Angelcynn: The Myrcian Conflict - Act 3 (Cass' Party)

[Shin]

The following morning

The night had been unsettled, especially with their new companion. However, the air had eased as Malaphar departed with Owen, as if a great weight had been lifted from the air. Cass' party had gone straight south, Baron Nelon had sketched a crude map with Malaphar the night before, and combined with a compass, he was quietly directing the group. The sisters were chatty among themselves, but they hadn't quite gotten used to their companions, royalty was daunting even for them. Cass had ended up with a fair chunk of the Wykian nobility. Other than Freya, everyone else held some sort of title. The Valter sisters circled above, staying in sight of the party. Nelon appeared to be relieved by their relative distance somewhat, but it was clear the man was not exactly comfortable about his arrangements. He appeared to be a man of few words, and didn't appear to have any for some people.

The sands of the beach turned into dry plains, but then rather quickly into grassy hills. The Magonsaete geography was incredibly variable, although it made sense - nobody would be able to survive in a wasteland that bad. If there were parts of Magonsaete to live in, it was territory that was heavily contested. The hills were relatively steep, especially on foot. Nelon's horse seemed rather adept at finding a path, but even then, it was a slow ascent.

After perhaps half an hour, Nona landed near their group, offering a hand out to Cass. "Princess, my sisters and I were thinking that it might be quicker if some of you were to ride with us." she suggested, her hand still extended. "It wouldn't be scary or anything, we used to give daddy rides all the time. There's three of us and only your guard would be heavy! My Elizabeth could probably carry two people! We normally fly in formation, so you'd still be able to talk to everyone... except for Baron Nelon though."

Cass, Sidney, Freya and Claire are free to post!

[Nanami Touko]

[spoiler=It's not goodbye]Cass was content (in the loosest sense of the word) to stand there and listen to the rest of their plans, but adele had something important to speak to her about-- important enough to drag her off and out of their impromptu meeting hall.

"A-Adele, what is it? If it's important, everyone should hear it, no?" Cass wasn't quite sure what it could be-- Oh, maybe it's about the fight... She had done something fairly stupid, and getting scolded by Adele was only a matter of time, at this point. She'd braced herself for the outcome, but wasn't quite sure if she'd actually be able to handle it.

Good, Cassandra hadn't decided to pull back or attempt to stay rooted in place. That made things a lot easier, Cass asking her what it was she had in mind as they turned the corner, Adele pulling her a bit further on before stopping. Of course, she didn't actually answer Cassandra's question straight away, as soon as they turned a second corner, pressing the Princess against the wall rather forcefully, and aggressively pressing her lips against Cassandra's, her hands poised at either side of the Princess' head.

"Adele...?" Why was she being so quiet? Was she that upset? Cass could feel her body tensing; back when Adele had... 'reacted' poorly before, she'd been in a better place-- the world wasn't out to get her. So getting slapped hadn't done much else other than aggravate her, but now? Gosh, if Adele got as violent as she had before, Cass would probably burst into--

"A-Adele, what-- mmh!" That's... Unexpected. And terribly embarrassing. A weak arm pushed at Adele's shoulder as Cass gave up near instantly, letting her lover have her way with her mouth. This is a lot better than what I was expecting, what...? It made no sense to her, but she wasn't about to say no, as long as no one had been following them.

Cassandra submitted rather swiftly, Adeltrudis taking over their kiss as soon as she was able, cupping Cass' cheek in her hand as she continued her assault on the Princess' mouth, pressing her advantage rather brusquely, gently biting at Cassandra's soft lower lip, and invading her submissive mouth. Letting her other arm fall, as there seemed little risk of Cassandra breaking away, Adeltrudis placed it gently upon the Princess' side, lightly teasing and tickling the soft skin through the fabric of her dress, as her fingers fluttered across Cassandra's stomach and flank, leaving gentle touches as they went.

Why are you doing this? It was nice-- more than nice, this was her best moment of their travel since leaving Wyke. But it didn't make any sense... Adele hadn't said anything, she hadn't talked to her, she'd just shoved her against a wall and started going at it-- it was a bit scary, honestly.

As soon as Cass felt a hand shuffling down her side, gently prodding and rubbing her stomach, she had to get Adele to say something before this went too far. With what little she could get working under the surprise, she broke their kiss and gasped. "A-Adele...! S-Say... Say, something, please... This, i-isn't like you. Not with where we are, right now..." Cass was almost afraid to look at her after saying that. She knew how... Temperamental Adele could get, and getting her pace broken like this, it probably wasn't a good thing... Still, she had to hear something, know why this was happening.

