roymbrog

My sense of timing is beyond awful @__@

The large carnivore had in fact not stopped, and so neither did Phyllis. She sped off as fast as her horsey legs could take her. Meanwhile Valter was definitely awake now, with a smarting head from his fall to boot. He’d managed not to lose his glasses, but that was probably the only positive in this situation. He clasped Eva’s offered hand to yank himself up, but barely paid her any mind as he watched the two silhouettes run off into the darkness with a look of pure horror. “…C-Can you call him back?” he choked out. There was no way he was catching up to either animal on foot, especially with that head start. Thankfully Bert was on the case, and the horseman sighed in relief as Rizen caught up to block off the wyvern. At that point Valter ignored Eva and started running after them himself. He had some choice words for her later, but right now he needed to recover Phyllis before she was gone for good. If Sasha was stopped the horse probably wouldn’t run much farther, and he could catch her and calm her down.

With the lights set up, and two thirds of the missing people returned, Kimiko considered this a job well done. She walked back over to join Greta and Nadya again. “Erm, excuse me. If we are going to use this wagon for my goods, we should perhaps move them over before this Malik returns. My cart will not be easy to carry much farther, I’m afraid.” --- Phyllis was a timid horse, but not normally reactive to other animals in the area unless they got too close. This wyvern though, was definitely getting too close. Valter had started to wake up when he felt the horse moving, but hadn’t been at all prepared for it when Phyllis leapt away with a squeal. The horse bolted several meters away to stare at the carnivore in case it continued approaching, and, unable to right himself, the horseman fell straight back into the dirt with a grunt.

Pushing the door open, Synthia said, “I’m Synthia, the healer who worked on Raquel earlier.” And there was Raquel, currently being worked on apparently. The man had his back to her, but the mage hadn’t inspected much before Jethro off to the side distracted her. The man was a mess, and she stared wide-eyed for a moment wondering if injuries that severe could even be healed. “I had come to see Raquel’s condition,” she continued, slowly. “But do you need any help?” --- “On it!” Katrina snatched the bottle, before entering the dining room holding it in the air. Waving to one of the occupied tables she called over, “Hey Gytha, Veronika. Zach’s got some legit Neviskotian Vodka, you want some?” The bottle of which she was conveniently waving around in the air.

After returning to her room and changing into one of her spare shirts, Katrina made her way back downstairs to the dining hall. After making that specific trip several times over the last few days she’d finally managed to remember that specific route at least, and arrived in record time. Zach was standing outside, and she waved as she approached. “Hey. Got the vodka?”

Kimiko smiled down at the former mage (down relatively speaking, she wasn’t that much taller). “I am Kimiko. You can call me Miss June, if you like?” That was something Elliot had come up with, but Tia didn’t appear to be much older than her young charge. The alchemist nodded to Amon, and offered one of her two remaining lamps to Eva. Well the girl had just offered to help, even if it wasn’t specifically with this. “We’re putting out lights,” she explained. “And this is how you activate them.” With her last lamp, Kimiko pressed down on a cylindrical switch nestled in the top of the device. The lantern began dispersing a white glow, and she walked to go place it behind a boulder at the edge of the group as Amon had requested.

Kimiko hadn’t been sure how many they would need, but had grabbed five lanterns in total. The mercenary took two, and that was all she really needed to carry the rest. “I think I have it. Thank you,” she told him, before starting to walk back towards Amon. There was a young girl who also appeared to want to help, and the alchemist offered one lamp to her. To Amon she said, “If we need more, I have several more still. But I think these will suffice.”

“Haha, I can undress without help you know. Uuh, what do you mean by kid though? What kid?” Katrina asked as they walked over to the manor. She had honestly forgotten about the baby vasilus, much less Zach’s apparent paternal instincts. “I’ll just meet you in the dining hall. Shouldn’t take long.”

