PM to join Music Heals (Numia)

[Irathia]

54th of Spring, 516 AV Irathia thrust her hammer forward, hitting the training dummy in the head. She frowned as she did it again, trying it harder, then she tried to do a swipe around and hit the dummy in the head. She repeated, but tried it in a different way. She struck the dummy in the head and brought the hammer back, immediately after thrust the top of the hammer forward and into the dummy's 'stomach.' She quickly found herself becoming bored from doing her normal drills, she tried out some new ideas... Like hitting the 'neck' of the dummy and thrusting against the head. Another one was a upper cut to the where the jaw would be... But it still wasn't that interesting, training by herself, she pressed her jaw out of annoyance. Irathia looked around the Antinous training grounds... She found herself frowning as she resumed her training on the dummy... She felt the slightest amount of anger when she continued, going harder and faster with her strikes against the dummy. She scowled at the dummy as she continued to strike again and again, the thumps of the hammer meeting dummy became loud in Irathia's ears.

[Numia]

Numia let herself sway with the light winds bouncing from the walls, their melody inspiring her to play the instrument she held as she spun around in a sort of odd-looking dance. She let gravity pull her apart, enjoying the sensations as she fought to keep her balance, all the while striking note after note with her bow upon the strings. They were uncoordinated, naturally inspired. But this was for her, more than anyone else, and it made her feel good and most importantly cleared her mind of impurities. It was as if the music nourished her, and she did not mind sharing this nourishment with others.

When she arrived in the training grounds she could hear the echoing smack of a hammer and the strained muffled sounds of a lady who seemed to have a lot on her mind. She accelerated her blows, rising in tempo and not winding down as a melody should. Her heart jettisoned infrasonic waves with every hurried beat. She was boiling, and it showed. Numia clipped her bow to her instrument and slung it over her back, and she went to go talk to the lady. From her height she could not see the rank of the person she hailed, only the outward disposition and the layers of armor she carried.

"What ails your heart?" She asked, simply, getting straight to the point and hoping the tempo would rise no longer. If not, it would be worse than she feared.

[Irathia]

Irathia whipped her head, snarling a tiny bit as she did so. No one was at the height she was, so, knowing that some races are a bit... Small, she looked down to see... A cat... Looking... Thing... Clearly, it was made of clay, like Archailist, that squirrel thing that helped her ride a horse earlier. She bared her pointed teeth, trying to get the thing away from her. "I am trying to get rid of my rage." She said through clenched teeth. She whipped around once more and slammed her hammer into the head of the dummy, there was a face their now, an amalgamation of the people that she found... Irritating as of late. Such as Alex and some of the bandits she killed. Her breathing was becoming heavier as anger swelled in her again. She found it odd that she was releasing the anger she has pent up except for when she went berserk... "Why do you care?" Irathia said to the pycon, she slammed the hammer against the dummy again, this time thrusting the top forward into the dummies head. The muscles on her neck tightened as Irathia pushed the rage down, but it quickly boiled out of her body and swirled around her core.

[Numia]

The snarl Numia received was so acute that she knew then that this person was far beyond the edge of calm. It was actually sad, for her, to see someone so lost to their own anger. What could possibly drive someone to being this angry? The angry squire did admit that she was a burning kettle trying to let off some steam, so that was good. Numia watched as the squire beat the training dummy harder and harder with progressively furious strikes. There was brutal violence in her heart, Numia could see that.

Why do I care…? That’s simple. “I have experienced loss, and I have seen things that have made me feel even smaller than I am - monsters from your dreams with the ability to stain your very soul with their voice or touch. Expressing yourself is a great way to relieve your emotions, but there seems like something more going on here. I’m not going to ask you to do much, you can keep training on that dummy if you like. Just listen to my music, for I am a bard and often only Rhaus can mend the tune of a beating heart gone awry.” Numia backed away, slinging her fiddle back around to remove it from her shoulder. She set it to her chest, and with a slight sharp breath she began to play with long, drawn out strokes.

Numia’s clawed hands danced across the board of her fiddle, pressuring the strings into differing tones of intensity. It was an aria of Numia’s heart, and with every stroke she placed more and more of her intense feelings into the song. It spoke of the sadness she experienced at the hands of her own failure, her fall, and her rise over it while never truly leaving it behind. Numia shifted her song to match the frequencies that she could hear from Ira, resonating with her to mingle emotions with emotions, encouraging Ira’s heart to truly sweat and bleed her anger out of herself when all this time the heart had clung to it greedily and never let go.

Numia’s song carried with it resonance, and the vibrations of her melody while not that awe-inspiring carried with them a certain kind of magic.

