It's a Mistake to Piss off a Sorceress

[Morgaine of Avalon]

Closed to Kupo! and myself. If you wish to plan another RP with me, tell me details in a PM.

Niraine watched the coast line eagerly as men were coming to shore from all over. It wasn't so much the fishing that intrigued her as the beauty of the boats in the clear lagoon water. The sea was as a smooth sapphire, with the fluctuation of the surface due to the boats making it look as if it instead fluctuated with magic. As the sun was setting, she was stroking her familiar. Ghost, he was called. A snow white raven with emerald eyes.

He can take messages to anyone you want them to - no matter where he is Cersa, the sorceress she was squired to, told her once. It may take him a long time to return, but he will.

"Ghost..." She began softly, tying a letter around his claw. "You better make sure father gets this. Don't let anyone else get it - the others don't want me to talk to him, they're jealous, they'll take it. Only father, okay?" The raven could understand the importance of 'only father' at this point. He has experienced the ire of this girl's step mother before. With a quick caw, he fluttered his wings and glided on the west wind only to steer north once he achieved height.

"Little one, are you alright?" A woman's voice asked behind her. Nira turned to her and nodded. "Sorry Messum," She said, addressing her mistress as squires of the sacred art did. "I was sending Ghost with a letter to father. Sometimes he forgets to only go to father."

"You know that isn't true child," Cersa reminded her. "You tell the familiar where it needs go, whom it needs go to, and it will. You've done that, your letter will be fine. Now come, the travel has made your hair a mess." A gentle hand beckoned for her. Quietly, Nira nodded and sat before her. Cersa pulled from her pack a horsehair brush with silver paint detailing a high sorcerer's staff on the back of it's smooth darkwood surface.

Nira let the soft brush deal with the tangles of her hair for once, she was more keen to examining the peculiarities of the room they were to sleep in. She did not sit on a bed right now with her mistress, but a grass mat with many plush and colorful pillows. numerous tribal decorations were all about them, mostly adorning the fireplace.

"Messum, why are we here?" She asked Cersa anxiously. "You always told me that my training was to be done back home, in the castle with the other squires. Then suddenly you wake me up and we get teleported out here and all you'd say is 'The High Sorceress told us to go here'. Why did she want us here?"

"Because child," She began, not looking up or pausing from brushing Nira's hair. "The people of Istraloth have one of our relic's hidden in a labyrinth in their Ruined City. She needs us to go get it."

"But why you?" Nira persisted. "Messum Cersa, the order is huge! Why you, who has a squire?"

"Niraine of Ravenwood, what's this about?" Cersa said in a sterner tone. "We've been sent outside of home to do things before, why so uptight about this one?" Nira hung her head. That told Cersa immediately. "You don't like being half the world away from your father, is that it?"

She slowly nodded, picking her head up a little. "I miss him, Messum. I can't see him for a few more months now. How do I know he's getting my letters? My step mother hates me, Messum, she hates me! My letters-"

"Are going straight to his protecting hands, my poppet," Cersa assured her putting the brush down to give the girl and gentle embrace. "I know it's hard, growing up without knowing a mother's love or a father's touch. But I cannot be your parent, you know that."

Nira looked up at her questioningly. "Why? Your supposed to train me since babe-hood, how come you can't be my mother?"

"Well one, little miss, babe-hood isn't a word. I'm supposed to train you since infancy," Cersa corrected her. "And secondly, we can't attach ourselves to our pupils more than is necessary. Yes, I do love you as my pupil, but the Order does not permit me to have children. If I attach to you as if you were my child and you were sent somewhere where your life would be in danger, they don't want me to disobey my orders to go after you. So I cannot be a mother, but I can be here when you need it."

"Alright..." Nira said hesitantly, though she didn't truly understand.

Cersa smiled her white teeth and tossed her long brown hair out of her face. "Just heed your instincts, remember your training, and you will be fine. Now off to bed, we must rise early to get supplies in the market," She told her pupil, shooing her to her own sleeping mat. As Nira put her head to the pillows to sleep, Cersa hitched up her staff from the corner, aimed it to the fire, where some wood sat, and after a brief moment flames erupted from the wood.

"Sleep soundly, child," she told her, before putting her staff back. It was a beautiful thing, her staff. Flexible rowan wood bound to the sturdy oak, carved in the shape of a horse rearing. It's eyes were small beads of pure mythril, and gnarled under it's rearing legs was a sphere of jade, carved to have numerous runes across the surface. It showed up Nira's simple oak rod and quartz sphere any day. But she would get there...one day, some day...

one day, some day...

some day...

And she was asleep.

The next morning, Nira dressed in her green linen robe and tied the white and gold sash of her Messum around her waist, then helping Cersa dress in finer garb - a green satin tank top under-dress, with runes along the border in gold thread. over it was a quarter-sleeved white and gold coat that was made of the same cloth and fastened in mid-belly. Her hair was held back by a head scarf of green, white, and gold. It was now that they were going to the market.

