A Hidden Refuge

[Yen]

Ana watched as the sun began to set, shooting long crimson rays against the sand dunes. As night began to approach, it became clear to the young alchemist that there was no place to escape the blood and suffering. Ana then wandered closer into the settlement, the people there were kind to her, and let her stay, but she feared that her heritage and alchemy would cause further problems with the locals. It was best to remain silent and friendly.

As she neared the Ishvalan homes, she could hear the sound of old men talking, mothers tending to their crying children, and dogs barking at some unseen entity that sent worry throughout the encampment. There was nothing to do but wait and pray (as many did), for there was no real way to tell if the intruder was from the military, or just another wanderer seeking refuge, or even just a simple bird flying overhead. Ana waited in silence, keeping her book close to her chest, and readied her necessary weapons in the event of an attack.

(Ooc: I hope that was alright, that would be my first rp post, so good luck!)

[kotaro7914]

(Question, is the person approaching a NPC or can it be an actual RP'er)

[Yen]

(Ooc: It can be either, sorry, I forgot to mention that. XD It was designed so that you can jump in.)

[kotaro7914]

(Mind if I jump in?)

[Yen]

(Ooc: Yes you may!)

[kotaro7914]

(Hooray!)

Dante walked in the desert are, hunched over and sweat dripping from his forehead. Damn the military. Sending him to Ishval just because he had accidentally destroyed a superiors office. "Damn this heat." He said wiping his forehead and trudging in the sand. Not too mention Kira the cat was in his bag weighing him down. Why did she have to appear here? Not to mention she had drank the last of his water.

He was wearing a red coat over a black shirt and black pants. A mistake he would never make again in this weather. As he walked he thought he heard dogs barking. Was it an illusion, or did he see some type of settlement up ahead. Mirage. He thought. He shrugged and started to walk toward it. When he neared it he suddenly fell face first into the sand, dehydrated and completely exhausted.

[Yen]

Making small adjustments to her glasses, Ana could make out the image of a man wandering the dunes. 'That's almost suicidal...' she wondered to herself as the younger children began to point at the man. Giving a worried glance at the elders, she grabbed her case and began to approach the man with cation, holding a small earth alchemy charm behind her back in case he wasn't friendly.

"Are you alright?" Ana called out, hoping for a friendly response. "I have some water." She said, remembering her days in the desert sand, and how it was the first thing on her mind.

Realizing that the man was no longer on his feet, she rushed over, pulling a bottle of water from her case, and tried to wake him up.

(Ooc: Sorry the last part came late, I forgot he fell.)

[kotaro7914]

(No worries)

Dante's eyes opened slightly as he heard someone run up through the sand and next to him. He could just barely make out a figure in his blurred vision. He couldn't tell what the person was, but he did hear water, and he saw the bottle. He tried to reach for it but came up short from his lack of energy.

[Yen]

Gently she pressed the bottle to the mans lips, and forgot all about her alchemy charm. It had been a while since someone had come all the way out here, and the last person that came was also in bad condition.

"Can you speak? Are you in pain?" She asked, hoping that the water had helped to regain some of the man's strength. "Where are you from?"

[kotaro7914]

Dante felt the water pass his lips and grabbed the bottle, drinking from it greedily. He had gone through half the bottle when he stopped and let out a deep breath. He looked at the one who had helped him. "I'm....fine. Just tired." He said breathing heavily. "I...Come from the south...of Amestris." He said taking another drink.

[Yen]

Ana's eyes widened slightly, but she quickly calmed herself, thumbing with her small necklace, then tucking it under the neck of her shirt. "There's a place here for you to rest, if you want. Dinner will be served soon, if you're hungry by then." She said mustering a small smile.

[kotaro7914]

Dante looked at her once again. "So.....that settlement isn't a mirage?" He asked. He couldn't believe his luck! There was a person who had saved him, and now she was saying she could feed him and give him a place to stay! "Thank you, I'd like that." He said returning a smile.

[Yen]

The young girl nodded softly, quietly happy that the man didn't know her, and was in fact friendly. "Yes, it isn't a mirage, there's a small settlement here, but it would be best if when you leave you don't tell everyone else. Bad things happen when too many people know..." She helped the man stand up, and began walking towards the remainders of the village. "My name's Ana, and I've lived here for a little while. If you need work here, you could probably speak with one of the elders. Anyone that stays has to contribute."

