Xinnidy

"Hmm..." With a final nod towards Jeremiah, hearing the man's parting words, Üllr held a paw to Iris' claw. "Let's go," Üllr turned to her, expression mellowing. "Let's look for a clothing store. I don't know them well." He took her claw closer to his chest, an awkward smile --something he barely did--, and started his steps towards the city, leading her. "Oh yeah~ Well then!" With a devious smirk at Ren's go-ahead, Christopher turned around to the assortment of siege weapons by the nearest corner. More specifically, a wheeled platform besides --where one would install the necessary weapons, likely. "So, usually, it'd take the manpower of several people to keep a mobile siege weapon moving in the middle of a skirmish, making a siege weapon a matter of manpower and expertise that was only encroached by well skilled mages and expensive spells --however!" Tinkering with the platform for a moment, obscured from view, Chris snapped his finger, stepping back from the device with a skip on his step. "Thanks to the academic synthesis of engineering and magic, a nascent kind of mage that can handle these platforms alone could flourish --without the need of exceptional magical aptitude for long range spells, or a crew working by their side!" With a whirr, the platform had come to move on its own, or perhaps more accurately, it had moved forwards, towards Chris, wheels turning on their own, stopping a few inches away from the imagineer cat. at its center was a contraption of stone, wood and several gems indented, runes carved intricately along it, emitting a faint shine. "With a proper core, a decently skilled mage can steer and move them on their own! Of course, the main issue becomes how efficient a core is. I can keep it moving for a good hour or so on my own mana, currently, but ideally you use some of the rocks and gems as storage --which means I got my work cut out for me these next days." Turning back to Ren after his explanation, Chris' smirk had turned into a sheepish smile. "Which is why having mages to help with would be really handy."

"Guuuh..." So, Esther got some shoot down, but as the curtain came down on the battlefield, her mech... was doing terrible, barely holding it together. "Damnit!" Hearing the orders, it was clear that she was going to need to come back for repairs-- way more than most, for sure. "Krile Three, coming back..." At least she got among the highest score, but for the rest... "Back to the sims." Live fire seemed to take... a lot more, she couldn't take the same risks. "Jumping." And back to the hangar, her HEX went. "Roger, remaining alert." A simple change of objectives. Bonner's HEX was still in pristine condition, and those that remained were about the same, save Markus. "We still have the insurgent civilians to worry about. Lieutenant Silvavolke, we should remain on point towards the direction they went, in case we pick up a signal." Having the most capable HEX of the bunch, Bonner felt most confident in that formation.