After a short while, Cassandra had actually broken the kiss of her own accord. It seems she wanted answers, which was understandable enough, really.

"I just wanted to help you feel better... give you something to tide yourself over." Adele replied, giving her head a light shake as she looked down at Cassandra.

"If Owen's made his mind up on this, then... we're gonna be separated until this detour is taken care of. I don't want... I don't want our last moments before that to be the anger of battle and flared tempers."

"Oh..." That... That was all. "You aren't upset?" she blurted out, wondering why she had, right after. She took a small step back, finding herself flush against the wall. Nowhere else to back away to-- why are you so intent on running from everyone right now? Cass shook her head, throwing it into her hands for a moment, and groaned. "This whole worry is all that mage's fault! He wanders along, produces some show, and now Owen's ignoring everyone except for what he wants..."

"And I'm left stuck with people I don't know if I can trust, while I have to hope some self styled 'archaeologist' can keep you and Owen safe. I'm supposed to be alright with this... I'm supposed to accept it and smile and move on and we'll all return and be merry and laugh about it-- well I can't be! I'm so... I'm fed up... I'm sorry..." She'd started to cry mid way through her rant, dropping her face into her hands. Crying was better than exploding with anger, so she wasn't the most upset with the outcome, but... After what Adele had said, she did feel guilty bursting out like this.

"What good would it do us for me to be upset? I'm not... particularly alright with what happened on the field today, but I think from watching you for a bit, that you understand all too well why that is. You made it out alright, this time. Just be more careful from now on." Adele replied, watching with some discomfort as Cassandra had her outburst, clearly quite distressed from it all... understandably so. Slipping her arm into the slight berth between Cassandra and the wall, Adeltrudis pulled her into a tight hug, gently stroking her hair in an attempt to comfort her.

"I understand feeling like you haven't any agency, Cass, but... trust in Owen. He wouldn't let you go without allies you can rely on, even if it isn't himself or I. Trust in your brother... and trust in me. We'll make it out of this all in one piece, and we can reconvene later and your worries can wash away with the tide." Adele began, hoping to give Cassandra some comfort as she gently petted the Princess' rosy locks, giving her a light kiss as she finished speaking, hoping it would be of some help.

"I don't know... I just... Feel like everyone is upset at me, over everything. Have you ever felt like that? Like the world is out to get you, just because you're there? Maybe I deserve the ire. I haven't been the best princess, I haven't acted my role, but, I... Just..." Cass buried her face into that comforting shoulder, the same shoulder she wouldn't be able to touch for a while, now, in the foreign land fighting foreign enemies. If that Arteria woman or her brother showed again, Cass wouldn't know what to do. It was a wild assumption, but their bodies had disappeared. There was foul magic at work.

"I'll do my best to try to. Expect me to not withhold anything, alright? For when we meet again. I don't care who's watching, I'll be diving straight into your arms and stealing your lips away for my own selfishness. I simply hope you're right... That nothing goes wrong. There's too much happening all at once for me to believe we're entirely safe." Malaphar's smug nature was rubbing wrongly against Cass in every way. He felt like he knew too much. His actions, his gaze, his person... At the same time, Cass didn't know if she was truly in the right state of mind. Perhaps her paranoia was just taking grip of him as well, and he was just a jerk, not evil

Either way, she rested in the little comfort she had, letting Adele hold her there tightly, and showering her with small kisses.

"It's okay Cass, it's okay..." Adeltrudis replied to begin with, continuing to comfort Cassandra as she let her feelings out. Gently rubbing Cassandra's back as she petted the Princess' hair, Adele let her vent her frustrations in that manner for a little while.

"I've felt... adversity, but never quite that severe. If your head tells you that you might deserve such things, perhaps it's a sign you might want to think on your actions, how you hold yourself. There is naught we can do about the past, but we can change the future... we just need to put the effort in." Adele replied, holding Cass tight as she spoke, allowing her to continue on with her worries.

"Of course that's alright, Cass. Just keep alert, don't get complacent. Do all that you can to keep yourself safe, so you need rely on outside help as scarcely as possible. I'll be waiting for you."

"Think on my actions... I've done plenty of that, ever since that night." Ever since she'd been taken. The lesson hadn't sunk in well enough, it seemed, though Arteria's did the job. Cass no longer lamented those long hours spent being taught how to heal someone. They would come into use very soon. One of the last things she wanted now was to have to get into a fight with someone like her, ever again. Not while she wasn't safe. Not while she wasn't right of mind.

