Lord of Azure Flame: Chapter 19: To catch a Priestess

[Phoenix]

Settling Down

After sitting Irina down he looked her over noticing that she'd completely drained herself. She sluggishly pushed him up trying to let him know she was fine. She didn't feel like being handled at the moment. Kiev finished eating the deer and walked away from the bones closer to Amari. Her calmness from earlier suggested that nothing bad was happening, and her grazing confirmed it. Now the wyvern was getting bored. He needed something to keep himself alert. That's when an idea came to him!

Meanwhile Iso watched Kiev on his approach to Kelas' horse and raised an eyebrow. The mounts always had a way of getting his attention. He came over to Kelas while the two animals interacted and knelt down.

Iso: You don't look alert enough to take any shifts, Kelas. You might want to get some sleep.

Kiev had decided that the best way to stay alert was to exercise. Amari was a strong horse though her legs were little more than long sticks. Perhaps she could wrestle with him. Maybe he would even learn a thing or two from the hero horse. With that he nudged her left shoulder with his snout before leaping back and spreading his toes to secure his position! Iso obviously noticed ...

Iso: (Seen that before. Why does Kiev want to take on Amari? ... that reminds me ... why was Amari acting up earlier? Animals are as strange and random as human beings it seems.) ... is there ... any particular reason Amari would throw you off?

[Inactive Account]

"She was waking me up," Kelas explained tiredly. "I was holding on too tight-- dreaming. You're right, I should sleep... just don't want to... being stupid," she trailed off, pulling her blanket tighter around her shoulders. She looked up from the ground. "I'll go to sleep," she said without much confidence. "Can't put us in more danger by being sleep-deprived tomorrow, after all..."

Amari looked up curiously at Kiev. What was he up to this time? The shoving motion recalled playfighting, but that was generally something reserved more for youngsters... at any rate, sparring hardly seemed like a good idea at the moment; relative peace did not necessarily mean a total lack of danger, and they should stay alert. She flicked an ear to indicate disinterest and continued to graze.

[Phoenix]

Or Rather ... "Trying To Settle Down"

Iso: I'll take your watch for you. I've managed to survive on fewer hours of sleep anyway.

He quickly chuckled when he remembered hiw own past.

Iso: Right ... I'm the guy who spend his teenage years doing just this very thing. (... and none of them lived ... also the demons are stronger than the ones I fought before ... ... damn, this is nothing to be bringing up right now.) ... uh forget I said anything, heheh.

The nervousness in his voice couldn't be hidden by a simple laugh. There was simply nothing good to remember about being hunted by demons.

Meanwhile Kiev tilted his head at Amari as she went back to eating. The hero horse didn't want to wrestle? Perhaps she wasn't motivated. She must have been thinking with her stomach since she was munching on the green stuff again. The green stuff was a big motivator it seemed. He got another idea on how to provoke her into a play-fight. He came up to her and put his paw inbetween Amari's face and the ground easily getting her attention. Next he clawed at the ground a few times stripping the grass away and then nudged his head at her taunting a bit. Surely this if done enough times would end well.

[-Cynthia-]

This Post May Be in the Future

Morgan spent the day going around and announcing to everyone in the groupn(and Stephanie) that they would be spending the night in the same room in case there was an attack during the night. Everyone should be prepared to battle. She kept constant attention on the spirit doll as Cess constantly reported the location of the smaller group.

OOC: If your characters have objections/significant reactions to being herded, you can make them in later posts.

[Inactive Account]

"I'm sorry you got dragged into this," Kelas replied, wincing at the mention of past travels and the images of a hopeless battle that her mind connected it to. She shoved the images from her dream back out of her memory. "I didn't want to-- don't want to get anyone hurt... not going to let that happen..." she added, dropping her voice. It was getting harder to fight off the sleep again... and it was cold...

"I'm sorry," she mumbled again, beginning to nod off again. She slumped sideways, accidentally ending up leaning against Isotov's shoulder instead of the ground. "Er... c'n I borrow your shoulder for a bit, or should I move?" she asked awkwardly, her face going a bit red. Had she been properly awake, she would have been exponentially more embarrassed, but her mind wasn't quite running at the moment.