That took a turn for the heavy quickly --not that it already wasn't emotionally charged, of course--, and Jeremiah gave a very brief summary. "You...?" Üllr jumped on the spot, holding himself back while his brain processed things. Killing someone's father was a horrible aggression, he understood that. Still, neither Jeremiah or Iris were fighting, they were trying to come to terms with what happened. Iris finally corroborated his claim, speaking that her father wasn't a good person. "Ah..." Üllr finally felt like he understood enough to calm down, looking straight at Iris as she came closer to him... and then jumped him for a hug. "Hwa?" Üllr wasn't ready for the accompanying mood change, being slow to hug her back. She probably needed the support after all that... "Mmm, yeah, okay. We can take a break and go to town... bark?" He didn't get what she meant by that. "Could buy some stuff for fighting too... yeah, let's go." Üllr let her enjoy the hug, patting her back, as his gaze slowly moved back to Jeremiah. "She's not evil. She won't be. I'll stay with her." Whatever concern Jeremiah had... Üllr wanted him to know he had his own stakes in that. "Oh! Fine, if you insist~" An excuse to talk was all that Christopher needed, with a devious smirk to follow. "Now where do I begin? My interest goes further than siege weapons, to be fair. It all started with rune inscribing, you see. There are many ways to store mana and have it flow through non-living material, you see, but there's always been a need to find consistency --what makes a material good, how it can conduct, etc. This is the basis of how our standard catalysts are tomes wrought in special inks and magical gems for staves, see? But there's a way to alter a material's properties beyond its inherent attributes." He snapped his fingers, leading them just outside the castle at that point. "Over there!" Turning to head to the barracks with his tag-along, Chris skirted around the conglomerate near the entrance --seemed a bit busy enough as it were. "Part of the Lions, too? Anyways, to keep it simple, irregular shapes and indentations were noted to change a material's affinity, and with the current need for better, more efficient materials... it's a whole field that's still just being tapped! As for myself, I got into runic design from a book. You know... the first homebrew rune I did was a tome -well, a page. It was a flux spelltome, and my modification made it a blue hue instead of its usual current of mana. It also went out of power after two casts. Eheheh~" "Ah, here we are!" Having arrived, Chris unceremoniously pushed the entrance doors open, giving way to the rather empty space with wooden bolts, wheels, and platforms spread about near the corners of the spacious main room. "And how it relates to siege weapons... well. Stone and wood are fairly easy materials to carve. They are a bit on the mundane side for magical capacity --but that can be fixed with quantity... and good crafting quality." He spun around, an arm outstretched into the room, skirt flaring a little. "Now," Christopher smirked, "Do you want to see a siege platform move on its own~?" "Ahh, so it's about that. I see." Owen nodded in response, "You are more than free to aid them, though it will definitely be a shame to lose numbers if you intend to tag along with them. I've been expecting that of the sellswords, but we'll be missing your services. Still, if you deem it important for your growth as an alchemist... well, who am I to contest something like that?" He leaned on the table, smile bittersweet. "Eslcas' doors are always open, as your home. Come back alive and stronger --for our sake." There wasn't much time to sit and take the proceedings slow with how much he still had to handle. Owen stood upright promptly, lifting the weight of his diplomatic persona with a sigh. "Haah... The Tigers are getting a great deal out of this. I'm starting to envy them. Hah!" Moving around the table, towards the door, Owen paused. "Ah, that reminds me." He turned towards Bella once more, "Could you do me a favor, Bella? There was another person supposed to attend the meeting according to Nita, somebody also tagging with the Tigers, a cat clouded that works on our siege team. I still haven't seen or heard anything from them... so give them a tug on the ear for me, if you find them. If I had to guess... they just unceremoniously went to the barracks to tinker with their toys rather than meeting people." He chuckled, opening the door out. "Engineers... well, I'll see you later. Stay safe, Bella." It was time to go back to Syndra and Tasha, and pick up from there.

"Huh...?" Üllr was already surprised at Jeremiah's appearance, followed by Iris' affirmation of their tension. He could only stare at the two with doubt and concern as their exchange kept on, both tense and intimate. "Huh???" There was too much going on, especially for Üllr's understanding of Jeremiah --which could be summarized as 'strong important foreign man'. Iris and Jeremiah were acquainted? He did something wrong to her and her sister? And Iris was... well, she was obviously hurting about something. "Wha...??" It was visibly uncomfortable to watch this back and forth from the sidelines. Üllr was no longer stanced up, walking awkward steps towards the two while holding his arm. "What happened? What did you do to Iris?" It... felt like he should at least know that much, Iris' story mattered to him, even if that sunk how little he understood about it... "Hm! Hmhmhmhmhm~ Yes, I suppose that will do, Ser Ren. Thank you kindly for the offer." Turning from Natalya to his tag-along knight, Chris gave a brief nod, "The siege engines need their shelter from the elements, especially with the sea in walking distance! We keep them all in the wall's second annexed barracks. Used to be for more of the local army, but well... the numbers aren't as they were in Oswald's days --or so I hear, I just helped repurpose the place." With a spin and a hold on Ren's wrist, Chris gently tugged. "So, if you fancy a walk outside, or a little lesson on modern siege engines, follow me!" It was certainly a topic he was impassioned by.

Scouting ahead at their brisk pace was notably tiring, especially so short on food and supplies. "Haah..." Raz returned to the camp starving, looking for anything that could help stave off the feeling. "Just a little more... a litte more and we get to a town proper." She couldn't wait to pawn off some jewelry and get an actual bed for the night. "Hmm... how's the prisoner handling it?" Approaching Jil and Rina, Raz kept a cautious eye on the princess. "And you, for that matter, Majesty. Getting used to being on the run?"