"You'll be waiting for me, of course... A... Adele, uh..." A thought floated through her mind, something better expressed now than later. "If I... If I left Wyke, in the future. Would you come with me? I don't know where I would go; the customs of other countries escapes me, but... If I... I-If we can't change Wyke from inside... Would you? Would you run away with me to somewhere where we could be who we want to be, without having to worry about anyone wishing to crush that? It's not just me in danger, in Wyke..."

Well... that was a heavy question. Adeltrudis paused for a moment, considering it. After a short while, she began to respond.

"I... suppose I would, if it came down to that. To be honest, I think I'd try to stop you, first. You've grown a lot in the last while Cass, but... there's still a lot of things in this world that you don't understand. I think today helped you to realize that... and you're in a unique position where you actually can make a difference... most people don't have that ability." Adele replied, leaning in to give Cassandra another kiss, holding it for a moment before pulling back.

"But, if all else failed... yeah, I'd do all within my power to go with you. I just hope it doesn't come to that."

"I'll do what I can. But, it's nice to know I'll always have you, if no one else. Thank you, Adele... I love you~" Cass smiled, finally, enjoying the moment of the kiss, before resting herself in the crook of Adele's neck. She'd stay there as long as she could, no matter what. This was exactly what she'd needed.

Compared to the previous day, Cassandra seemed nearly content. The climate was warm, but it wasn't unbearable. It was rather dry, though a satchel of water dealt with that easily enough. Despite wearing a dress, Cass wasn't one to shy away from some steep hills, not complaining an ounce about all of the walking. While riding on something would definitely make it easier for her, it wasn't like this was horribly straining.

"Maybe we really did need to get away from that Malaphar... Though that talk did help." Cass smiled to herself, thinking about it. I can't wait to see her again~ Especially with what I said I would do... Ahaha~ I was a mess yesterday and I'm almost giggling now... I'll need to talk with Owen about that mage. The sobering thought slipped in before someone could perceive her as made for giggling over nothing.

Nona flew down and extended her hand after a bit, offering the sisters' services for flying. Freya would probably be a bit heavy for some pegasi, but it wouldn't be fair to leave their slowest member on foot while everyone got a free ride. While Cass was finding their weather fair, she couldn't imagine how Freya was handling it, climbing all these hills in her armor. It sounded awful. "That sounds good. Myself and Lady Montana will ride with you, then. Freya and Claire can situate themselves as they see fit on the others. I hope the other horses aren't afraid of some extra weight; Freya must weigh twice what I do wearing all of that." She took the extended hand and helped herself onto Nona's Elizabeth, situating herself as best she could, hands held calmly around the sister's waist.

"Unless you'd prefer to keep walking, Sidney?" Being as agile as she was, maybe she felt she could keep up on foot.

Edited August 2, 2016 by Melissa

[SB.]

Claire had slept fairly well, all things considered, and she was glad to be away from Malaphar. While part of her was drawn to him, with his mastery of magic and natural charisma, she had also became more and more uncomfortable with the way he wormed his way into a leadership position as quickly as he'd managed it. Overall, she was glad that they were free of his influence, at least for now.

That being said, there was still a prisoner to save and work to be done - and she doubted that their rescue mission would go off without a hitch. Magonsaeten terrain was also far different to what the mage had known in Wyke, and progress up the hill was fairly slow. Had the offer of a pegasus lift come yesterday, Claire would have lept at the opportunity. As it was however, with recent memories of being thrown from a certain pink pony (twice!) in mind, she was understandably not too comfortable with the idea. She glanced nervously at Charlotte, hoping that her response would give her an excuse to avoid going airborne.

[riariadne]

Sidney sighed, running her hand through her hair as the mostly female group went onwards. She hadn't slept well in the fort, unnerved and frustrated with the present situation- delaying the time it took to reach Tytila further wasn't what she was hoping for. Malaphar's presence certainly didn't help either, his demanding tone with the way he outlined the plan as well as his terrible aura only adding to her troubles.

So she completely missed Claire's signal when she was snapped out of daydreaming, only looking towards Cass when her first name was called out. "Sure, fine," she muttered off-handedly, climbing up behind Cass. In her current mental state, Sidney couldn't help but scowl as they went onwards.

[Juliette]

Freya slept well enough and marched steadily onwards when it had been time for the groups to split up. Still. even though she didn't find much difficulty in the walk, speed was another issue, so the offer of a ride was a welcome one. "Whichever pegasus is best suited to carrying me is okay with me. I'll gladly accept the offer," Freya responded.