Amari snorted, flicking her ears back and swishing her tail: now was not the time. She walked over Kiev's foot, making sure to lightly step on his toes a couple times, and resumed grazing a few feet away.

[Phoenix]

Shoulders: Back up pillows

Iso nodded acknowledging her apology but not really feeling the need. After all, it was a common thing to apologize for anything even if it didn't inconvenience anyone. Just then she slumped over onto his shoulder. His eyes widened and he looked over only to see the top of her head, not much for making eye contact. Luckily she was still vocal and asked him if she could continue.

Iso: It's no problem. I'm not going anywhere.

His eyes slowly fell shut and all he could sense for a moment was Kelas leaning on him. The feeling was so familiar and forced up memories and dreams alike, all of them related to the same person. He quickly snapped out of it and opened his eyes again.

Iso: (Okay ... stay focused. People get hurt every single time you lose focus, Iso so stop doing it. Just lay off the damn fantasies for one month so we can survive this.)

The Rule Of Dumb

Kiev looked down at his paw and then at Amari as she went over to graze elsewhere. She was a stern one. He'd have to be extra convincing in that case. He quickly followed and as she knelt down to eat more of the greenery, Kiev scratched it off of the ground leaving a large ugly claw mark and dark dirt behind. He then scratched a few more adjacent spots before looking Amari in the eyes with a confident stare.

[Inactive Account]

"...thanks..." Kelas replied, barely audible. Moments later she was fast asleep again, anxiety driven off somewhat by the contact that reminded her that her friend was still there. They'd survive this...

This was beginning to get annoying, Amari thought. Flattening her ears, she snaked her neck out to nip at Kiev's shoulder. If that didn't convince him to leave off, she'd have to either kick or ignore him.

[Phoenix]

Continuity

Kiev looked at his shoulder after Amari had made a move on him and took a close look at her teeth while he was at it. Surprisingly they were mostly flat. No wonder she only ate the green stuff off the ground. She wouldn't be able to tear through meat with those awkward looking things. Maybe she knew how good meat tasted but couldn't eat any due to those teeth. He would have to think of a way to help her later.

He stood there for a moment waiting to see if she would challenge him but when it was clear she wouldn't, he hung his head. What did a wyvern have to do to get a desired response from such an esteemed hero? He certainly didn't want to choke on another avian and fall into a lake, that was for certain.

The Big Score

The wagon transporting Harold back to Elysima was speeding across the countryside heading to Ilyphina. Harold pondered in quiet inside the wagon while an assistant watched him. The assistant was surprisingly a man. The truth in fact was that this assistant was standing in for the original ... who had become pregnant and couldn't risk bumpy and short notice travel.

Assistant: Um, Lord Harold? Might I ask what you're dwelling on?

Harold: Quiet, you. I must think of a way to win Mana's heart. She's a bit conservative but worth the effort.

Assistant: Mana? Who is that?

Harold: The ultimate prize for a man as important as myself. Ageless, aloof, and she hits like man hitting like a woman hitting like a man.

Assistant: ... um.

Harold: There must be some way.

Assistant: L-lord Harold might I suggest another ... more available woman?

Harold: Nonsense! I've been at it for years and I'm not going to give up ... I've the time. Now if you're going to keep bothering me with questions then help me think of a real solution.

Assistant: Well, if she was the one who injured you, I would suggest an apology, and maybe a gift. At it for years you said? Mmm ... that sort of thing is hard to make up for. Let's ignore the fact that your only interest in this woman is her ... um ... lady parts.

Harold: You're useless ....

[Dark Sage]

"Ah crap...claustrophobia here we come..." said Alferis nervously, wondering about how Reika would handle it. Come to think of it, she hadn't been doing too well today. She looked pretty sick in fact. One thing was for certain. At least nobody could get a good opportunity to kill her.

