying it verbally. It would require a great deal of work but the blonde had never been afraid of that, once her mind was on the job at least. She worked hard and played, which had served her so well over the years. Well, mostly.

The comment about having to hand over any antiques they found brought a sigh and a shake of the head from the hunter although she was smiling, “That’s going to take some getting used to,” she admitted, “Our policy back home was that if our employer didn’t ask for something, we kept whatever we uncovered for ourselves and sold it on.I’ll do my best to keep my hands to myself though.” Calling her a thief was a little strong but she’d always been a follower in the finders keepers way of life. Up until now anyway.

As the topic reverted to gender equality again, Jaesa came to the realisation that in the end, everything that they were talking about was linked together. Strengthening the guild’s name in the country would not only increase the amount of work that they could hopefully pick up but would also help hopefully proving that the stereotypes the Desierto people had was out of touch. “Perhaps by making the guild more well known among the country, we will also have a chance at accomplishing the goal of gender equality too. You’re a heroine of your village and have already opened the eyes of your villages and maybe if we can show the wider public that all women are capable of becoming one then change may finally happen. That’s a cause that I’m willing to push towards. Yeah, the road is going to be hard but I’m not afraid of following it if it makes things better for the women of your country. I’m sure that the others in the guild would say the same thing.”

It was sad that such a task was required in this day and age but Jaesa knew that every region had their own view and codes of conduct. A part of her wondered if perhaps she was wrong in even attempting to try and change the Desierto beliefs but it was overridden by her desire to try and change things for the better.

(438 Words)
(943 Spare WC)

"I know that you'll do your best, Jaesa. That's all anyone can ask of you." Leona said to the bounty hunter when the latter vowed to do her best to get Silver Wolf's name out there and keep it there. Silver Wolf's guild members were a diverse group with many different styles of magic, many different goals, and many different interests, but they were all united in working for the guild and working to keep it strong. Just like with the other guilds of Earthland, Silver Wolf's strength lay in the diversity of its membership. Some members made excellent Hunters while others excelled as Scholars. Still others found an aptitude for being a Defender.

No matter what role they took, all of Silver Wolf's members worked to strengthen the guild as a whole.

Leona listened to Jaesa state the policy of her former group concerning payment and promise to do her best not to pilfer anything from the sultan's archaeological sites. The Wizard Saint smiled a little... it was not like she was perfect in that regard herself. Acquiring the Aggression Pack involved committing trespassing in Silent Cemetery, but it had to be done to keep the wrong people from getting their hands on something that could turn them into close combat nightmares who saw everyone around them as potential targets.

"I understand that old habits are hard to break, Jaesa. We'll probably find some wonderful things in Desierto's archaeological sites that are worth a lot of money to the right collector, but we have to remember that we're working for the sultan." Leona said gently.

"However, if we come across some old ruins or temples in our travels throughout Desierto and they're not occupied by the royal army, they're fair game. Especially if bandits have taken up refuge in them." Leona conceded. While the Wizard Saint tried to do the right thing and not treat all the antiquities of her country as objects for sale, sometimes one had to make concessions to reality. Silver Wolf needed money to carry out its mission and what better way to make that money than to liberate the treasures locked away in bandit-infested temples or ruins?

Besides, Silver Wolf's mission involved the conservation of magical artifacts too. As far as Leona was concerned, if Silver Wolf got to unclaimed sites first, the guild had first pick of the contents. However, she was worried that the sultans would find out about the guild's activities and take out their disapproval on her family and village. She needed to start thinking of a backup plan in case that fear became reality some day. The ideal plan would be to move them out of Desierto entirely, but that would be a logistical nightmare and an endeavor that would be impossible to conceal from the prying eyes of the sultans' spies.

The next best thing would be to find a way to guarantee her village's safety and the safety of the allied villages too. So far serving the sultans did just that, but if Silver Wolf started claiming artifacts from Desierto ruins, there might be conflict with the avaricious sultans. The Wizard Saint would try to avoid conflict with the desert country's rulers, but if there was no avoiding it then she would pick her battles very, very carefully.