[spoiler=Princess and guard]Freya had never been to sea before, but she already didn't like it very much. The way the ship moved beneath her wherever she walked, and looking at the ocean didn't help how she felt either. Instead, Freya opted to stay inside whenever she could. Who likes this stuff? She sighed, putting her weapons and armor aside after performing some training for the day. Downtime or not, she didn't want to be unpracticed for battle.

She caught Princess Cassandra walking around here as well. Waving before saluting, Freya approached her. "Good afternoon, princess. Is there anything I can help you with? Anything troubling you? I'm not doing much of anything myself."

Cass had started to get used to the boat, though whenever a particularly rough waved hit it, she grabbed for the closest stable object and held tight. At least there was a mast nearby when Freya started talking to her. If she had to stumble, there was something. "Unless you can stop this blasted vessel from rocking, I don't think there is... So I will have to make do until we reach land. Other than that, I don't think anything is especially troubling me, no. Yourself?" Cass may have seemed a bit short with her new guard, but that was mostly the unease of more heavy waves striking the hull.

"Believe me that if I could stop the boat's sudden movements I would, Princess," Freya responded after barely suppressing a groan. She stumbled at a jarring wave not long after she spoke, but managed to catch herself before falling. "I have not traveled by sea before, and I would hope to avoid doing so again for as long as I can. It's not for me- I would hate to have to fight out here especially. Training or not from earlier, I am not accustomed to it enough to possibly perform well."

"Neither have I, so let's hope this travel ends soon... I can't fathom to imagine what fighting on a ship like this would entail. I'd probably fall face first into my enemy's weapon before they had to swing." Cass shivered at the thought, clinging to the mast once more. "Cursed ocean..."

Freya smirked a bit at Cass's remark. "I'd hope to be a little more composed than that... I'm sure some of our allies are better seafarers than others. I would try to leave the brunt of the work to anyone who can keep themselves better situated." She too reached a hand towards the mast. "I've never left the country, or even been very far from Hull. Magonseate and Raewald will be completely new to me. Surely you must be a bit more educated to them than I am- is there any way I should be acting when I reach them? I'm not always the best at social situations, but I would hate to be a liability if I find myself in one."

"We're in the same boat then," Cass said, steadying herself, and ignoring the accidental play on words. "This, and the previous excursion with Owen, are my first times out of Wyke, and only a handful of the few times I'd made it out of the castle. I don't know the specific rhetorics of Raewaldian conversation, but if you're speaking to nobles, just do as you have. Chin up, stay compliant, speak when spoken too... I can't imagine them being particularly strict if they've produced someone like Sidney, but, perhaps she's the black sheep of the bunch." Cass had wondered about that. Maybe it would behoove her to speak to Sidney for a moment about her upbringing. Surely, she was just a wild card.

"I see... travel is very unfamiliar to me. But if customs here are acceptable, then I will just continue using those." Freya shrugged. "I just reckon it's good enough to know enough to get by working with nobles. Having a basic level of understanding is important, but to me the details aren't."

The mention of Sidney seemed amusing to her. "Lady Montana, right? I suppose she has at least a decent understanding of the ways of the Raewalden nobles interact, but probably more important is second part. She's peculiar, but if the prince trusts her than I will as well until proven otherwise. If she can actually help us navigate through the politics here, all the better." Freya gave a brief sigh. "Peculiar is a word that can be used to describe many of our companions, I suppose... I try to know a little about everyone, but sometimes that's easier said than done. I don't know much about her at all other than a few of her quirks, though I've thankfully been spared a nickname. But then, I don't know much about the Raewalden diplomat or the mercenary leader either- Alain and Serge, I think. Do you know any of those three well, at least for anything I should be aware of?"

You're telling me... Travel wasn't something Cass was ever used to. The walking before had been fine, but this ship... If she never had to ride a ship again, she wouldn't mind.

"Yes, Sidney... Lady Montana, Charlotte, whichever. I haven't the faintest if she has a real preference for any of them. I used to distrust her, but that was my own ignorance. Her being a noble in secret helped, but... Well, I suppose I shouldn't paint every commoner with such a broad stroke. My experiences in the lower quarter have taught me as much." Truly, those men at the bar had painted a much different picture of the loyalties of her people, and how they truly were. That so many of them loved her, despite her imperfections, had been a beautiful song for her ears.

"I know plenty about Sidney, but it would be best to speak to her yourself for the full story... Serge, I have spoken to at length only once. He seemed odd, if not worthwhile to have around. I think the departure of Niko has changed him for the worse, though... He seems... Very on edge, recently. I hope the rigors of leading a company do not ruin him."