"Hmm...?" Now upstairs with Syndra and the others, Owen was accosted by one of his personnel, Bella, who seemed to put big import in what she needed resolved at that point. "Oh my. I was on my way to speak with the Tiger's captain alongside our guests, but... well, if you can make it quick, I could catch up to her on the way. If, you wouldn't mind, Syndra." He turned to Syndra with an apologetic expression, concerned he'd put a wrench to their tempo. "Truly sorry. Not a moment of quiet today, I'm afraid..." "Bella, come with me." A waiting room for diplomats and messengers would do for now, considering the floor they were at. Owen quickly entered one, beckoning his alchemist. "Tell me what needs be said, I'm listening." "Ah... hm, understood." Christopher's tail and one uncovered ear drooped, "Well, that can't be helped. If you're already overburdened, I'll need to ask Owen for the means, then --Ah, if you have strong mages in your company, I'd love to meet them all the same. There are ways to make the platform move without much help by drawing some magic power, see, but it's not too efficient for long distance, so I could use the help. Haah." Christopher ended with a sigh he promptly cut off --wouldn't do to be so discorteous to the people he'd be working with. And now that he gave a good look at her... "Well, it's nice to make your acquaintance, Natalya --you look great, and really have the airs of a leader, might I add. I'll do what I can to get the siege ready to firing as we get there. Once you and Owen have a route set, I'll be thankful if you can have someone pass it to me. Knowing what terrain we'll be crossing will help a lot." With a quick curtsy, he finally slowed down, giving Natalya space to speak. "Thank you very much, and sorry for taking your time! Please, enjoy the castle." "Mmr...?" Üllr looked away at Lucretia's wink, not fully understanding his embarassment, and was further confused as Iris' tone caught him off-guard. "Huh...? Oh, yeah. Let's give them space." Wouldn't do to bump against each other, so Üllr got the sense in that. While walking, he closed the distance towards Iris, hand on her shoulder. "All good?" In his mind, Üllr was still concerned his heavy punch upset her, being the clearest connection. "Should be your turn again. Don't let me catch you. When you can attack, you want to take control of the fight. Make the other move as you want." It was... possibly a bit high concept, but he had faith Iris would get it. "Ready whenever." Üllr took enough steps back to make a decent distance and adapted a bracing stance.

"Hn!" Despite his holding back, Üllr was still stronger than expected, managing a swing that took Iris' light body off the ground. "Ahh... s, sorry." Dropping his stance and surprised, he came over to Iris' side to check her. "We can, keep going later. I'll hold back more." He was embarassed, feeling he should've known more about his strength compared to Iris'. It was easy to forget he was unusually strong for his size. They were both called out by Lucretia, she woman he remembered from the underground base assault. "Yeah, another..." He quietly agreed with Iris without thinking, catching himself as she squinted at his sparring partner. "Uh, hello again... didn't mean to hit that hard. My mistake..." He was already feeling awkward from not holding back, and now he shot his gaze to the floor sheepishly. "Are you guys going to practice now?" His ears still picked up the newcomer's conversation well. "Hah. I'm right about just one thing... you'd think I wouldn't be getting such lip in my own home." Owen chuckled, shaking his head. "I am not surprised to the negative, Marigold. We are in agreement on how we'll see Kieran off his cell this time. Now... I believe we said what could be said. I'll have you accompany me too, Syndra. I'm sure she'll be a great deal less upset if she found out the idea came from you --with my blessings." With a nod, he turned to the others in the room --Miredy, Jane, and Graham. "I'll be leaving now. The castle guard will be unlocking his cell once we speak with the commander. I'll invite you back upstairs now, if there are no further words."

"Halidom would be entirely new territory for us, Rivane... though it's not like south is much better. Still far from where we prefer to operate. Still..." Raz seemed a bit enticed ny the prospect of more gold near the halidom, but the risks were as real as Rivane's descriptions. "Mind, we'd still be on the outskirts of the halidom from the start so..." It was a big risk, to be sure. "Honestly... We're damned in both places, but at least what we know from the south may help. It'll be up to you, Rivane... but like you said, if the Halidom decides to chase us as well, we're done." "Tsk." There was no way around the risks during this operation, "Being short on money really makes going through the Halidom tempting, but I hate that I don't know left from right about the place. Being out of funds and desperate on the south is no better either..." Hopefully they could leverage the princess for funds sooner than later...

"Good shot, Lieutenant Silvavolke. I'll take it from here, we move to regroup now." With how things were looking, they'd be most likely to miss the rest of the fight, but still... Bonner to 22, 27, arrestor cable lancer 7A. "Hhh..." Still reeling for a score, Esther pushed the advance as Louise retreated. The danger... didn't seem that dire now, not with the others following suit, and she still wanted her contributions, too... Esther to 15, 19, use Focus, grenade Lancer 4S.