"I'm willing to work towards more enlightened views too, Jaesa. I don't think it's right for women to be treated as second-class citizens when they can do more than clean house and raise children. I mean, most of the current Wizard Saints are women. Most of the last generation of Wizard Saints were women. If that's not proof of what women can do, I don't know what is." Leona agreed with the bounty hunter's goal of at least trying to change gender attitudes in Desierto. While actually succeeding in accomplishing that goal was a long shot, it was a goal well worth attempting. Maybe future generations of Desierto's young women could be free to be adventurers who were held in the same high regard as men.

[Post Word Count: 677]
[Leona's Word Count: 13,555]

The blonde haired hunter couldn’t help but chuckle as Leona spoke about having to be careful regarding the taking of objects while working for the sultan, “I’m sure I’ll adapt to having to give artefacts away rather than keeping them but it might take a while. Don’t worry, I won’t take anything that I shouldn’t.” She was sincere enough and didn’t want to cause any unnecessary agro with the courts although judging by how the conversation was going regarding other topics, that may end up happening despite her best efforts. Still, she’d do her utmost to prevent it if at all possible. She was slightly concerned though at just what would happen if the more boisterous members of the court decided to say something untoward in either her or Leona’s direction. The blonde hunter had never been the type to just let an insult go.

Leona’s smile and mentioning of the rules regarding areas where the royal guards weren’t located caused the hunter to smirk, “So if the sultan isn’t aware of the place, we can take what we find? That sounds a lot more like it.” Jaesa had no issue with that at all and personally, she felt that if they had taken the time to explore the ruins and/or take out any bandits that were lurking around then it was only fair that they be rewarded for that. Yeah, nobility and honour were great but the blonde hunter had been brought up knowing the value of jewels too. It had been so difficult for her to get much in the way of currency back then that every jewel had felt like a fortune. Thankfully, that had changed as she’d got older and had earned a fair wedge of cash over the years, even with the clan's selfish way of sharing the loot.

As the Guild Mistress spoke about her own personal views regarding equality and the amount of Wizard Saints that were female, Jaesa nodded her head, “That’s precisely it. I find it disgusting that there are people out there who can still think of women as second class. It’s beyond ridiculous at this stage and an awful lie for the leaders of your country to spread. What you said before about the borders of the sultans court gives me hope that maybe there’s a chance that those in the outer villages may change their views, which would be a great next step.”

She paused for a moment and then added, “All we can really do is keep working at it. Maybe if we make enough of a statement then the court will have to at least think about their views. It brings us back to what I said earlier about finding a contact there. If we can change one person’s mind then that might be all we need in order for the patriarchy to fall apart.”

Falling silent, she’d briefly ponder to herself about how she’d suddenly gone from a hunter on the run to becoming an advocate for change in a completely different country.

(509 Words)
(1462 Spare WC)

"Yeah, that's the rule I'm going by. Until the sultans become aware of a site, I say it's fair game. I hate to sound willing to ransack my country for valuables, but the guild's work isn't cheap and the money's gotta come from somewhere." Leona said to Jaesa when the latter expressed her contentment with the statement that any ruins not claimed by the sultans were fair game for Jaesa and Silver Wolf. it sounded terrible for Leona to run the risk of angering the sultans by not telling them about antiquities and it sounded equally terrible for her to blithely give up her country's heritage for sale, but something had to give. The guild required funding to operate and the money had to come from somewhere. Since Leona was the Guild Mistress, the decision on whether to "liberate" artifacts or not was hers to make. There were a lot of moral and ethical issues that stemmed from such a decision like how far the guild was to go to claim artifacts and what artifacts they claimed.

Leona would work through those moral and ethical issues later. Right now she would work on keeping the guild name active in Desierto before she started pondering the legal ramifications of what the guild did. She would also work on steering the country's opinion on women in a more positive direction.

"I think the villages will change their minds given enough time and enough successes on our part. They're set in their ways and tend to resist change, but oddly enough they're also faster to change attitudes than the sultan's cities. I think it's because of the circumstances of desert life outside the Tri-Council Cities, where you have to rely on what's at hand. There's no convenient supermarket, no real police presence, nothing but what you have available." Leona started discussing her opinion of the matter.