“Yes, I am ok with it,” Kimiko replied. Another man of the group had offered to help as well, so she turned to him next. “The lamps are in my cart, if you would like to help me carry them,” she said, and started walking to over behind the wagon. The alchemist pulled a tarp off the cart behind it and began to dig around in one of the crates, eventually pulling out a few small lantern like objects. --- Valter was sound asleep by this point, and sleeping standing up at that. The only reason he hadn’t fallen over was Phyllis and her (usual) good sense not to move around when her rider did this.

“No, thank you. I think I’ve got it from here,” Synthia replied to the maid. She knocked on the door and took a step back. Hopefully she wasn’t interrupting anything. --- “Naw, though I guess I could go change out of my mail…” Kat’s other pieces of armor she usually left with Volga’s equipment, but the chainmail was a bit more involved and she didn’t feel like partially stripping in the stables. “And… Hey! I’m not going to get that drunk. C’mon, let’s head inside,” she said, leaving the stables.

Kimiko blushed slightly, a bit ashamed of what she was about to admit. “I am afraid I cannot help much with that kind of planning. I have been to neither Kigen nor Ursium before, so I do not know which goods are common…” There was talk of warped messages, and she easily understood the one about the fallen (it also confirmed her suspicions regarding the previous night’s monster origins), but who was Joanna? Apparently these people had been involved in some sort of altercation with the Wrathites… It would probably be a non-issue once they arrived in Kigen, but that news was disconcerting. Regardless… she had just made a deal, and didn’t have any plans to back out of it. Because of distancing herself from the current conversation (due to lack of knowledge), Kimiko heard Amon’s request. She had a better idea and was eager to show her usefulness. “Excuse me,” she told the gathered Greta, Nadya, and Hoshi, and walked over to the sanctuarian. “Did you ask for help with torches?” she asked. “I have light rune lamps with me, if you would like to use those instead.”

Raquel and her father might be fine someday perhaps, but Synthia felt it wasn’t as simple as that. Similar to a contest of strength, however, the mage was pretty sure she wouldn’t have much success fighting Gytha’s optimism. She remained quiet until they’d found the maids and stayed behind after the mariner left. “Could you take me to the infirmary?” she asked Tamara. “I was the healer who worked on Raquel before she was brought here.”

With the last buckle unfastened, and a push for good measure, the saddle slipped off into Zach’s waiting arms. It wasn’t too heavy, just a bit unwieldy. “Sounds great, I haven’t had anything from home in ages,” Kat replied, walking back round the wyvern. A sturdy pat on the neck, and Volga promptly laid down right where she was. Katrina picked up the harnesses off the ground to store inside the stables, expecting Zach to follow with the saddle. After the things were put away they could head inside. Volga would be fine out by herself, or at least Kat though she would be.

“Good point,” Kat said as she pulled the unbuckled harness from Volga’s neck. The wyvern started to scratch at the now exposed scales, and Katrina had to smack her claws away to reach the saddle straps. “Sure, I’d be up for a drink, after all that…” she continued. “Hmm.. Mind helping me with this saddle? Just gotta unbuckle the side over here and it should slide off towards you.”

“Oh you can bet I’ll be speaking with her, I-“ but Synthia was cut off by Gytha’s shouting and laughter, and the subsequent dragging away. The mage could’ve put up resistance, but there was no way she was going to win a test of strength against the mariner. Best to just go with it. She was still glaring back at Isabella as she was pulled away though, and caught part of what the woman had said. Mostly the bit about Samael getting to Jethro. “Gytha, I don’t think it’s going to be a happy reunion…” she said as they neared the manor itself. “Please don’t get your hopes up before we find out how they’re doing.”

As Isabella spoke, Synthia’s stare transferred over to the woman she had pretty much ignored. Well clearly that had been an awful decision! “’Extracted’ him? And Gabbie was in on it too? Any particular reason WE didn’t know about this?!” This was absolutely ridiculous. The mage dragged her hands over her face, fighting the urge to punch someone (read: Belle), and possibly cry. “So we just went through all that- Raquel nearly died doing that- and all the while there was a safer plan to get her father out. You and Gabbie better have some damn good reasons for withholding that info.”