Reika meanwhile had stayed near Morgan. Not much else to go, especially someone could get the drop on her. Those dizzy spells were quite annoying, she'd have to do something about how to handle herself against a horde of enemies when those strike.

[Snowy_One]

A hour, two hours, six. Mana didn't know how long she spent in flight before, at last, conscious thought returned to her body. She was relaxed, ready, and quite frankly, had needed the break. Piles of paperwork held no terror compared to a self-absorbed woman. Still, the faint glimmer of fear started to arise in her once again. During her impromtu vacation, had she missed Ixion? Had he left without her, rendering her trouble with Reika null? As she flew, she closed her eyes, trying to calm down and focus. During the dance, she had spent much time with Ixion. Though she didn't know her own location, if she could at least see that Ixion was not there, she could look elsewhere. All she needed to know was that he was somewhere.

---

Esphyr, meanwhile, had remained fairly removed from the group. This was not due to moping or anything of the sort, but rather that she simply did not know what was going on herself. As much as she could gather, several of the others, including Charlotte, had gone on ahead and the group was waiting for some form of signal from them. Beyond that, she simply didn't know. What was she to do though if it came? Fight for free? She looked at Aiya. Damian's... wife. If you are hired and the lord's spouse gives a command, it is to be treated as if it came from the lord himself usually. Esphyr shrugged. Did this mean that Aiya was her new master? Possibly. Better than any other course of action she could see for the moment at least.

[Phoenix]

Some Things To Take Care Of

Once Ixion departed from Jace's Manse, Daneka and Alphonse followed him. More like continued escort, but Daneka was gathering a few more details in case they were needed. Alphonse as always, silently guarded Daneka. Once Ixion had given her a few specifics for future reference, she started delving into other things.

Daneka: (Jace is confident as always, still zis is just over zree zousand animals in total. No one has ever done anyzing like zis before ...) Would you mind my asking what you zink of zese ... creations you're making?

Ixion: What I think?

Daneka: What do you zink of zem? Tools? Children?

Ixion: There is nothing in existence that isn't a tool for something or someone else, and children are for those with no hope of survival.

Her face went into slight disarray at the thought. Alphonse shot Ixion an annoyed look but escaped notice being almost behind the man.

Daneka: Interesting point of view ... so what do you zink of zem?

Ixion: ... assets. Valuable assets. They neither need nor warrant any other title at this point in time.

Daneka: (My oh my I wonder if zere is even a man in zere or if he's just a shell ...)

It didn't take long for them to reach the castle gates. As they came to the group, Ixion came first to Lev and put his hand on his shoulder, much to his surprise. The stern words that came afterward had the wyvern lord clinching his fists.

Ixion: Hurry up, Lev.

Lev: (You've gotta be kidding me! If he's rushing me then this is not a good sign. Urgh!)

Daneka eyed Lev closely marking his frustration and tilting her head curiously. He then turned to Morgan.

Ixion: When you finish up your business with Stephanie, send her to the headquarters here in Septimus. One more thing. I'm leaving so finding Damian and the Headmaster is a must. Do you know where they are?

Not far away Viveka and Jasmine unhitched their pegasi and walked them out of the stables. As soon as the group came into view, Susann's head shot up! It was the magnificent one again! Illiam looked over at the same pegasus and then back at Susann. The stallion didn't seem so great. After all, he was carrying around a human male like some sort of circus animal. Susann was clearly in heat and not thinking clearly ... or something.

Suddenly Illiam's attention was turned to the black pegasus! A beautiful shadow of a pegasus with the perfect shape and build! Her horn was polished and shiny, her eyes, piercing, and her mane completely combed out and well treated. Not one feather at an odd angle, and her hooves were smooth and polished as well. Jasmine felt a slight jerk from his reins as he and Susann trotted faster in the direction of the other pegasi.

Jasmine: What's going on?!

Viveka: ... urgh ... not this crap again.

Viv yanked hard on Susann's reins causing her to stop and turn to her with a sad look on her face. Viveka held up her hand and waved her finger back and forth.