"Since I grew up in a desert village during a turbulent time, I'd say that the desert villages stick to the old ways... just as long as they work. The old ways worked in Nebdoui until most of the people who believed in them died in battle or were carted off into slavery. After that things changed rapidly because the old ways just didn't work anymore. There's a few who'd like for things to go back to the way they were, but they're heavily outnumbered by people who like the new ways a lot better." Leona started explaining the resistance to change from the perspective of someone who had lived in a desert village for sixteen years of her life.

"Once it was proven the old ways no longer worked, they were thrown out like yesterday's leftovers. I'd say that the best way to get the villages to change their minds is to prove how practical it is to change their attitudes." Leona suggested, offering hope for Jaesa that Desierto would not be forever stuck in a time warp... if it could be proven that treating men and women equally was practical.

"The same thing happened happened with pen-and-paper literacy coming to my home village. Most of the older people didn't know how to read and write because everything was passed on through stories. My mother had a really hard time convincing people that a village school was a good idea because the older people had gotten by on oral tradition for decades, so why bother changing what worked?" Leona gave another example of how Nebdoui had resisted change until further resistance was self-defeating.

"That resistance lasted until some farsighted people realized that they couldn't avoid the modern world forever. Their children and children's children were going to have to learn how to read and write and do basic arithmetic so they didn't get cheated when they went to the Tri-Council Cities and dealt with the merchants there. Some people realized that their children didn't want to live in a dead-end village in the middle of the desert for the rest of their lives. I should know because I was one of them. I didn't want to live in Nebdoui the rest of my life because there wasn't much there for me besides raising children and doing domestic chores." Leona explained how the transition from oral tradition to pen-and-paper literacy had occurred. While it did not take anyone dying or being sold into slavery for change to happen, there was still a lot of resistance that had to be overcome. Once that resistance had finally been overcome, there was no going back to the old ways because they were unfeasible to cling to.

[Post Word Count: 766]
[Leona's Word Count: 14,321]

With the ground rules regarding valuables now explained to her fully, Jaesa didn’t actually feel that bad about the situation. Yeah, she’d have to be more careful but at least there was some leeway which was enough to her. Besides, if a guild member ended up clearing out a group of bandits and found something valuable that way then it could be seen as a form of payment, in her mind anyway. Of course, she’d take out bandits just because of the harm they could cause but a little extra incentive was always nice. She had a feeling that Desierto could well be a treasure trove and that did appeal to her although having heard what she’d had so far, it had been properly good that she hadn’t been there before. Her younger self would have probably caused nothing but trouble over there.

Jaesa listened carefully as Leona spoke in more depth about her own upbringing and how her village had been forced to adapt due to the turbulent circumstances. Again, the hunter felt a slight pang of discomfort that it had taken such drastic methods in order for change to happen but perhaps she was just a little too hopeful that things could happen naturally. More often than not, change just seemed to be a painful process. It had certainly been that way for her more recently and she realised at that moment that she’d been a bit naive. Yet, the story of Nebdoui was at least a start and if Leona’s village could adapt then so could the rest of the guild mistresses’ country.

“It sounds to me as though it’s the higher ups who seem to be afraid of change more than the population itself,” Jaesa mused after a while, “I can understand why they’d feel that way as they no doubt enjoy the influence that they have over the populace. The fact that your village was able to see the light and adapt seems to reinforce that view. Without the oppressive sultan and his royal guard around, Nebdoui was able to change which doesn’t seem to paint the court in that good of a light to me. Hopefully though, your village coming to terms with a better way of life just might be the tonic that Desierto needs. The unfortunate side being that as long as the sultans continue to oppress those within the cities, they won’t be able to change unless something similar happens to them which seems unlikely to say the least.”

A sigh escaped her lips as Leona spoke about just how far behind the curve that many of the villages seemed to be regarding education, “I can understand how easy it would be for the villagers to be cheated without being properly educated. It was the same for me growing up and I was lucky that one or two of the clan members were willing to teach me otherwise I wouldn’t be standing here today. I didn’t want to be used and abused so I scraped together what education I could from those older than me. A school for Lavanitir orphans would probably make most people back home just laugh. I’m glad to hear that your mother was able to change the minds of the people in your village.” It was anything but funny but Lavanitir wasn’t exactly a haven and the locals weren’t a friendly bunch either.

