A Well Earned Celebration

[bravenewmods]

[The battle was over and the god Reshiram defeated, driven away by the aid of Union and its allies. The city was safe, by and large, and as the news spread throughout the peoples of the tundra, they began streaming back into the settlement in droves. Dirty, ash-coated faces were filled with relief and gratitude when they saw that it wasn't just a rumor and that their home had indeed been spared. Not everyone was so lucky, but they'd weathered worse, of course. The people of Glacier endured, as they would always endure, and they were also a people that repaid their debts. And they most certainly all agreed that they owed their rescuers a debt.

So, as night fell after the battle, a great celebration was prepared in the center of Glacier. A wide square was cleared away in a matter of hours, and the people gathered what they could in a show of thanks. Tables of food, bonfires towering into the night sky to keep out the autumn chill, and throngs of cheering wellwishers lined the area. Warriors of glacier, men carrying swords and women all bearing axes offered enthusiastic handshakes and claps on the back. Music of all kinds was played, though tribal tunes full of horn and percussion, chanting and yodeling, and even some brass groups dominated the soundscape.

A platform for various elders was set up, and they offered speeches, of course...but those were somehow dwarfed by the presence of the divine beings that were waiting silently for the proceedings to end. Some of the gods that had come to the aid of the war parties had apparently decided to stay, though their reasons were as mysterious as they themselves. The humans would have their time, and the Servants would mingle freely throughout the evening.

Food, of course, is set out in piles. Meat, fish, arctic berries, and various pastries and the like line table after table. A smorgasbord of Glacier specialties, each with a new and unique flavor all their own, and some (such as the stew) possessing a smell that only a native could probably endure. Akutaq in particular seems to stand out among the worst offenders, but the Glacier natives seem rather fond of it, and offer it to their rescuers with great gusto.

And the rewards do not stop at simple meals. either. As the speeches begin to wind down, a woman some might find familiar walks up onto the stage carrying a singularly massive trunk and dropping it down onto the wood with a heavy thud.]

Southerners! You have done a great deed this day! We, the people of Glacier, would like to thank you and honor your sacrifice! Few would do as you have done, coming to the aide of strangers against the might of that dragon...and you have accomplished something we did not think possible. To that end, we would like to present you with the first of many gifts, a token of our gratitude and a promise that should you need it, we will come to your defense in a time of need!

[And then with a sharp kick, she cracks open the trunk and reveals a veritable treasure trove of three different stones to be distributed by her subordinates.]

Rest well, and enjoy the festivities! You are welcome here, for as long as you like! Eat, drink, and be merry within our halls!

Comments

[ofpromisedvictory]

Er...thank you, but I couldn't possibly...

[Saber, in her human form with large swathes of bandages covering various super-effective burn marks, is surrounded by friendly glacier locals offering her food. She's all for it when it's a round of fish or venison, as the cleared plates and bowls in front of her attest, but she's being assaulted with akutaq at the moment, and between the berry melange and the unflavored fat, it's conflicting mightily with the last several months of getting spoiled on Union takeout.]

[smitesevil]

You should give the akutaq a try.

[ Sanger seems to actually like it? He doesn't attack it the way he does the less exotic food, but it's mostly because he avoids eating too much fat as a rule. When you charge into things at full speed, that fatty, bloated feeling is actually an enemy. ]

They will be more likely to leave you alone after you have had some, at least.

[ofpromisedvictory]

[Escaping the attention of the celebrating Glacierites for a moment, Saber sighs as privately as possible.]

It's not that I don't appreciate it, but the food here is like a minefield. Some great, some...almost like wild food. After so much time in Union, it's a bit of a shock.

[smitesevil]

Wild food...

[ Sanger looks at the food in his hands. ]

I suppose it is rather raw, but compared to picking whatever you come across, it is rather amazing.

[ofpromisedvictory]

[Saber hears this and reconsiders it.]

I suppose. I've just spent most of my life living on berries, and the parts of this I can identify are...mostly berries.

[smitesevil]

It really is.

[ ... ]

Better than bark, at least.

[ofpromisedvictory]

...I can't say I've ever been hungry enough to eat bark.