"Hah..." A chuckle escaped. Owen wasn't expecting Syndra to embolden and just ask Kieran to join them, not after the way their conversation started, he gave a passing glance towards Miredy and Jane, a muted, knowing smile as he pondered --likely on what tipped the discourse's scales. "Much like a fester, Kazran contributed in bolstering the Underground's strength by letting it run unchecked. One of the many things in the extensive list of good things to come from offing Kazran is a weakening of their scope." Once more, Owen focused his attention on Kieran. "I can't say I expected you getting a vote of confidence... but I'll remind you I'm not one to gladly order my subjects to their deaths. You will aid the efforts, but you are to return alive." He smiled, "Terribly disappointing if your oath of repentance only amounted to that, after all --but I can't stress the point harder than your own heart, can I?" "Mmr?" Üllr caught Iris' outburst, tilting his head slightly. "Okay. But tell me if you need to stop." He trusted Iris to gauge her limits, anyways. This was just training. "You don't want to jump if they are approaching. Leaves you open. Maybe wouldn't if you were a bird, but we are not." He went back to position, readying his fists again. "Jump is for attack, or to make distance. Risky if attack." Üllr was doing more talking that usual, though he was enjoying it in a tangential sense. "Grandpa told me all that." It was a way to connect his past to where he currently was. The feeling... was good. "We go one more time." This time, he wanted to train her not just on reflexes, but on what to do after. Even if dodging wasn't easy, she could learn to brace it, or block. Whatever happened, she needed to take the flow of combat from him. Stopping him from taking her turns. "Hup!" Charging, Üllr swerved to his right, trying to bait her reaction, then, with a sharp diagonal step, tried to catch her with a swing and a left hook, holding back some of the punch weight in case it was too effective. "Miaou... well, we should see your captain first, decidedly!" He nodded, hastening his pace as he ensured the tiger clouded was the right person. "Knowing how you do things is important, it lets me be more effective! And shortens the time I spend tinkering when I know what to expect. Well! Ahem." He cleared his throat, "Excuse me! You're the one that leads the Tigers, yes? I'm Christopher, castle personnel, siege operator, and will be helping you on the attack. Could I trouble you for a brief moment? Erm..." Not one to keep waiting on conversations, Chris kept going. "First, I wanted to introduce myself, but also, I wanted to ask logistics while I could --now, the answer doesn't need to be now now, but I'd like to know how much equipment your transports could help me with carrying --to the point it doesn't get cumbersome for yours, of course." They'd fired off their big question without worry, hoping Tasha would keep up with his quickened manner of talking.

"Hmm... Going to Bravia is a tall ask, but not above our means, really. At least, if the reward is fitting. The better question is how we survive until then." Raz kept her attention between Rivane and the princess, "Pawning off that jewelry will help for a time, but we need to find a safe place to do it first." Walking towards Rivane, she picked her backpack, rummaging through belongings until she drew a parchment. "Here, Chief. We've got a few options we can go on the way to Bravia, but we'll inevitably be crossing people's turf one way or another."

"...Hmph." Raz leaned back, still glaring at Cyrus even past his reassurance and reasoning. Her wings flapped, following a click of the tongue, as Rivane followed with his own, sound comments. "...Quite the long con, Cyrus. I'll give you that. Still, I'll go with Rivane's decision. Still got my eyes on you." Her tail swished aggressively, and she turned towards Rivane. "Now answer the boss honestly. I'll follow his judgement, on Bravia and the princess."

Rivane seemed to be on a similar page to Raz, which emboldened her to walk closer to the princess. "Well, it makes things harder if you can't say, you know? We need to be sure they won't attack us, for one. It's already bad enough that the empire is going to hunt us." She smirked, seeing where Rivane's morale held his tongue, kneeling in from of the princess as she scanned the figure with less reservation, revealling a smirk. "You do have a good looking body, a damn prettier sight than most village people ever see. It's a shame you're too high profile, showing your face would be a great trail for the soldiers. Still, put you on revealing cothes and veil, and we can work something in the taverns along the way..." What did not agree with her mood was Cyrus' reveal, making Raz shoot up and cast a glare. "I knew you were a weird one, but what the hell?" She stomped toowards the crow, "What, we've been all pained doing worse and worse labor to survive, and you were just playing pretend?" Raz seemed poised to lunge, balling a fist, but changed her mind. "Well then, what is that proof beyond words, Mr. Bravian?"