“Ah. That’s too bad,” Synthia replied, with the tone and expression of someone who was not that bothered by the news. “I’m surprised Jericho came back, after that,” she said, leaning around Gytha to watch the aforementioned approach. He certainly looked frustrated. Straightening back up, the mage crossed her arms. Her voice was tinted with genuine sadness, this time. “I was going to check on Raquel’s condition, if they’ll let me in to see her. Would you come with me, Gytha? I-“ Wait a minute. She abruptly shut up to turn and stare at the guards behind her. “Hey, you! Did you just say that Jethro was here?!”

“Oh yes, that could work,” Kimiko agreed, nodding. She hadn’t known about a second wagon, so this was fortunate information. “My things will not take up much space.” Then, to Nadya after a bit of thought, “Ten percent sounds reasonable. I believe we have a deal, Nadya.”

Kimiko returned Hoshi’s smile before turning back to Nadya. “If Greta is amiable to that arrangement, I would be willing to accept. What did you have in mind by fair share of profits?”

Synthia scant had the chance to pass the guards before there was some very familiar shouting from behind her. She turned to wave and possibly return the greeting, but only managed the former before being abruptly grabbed and pulled into a hug. It was a very confusing experience for the mage. People had worried over here in the past, but not when she wasn’t actually hurt. They also didn’t pull her into bear hugs. “Uh, yeah, I’m fine. I actually didn’t make it back on time, but got here regardless. What ended up happening with Hayato?”

Kimiko chuckled. She couldn’t tell if the woman was nervous or just shy, but she was finding it more adorable than annoying. Contributing to that may have been the fact that it wasn’t often she found an adult shorter than she was. And another alchemist, at that! “I would like to, yes. To both,” she replied.

Kimiko noticed Hoshi approaching when the druid was a few meters away, and once she spoke, was moderately surprised to find another Kigenese alchemist this far north. “<Yes, I’m an alchemist,>” she replied, smiling. When was the last time she had someone to speak to who (she assumed) understood that language? “I am Kimiko. It is good to meet you as well.”

Synthia had made it through the second alley just in time to see the wagon leaving, but far enough away that trying to catch up would be pointless. So she ended up walking back to Weyland’s estate. Not the most pleasant experience. Now that she was back though, and coming up on the main gate, there was another obstacle to making it inside. She didn’t know who the girl was, and quite frankly didn’t care at this point. She and the guards were just in the way. Hopefully they’d just let her through with no fuss, and she could go check on Raquel. “Excuse me,” the mage said, approaching the gate in an attempt to simply walk through. --- After flying around the complex for a bit, watching the gunfight below and the guardsmen moving in to reinforce the remaining Wrathites, Katrina had finally turned Volga back towards the manor. They landed in the back near the stables and Kat immediately slid off the wyvern to stretch out her back. After hearing a satisfying crick she relaxed and started to remove some of Volga’s tack. “Are you going to go see if Raquel is ok, Zach?” she asked while working. “Lemme know how she is, if you do. I think we got her out in time, but…”

Kimiko frowned in thought as she constructed a mental list of materials. “Metals, mostly iron or steel, and magic hosts for infusion. Gunpowder or its components to replace grenades… To be quite honest, most of what I need is not for alchemy itself. My donkey and provisions were devoured by the monsters last night, and my cart was damaged. Between expenses of transport, materials to replace stock, and inn fees, it would take me at least a month to raise the funds on my own to continue my journey to Kigen. “

Ah, so she wasn’t immediately opposed to this idea. That was good. “I have only been living off it for five, but I have been studying alchemy and imbuing for ten years,” Kimiko explained. “Alchemy wise, I specialize in creating, repairing, and reinforcing small or fragile objects, such as jewelry. I also make weapons, mostly imbued ones, and other items with runic triggers, such as light magic lamps. I can also make explosives.” Why anyone else would need grenades she didn’t know, but it felt right to mention it as well.