"Our provisions are low," She reminded Nira as they browsed goods. "Never forget that casting on an empty stomach is one of the worst things you can do - you won't stop hurting for days." Nira watched as numerous fruits and breads and coins were exchanged, when something caught her eye.

Could it be...? No, the only place I've seen them is our books! But books tell us about the rest of the world...is that really...? Nira's thoughts raced. She clutched at her rod tighter, when she saw the most peculiar race that she never expected to be out here.

[Kupo!]

"Ninety-Nine bottles of kipo on the wall, ninety-nine bottles of KIPO!" a voice pierced the sky like nails on a chalk board. "You take one down, kipo it around, and...um..." The voice belonged to a small tiny yellow sheep like creature, and his quizzical demeanor didn't exactly hide much to the obvious fact he was a bit slow. "Hey kipo, what comes after ninety-nine kipo?" the creature asked.

A groan came off from the distance behind a bush as a flashy red ball protruded from the cover of the foliage. A fuzzy bear like creature walked into the sunlight, scratching its head in a very tired manner. "What do you want Tim?"

"Kipo, what's after ninety-nine kipos?" Tim asked again.

"Ninety-eight, kupo." the creature replied grabbing his head as if an arrow pierced his head. "Oh my head, kupo. That martini wasn't as dry as I was hopping...remember Tim that 9 parts gin and...never mind Kupo. I already forgot the mixture."

"Ninety-eight bottles of Kipo on the wall-" Tim sang again before quickly a small black doll flew into Tim's face. "What's wrong kipo?"

"I have a hang over!" The creature shouted louder than it intended to. The pain was excruciating as it brought the tiny bear thing to its knees. "Oh why did I do that?" he mumbled.

"Want me to give you some medicine, kipo?"

"For the love of all that is decent..." the creature said in a very low irritated voice. "It...is...KUPO! KUPO! KUPO YOU GOT THAT YOU [KUPO!]ING YAN?!?!?" The pain destroyed the man as he fell to the ground. "OH may the great golden chocobo save me! It hurts so bad!"

"Well, kipo, why don't you try to walk it out?" The Yan offered. "That's what I do when my head hurts."

"I just got to ask...how often is that Kupo?" The Yan sat on it's hind legs and rubbed one hoof against it's little goatee.

"A lot actually." He replied with a shrug. He slowly got back up and helped his companion to a vertical base yet again, and with a few wobbly steps the duo began to walk towards the nearest town. "How is the little guy doing?"

"BOI!" a voice said muffled from the red backpack the rat thing carried upon its back. With careful movement he shifted the bag to his left shoulder and opened the bag. A small green cactus like thing jumped out the bag and began to dance in circles very excitedly. "Boi boi BOI!" Tim laughed gleefully running forward chasing the little green guy all over the place. With a heavy sigh of relief the creature looked up at the sky, as if trying to seek some answer for the torment he was put into.

Duke was a moogle, a tiny rat bear like creature with a red pom pom coming out of the top of his head. His life changed when he wanted to be more than a normal moogle, he wanted to be a moogle with a destiny. Instead he became a moogle with a list of things to do. It wasn't exactly the biggest list, but he might as well say it's his life's dream to accomplish them all, because that's how long it would take to do them all.

His companions were both bizarre and invaluable to him, the Yan his only real link to a best friend. He met the little green guy in the deserts of Fallien when he was off learning about a rare artifact located in a dark red cave. He and the little one both bested a large green guy in a very hectic battle, screaming attacks for the green guy to do. In the end he was awarded a badge.

His newest friend was more an acquittance than anything else. It was a turtle like guy who walked around randomly at times poking things with a rusty dagger and spewing the warning of things to come with but a single word: "Doink."

Yet aside from all this Duke new his friends were all he had in a harsh land where things didn't go as planned always. yet he remains resolute in his duty. He will one die synthesize the driest martini the world has ever seen, and then this moogle will be very content. Until then he just walked to accomplish his aim.

However, during his inner thoughts about his past and conquests, he had lost track of something he repeatedly swore he should really get better at doing. Keeping track of Tim. The tiny Yan was nowhere to be seen and the little green guy was just bouncing in one spot.

"Hey, have you seen Tim, Kupo?" Duke asked.

"Boi." He replied.

"Kupo?" Duke asked.

"Boi." He nodded quickly.

"Thanks Kupo," Duke said picking up his pace. "Better find him quickly though, who knows what trouble he can get into following a caterpillar..." It was all a blur, the events about to unfold. Duke would remember it for all eternity, the task that would send him forward on another random quest for things he really didn't need to live with.