"Eh?" Üllr was surprised, feeling like he'd caught Iris unprepared, but why? "Well, it's fine. You reacted. But... yeah, one more." He readied his fist again, backing up. "Need to do more than that in a fight. You have to stop your opponent from taking more turns." It was a nice moment for him. Able to think back to his grandfather's words. "Ready..." He prepared another lunge, this time adapting to her last evasion. "Hrah!" This time, his fist was aiming low. "Ah... well, alright then. I see!" Christopher adjusted their stance more proper, looking towards the --appropriately-- Tiger Clouded that Ren claimeed was in charge. "Well, if she can answer, then all the more reason. It's proof I'm not too late, besides. Ah... but I'd like the company, yes. If it wouldn't trouble you, Ren?" Chris managed a sheepish smile while asking the favor, swaying the tail nerviously.

"Wha- Cyrus? I don't need the cover, let me at them." Having the momentum taken from her as Cyrus got in the way, Raz frowned, keeping her light tome close. "You're the medic, you don't need to play the hero. Her dark eyes glared at Cyrus, looking for a wayy to break from him --until he hoisted her body and made leave. "Wh- Put me down, I can fly!" Frowning, flailing and kicking the air, Raz escaped the scene in a far leess graceful manner than she planned for. Raz spent some time on the outskirts of their camp after arrival, more concerned with the possibility of being chased. The knights weren't as familiar with the terrain as they were, but they had numbers. "Looks like the empire won't be lasting long one way or another." She arrived not too long, halfway through the conversation, having listened in to enough of the princess to get the gist. "Are you expecting to salvage what you can after Halspria forfeits the war? Would you trust Bravia enough to keep their word? They're already winning, after all."

Somehow, the conversation turned out for the... disappointing. Considering her need to address Tristan, Owen expected Syndra's approach to be a bit more tactful, even with understandable anger. She seemed more content in hurling insults at Kieran at first. It was another reminder that not everyone was as diplomacy minded as he were. With a mellowing expression, he crossed his arms, watching the back and forth with intent. "At ease, Graham. Let each speak their truth." In part, Owen was getting what he came here for. He wanted to know the true character of Syndra Belrose, after all, as well as Kieran's current state of mind. Marigold's interjections were additionally interesting to him. Still, he had no intent in interjecting until absolutely necessary. He'd retained his gaze on Kieran for a longer moment as he spoke of Luthier and his strength. It was... sour, to be reminded of the strength the Belrose leveraged. Surely, with some means, some help, this wouldn't be the case, but resources were never in his favor... "Truth be told, I don't know what I expected." Owen sighed, looking between Kieran and Syndra. "But this is all too natural. The Belrose name inspires rancor in all of those in my lands for a reason, even as one has no power to change their circumstance of birth. 'Blame yourself or the gods', they say, ever a resonant saying." Focusing his gaze on Syndra for a moment, a curiosity filled Owen's mind. "'Tis quite bold to return, especially with the risk your family hears of you, but I don't assume you mean to stay after the dust settles, right? Even if you denounce your blood, people will find reason to hate you as much as they will find reasons to hate Clouded. It'll be something to ponder, if you ever think of returning to Islexia. Would that stay your hand from helping those in need?" With a pensive raise of his brow, Owen let his words sink for the moment, turning to Kieran. This time, he'd spoke nothing, simply studying how the man would react. "Hmm!" Üllr took a step back, needing all the distance to react to Iris proper. She was still fast, despite everything. but her fist didn't have that much weight. A quick hit landed on his shoulder as he turned to brace the punch. It was a hit, but it was bearable, and moreso... "Mm!" He grabbed her wrists, late to pull back. "Slow. It's different to using claws. Get a hit, or two. Then pull back." Having her by the wrist, Üllr pulled her closer, a hand on her shoulder. "Wouldn't dodge if I attacked. It's important." With that, he let go of her, but nodded in return, pleased with it. "Good, you can do it. Now, try to dodge or block. My turn." She'd need to get used to close quarter combat. His hands were worse at making a fist, Üllr needed to adjust in a half-palm curl. It wasn't going to hit as hard, but that worked just well for practice. "Hup!" For his turn, he charged by swerving from the left, aiming for a standard, hard to dodge hit against her center of gravity --the torso. "A-ah, yeah, the ballistae guy..." Christopher held back a sigh. Sure, he hadn't talked to the sibling that much, but it was still a shame to be recognized so shakily like that. "E-erm, well, okay. Good that that's solved, then! I did need to put it all into practice, so, well, I'll just need to make adjustments, and talk with their leadership... yeah? Yeah." Means Chris wouldn't have to deal with Nita, at least... unless she spotted him out there fixing the siege weapons up. "Thank you, milady, enjoy your outing!" With a quick bow, Christopher saw her off, hand on his chin, contemplating his options. "Well, well, guess I did get my orders, Ren. If you can help me know the Tigers better, I'll be grateful! Mmm, getting the wheels fixed up again is going to be annoying. I really hope the road isn't muddy..." Christopher was... certainly accostumed to thinking of multiple things at once. "Well!" He turned to his new workmate once more, "How many men strong is the company? Do you have any carriages I can borrow for my equipment? Horses, at least, or are you more magical-alligned? Could I request a favor from some of your to help me charge a few cores for long distance?" Christopher started a flurry of questions in a rather... fast manner, to put it nicely.