She simply shook her head unhappily before adding, “To think that there are still people in this world who believe that women simply exist to take care of children and take care of the house is appalling.”

(604 Words)
(2068 Spare WC)

"I'm not sure if it's the sultans who are holding things back, Jaesa. They're certainly invested in maintaining the status quo, but I don't think that they have to try all that hard. I'd say that it's the relative comfort of the Tri-Council Cities that keeps their attitudes in stasis. When you've got everything you need in one place plus a reasonable degree of physical security, there's no pressing need to change your attitude on anything." Leona opined. She was pretty sure that was what Jaesa meant by her statement. Leona had trouble reading between the lines, which was yet another skill that she needed to develop in order to further her career as a Guild Mistress and Wizard Saint.

"The Tri-Council Cities aren't all that bad. There's a wide variety of goods to choose from at the open-air bazaars, there's a good degree of physical security thanks to the city walls and royal army, and modern technology's slowly making its way in. And not every city dweller is a hidebound traditionalist. The younger people are more flexible in their thinking and a few of the older people are too, especially the merchants. The royal court, on the other hand, is as traditional as they come." Leona chimed in with a more balanced opinion so that she did not sound like she hated the cities. She did not hate them... she just did not care for the hidebound traditionalists who feared change because it threatened to undermine their privileged positions. They tried to hold back change because it meant that they would have to learn new things and new ways of thinking. Leona could see how having one's worldview altered was somewhat scary, but even she was learning to adapt to the intricacies of the modern world. Leona had come from a desert village and she was more adaptable than most adults in the Tri-Council Cities.

When Jaesa spoke about her education and how she was glad that Leona's mother managed to win out and get a village school established, Leona smiled a bit.

"Yeah, my mother Sophia had to fight an uphill battle to get the school established. She's a scribe by profession and training, so she saw the need to educate the children and any adults willing to learn long before anyone else in the village did. It took a lot of talking and quite a few hard lessons of villagers getting cheated by unscrupulous merchants, but eventually my mother won. As a result, me, my older brother, and a lot of other children plus some brave adults got a basic education. It's not the best education, but it was good enough to get me this far." Leona admitted to Jaesa. The Wizard Saint was no towering intellect, but she had gotten a decent enough basic education from her mother to do fairly well for herself. Leona had sought the help of Professor Rosetta to learn Court Heiromesh and had sought the help of Dr. N. D. Anna to learn the basics of scholarly research so that she could supplement her basic education with skills relevant to Silver Wolf's mission.

"It's funny how my mother's so progressive when it comes to education but is so traditional in other regards." Leona commented, touching briefly on the subject of gender roles.

There was no avoiding the subject any longer.

Leona would have to discuss her mother.

"My mother's something of a traditionalist when it comes to gender roles. She believes that my place is back in Nebdoui giving her grandchildren." Leona explained to Jaesa what she had meant by her earlier remark about Sophia.

[Post Word Count: 605]
[Leona's Word Count: 14,926]

“I can understand that, I suppose,” Jaesa replied as Leona expressed her opinion on just who was causing difficulties within the tri cities, “If you’ve got everything you want, why give it up?” It made perfect sense although the fact that it involved treading over the populace in order to do it was irritating to say the least. It did explain the reasoning why they were so reluctant to change though and the hunter was wise enough to see how eager they would be to prevent them losing their lofty statuses. She reasoned that when push came to shove, they would be the ones that would cause the most issues when the time came.

“Maybe there’s a small chance for us after all then if the people are at least open to new ideas,” the tall blonde replied. The idea that some of the locals were more open minded than the courts was a plus and despite the overbearing nature of the court, Jaesa wasn’t against having a look around one of them herself. There was always that sense of curiosity to explore new places and despite her distaste for the methods of the place, she’d try to keep an open mind and appreciate what good there was around the place. That being said, if she could spin the wheels a bit to try and change things, she of course would. The more that Leona and her talked of it, the more convinced she was.