"And Alain... I spoke in his vicinity once, during a meeting, but I haven't had the chance to speak with him in private, or in person. Perhaps I should change that. As much as it ails me to learn politics and proper speech at court, learning what I can will be a boon to Owen. I would much rather been a boon than a continued hindrance."

"Hmm. I'd hope not- I'm just a villager. Used to work in a forge making weapons, then turned out I was good at using them." The knight didn't really appreciate Cass's rather classist bias, but adding anything more than that seemed like it might not be the best idea. Besides, listening to the stories about the others- or just one other in this case- was interesting enough.

"I've not spoken much to her," Freya admitted. "Just a few bits of talk to glean info on her. With how much time she spends with your brother, I half wonder when I'll be taking orders from her too." Even she couldn't help but smirk a bit at that. "Perhaps it would be wise for me to get to know her before then. I didn't get to know much of Niko either before he left, unfortunately, so I seem to have some catching up to do."

"Good you found a line of work that suits you, then." It was odd how these things always came about, at least to Cass. One would think that if you were a blacksmith, you would stay in that line of work. Perhaps things worked differently for everyone.

"You should, yes, before she slips under my brother's thumb and is buried in the duties of a queen." Cass didn't expound further on that, hoping it was enough to infer from. Sidney and Owen's relationship had grown rather favorable rather quickly, and Cass was beginning to come to terms with it.

Freya was rather taken aback by Cass's acceptance of what she said. "Oh... I was mostly joking. Perhaps that was unclear- my humor was never the best. Though in this case, I knew the two were friendly, but not to that extent. I suppose if that's a real possibility, then I would be better off knowing her sooner rather than later, yes." She shrugged, looking around the ship. "I may as well get started on that while I have plenty of free time. It was nice getting to know you a bit better, Princess. Do remember to call for me if you need it."

[SB.]

That's not what I wanted to hear... Claire sighed, looking up at the other sisters. "It looks like its settled then." Claire replied apprehensively. It can't go that badly, right? She was trying to assure herself. Instead of nearly falling into the ocean, she would just fall onto the hill, and roll all the way to the bottom, and- okay. That actually didn't sound much better at all.

Hopefully they wouldn't be airborne for too long.

[Shin]

All aboard!

Nona looked up at her sisters, pondering which one of her sisters would be better suited to ferry the knight. "I think Decima's Victoria would probably be better, she's a little sturdier." she replied. "She's probably the biggest of the three."

The other two sisters landed, all three helping their allies aboard their pegasi. The steeds didn't appear to take any issue with their passengers, soon returning to the sky. Their ascent was smooth, Claire in particular had a far more gentle experience than she did with Doug. If anything, the Valter sisters seemed to have had practice with their mounts, even if it hadn't been directly in combat. The breeze was strong, even at the steady pace they were flying. The hills below were so distant, Nelon but an ant trying to climb a mound below them.

Cass and Sidney had been placed with Nona, who seemed unusually focused, her hands tight on the reigns. "He's not very sociable, is he?" she mused, glancing down at Nelon. "I've seen him talk to you, Princess. What's the secret?"

Three sisters were flying rather close together, perhaps only a couple of feet from each others' wingspans. Morta hadn't said a word to Claire, although it wasn't exactly clear if it were out of choice or simply not knowing what to say.

[Nanami Touko]

That was a mysterious mood for Sidney to be in. "Something eating at you?" she asked as her friend got onto Nona's pegasus. Maybe it was something small; maybe she didn't sleep well; maybe someone was dying. Cass couldn't tell, only hoping Sidney was up for explaining.

Flying was... Different. Cass hadn't actually ever flown. She'd been spared any Doug rides, and hadn't taken any lessons in the past-- the pegasi in Wyke didn't like her one bit. So, the wind pressure hitting her face wasn't the easiest to deal with. She ended up hiding behind Nona to deal with it, trying to peek her head out sometimes to see if she could handle it. She could, for a bit. So she kept testing herself. Maybe it'd get easier to deal with after enough practice.

For now, there was at least a conversation to be had, until Sidney was up for talking. "Nelon?" Cass glanced down at him, wondering what it was. "Maybe he can tell I'm not interested in him. Not interested in most of Wyke's men. He was still apprehensive around me, but maybe that's helping." Maybe he can smell the lesbian on me, hah... Wouldn't that be amusing. Cass let that thought sit in her head; verbalizing it now would have been a huge mess.

[SB.]

