Return of the Emblem Chapter Five: The Retrieval

[Zsword]

"Contractions? Really? I thought the point of contractions was that they're easier to say than the normal variations of the words." Zel said with a slight tilt of his head to indicate his confusion. "I'd figure you'd have more problems with the extended versions of the words."

[Acacia Sgt]

''You think so?'' John asked. ''It's more like just a shorter way. That not always means it's easier I'd think.''

[Snowy_One]

"Contractions are faster, but they require a greater comfortably with the language than I currently possess. I am lucky that enough traders visited my town that I understand most of the phrasing and terms others use and to make my accent less noticeable. It is hard enough for me to pick out the basic words, then sound them out well enough so that they can be understood without them being a contraction."

[Dark Sage]

The topics of conversation switched very quickly. They went from East Neviskotia to the Fallen and now of all things, grammar contractions. Domovoi noticed that Veronika had been jabbing the whole time, but Robin did not seem to react. Either she had not noticed, or she was ignoring Veronika but from her actions, Domovoi assumed the former.

He was starting to get uncomfortable when Robin struggled to say the word can't. He had not known people who had trouble with contractions and he would've figured most people would've tried to keep that a secret. In any case Robin was clearly setting herself up to be made fun of.

"Erm, back to the Fallen, I'm curious on what tactics would be best used on them. I'm afraid I don't know much about them," said Domovoi, hurriedly changing the subject.

[Acacia Sgt]

'Back to the Fallen?' John thought, somewhat disliking the idea. ''Well...'' he began. ''If anything, not fight them at night would be best. At this point though, considering things, I don't think we'll have to worry about that anymore.''

[Zsword]

Zel nodded. "So far the only real strategies seem to be, one: Don't fight at night, and two: Fight with Fire." he said, shaking his head clear. I hope that Avian is right...

[Snowy_One]

"Too bad they are not animals like deer. They may be faster but you can wear them down easily until they are unable to run any more. That is a critical flaw with most powerful animals. They are strong, but only in bursts. They do not hold up well to prolonged hunting."

[-Cynthia-]

"Not to mention that deer don't fly, or use dark magic, or have super strength or eat people. Probably why we eat deer instead of Fallen," Veronika said rather candidly.

[Acacia Sgt]

'What? Deer? No wonder we were suddenly discussing contractions, she easily gets off-topic...' John thought.

''Well, leaving the... deer aside,'' John said. ''It won't be easy even with the necessary means. Although, it's possible the Fallen may not be in optimal condition thanks to the mercenaries so... well, I wouldn't take it for granted either.'' He shrugged.

[Zsword]

Zel chuckled under his helmet. "From what I understand, we're not actually supposed to fight the Fallen really, so I'm not sure why we're so concerned." He stated, crossing his arms confidently... only to need to swish his cape back behind him with another light gust of air.

[Mercakete]

The shanty drew to a close and a cheer and laughter shouted out from those celebrating. It really had been a fun, simple party. So, in good spirits, it was off to work once more. Gytha wound up joining in with the crew again, helping out as needed and conversing with the crew.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This was a big place, but with a nose and ears as she had, it wasn't hard to navigate. One eye was all she needed as she explored the ship and it's levels. It was a structure on the water so the lowest levels were to be avoided as water inevitably gathered there, even as the humans toiled to pump it out. No, the best place to hunt was always in the place where the humans kept their food. Weevilly biscuits and grain were the usual targets. And so Maw sniffed out these scents. Yes, the rats were indeed plentiful. Scittering, nibbling, chattering... Not many sacks were left without holes, though the holes were somewhat small. But every rat was the same: a pleague on mankind and food to Maw. That was what the cat's lifestyle had been on the merchant ships Gytha had sailed on to protect such people as the woman she travelled with now. Meals had been there, as expected, so Maw was not upset by the arrangements. She was able to hunt at night when the group of humans stopped in the wild. When they were in unfamilliar towns, Gytha would supply Maw with food, as she expected of the human.