As Leona spoke a little more about how her mother had won over the other adults in their village, Jaesa smiled too, “I think that maybe your mother’s a closet progressive and doesn’t know it, you know? She was willing to stand up and make sure that you and the other children got the best education that you could get but hasn’t realised yet that what she was pushing for was equality. I’ll say this though, for having only a basic education as you put it, you’ve done damn well for yourself Leona. Your mother must be proud of all that you’ve accomplished, even if it wasn’t what she wanted, right?” The hunter hoped that was the case anyway and she’d certainly felt a desire to become more than just a street urchin when she was growing up. It had given her the drive to push herself forward and to team up with her clan. “With all you’ve done for the people of not only your own village but all of those that you’ve helped through jobs and missions, surely she must accept that you made the right choice?” She would honestly be stunned if that wasn’t the case. Jaesa didn’t know much about having a birth family but it made sense to her at least.

Jaesa was about to speak again but managed to prevent herself from dropping in a flirt alongside her previous comment. She’d done pretty well to hold herself back in that regard but the truth was that she was just a little infatuated with the guild mistress.

(508 Words)
(2576 Spare WC)

"I can't really blame 'em either, to be honest. With life as harsh as it is in the desert, I don't blame 'em for wanting to hold onto having everything they need. It's not easy out in the desert." Leona admitted to Jaesa. Despite the problems Leona had with the ruling classes of the Tri-Council Cities, she did not blame the ordinary people for wanting to hold onto their life of plenty. There was nothing glamorous about coming up dirt poor in a backwater desert village. It was a harsh life that claimed a lot of people at an early age due to the rigors of living in the elements with primitive medical care, hard physical labor, food and water that was obtained only by hard work, and fending off bandit raids. The fact that Nebdoui's people were still alive was due to the alliance with the other desert villages, the royal army's help, and Leona's efforts.

"My mother might be proud of everything I've done, but I wish she'd just come out and say it, Jaesa. Instead she acts like my career is just a rebellious phase I'm going through that I'll snap out of some day. What she doesn't get is that my career's not just a phase. It's a long-term plan." Leona told Jaesa more of the reason that she considered her mother a traditionalist when it came to gender roles.

"My mother did win a big victory for me and for all the village children when the school was established, but I thought that she'd keep on pushing. If she didn't push for full equality in gender roles, at least she'd let me know that she's proud of what I've done so far. I've made it farther than I had ever expected to make it when I emerged from the desert and traveled to Hargeon Town for a passport. Instead all she seems to want out of me is grandchildren." Leona continued, just barely able to prevent bitterness from seeping into her voice. The shorter blonde had attained one of the highest titles in the land and had been selected to lead a guild. She had hoped her mother would be happy, surprised, anything other than indifferent.

Leona was getting tired of the struggle with her mother. Sophia was determined to win, but so was Leona. Both Jarnefeldt women felt that they were in the right for thinking and acting as they did and thus neither Jarnefeldt would back down.

"Maybe Sophia will come around one day, Jaesa. If she helped get me started on learning an ancient language of Desierto at the exact time I needed to learn it, then maybe part of her does want me to succeed." Leona gave a slightly more positive opinion of her mother to show that the Wizard Saint could do more than verbally bash her mother over a difference of opinion.

"My mother's a lot smarter than I am and knows a lot about Desierto, but scholarship's not the only thing she's good at. She also knows her way around a sword and taught me a few things about using one. As I told you earlier, she's one of the reasons I have Wind Strike Magic. What I didn't tell you yet was that she also gave me the scroll for Wind Summon Magic a little over a year ago... it had been stored in the village archives for who knows how long and she was the one to find it." Leona added further. Even though mother and daughter did not see eye to eye, Leona owed a lot to her mother. Without Sophia Jarnefeldt Leona would have never been born and the world would have been a lot different for it.

[Post Word Count: 624]
[Leona's Word Count: 15,550]

It truly did sound as though life was even tougher in the desert then it was on the streets where the blonde hunter had grown up. It was sad that even now, there was such a wide gap between the rich and poor. She’d been around long enough though to realise that that was something that would probably never change. As long as that sense of greed was there to blind people, there would never be equality. For all the advancements that people had made over time, there were still some basic things that had been completely overlooked. Well, the red eyed woman might not be able to change the world on such a large scale but she would aid Leona in her efforts, as well as hopefully sorting out the chaos which had taken hold over her own home. In order to achieve those goals, she’d do whatever it took, knowing that there was little doubt that her hands would no doubt be bloody by the end. Neither Leona nor the huntress herself had skirted around the issue and had accepted it for what it was. Change rarely ever happened without bloodshed and she doubted this would be any different. It would be a long and no doubt difficult challenge.

