ACT COMPLETE Angelcynn: The Myrcian Conflict - Act 2

[Dandragon]

"Well, so long as he's aware, I suppose." Serge chuckled a little. "So...If you don't mind me asking...what's the pay like? For this job, I mean?"

[scorri]

Niko considered the question for a moment, and then handed over the slip of paper that Adele had given him. "There, that'll tell you the pay for the last job with this employer. As well as the employer."

[Shin]

It sounded to Eowa that Owen had been through quite the ordeal, although it comforted her that his companions were so compassionate. "The battlefield is a hard place for someone with a gentle heart like Owen's. He was always so kind as a child, I struggle to imagine him ever desiring to cause harm. I hope he comes to speak with me, he may be a young man, but he'll always be my son."

--

The trainees let out cries of terror, Angus' cub playfully chasing after them. It was harmless enough - not that they knew of course. Hogan watched as the group ran past, still concerned about Lionel's information.

"I'll talk to a few people, see if I can twist an arm or two an' get someone on the case." Hogan replied, his expression stern. "I'll keep you informed, I don't be liking this one bit."

--

The Mages' Guild

Claire's choice had been a solid one, the guild was bustling with energy that day. Scholars of all sorts packed the hall, all crowded around in small huddles. Shelves with books and trinkets lined the walls, it was a scholar's dream. The elderly guildmaster sat at a desk in the middle of the hall, a calm empty space surrounding him in the madness. If there was someone who knew the answer... well, it probably wouldn't be him, but at least he'd know who to ask.

--

Larissa smiled, this Doug seemed to be a funny one - as well as a massive sucker. She knew his type, they were so easy to manipulate and persuade, he also seemed to have a fair amount of money, which only made him more desirable. There seemed to be a little bit of a ruckus with the man who'd entered earlier, but it didn't matter at all, Doug still returned.

"I'd love to join you and your group, and get to know you better... and I'd definitely not say no to some Moloko if you're buying." she charmed, moving closer to Doug. "I have a knack for healing both the body and mind, as well as other things."

[Dandragon]

Serge's eyes widened tremendously. Three thousand. Three fucking thousand. He could hardly believe his eyes. Did mercenaries even get paid like that over at the guild hall? Just what kind of job were these guys handling? He was thinking about running off with the check, but he thought against it. They were trusting him with this knowledge. Well, specifically, Niko was trusting him. To betray that trust would be as bad as not finishing a job. He quickly gave the slip of paper back to Niko. "Whatever kind of job you're in, it must be big. I'm actually starting to worry I might not be up for it. Heh."

[Jedi]

"Thank you Captain" Lionel stated bowing in gratitude, "Before you go though, would you happen to have an extra Javelin on hand? I seem to have misplaced mine" He looked at the Captain directly after that, and with a small hope that the Captain wouldn't just remind him of the old story where his training lance was lost in the forest and he had to go retrieve it.

Lionel intends to head back to the Castle after this meeting concludes whether he gets the Javelin or not

[scorri]

Niko shrugged. "It was big enough and I suspect it's only going to get bigger. I'm sure you'll do a fine job. I figure that we can maybe go looking at the mercenary guild after this as well. I'm not sure what they'll do with us since I'm not even sure how many of them will have heard of us over here, you know?"

[Xinnidy]

Owen met eyes with his father, matching his stern look with a reserved frown. "I see. So you don't." Owen's gaze dropped from his father's face, with a hint of suppressed sadness. He's not your problem, despite what you've done? Was there more to your rule like this, and the people know no better? Owen bit his tongue, holding back on his distaste; Perhaps he was judging things too harshly. Either way, it did not change the fact that the traitor in front of them was of their family's own doing. A victim of circumstance at best, a twisted and vengeful soul at worst.

Owen cast a glance at Dettard, noting the man's defeated demeanor, he'd likely given up. The king's words rung in Owen's ears while he turned to face his father properly, meeting eyes once more. "Father..." Owen started, "You are correct that he is a traitor to the crown. His actions not only risked my life and my entourage's directly, but he made allies with an enemy of ours. Enemies that would sooner see Wyke weakened and embroiled in inner conflict than grant any of his actual dreams. I know Dettard's crime was grave." Owen paused, catching his breath and casting a glance between Dettard and his father. "My fear is that he is now too far gone to repent for it." And now, you give me the responsibility for the error you made...

Owen closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath before looking his father in the eye. "This world would never bring him happiness, grant him the mercy of seeing his father again. Perhaps that'd give his soul respite." Owen's body tensed as he spoke, no longer having the stomach to look at Dettard. This... does not satisfy me. "...Hanging. I'll grant him that. At sunset, in five days." This was the most humane way to go, at least Owen knew it that way. Perhaps his heart was too clouded to feel the same, but the young prince couldn't bring himself to make another judgement in front of his father.