Bad, bad, Cavalry were here. "Rivane. We don't have much time. Do what you need to do now." Frustrated, and with two knights already on their tail, and more around the corner, it was time to leave. Raz hold, attack Knight 1 with light.

"Hm!" Using the strong points of the light applique armor, Bonner was able to deflect a saber and a bullet easily enough. Able to prevent Daeran's machine from suffering unecessary damage. "Looks like I still got it. Lieutenants, Ensign, get ready to support the south front, these numbers are more than handled." Moving to (26,23) Bonner attacks Lancer 7-A with the rotating slicer. "Hah!" A little chuckle at Louise's warning, Esther swerved to join the two HEXes up front, still in command of those guided blades, that kept turning towards the many targets in her sight. "They'll be mincemeat if they approach me, don't worry." They couldn't do better than unmanned machines she couldn't use her heightened sense on, surely. Esther moves to (17,19).

"Tch. That dumbass..." Clicking her tongue, Raz moved slightly forward, taking cover near the carriage. "See that you get him out of there fast. We're giving their horse riders time to catch our group." And there were sure to be more further ahead in the woods, now that she thought about it. Their escape route would need to be more complicated to compensate for the knight's plot... Raz to (5,8), equip light tome, hold.

"Hmm? Hmm." A weird turn of events. The princess was freed by Kagi of all things, but before Raz could think of it further, one of the knights attacked the princess herself. Completely bizarre, but one quick reflex had Raz drawing her bow again. She was to be their hostage, they couldn't afford to have her die by reason of any internal conflics. "Shut up." Raz moves to (4,7), fire arrows at Antonio. "No more... and you, whoever you are, you're surrounded, girl. Dropping your weapons, or are you going to throw your life as well?" Her threathening eyes stared down Rina in her spot, watching that sword arm.

And so they set themselves in place. The carriage was still well guarded from the front, but they had left a convenient slack on the rear forces, allowing them to be attacked... almost intentionally so? Somehow, that sinking feeling that they were not alone strengthened, but she wasn't sure if it was other bandits... The ambush was called, little much was needed past that point. Raz'd pick out the weaker targets, divide and give a better way for the others to surround the caravan. "There you are..." Training her sights on the spellcaster most exposed from her position, she readied an arrow. Raz to (4,4), shoot Mage 1 with her bow.

"Hmm." Rivane was right, they had no resources to keep it going as it were. "We'll need to be extra quick no matter what, I'll be on it." The ambush spot was already decided, so all that remained was as Rivane instructed. Thankfully, the others were quite on point with answering the call. "Mm, is that everyone else? Got that work done, then. Choose a good spot, don't move until Rivane's call, and get out soon as we get the woman." It was an escalation for sure, to be kidnapping a royal, but desperate times... besides, it'd be a first for interacting with the empire's upper echelon. Almost poetic, with what Raz remembered of passed down stories. "Hm~." With the faintest hint of satisfaction in her stoic face, Raz took a step towards a tree stump, sitting down and taking a swig out of her canteen. Wonder how the princess looks like in person...