[Irathia]

Irathia just ignored the small little cat thing and continued hitting the dummy... But that was when the music started... Irathia slowed down a little, not hitting the dummy as hard... She listened to the song, it was a sad song, reminded her of how she felt when she first ran away from Xy, lost and confused... Irathia stopped hitting the dummy eventually and just stared at the small creature, her hammers were lowered as Irathia felt her anger completely melted away. Irathia placed her hammer on the ground and listened to the music... She felt much better now... Though the sad song did make her think about some things, like her old friends that she used to have.

[Numia]

Numia could tell by now that whatever this person was, they weren't quite human. She was unlike any other race she had seen before, and there was a certain wild look about her that made her seem savage and barbaric. The bard could feel as if the other preferred actions over words, so she presumed it would be best to communicate with feelings instead of overwhelm her with the verbal tongue. Still, she had to have a name, what was it?

Numia spoke above the sound of her fiddle as she played. "What is your name, she-who-toils-the-flame? I am called Numia." The Pycon started to hum as she shifted her melody, going to a lighter place now that she had brought the creature down to earth. Whether she got an answer or not, she continued to play. Her mind went to the bright and cheerful times she had, such as when she first met Rhaus. Playing with the chords again until she found something lighter, more up-beat, the sound evolved into quickened spurts of benevolence that would hopefully renew whomever it was in front of her.

As always, with every stroke she poured her heart into it. Numia didn't know any songs, but she had always preferred treating her instrument as another language which she was growing more adept at. Still, there were mistakes and odd notes were played, but the genuine feelings that she imbued the strings with would carry enough weight on their own.

[Irathia]

Irathia bit her lip... "Well Numia... My name, is Irathia." She said, giving a small bow to the pycon... She wasn't sure why, she just felt like she should... "Erm... That... Sounds nice..." She said, scratching the back of her head as she did so... She felt calm now, and she smiled slightly as the small little cat creature. The small creatures that seem to be squires were very interesting, one was a squirrel, and one seemed to be a cat of some kind with a small instrument. Irathia ignored the bad notes were played... She sat back and listened, letting the music make her happy as it seemed to change in a very good way. She was enjoying the songs and how they made her feel, it was a nice parting of emotions she felt as of late... She smiled again, her pointed teeth showing.

[Numia]

Numia picked up on more evidence from this person that they were inhuman, as evidenced by the odd teeth she had. So, her name was Irathia then? She was glad her music was having a positive effect on her, and what was once an angry soul now bowed and greeted her in a more civilized fashion. Numia was out on a ledge here, but she was in a happy place within her mind. As Numia played further for a couple of chimes, she knew that all things must come to an end. Her upbeat spirals of notes slowly began to dwindle away, ending on an upbeat crescendo.

"I hope you can remember my music as you train, and that you can think of it when you feel unwell." Numia's words carried with them a certain calmness and understanding, she was trying to make a friend out of Irathia. Hopefully it worked, and hopefully she would be a good friend. Numia knew how violent and crazy the other knights could be, and she had a feeling Irathia had been in many pickles due to her nature. It wasn't much to ask of someone, to remember a sound.

Numia now returned Irathia's slight bow with one of her own. "I can play for you again another day if you like."

[Irathia]

Irathia enjoyed the song, as it continued to go up in it's pace and volume. She smiled more as the song came to and end, hearing the last bits of the song echoing in her ears. "Thank you." She said... "That sounded really good!" She said as she picked up her hammer... The small cat told her to remember the song, which she already was, humming it slightly. Numia said that she could play for her when ever she wanted, and Irathia smiled and nodded. "I would like that... Very, very much." She said, as she went back to hitting the dummy, it wasn't violent anymore, it was more of her just practicing the movements of her hammer... She stopped and then smiled for a moment at Numia. "Thank you again..." She said as she went back to hitting the dummy.

[Numia]

Just like that, things as were they should be. Numia's melody had brought to ease a heart tearing itself asunder, and she was filled with giddy enthusiasm from her accomplishment although she rarely showed it. Numia extended to Irathia an official goodbye, the tone of friendship and encouragement lacing it like venom. "I bid thee farewell, Irathia!" It didn't take long for Irathia to begin training again, Numia could tell that the strange person was very dedicated to it. "May we meet again! Train long and proud, sister!" Numia hoped she did this person a favor. The Pycon knew not of the monstrous race this one was a part of, but in a place like this unbridled rage coupled with a startling visage did not seem to go very far.

And with that, Numia turned around and began to leave. Silently, Numia thought to herself a prayer. Praise upon Rhaus for blessing me with the gift to help others, no matter how deep they are in a statue of themselves.