[kotaro7914]

Dante tried to support his own weight so she wouldn't be too burdened with helping him up. He nodded. "Don't worry, I won't tell a soul." He said as she helped him to the village. "Pleasure to meet you Ana, I'm Dante, Dante Kuya." He smiled. "I'd be honored to work here. Its the least I can do."

[Yen]

"Thanks," she said, avoiding the glances of the confused Ishvalan children, "I'm glad you understand." Eventually she opened up an old cracked wooden door, and led him inside, she then took him up the creaky broken stairs into one of the many rooms. "You can rest here for now, I'll be back in a minute with your food." Quickly disappearing down the stairs, she began to speak with the old innkeeper, explaining the situation, and arranging the strangers stay. Within a few minutes, she was back with a plate of food. "Do you know how long you will be staying?"

[kotaro7914]

Dante smiled at her as she helped him to a room in an inn. When she mentioned food he heard and felt his stomach rumble. He was very hungry. He looked around the room he had occupied as Ana went to fetch him food. It was a pleasant room to say the least. When she returned he greeted her with a smile. "I don't know, but I'll try to get on my way as soon as possible. I don't want to be a burden."

[Yen]

Ana nodded softly, an understanding look occupied her face. "It's alright, you're not a burden, just as long as you don't go about causing trouble." She handed Dante the plate of food, and eventually an inquisitive gleam grew in her eyes. "So what were you doing here in the middle of nowhere? Not that it is a bad thing you're here... it's just a little odd." Suddenly she seemed worried. "I don't mean to pry... you don't have to answer. Just curious, that's all."

(Ooc: Have to go, see you tomorrow!)

[kotaro7914]

Dante smiled. "Still, I'll repay my debt and be on my way. Thanks for the food." He said as she handed him the plate which he began to eat greedily from. When she asked what he was doing out in the desert, he looked up from the plate and swallowed what he had. "Well, I'm not going to lie to you." He said putting the plate down. "I'm a state alchemist for the military. I was sent here to patrol and watch for resistance, but its more of a punishment. I accidentally blew up a superior officers office with an alchemical experiment. So they sent me out here." He sighed. "You don't have to worry about this settlement. I won't report it."

[Yen]

Ana couldn't help but twitch when she heard the word 'military', nonetheless, she realized that he was not here to harm them, or bring reinforcements. "Thanks for your honesty, it helps in harsh places like this. If I were you, I wouldn't mention that to the others. They wouldn't hurt you, but there's bound to be some kind of discomfort." Ana gave yet another uneasy smile, then decided to share some of her past with Dante, just to be fair. "You can probably tell, but I'm not from here either. I come from Central. It can be really funny how fate works, right?"

[kotaro7914]

"Of course, lying will get me nowhere around these parts. Thank you for the warning." He said with a chuckle. He noticed her uneasiness when he mentioned he was in the military. "Don't worry, I won't report this place. I'm not exactly the loyalest of soldiers." He gave a slight nod. "I knew you were Amestrian, but I'm not one to question why your here. To be honest, I like Ishval more then Central."

[Yen]

For once, Ana gave a real smile and nodded. "That's good to know," she said cheerfully, "so tell me, do you happen to be an alchemist? At the moment, I'm hoping to find someone who could teach me. You see, I only know basic earth alchemy, the kind that shifts rocks and alters plants. Maybe you could teach me a trick or two?"

[kotaro7914]

Dante raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn't be a state alchemist if I didn't know alchemy." He said chuckling. "You want to learn more about it? Well, I'm a bit adept in a different style of alchemy. Lightning alchemy. It allows me to use the elements in the air and earth to control the earths electro-magnetic field to create lightning on the spot."

[Yen]

"Well, I am open to new ideas, the locals aren't fond of my alchemy, but at least it keeps us safe in times of need. Maybe if you were to teach me a thing of two, I could arrange your stay for as long as you need." The young alchemist smiled, hoping to arrange a trade.

[kotaro7914]

"I could teach you all I know, but are you up to it? Lightning alchemy is pretty advanced." He said nodding. "Even the basics take effort, and you need to know what elements are in the air and earth at the time." He smiled. "I could teach you as long as I'm here."

[Yen]

"I'd be more than willing to give it a try. Besides, I was the most advanced student at my old school, I'm certain I'll get the hang of it!" Ana said with an eager smile. "And I already know the basics of earth, so I should be at least a quarter of the way there." Eventually she grabbed the now empty plate and began to head for the door. "So when do you want to start?"

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