Of course, hopes that were too good to be true must needed be checked. To those already on the business of pillaging, royalty traveling through the old roads was absurdly unheard of, but everyone and their mother heard the same, so there she was --Raz, a scout for a mercenary group turned to banditry to make it in this failing cesspit of an empire--, viewing the commotion along the old road. "Son of a bastard..." It was still hard to believe, even with the carriage right there on Raz's sight. Equipped light in armor and using the trees as cover, Raxz dared to get a bit closer to dispel any doubts. "The caravan is going too fast to be heavily loaded.. it wouldn't be that kind of trap. The escorting team looks royal..." She was flabbergasted. There was no way that bogus rumour was this true. "Damn it... okay. I have to tell Rivane." That was enough proximity for now, sparing the chance of taking too long and letting another bandit group take the spoils took precedence. Thankfully, it was a simple enough task for Raz, half-dragonkin of her own kind, to fly back from her vantage point quickly. Wings strong enough, scaled and feathered, helped her leap from cover until the caravan was no longer in sight. At that point, speed mattered more than discretion, and with the rest of the group stationed in and ready to ambush, it didn't take long for Raz to land, in front of a knightly figure. "Captain. It's true. There's a caravan, too light to be a trap. It's weird." She made her opinion clear, gauging her words with the fact she actually saw it. "I don't feel good about this, but I don't think we should let anyone else get to it."

"Roger." Masquerading radicals made sense. Bonner acknowledged the Captain's hail without sparing much thought. "Give Lieutenant Park enough support. I will be handling the unmanned for now. " That had been a more general call in their comms, as Bonner's HEX dashed towards the opposite direction. He wouldn't allow the radicals to execute a proper pincer. Bonner to (24,27), use the rotating slicer against Lancer A-7. The guided blades had done wonders in scrapping metal. It was an elevated feeling to just... make it work as her mind envisioned it. "Hah..." With a deep breath, Esther turned her HEX around. "Manned huh? I'll help." Finally being able to perceive enemy intent was something she needed to familiarize with. Too long had the sims failed to train that side of her. Esther to (20,19).

"Mhh..." That did seen like a decent spot to Üllr, enough space to practice unbothered. He figured the dimensions a bit large, silently wondering what their use was for. "First, show me how you'd do it." He readied an open palm, wondering if she could even ball a fist comfortably. It seemed to be a similar situation to himself, where some gauntlets help, but he'd use his claws bare otherwise. Still good to figure out. "If it hurts or is annoying I'll teach you something else." "Why, oh, fine. Maybe I'm not as big of a name now, but I'll revolutionize a field soon enough --just, as soon as I get the funds." Christopher continued his quick rambling on cue at Ren's response, "Mruwh?" Turning to follow Ren's gaze towards Cassandra, Christopher's tail swung, and his head tilted slightly in confusion. "Really? I mean, I get that they are siblings but I thought it was just Owen, since I barely heard... ah well, she can probably pass it on, or maybe she could even be more understanding... could she...?" Christopher's gears were turning as they squinted towards the lord's sister. "Well! I guess it can't hurt to try, huh? B-Bites aside, I'm sure she doesn't do that to her fellow clouded..." She doesn't badger me about things like Nita does, so I'm sure she can tolerate one sick story. Yeah! "Thank you kindly, Ren, I'll make sure to speak well of your person if the Gaffneys need more help in the future~" With a bit more sway and confidence to their steps, Christopher moved towards Cassandra. ...And that confidence quickly dashed as he took note of her neighbours, equaly marine clouded and monster of some imposing look. Were they more mercenaries? Sheesh... they could be an aquatic nightmare to Kazran's forces... "H-Hello! Lady Cassandra, ah... and hello to you two." Trying to regain that confidence, Christopher took a quick breath. "I-I was supposed to be there at the meeting, but ah... I was still recovering from a sickness by this morning. I just made it, but it seems like conversations ended, so I came to apologize to your brother. Though it seems he's already busy." Pause, gulp, a focus to not fluster overmuch. "W-Well, anyways! If you could kindly find in yourself to forgive my blunder and update me on my role, milady?"