[Ether]

Adeltrudis wasn't quite sure what to do, from here. She had been taken aside by Cassandra, and had went over some... rather unexpected talks with the Princess, but with that over with and the others mostly dispersed, Adele didn't have a particular destination in mind, at this point mostly wandering the halls in an aimless fashion.

[Shin]

Oswald stayed silent for a few moments, his face untelling of his feelings. "Very well, Owen. I shall respect your judgement. The rest shall be arranged. We shall talk about his lands another time... I require some rest." he replied, turning around to leave the dungeon. Coughing once, the King gave Owen one last glance. "Just ensure it's what you truly desire."

The king strode out, leaving Owen and Dettard behind him. Dettard looked up blankly at Owen, opening his mouth before deciding that his words were not worth it. His gaze fixed on the ground in front of him, as if he had given into his fate. Owen had truly bested him, there was nothing the young noble could have done to change the outcome of his own life. His father was dead, the king had rejected him, there was no hope left in his soul.

[Dandragon]

"Well, if we get followed but some unwanted guests, I'm sure we can take 'em. After all, barely anyone here looks like they'd be able to actually fight." He said, hoping he was right. "Well, should we leave pretty boy Doug over there with her? Or should we drag him along?" Serge looked back over at Doug. "I believe this is the stage where the helpless man is caught in the web of promises offered by the woman."

[Xinnidy]

"...Very well, father. I'll think on it." Owen spoke, watching as his father left the dungeon, himself making no move to leave. Owen stood still, nearly like a statue, until the sound of his father's footsteps were no more. Owen exhaled strongly, his shoulders dropping, and him turning to lean his back against the stone wall, opposite to Dettard's cell. There he stood, making no other motion as the silence reigned the dungeon.

"...Dettard." Owen broke the silence, his tone normal, if a bit rasp. "You have no reason to answer me, so I understand if you don't, but... You weren't lying, were you?" Owen slowly slumped against the wall, "I just, want the truth. From anyone, in any form..." Silence reigned on his side of the scene once more, "...I heard about how your father died, and... you mumbled something about a vial, while you were unconscious, a retainer of mine heard so." Owen started speaking again, but his eyes never met Dettard's cell, "Why didn't you use it?"

[riariadne]

"I'm sure he'd love to see you again," Sidney told her. "When I see him, I'll let him know you asked about him and relay your kind thoughts. Speaking of, I should probably head to see him sooner rather than later- it wouldn't do to be late to our meeting. It was wonderful to meet you, Your Majesty." Bowing, Sidney departed the garden, quietly making her way back to the throne room as she'd promised.

[Terrador]

Angus continues to run the bear until the trainees drop. [No mercy, boys. You'll live longer.]

[Shin]

Dettard didn't respond immediately, either out of choice or out of fear. He barely had the strength to raise his head. Eventually, he managed to form words, each one laboured. "They wouldn't... give it to me... they said... after you arrived... they said... it'd bring him back..." he coughed, gasping for air. A tear dropped down from his eye, Dettard unable to wipe it due to his bound hands. "I didn't mean to... the crossbow... it fired by itself... I have nobody else... and you had everything..."

The noble winced, falling to the side and hitting the floor. "No... more..." he groaned, his eyes looking up blankly at Owen. "Kill me now..."

-

Angus' pet had gotten the recruits into quite the panic, none of them having experienced such a wild beast before. The cub seemed to be getting some exercise, which was always a good thing!

Angus' Bear Raising mini-game updates!

[Toogee]

Larissa smiled, this Doug seemed to be a funny one - as well as a massive sucker. She knew his type, they were so easy to manipulate and persuade, he also seemed to have a fair amount of money, which only made him more desirable. There seemed to be a little bit of a ruckus with the man who'd entered earlier, but it didn't matter at all, Doug still returned.

"I'd love to join you and your group, and get to know you better... and I'd definitely not say no to some Moloko if you're buying." she charmed, moving closer to Doug. "I have a knack for healing both the body and mind, as well as other things."

How rude of Niko! Just because a lady dressed in an attractive manner didn't mean she was...well, it would explain alot. Still, he responded simply with "I got this" and rejoined Larissa at the table.

"First, business," Doug replied to Larissa. "We could use a healer. Ooh, a test! I recently hurt my back in our last skirmish. It's feeling a bit sore now. Maybe your staff can ease the pain."