"This is going much more smoothly than yesterday." Claire commented, relief evident in her voice. She made a mental note not to ride with Doug in the future whenever possible, beginning to wonder if it was all his fault. She'd never been this high up, and seeing the ground so far beneath her might've unnerved her a few days ago, but at this point she considered not being at immediate risk of falling off to be a victory. It seemed like holding a conversation with the sister flying with her might be the harder part here, as she didn't seem keen to speak up.

[riariadne]

"Something like that..." Sidney spoke absentmindedly. Spelling out the exact nature of what was on her mind was not something she planned to speak of to Cass. "I just haven't been feeling the best recently," she answered after a brief delay, which was technically a true answer, if also completely unhelpful. She glanced off of the pegasus towards the ground, shifting in her seat uncomfortably, but careful not to slip accidentally or anything like that. She'd seen people fall off boats, and falling off a pegasus could only be worse.

[Nanami Touko]

"That is such a non answer, Lady Charlotte Montana of Raewald." Cass stuck her tongue out at the girl, rolling her eyes just a bit. "Really, you're making eyes at my brother and you can't even tell me, his dear sister, what's wrong. 'Just haven't been feeling the best'-- none of us have. What, specifically, is bothering you?" Maybe it was like her to stay quiet and avoid answered, but she didn't seem the type from Cass' small time of interacting with her. Was it Raewald? Was it something with making eyes at Owen? Things had been going well, last she heard, and she has no qualms about it anymore. If anything, she just wanted to know what was going on between them, both out of curiosity for gossip, and a caring for her brother (mostly for her brother, promise).

[riariadne]

Sidney rolled her eyes back, sighing at the situation. Of course Cass was going to be persistent- when wasn't Cass persistent about everything? "Engel above, Cass, the last thing I want to do is go into detail about it," she complained. "I don't even know what it is exactly myself, I'm just second guessing myself more than usual and not feeling as confident. It's not worth getting into detail about... just need to find my focus and get this over with." Somehow being next to Cass made it seem unlikely she could really avoid answering entirely, but she was going to try anyway.

[Shin]

Nona seemed rather surprised when Cass made mention of Sidney's relationship with Owen, Cass' comments on Nelon were far less interesting in comparison "Oh? I had heard rumours of a woman with the Prince." she mentioned, looking down at the ground. "I hadn't expected you to be so... practical looking. The gossip is fairly kind though, although Lady Herman had been the favourite among most nobles. Daddy's happy though, he's always said anyone's better than a Kearney. He said he'd rather we married cabbages before a Kearney. He's always saying silly things, what's why I don't listen sometimes."

Morta's conversation with Claire was less of a conversation and more a sharing of space, there had been an awkward silence for a good few minutes. "If he chooses you, be nice to Geoffrey." she huffed, looking back at the mage. Nelon appeared to be hailing the girls down from the sky. From the looks of it, he hadn't gotten too lonely, but the sight of the horizon ahead showed they had arrived. A fort stood in the distance, almost hidden behind a smaller mountain. Troops filled the area, and there was more than a generous helping of archers.

The sisters descended in unison, the group reuniting around Nelon. "Your highness, the keep is ahead. I would recommend travelling low from this point onwards... it would be best not be spotted immediately by their ranged units. It would likely to prove deadly for our aerial forces." he said sharply, noting the end of his peace. "My recommendation would be to circumvent the mountain and approach. If Esclabor is alive, they are likely to be holding him."

Chapter 6B - Death by Valour

Objective - Rescue Esclabor/Route Map

Deploy in the Blue Zone!

Spreadsheet

[Nanami Touko]

"Go into detail anyway." She sat back a tiny bit, still holding onto Nona so she didn't slip off the horse, but enough to stare back at Sidney. "You're not one to second guess anything-- you didn't second guess everything you've said to me, or at the very least, it definitely does not feel like you have." Cass stared her down, hoping to get an answer out of her, nothing coming. She sighed, harder. "Is it Raewald? Is it my brother? I can help you with one of those things, but only if you're willing to talk to me."

Nona piped up about their conversation, commenting on Owen and who the Wykians thought were worth marrying. Of course the Kearneys had to come up... "Lady Herman is... Occupied with someone, right now. It wouldn't work out with Owen. Especially with Lady Montana set on him. Though I hear the two have onnnnlyyy kissed. Bit slow on the uptake, there." Cass smirked at Sidney; maybe needling her harder would get something out of her, and Cass was good at needling when it came to this subject.

"As for a Kearney... I suppose my name must be getting pulled through the mud over Angus, hmm. Well, that'll be something to clean up nice and proper once we return... Hopefully." Nona seemed fairly level headed, at least when sober. Her few moments at the bar that night were... Special. Either way, it seemed their flight was coming to an end, Nelon flagging the group down.