It was as if time slowed to a standstill. Words were a garbled mess of what they should be, and Duke could remember shouting "NOOOO!" for what felt like an eternity.

"MY FRIEND, KIPO!" Tim shouted jumping upon its hind legs and inhaling deeply. Without any time to react the Yan released its most devastating attack. He snorted out a gust of wind so powerful at a woman and a child. The attack had been made, and it couldn't be undone. Duke watched in horror as the gust flew to them at an alarming speed.

"WHY?" Duke shouted. "WHY KUPO!?!" Tim turned to Duke with tear filled eyes.

"She almost stepped on the caterpillar, kipo..."

[Morgaine of Avalon]

The yellow sheep was approaching them with a certain urgency about...him? it. It, Nira concluded, until they found out for sure. Behind it, she saw a moogle. She smiled wide at this. "Messum-" she said with excited urgency.

"Not now Nira, I'm in the middle of something," She told the child while she haggled for the price of the food - they were on a tight budget. However Nira was a little more worried, for the sheep now seemed somewhat scared.

"It's okay little guy..." She told the creature, trying to be comforting. She took a step forward, then another, and then suddenly a huge gust swarmed her, knocking the wind out of her and throwing her to a hard clay wall. She felt some fruit splatter the side next to her, heard her Messum, and then suddenly fell a few feet to the ground - the wind had picked her light frame up off her feet. She stood woozily and coughed, getting air back in her system. She looked down, and found a caterpillar dying next to her foot.

"Poor thing...the wind probably did that," She said sentimentally. But she didn't have long. She felt heat on her face, and looked up to see one very fruit-covered and pissed off sorceress. She recognized the spell, and knew it to be dangerous, maybe even deadly since moogles and sheep are so small and weak.

"Messum..." She called, trying to bring her mistress back. "Messum," She called louder, picking up her rod from where she dropped it in the gust and walking forward. "Messum, stop!" she called louder, tugging on her dress. "It was an accident I think, they're just cute little things, they didn't mean any harm...." And so she rambled, tugging on her skirt in hopes of at least pulling her out of the trance. Eventually, her tugs made the mistress lose balance and she came out of her trance to be able to catch herself from falling into the dirt.

"Please, Messum," She begged her mistress. "Don't kill them - I've never seen a moogle before, and you know that the breed of sheep that does that isn't smart enough to realize what it's doing, please..." She pouted with her dirt smudged face and pineapple-stained robe and looked at the moogle for some aid. "Um, Mr. Kupo? My Messum might be less mad if you explained it to her..."

[Kupo!]

Explain it? How I can't even explain Tim to begin with! Duke looked at the pleading girl like she was crazy, but his squinty moogle eyes saw a fire in the elder woman's and soon he realized his fate was in the hands of this tiny girl.

"Um, mam," Duke said bowing low. Tim stuck his tounge out to the side confused and began to scratch behind his ear. "Please forgive my friend Tim here...he's a little...well, slow kupo." Duke said quietly leaning forward. "He kinda does his own thing. It seems like nobody got injured and so I just think that maybe we could just let it go..."

"Let it go, Kipo?!?" The Yan shouted. "She almost killed my friend! His name was Hairy Legs!" Duke resisted the urge to strangle his friend as he began to do a nervous laugh. He knew he was screwed so long as Tim kept talking.

"Err...ya. About that Kupo..." Suddenly the little green guy jumped forward, doing a half twirl then bursting into the sky.

"BOI!" He shouted into the air.

"YA, HE'S RIGHT!" Tim shouted. "She should apologize to us!"

"Boi..." Tim quickly nodded.

"Oh ya," he said confusedly. "KIPO!" he added.

"KUPO!" Duke pleaded desperately. He felt sweat down the back of his neck and he knew this situation was going from bad to worse.

"Doink." Duke felt a long sharp thing pierce his exposed furry rump and he jumped into the air screaming loudly.

"KUPO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" He shouted to the sky. "OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW!" He rubbed his rear profusely with his back exposed to the woman. His eyes caught the small little turtle guy with dirty rag like robes, his rusty knife retracting back, his lantern still eerily on. His golden beady eyes seemed to grow larger as Duke continued to rub his rear end. The gesture suddenly dawned on the tiny moogle. "Oh...My...Chocobos...kupo..." Duke turned to face the woman and child, Tim sitting next to the young girl, and the little green guy on his head. They both starred at Duke as if he had dropped his proverbial pants and flashed them the full moon.

"Kipo..." Tim said. "That's just disgusting..."

"Boi." The cactus thing agreed. Duke's face turned bright red as he didn't know what else to do.

"So uh...kupo...would you like to maybe make a deal?" He said hesitantly. He pulled out his red book with a quick flip in the air slamming it upon the ground, dust flying everywhere. "I can Save your game..." he said sheepishly.