[Raw, anyway.]

[smitesevil]

I do not recommend it.

[ He really doesn't. ]

Though when you are on the run, you do not always have a choice.

[ofpromisedvictory]

You've spent time on the run in the forest? I didn't expect that from a straightforward warrior like yourself.

[smitesevil]

That is not surprising, since I have not shared the story with anyone. I was captured by Gigas. I escaped, but it was months after that before I found civilisation again. I did what I had to in order to survive at the time.

[untalented]

Here.

[Waver pushed his way through the crowd and offered Saber a warm cup of tea. Even by his own taste buds, skewed as they were from a lifetime in Sanctuary, he didn't know what to make of the akutaq.]

Let's.....let's go find another place to be.

[Saber, this is your chance to escape the weirdos with their weird food. It might be wise to take it.]

[ofpromisedvictory]

[Tea is always 100% appreciated. As is rescue from crowds, even if neither of them really knows how to do it politely. Saber just bows and walks off with the man.]

Thank you, Waver. It's a bit crowded here, isn't it?

[untalented]

It is, [he agreed with a sigh, and started to lead Saber off to some place a little quieter.] But...everyone must want to get the adrenaline out of their system.

[Waver cast a glance back on his housemate, noting the bandages and obvious burn marks on her. Considering the sort of being that Saber was, this sort of damage was nothing short of impressive....and frightening.]

I'm glad to see you're okay, Saber. This entire adventure....

[With his sentence trailing into silence, Waver simply shook his head. There was no point in finishing that thought. Though it was chaotic, it was enough to know that the few people he counted as friends had come out relatively unharmed.]

[ofpromisedvictory]

It was an adventure in enduring my weaknesses, but I survived. I think everyone who departed from Union did.

[untalented]

....I can heal you, if you want. And we can work on making some fire-proof armor in case we run into this kind of situation later.

[ofpromisedvictory]

I'm as healed as I'm going to get from outside influence. Most of these bandages are precautions against infection.

[She's not saying it, but there's a definite I'm-fine-mom tone there.]

Armor, though...Fire is a weakness I can't mitigate myself, and after this, I think it's worth the investment to try and do so with equipment. Armor is Caldera's specialty, right?

[untalented]

[He gets that tone and decides not to press further; Saber knew how to take care of herself.]

It is, [he said, answering the question with the ease of an academic.] There are a few engineers from Caldera currently residing in Union....and there are stories from an older time that tell of how the smiths from Caldera and the Magi from Sanctuary worked together to craft fine weapons and armor. It may take some time, but if you're willing to be patient, we may be able to craft armor that will be perfect for you.

[ofpromisedvictory]

I'd be deeply appreciative.

[She sighs.]

I should also probably look into what I need to evolve again. I know an evolutionary stone is involved, and I think I'm close to the limit of my potential in this form.

[divine_braid]

You look how I feel.

[Duo wasn't much better off than Saber when it came to bandages. He flopped down next to her, clearly feeling the recent battles in the way he favored his right side.]

Not into the weird ice cream type stuff?

[ofpromisedvictory]

I have had ice cream many times since coming to Union.

[Seriously. Many times.]

This has ice, but that is most of the similarity.

[divine_braid]

[He laughed a little.]

Yeah. It's not exactly the same. Kind of weird... but, I've had worse. [He waved his spoon around as if to make a point.] And it doesn't taste terrible. It's more like the weird texture of it.

[ofpromisedvictory]

Maybe if I transformed back into a Doublade, I wouldn't notice the texture...

[How does she even eat as a Doublade?]

[divine_braid]

Doublade?! [Duo looked surprised.] When did you evolve? Congrats! [Fist bump?]

[ofpromisedvictory]

[Saber stares at his hand for a few minutes before deducing it's some strange kind of handshake. She punches his fist back. Not too hard, though.]

Er, thank you. It actually happened in those strange caves where we found Diancie. The combination of my training and learning a bit more about myself, I think.

[divine_braid]

[He grinned.]

Nice. I haven't hit anything like that, yet. I know Enlightened can, and since I am one, I'm thinkin' that I can, too.