Viveka: Don't even think about it. I know you get bored and lonely with just Illiam around but this isn't the time.

Susann had no idea what Viveka had just said, but it sounded like she wasn't going to let her see the magnificent one up close. That wasn't fair. Viveka and the other riders got to be close to males all the time and she never tried to stop the social rider from doing just that. Why was she being treated so unfairly? If she had human tears she would have cried. Meanwhile Jasmine struggled to hold Illiam back as he trotted over to Nyx and was beginning to fail miserably as having her heels dragged along the grass would surely indicate.

Viveka: Um, Derek? I'm not sure when Lev's wyvern is coming back so I'm not sure what to have you do with those cases.

[Ether]

As the presence permeated the area, Damian looked in it's direction.

'Ixion must be back.'

Moving in the direction of the core of the dark energies, it was indeed Ixion.

"So, you have returned."

********************

As Morgan announced that they would all be staying in the same room, Aiya sighed.

'I guess there's no point arguing with her...' Aiya concluded, leaning against a nearby wall, now armoured, with her sword sheathed nearby.

[Phoenix]

One Down, One To Go

Ixion: Well, here you are. Now we only need to find the Headmaster herself.

Lev: (I must have missed that.) Exactly why are Damian and the wind going with you?

Ixion: I'm being helpful. Just like you.

Lev raised an eyebrow and then grunted.

Lev: Doesn't seem to involve anything relevant.

Ixion: It may or may not depending how this all turns out.

[Snowy_One]

Mana could see with ease that the world about her was rife with magic, and within it, a peculiar upwelling. Two in fact. One she recognized with ease as Ixion's power, and the second... she wasn't quite so sure on. Yet, as she fluttered down and landed up the path before the man, she recognized the demonic power of the Crimson Weapons. Damian was there as well. "Hey." she said, raising her hand in greeting to the gathered few. "Sorry I'm late. Esphyr got into a fight with Reika and I had to play mediator. Then, I kind of needed to relax for a bit. Came here right after though."

[Phoenix]

Two Down, Now We Go

Ixion: One, and two. Good. If either of you have anything else to do, do so now. We're leaving as soon as you finish. Also change of plans. We'll be heading to the fortress here in Septimus rather than heading back to Halton. I'll explain more on the way.

Lev: (He's going to the Septimus base? What the hell is going on now?)

[Ether]

"The Septimian base? I mean, it makes sense, as it is obviously closer... but why the sudden change?" Damian asked, as the Headmaster landed nearby and Ixion announced the change.

[Snowy_One]

"I must admit, I am intrigued myself as to the sudden choice. Wine, women, and song in Halton don't appeal enough to you? Ah well, not that it really matters." said Mana, a smile on her face. This actually helped her out more than she had previously expected. If they weren't trekking all the way to Halton, her own motives for coming with Ixion could be fulfilled easier. Besides, northern air was cooler, and much more relaxing to fly through anyways.

[Ether]

"I guess it doesn't really matter, yes." Damian replied, before remembering something.

"I need to talk to one more person before I go. I don't think I will be too long." Damian said, and got ready to find Tessa.

OOC: This is to establish the future flashback in the timeline, etc. Once there is another post, I will have him come back. Convo will be a flashback later.

[Phoenix]

Variant

Ixion: On the way I said. Many matters concerning the IM are not for open discussion.

Lev: (Halton would be half way up our asses by now if we were that stupid. That or they'd be trying to weasel their way into it. I don't know which is worse.)

While Lev pondered, Ixion looked up into the sky, his eyes trailing off into the distance.

Ixion: I would rather not walk there, however I did not foresee Stephanie being needed. Until Stratos arrives we'll travel by coach.

Lev: Stratos? Who the hell is that?

Ixion: A wyvern variant I designed for aerial travel. It will take her at least a day to reach us so until then I'll settle for a coach.