[Shin]

Larissa smiled, pulling a staff from beside the bar. "Just hold still, Doug." she replied, holding her staff at his side. The familiar glow of healing magic bathed his body. There was a sweet release from the pain, the sharp stabbing whenever he moved growing duller until it vanished.

"I think I'll take up your offer, consider me yours." she laughed, replacing her staff by her side. "I can't wait to grow closer to you in battle. How about we grab ourselves some Moloko? If you haven't tried it, you simply must. It's an experience like no other."

Larissa joins the party?

--

The grunts continued running, dropping like flies as Angus' cub. One soldier in particular stood out though. There was one young man who was keeping ahead of the pack, almost effortlessly. He wasn't particularly large, nor very athletic looking, but there he was, running along. His brown shaggy hair flopped about with each step, his expression one of boredom than any real terror.

Hogan watched alongside Angus, berating each soldier as they fell to the cub. "My grandma can run faster than that, and she's in an urn! Move like you mean it!" he barked, almost frothing at the mouth. How could his men be outdone by a hillbilly's pet? Eventually the young man was the only one left - and Angus' cub was beginning to slow down, actually tiring itself.

[Terrador]

Angus pats Geoffrey, telling him "Playtime's over, good job buddy~" before coming to rest. The squire himself was dripping sweat--not ready to drop, but not exactly full of vigor at the moment, either. He calls for the trainee, beckoning him to his position.

"Ho there, man! Come 'ere. I'd have a word with you."

Angus extends his arm for a shake, eyeing the young man up and down.

"Th'name's Angus of Kearney. I may need an extra man for some errands, and you prob'ly won't break so easy. There'd be no feeble reward in it, so tell me 'bout yourself." [Didn't exactly expect to be picking anybody up, but if this is outright easy for him, he might be useful. Might as well get his name, at least; there might be a still tougher campaign not many months ahead.]

[Xinnidy]

"...They were fooling you, most likely." Owen spoke, still not turning to face Dettard. "Even if you took me down in that duel, and then my allies, you'd be denied by my father at all costs, they probably knew that." Exhaling deeply, Owen balled his left hand to a fist, "Damn it, they were just trying to make Wyke weaker from the inside. They'd pit you and whatever sympathizer you got against my father, and whoever won would be too weak to protect Wyke. They'd just spring the trap and take the country from your hands." That sounds too complex a plan for Magonsaete... but I don't see why they'd ally themselves with Dettard otherwise.

"...You had a barony. A legacy of a man that did care about you, no matter who was your true father. If you're even saying the truth, at this point." Owen started, finally taking the courage to look at Dettard's sorry state. "If you took my place by force, nothing would change. Father will not take responsibility for you, Cassandra probably thinks just as lowly of you, and our vassals would think of you as a bastard prince. You wouldn't find the old baron's care for you here." Owen's expression was stern as he stared back towards Dettard's blank eyes. "You were doomed from birth."

Owen slowly stood up, remaining in silence. Dettard's plea for death had stuck in his conscious, "I... I don't want to." Owen blurted out, his eyes scanning his surroundings. "I look at you and feel pity, only that. You're a cursed existence, and you might not even be at fault. Not entirely. At the same time, you'd do anything to get revenge and take everything away from me if you had the power, wouldn't you?" Owen bit his tongue, "It wouldn't even matter. King Oswald would just marry Cassandra to a noble he approves of. You'd destroy me, but you'd still have nothing yourself."

Owen slowly walked towards Dettard's cell, staring at the man again. "Please think it over. If there is nothing else you wished but that delusion... then I'm sorry. There is no point killing that which is already dead." Owen stopped, his expression becoming more depressed, the discussion was getting to him at that point. Perhaps if Dettard had nothing else to say, then it was time to go...

[Nanami Touko]

Cass finally emerged from her room, having taken some time after talking with Adele to practice her staff training (it had been her allotted time set by the maids), and had simply started wandering the halls. She was in a weird state of euphoria. Adele had turned down her request, yes, but the talks after had certainly provided her this odd send of fulfillment. The melancholy was betrayed by it, and she couldn't help but feel pleased, despite herself. With a sigh, and a reluctant smile, Cass wandered the halls. She wandered so far that she found herself upon the battlements, overlooking the barracks. With a lazy elbow she leaned onto the wall, looking down at the training recruits. It was interesting to see a bear... Oh, that was Angus' bear, then. She didn't start shouting, not this time (it seemed they had finished, anyway). She just felt incredibly calm. It was so odd, rather foreign, and a bit alarming, but she was so calm that it didn't distress her, this newfound alarm. Sort of ironic.