But now... Now food was pleantiful and easily accessable. Maw could hunt for herself and a rat colony of this size could keep her fed for...years? Yes, perhaps. Certainly for however long she would remain aboard this vessel. On merchant ships, Maw was not always apprciated at first, but the merchants grew to be quite glad she was aboard, keeping the infestations controled and sometimes illiminating it altogether. True, the humans joined her in hunting and eating them on particularly long voyages after their food had run out, but over all, Maw was doing a great service to the ship. Her payment usually consisted of fish to add to her diet, but it wasn't something she expected. She was normally quite happy with simply eating the rats. If she wanted fish, she would just take some from the humans after they caught some for themselves. They either never noticed or never complained when she had done so in the past.

Ah, but the past was the past indeed. As the one-eyed cat chose one of the multitude of unsavory rodents, she quietly remained still, hidden in the shadows, muscles tense and focus sharp. Then, at just the right moment...she pounced, claws gripping the rat's tail and chest as she simultaniously bit down on it's neck, ending the small life swiftly as the other rats -- all of which had been nervous at the scent of a cat -- scurried away to hide. This was enough for now. These rats were not small and because of their number, would not be able to hide effectively from her for a long time. And so she began eating her kill.

[GoD]

"I understand that very well, which is why you shouldn't hold back!"- Chelsea replied confidently.

When the boat started rocking back and forth again, Chelsea had to crouch to the ground in order for her not to get any more seasick than age already was.

"Ugh, I'll get better at this I know it."- Chelsea mumbled.

"Hey 'Shades' what do you think about the Fallen? Just what are they?"-

[Snowy_One]

"The same concept might still apply though. Wear them down using weak attacks and feints to exhaust their power, then move in for the kill. Exact same thing to hunt a deer, and it works on powerful people too."

[Zsword]

Shadrak chuckled with Chelsea's sea sickness, offering a hand to her. "Let's talk by the rail, that way if the motion does get you... you don't make a mess... and the breeze helps."

[Phoenix]

Lights Out

With Fira lighting the way for the Al-Lyrae, the ship managed to reach the shore within the allotted time the captain had given. Likewise, the crew managed to get the horses below deck, the wagon tied down, and the supplies secured. The wyverns were another story. The ship had plenty of room, but getting them down there before the storm hit just wasn't going to happen. The captain sighed. It looked like the best they would be able to do at that point was to cover the wyverns up for the night and leave them on the main deck. A lightning strike a couple of miles off the port side of the ship was a good enough cue for everyone to get inside.

Once the party and crewmen were all shoehorned inside, the next challenge awaited them. Sleeping arrangements. It was bad enough that the animals would start filling their ship with various smells by morning, but sleeping on the floor wasn't something the Captain wanted to put the women through. The first order of business was to make sure each of the women had a hammock. They weren't a luxury, but he wasn't going to let them floor it. Obviously Gabbie wasn't complaining. Fira doused the lights once there were no longer people stumbling about in the tossing ship, and then went off to bed herself.

The Hunted

Elsewhere, some miles into Kigen, a thick forest was also being hit by the storm. The mercenaries there were fortunate enough to have a roof over their heads. An old overgrown fortress deep in the forest. They had been bunkered down there for over a week, and only fifteen of them were still alive ...

With them was a very young fallen who was uncomfortably restrained with tough worn ropes. Guarding her were a young man and woman. The man wore the armor of a swordsman and had to katanas over his back. The woman was also a swordsman but with only one sword, and very light gear. The two mercenaries kept a fleeting eye on the captive while they spoke about their current situation.

While they quietly conversed, the leader of the group, a very muscular figure covered in battle scars paced back and forth with his hand on his axe. <"Hey, enough chatter. We need to be able to hear if the enemy comes."> the man said in Kigenese before stopping to face the two.

<"Ugh ... it's not going to matter soon. They've been waiting us out this whole time and launching a few attacks to break us. We're out of food, haven't slept in days, and the girl's knots are growing loose. If Weyland didn't send help for us by now, then we're probably finished."> the swordsman shot back while keeping his head down.

<"Katsu ... don't give up. We're going to get out of this. We just have to find a crack in their blockade.">

<"I say we give them back the demon girl. Why are we getting ourselves killed for Weyland? We can't support our families if we're dead."> a random merc protested.