He looked over at Mana and immediately resolved to stick with that decision. They may have gotten there faster, but he most certainly did not want to be clasped and hauled through the air by her if he could help it. Lev didn't say another word after the mention of a wyvern "variant". It was obviously a monstrosity of some kind and his jaw simply dropped an inch, his face giving off nothing but shock and dismay. He wasn't sure he wanted to know just how far the knowledge he'd gained could really go.

[Ether]

As Damian returned from his talk with Tessa, he showed no sign of whatever the talk had comprised of. Perhaps it had been scarring for him, or perhaps he even needed to try to forget it to retain his resolve. One may never know, unless the conversation were to be revealed at a later date... who knows if Damian would ever speak of it?

"I'm back. Sorry for keeping you."

[Dark Sage]

"Hmmm....Tessa...where the hell is she anyway? I forgot to apologize..." Alferis mumbled, heading off in search of Tessa.

[Snowy_One]

"A coach then?" asked Mana, a curious look on her face. Somehow, the prospect of traveling by coach stuck Mana as far more interesting than the 'wyvern variant' which would be escorting her. From the moment she had decided to come, she had steeled herself for the fact that Ixion would be touting loads of abominations. This was simply one of them. "I do pray that you will let me sit up front, or at least with a seat beside a window. Though I have managed to crub the claustrophobia of being confined so tightly, the motion of air is comforting to me still."

[Phoenix]

Seating Arrangements

Ixion: I'm not particular on the seating arrangements. You can sit on the roof if open air is what you desire.

Dreamy

Irina eventually slumped over exhausted from her failed attempt to cast. She was dreaming within moments. She found herself standing at the door to the building Ivanko used as his home and office. The door was bound with chains and completely locked, but as she pushed the door, it opened right up, the chains phasing through the walls and stretching out like phantoms. She walked right through them as she entered and the place was poorly illuminated.

Irina: ... where the heck is everyone?

A few more steps deeper into the common room and she finally spotted someone! Her father Aleksandr was sitting in one of Ivanko's recliners with his legs crossed and his fingers touching tip to tip. His gaze was dark and almost murderous. She nervously took a step closer.

Irina: ... dad?

Aleksandr: So you actually went through with it. You became a wyvern rider ... and gave up what I planned for you.

Irina: What you planned? What did you plan?

Aleksandr: I cannot tell you that.

Irina: Why not?! Why bring it up at all if you can't tell me?!

Aleksandr: Because you don't know what it is, therefore neither do I. You would do well to confront Isotov on the issue.

Irina: Iso?

Aleksandr: He knows the truth, or he may have been able to harbor at least a little bit of care and concern for Ivanko and myself. Yet he hates us. What is going on that you are so oblivious to, Irina?

Irina: ... I ... don't know ... ... and I'm not sure I want to know. Our family is screwed up enough.

Aleksandr: Ignorance isn't bliss, Irina. What you do not know will cost you your life.

Without another word the man vanished like a ghost! Irina nearly leaped to stop him but halted when she realized there was nothing she could do. Was her father making a point about something important? She didn't know, but she did know it couldn't have been a ghost in her dream, otherwise he would have known what to tell her. After all, the plan was admittedly his own.

Irina: What's going on ...?

[Script]

Luc Altair

Luc hadn't managed to accomplish half his goals--hell, he had only managed one--by the time things were starting to die down in activity. Since Morgan had wanted everyone to stay in the same room, Luc couldn't begin investigating the other matters on his mind in private as he preferred. And once the group was on their way, things would be just as difficult. It was maddening, when plans do not work out. But inevitable. No, Luc would treat this as an exercise in plan management and assured himself to do better next time.

[Snike]

Derek

"I'm fine, just holding them, Miss Viveka," Derek said, lightly lowering the cases a bit. "I doubt Lev will take long." Truth be told, he was wanting to put them on the ground, but not because it was heavy. Rather, carrying the luggage reminded him of the times had carried things in for his sister, who had just left... Well, that's life, he reasoned. Just because it reminds me of her, doesn't mean I should just stop. And so, the cavalier continued to carry the cases, dutifully.