Jaesa listened carefully as the guildmistress went on to speak more about her relationship with her mother, a frown crossing her features as the words registered with her. She wished that she knew about the difficulties that could stem between mother and daughter but frankly, Jaesa didn’t. She’d never had that maternal connection, given that her family were a mystery to her. Still, the situation was definitely an unfortunate one for Leona although as the blonde pondered about what she was hearing, she wasn’t quite sure if Sophia truly did disagree with the path that Leona had taken.

“I think that maybe she’s just a little too stubborn to admit that you’re right, Leona,” the huntress eventually said, a soft smile returning to her face, “If she honestly didn’t agree with what you’re doing then why would she have helped you so much with your combat skills and magic? The path you’ve chosen for yourself might not be what she wanted but it sounds to me as though she’s realised that what you want is more important. From what you’ve said already, she’s at least open to new ideas a little and I think that your successes have opened her mind further. Don’t take my words as absolute truth, I could very well be wrong but that’s just what it seems like to me.”

She’d place a hand on Leona’s shoulder then in a comforting way, not thinking all that much about how it might have looked or appeared, “The more I hear, the more I believe that she truly is proud of you and wants you to succeed. If she didn’t, then she wouldn't have helped you on your way in the first place. That’s what I believe anyway.”

(502 Words)
(3078 Spare WC)

Leona laughed when Jaesa said that her mother was too stubborn to see that the Wizard Saint was right. What did Sophia expect when she named her daughter Leona? That the female child would be a meek kitten who would do anything to get her mother's approval? Leona was anything but a meek kitten.

"Eh, I'd say it's a fifty-fifty split. She's got a point about the dangers of my lifestyle and I've got a point about having the right to choose my own path in life. We're both too stubborn to concede that the other person has a point because we're afraid that it would be admitting defeat. Both of us are too invested in our viewpoints to back down." Leona admitted to Jaesa that both Jarnefeldt women were stubborn instead of trying to paint her mother as a villain. Jaesa had also raised the point that if Sophia really did not believe in Leona then she would not have consented to train Leona in Wind Strike Magic and what swordsmanship she knew. The Wizard Saint had not really considered that... she had thought that Sophia had consented to train Leona only to get Leonidas off of her back. Maybe Jaesa had a point.

"I'm thinking that she trained me in Wind Strike Magic only to get my older brother off her back, but you might have a point, Jaesa. She might be beginning to see that I really have what it takes to live the lifestyle of a traveling mage. She's taken to calling me Wizard Saint from time to time instead of treating me like a rebellious child." Leona conceded that the red-eyed blonde might have a point on the subject of Sophia believing a little more in her daughter than she first did. The Wizard Saint had spent the past two years believing that her mother's greatest wish was to turn back the clock and make Leona more submissive to her so that Leona would be the perfect desert housewife and homebody instead of a traveling mage. Jaesa pointing out what she did had went a ways towards making Leona reconsider her view. While over two years of bitter feelings would not evaporate overnight, there was room for the Wizard Saint to change her viewpoint. If she could grow to tolerate the cold of the Phoenix Mountains, then she could grow to believe that her mother was beginning to believe in her.

Jaesa then placed her hand on Leona's shoulder in a comforting and assuring way. The red-eyed blonde then asserted that the more Leona spoke the more that Jaesa believed that Leona's mother really did care for her and was truly proud of all that she had accomplished. Leona laughed a little.

"Maybe you're right, Jaesa. Maybe she does care about me more than I realize. It's gonna take awhile for me to let go of the animosity I have for her, but I'm going to try to let go of it." Leona said to Jaesa. Change was a two-way street. Just as Sophia was trying to have faith in the Wizard Saint's ability to fend for herself in a hostile world, Leona would have to learn to give her mother the benefit of the doubt and believe that Sophia thought of Leona as more than a rebellious child who refused to accept reality.

Making such a change in beliefs was not going to be easy, though.

[Post Word Count: 572]
[Leona's New Word Count: 572]