The archers were an issue, considering the size of their winged cavalry. "Then we shall proceed just like that, Nelon," Cass began, hopping off of Elizabeth and coming towards him. Not too close, now. It seemed they had two paths around the mountain, though it wasn't clear which way they should proceed at first. "Let us assume he is and hold our heads high against his captors. We're all good to fight, right?" She was asking everyone, but also herself. She gripped her axe in one hand, staff in the other-- but one of those hands shook, and it angered her to no end... Even if she understood why, now. I must be strong. I must be. I have to be... For Adele, Owen, and everyone.

Cass to deploy at 10,1 o3o

[SB.]

"Huh?" Claire was surprised that Morta had finally spoke, paying more attention to their surroundings than the girl she was riding with. "What do you-oh." It took her a moment to realise that Morta was referring to the bear (and Angus by extension), but immediately shook her head in protest, face slightly flushed. "There is nothing between us. At all." she assured, wishing that their current situation wasn't stopping her from backing away. "He threw me at a pegasus yesterday," she continued,. "So I think you'll understand me when I say that I'm not interested." And she still needed to yell at him for that, because that was seriously the dumbest thing she'd ever seen.

Either way, Nelon's timing was fortunate, all things considered - Morta's stare was pretty unnerving and she really didn't want to continue the conversation. It made Claire wonder what she'd done to make the younger girl suspect they were doing something, but she didn't have much time to think on it. with enemies nearby and Cass addressing her party. "I'm ready." The response came automatically, but it wasn't a lie. Dealing with people pointing sharp objects at her was so much easier than dealing with Angus' shit.

Claire deploys at (10,2).

[riariadne]

Sindey tried her best to remain quiet, which was increasingly difficult with Nona now joining in with the a few comments on her own, and Cass's comment on the slow uptake finally seemed to upset Sid. "It's not for lack of trying!" she snapped, now sounding less detached and more annoyed. "He's not interested in going further yet... I've asked him a couple times by now, but he doesn't want to. Maybe he's just uptight, maybe he just doesn't want me like that right now. I don't know, but it's frustrating..."

"I love him. I want to be with him forever and ever, I just..." Sidney sighed heavily. "When he says later, I can't help but feel like maybe I messed up or was selfish, or maybe I'm not good enough for him. Right now I can't possibly imagine that I'd be a very good wife or queen. So maybe kissing is all he has for me right now. Whatever."

Sidney's rant was interrupted by the descent towards the ground. "Well, here we are." She nodded at Nelon's suggestion, readying herself for battle. It's not the time to get distracted anymore. Focus...

Sid starts at (9, 2)

NPCs: Decima at (9, 1), Nona at (11, 1), Morta at (11, 2), Nelon at (11, 3)

[Juliette]

Freya sat on in rather stunned silence with regards to some of the directness of the noblewomen she accompanied. Sidney and Cass openly discussing the former's relationship with the prince, and even most of the other girls joining in on some gossip. Was this typical of what noblewomen talk about?

Still, she did not have much time to ponder the finer details when they landed- battle was something she found herself much more suited to. Readying her equipment, Freya marched towards the others.

Freya (10, 3)

[Shin]

Chapter 6B - Turn 1

Spreadsheet

[SB.]

A quick look at the battlefield told Claire that they had foes coming from either side of the mountain, but overall there weren't too many in one place. If they let them be, there was potential for them to be swarmed, but otherwise they would be able to deal with them fairly easily. A couple of goons with swords had strayed too close, so it was time for them to meet the welcoming party.

Morta to (10,6), attack #3 with Javelin, canto to (10,7)

Claire to (10,6), attack #3 with Wind

Decima to (11,5), attack #2 with Unreliable Flame, canto to (6,11)

Edited August 9, 2016 by SB.

[Nanami Touko]

Cass hadn't been expecting Sidney's snap, the words sifting through her mind, thinking about them. Honestly, Owen had never truly mentioned to Cass, or anyone that she knew of, any interests he had in that regard. So, hearing someone belt their love for him in such a plain manner, well, it was shocking. Was it truly that one sided, or was Owen just quiet? Perhaps distracted by the country, and Father's health, as well?

They had a fight to deal with, which meant her mind couldn't be left to wander for much longer. "I'll speak to him, Sidney," she left the thief with, moving forward.