"I wonder if I'd get in trouble with Hogan if I went down there and asked for some training... Hmmmm." Well, it was best to find out, sooner than later. With some steps down to the field, she pushed her way through the doors, and walked out, holding her hands behind her back to try and seem precious, or something else expected of a princess. Hogan was barking down the recruits, a good sign. "Captain," she addressed, giving him a curtsy. "Would you find it alright if I borrowed some of the recruits for training purposes?" Now, this had been the first time Cassandra had actually done this. Her father and her keepers had barred her from training for so long that she'd never had half a mind to go down and simply ask. But now, she was in too good of a mood to not try.

[SB.]

Claire made her way over to the guildmaster with a small smile forming on her face. With the battle and all of the proceedings which followed finally over, her shoulders felt a lot lighter. She'd certainly learned a lot and improved as a mage, but coming back to an environment where nobody was trying to kill them was no small comfort. "Hi there," Claire reached the desk, producing the vial from the pocket of her robes. "I was wondering if anyone here would be able to help me identify a potion?" She asked, nodding towards the vial.

[Toogee]

Larissa smiled, pulling a staff from beside the bar. "Just hold still, Doug." she replied, holding her staff at his side. The familiar glow of healing magic bathed his body. There was a sweet release from the pain, the sharp stabbing whenever he moved growing duller until it vanished.

"I think I'll take up your offer, consider me yours." she laughed, replacing her staff by her side. "I can't wait to grow closer to you in battle. How about we grab ourselves some Moloko? If you haven't tried it, you simply must. It's an experience like no other."

Larissa joins the party?

"Ah, that's the spot..."

Doug relaxed as the pain was eased away. This was a good decision, he could tell.

"Well, sweet," Doug replied to Larissa. "Ooh, but before we celebrate, you should meet the boss. He has final say on recruitment after all."

Doug led Larissa across the bar to Niko and Serge's table.

"Hey Niko! Meet Larissa. She's interested in joining as a healer."

How heroic was Doug, saving this poor woman from a life of selling her body for a more fulfilling role. It was a good thing Niko pointed out that she may have been a prostitute; it made Doug's recruitment drive that much more important. He was thinking pretty highly of himself at the moment.

Edited March 27, 2016 by Toogee

[Dandragon]

Serge raised his eyebrow. Doug really got this woman to join a mercenary guild as a healer? Somehow, he doubted it. "Well, Niko? You said you were looking for new recruits. And we could always use a healer."

[Shin]

The head mage looked up at Claire slowly, his withered hands closing the book he was holding. "Eh? That sounds like trivial work, I'm surprised you couldn't manage it yourself." he replied, trying to hold back his belittlement. "There should be someone free. We got a guy who used to be a herbalist. He turned up pretty recently... maybe he could help you out?"

Raising his hand, he laid a finger on a young man in the room. "That one, go talk to him."

Emmet is free to post!

--

Owen's words were harsh, what little resolve Dettard has was swiftly crushed. Dettard simply looked away from Owen, choosing not to respond. Owen's words had been said, and there was nothing that he was willing to say in response.

--

Hogan was somewhat puzzled to see Wyke's princess enter his barracks. What was it with all these nobles visiting? Was it inspection day? Nonetheless, she seemed up for a fight.

"Spoilin' for a fight? Who am I to say no to royalty, surprised yer didn't come to see me sooner. I hope yer ready for some rough an' tumble, yer enemies aren't gonna go easy on a girl in a frilly dress." he laughed, looking over at Angus and the recruit. The young man was just about to speak his name before Hogan called out.

"Oi, Kearney, bring Talmot over 'ere. The princess is looking fer a scuffle." Hogan barked, beckoning them towards Cass. "Don't be goin' easy on 'er just because she's the princess, otherwise I'll put on a dress myself an' give you a good beatin'!"

[Nanami Touko]

Cass was more than pleasantly surprised. Was this all she had to do, this entire time, to get some training in? How fortunate! Well, what her father didn't know wouldn't hurt him, and she could survive a few bruises. She wasn't about to run into this cocky, no no. She had faith in Wyke's soldiers! After all, she ruled over them, so they deserved that much faith.

"Wonderful! Ahhh, I can't believe it was this simple~ Father's always barred me from fighting, but I never thought to ignore him and do it anyway~ What luck!" It was hard to hold her excitement and keep up her polite facade, rolling up her sleeves and smiling wide. "Alright! Where are the practice weapons? I assume you're not going to let your men start chopping me up."

[Jotari]

Emmet was reading a book when he noticed the head mage pointing at him. Eh? What does he want with me he wondered. Doesn't he know I'm just passing through? He noticed the girl holding a vial and realised the head mage was directing her towards him. What's that in her hand? He put his book down and waited for her to come to him.

Edited March 27, 2016 by Jotari