Cass to 11,5

Also her inventory should be her prf axe, the Mace, Jeeves' staff, Barrier, and Warp

Edited August 8, 2016 by Narmaya

[Juliette]

Freya to 12, 5 stab Myrmidon#2 with steel lance

[riariadne]

Sidney looked ahead towards the battlefield, steadying her breathing. There were lots of people between them and rescuing the captive noble, and some people had already engaged in the battle's start. She vaguely remembered that the princess's guard had been carrying an extra bow- perhaps one that would be useful here. She approached Freya, taking the bow with a simple mention of "I'll be needing this" before taking aim.

Sid to (12, 4), trades Freya the lockpick for the Iron Bow, and attacks Myrmidon 1 with it

Nona to (11, 4) and Nelon to (13,4) w/ Iron Lance eqipped

[Shin]

"Make up your mind, your plans are stupid."

Morta moves to 10,6!

Morta attacks Myrm #3 with her Javelin!

15 Atk, 80% Hit, 2% Crit, 10% Luna

(39 47 15)

Morta deals 15 damage! (10/25 HP remaining)


Morta gains 11 XP!

Morta gains 1 Lance WEXP!

Morta cantos to 10,7!

Claire moves to 10,6!

Claire casts Wind on Myrm #3!

13 Atk, 88% Hit, 0% Crit

(24 93)

Claire kills!


Claire gains 27 XP!

Claire gains 2 Tomes WEXP!

Clair reaches C Tomes!

Decima moves to 11,15!

Decima attacks Myrm #2 with the Unreliable Flame!

(3)

10 Atk, 94% Hit, 11% Crit, 12% Adept

(93 95)

Decima deals 10 damage! (14/24 HP remaining)


Decima gains 10 XP!

Decima gains 1 Tomes WEXP!

Decima reaches D Tomes!

Decima cantos to 11,6!

Cass moves to 11,5!

Freya moves to 12,5!

Freya attacks Myrm #2 with her Steel Lance!

17 Atk, 79% Hit, 10% Crit

(61 84)

Freya finishes!


Freya gains 27 XP!

Freya gains 4 Lance WEXP!

Sidney moves to 12,4!

Sidney trades her Lockpick for Freya's Iron Bow!

Sidney attacks Myrm #1 with her Iron Bow!

15 Atk, 96% Hit, 11% Crit

(82 67)

(29 93)

Dead!


Sidney gains 23 XP!

Sidney gains 3 Bow WEXP!

Nona moves to 11,4!

Nelon moves to 13,4!

Nelon equips his Iron Lance!

ENEMY PHASE

"I've lost all my men... There's too many for me to take head on... but..."

Lanval moves to 11,8!

Myrm A moves to 4,4!

Myrm B moves to 6,4!

Myrm C moves to 4,5!

Myrm D moves to 6,4!

Myrm E moves to 5,6!

Everyone else stays put!

CHAPTER 6B - TURN 2

SPREADSHEET

[Nanami Touko]

That had gone swiftly. It seemed the Valter sisters were like her, in some regard. Cass felt a small pang of jealousy resounded in her chest thinking about it. Heiresses to their respective houses, but only Cass had to push limits to get anything aside from a staff handed to her... Though, that may have simply been the result of them not listening to their daddy dearest. Nona had mentioned as much while flying. Cass wondered for a moment how someone like Valter had raised such unruly daughters. Perhaps all the Wykian Ladies had this issue, not just Cass~

Enough thought. They had dispatched a group of swordsman with relative ease, which left... Their boss? He... Seemed apprehensive. Or simply not blind enough to charge straight in. Now, Cass normally spoke to their enemies, albeit in a much different tone. Perhaps... A less abrasive approach was necessary.

"You there. You don't seem interested in charging to your death," she began, taking a step forward to stand at Decima's side. "If you let us pass, we will not harm you. We're here for an ally your lot has captured. If you wish to survive, we are not ruthless, but... If you stand in our way and choose to fight, it will not end well for you." Cass still wasn't the best as pleasant diplomacy, but she wasn't barking at him to grovel or surrender himself lest he perish. An improvement?

[Shin]

The man had entered some rather rough terrain, he'd spent a great deal of effort getting there - and seemed intent on keeping his advantage. "This one of yours attacked us first, and you've come to kill us all to get him back" he growled, gripping his sword's handle tightly. "I'd rather die fighting than live to starve and die from sickness. You might be able to choose your fights, but out here, you don't. We had to defend ourselves, your guy slaughtered nearly a hundred of our men."

Decima looked at Cass with a worried expression, her eyes full of doubt. "Nearly a hundred? It can't be like that, these people attack our country all the time... they have to be bad." she muttered, trying to muster the determination to keep herself going.