<"We can't do that!"> said the female swordsman as she stood up. She almost lost her balance due to the fatigue. <"There are only two reasons we still live. One is because Kai and Katsu are the best, even good enough to hold off the enemy for days with little rest and supplies dwindling. The other reason is because of that demon we have. If they get her back, they've got no reason to keep us alive and will send a whole swarm of their lackeys in here to finish us off.">

<"Uh ... right ... damn."> the mercenary said dropping his head. The more they talked about the situation the more depressing it became.

<"Hmm. I suppose Katsu is right about one thing though. We're running out of time. I don't think we can count on Weyland to have everything covered, and the Al-Lyrae is probably gone by now. If we can make it to the meeting point, we may still have a chance to escape with our lives. Even if the ship already left then we can still head for the nearest fortress along the borderlands. I doubt they'll attack a stronghold with so few numbers, elites or not."> Kai explained.

<"Captain, haven't we been over this already? If we show up with a captured demon, they'll jail us."> the merc from before chimed in looking up at his leader.

<"We'll kill her before we arrive, but we can't do that too soon or her allies will come down on us before we ever reach help.">

The fallen girl's eyes widened in fear. She knew she was in danger of being killed over something like this, but she had been watching the humans break down and decay over the last few days, and knew that in a desperate situation like this, her life was truly in danger. They weren't just talking, they were downright considering their options. As close as her sisters were, she was beginning to wonder if they could do anything to save her.

The Hunters

The area around the fortress was overrun with various demonic creatures, but most of them were ferocious canines with hideous discolored skin, boney frames, and fierce eyes. They didn't sleep, instead they patrolled the woods day and night, stopping only to kill something to eat. There were too many for the mercenaries to deal with. They would be whittled down to a few men and then those controlling the demons would arrive and finish them off ... that was why they had to stay in the fortress until they formulated a plan.

The fallen controlling the demons was a low ranking beast tamer named Gunnar. He lazed about with a couple of demons at his side while the rest did their work. Not far from him were a couple of other fallen, these two, completely different looking, and both female. The first, an armor clad fallen with large wings, and a dual pronged lance. The second, a fallen with a red gown and even larger wings. Neither one of them looked amused with the progress of the mission. When Gunnar felt like he was about to be yelled at again, he struck first.

<"Alright, now listen to me! These things take time. Humans can go awhile without food, and this rain is going to give them some water so we'll just have to be patient. There's no need to angst over your sister. She'll be fine."> he explained both quick and defensively.

<"First of all, you lazy vulture, neither of us said a word to you, second, our sister has likely gone without food for as long as she's been their captive! The longer we wait, the more needless suffering she must endure. Launch another attack. They can't possibly be ready for us in a storm like this."> the armored one ordered. Then she paused, to look over at the other one. Making sure there was nothing wrong with her suggestion would probably be a good idea. <"What say you? Would that put Siv in too much danger, or no?">

<"The demons are merciless. Even the humans know they cannot use Siv as a shield against them. As long as we keep them from becoming too desperate, we should be able to wear them down a bit more. I have no objections to sending in a few demons, but not enough to wipe them out. Send in too many and they might do something detrimental to both sides."> she replied.

<"Do it, Gunnar!"> the armored one yelled.

<"Alright, alright! When did Lord Obelisk die and make you Empress anywa-AH!"> he was interrupted by a whack to the head from the fallen's lance. The demons with him were startled and flew off.

<"Move your tail!">

<"You scared away my harpies ...">

Morning Mist

The storm had subsided by morning. The Al-Lyrae floated on the water, anchored surprisingly close to the shore. The mercenaries had survived the night, twelve of them at least. Three died in the middle of the night, when six demonic hounds came flying out of the walls and attacked them. Siv was defended by Katsu, who slew half of the demons himself. The other three fell to Kai's cleaver, but three of their own were mauled to death before the violence concluded. All that was left of the slaughter were the bodies of the mercenaries, for the demon hounds had eroded away into a sickening pulp and washed away with the blood in a matter of hours.

The survivors paid their respects to the dead, and then went back to hopelessly guarding their hostage. <"They just won't give up ... we're all gonna die ... all of us ... ... every last one of us is gonna die ..."> a despairing mercenary said sliding down the wall.

<"We're not finished yet, dammit. Don't give up. As long as we're still alive, there's some hope."> Kai shot back. He had a new scar for his collection from the looks of things.

On board the Al-Lyrae, everyone was woken up and instructed to head up to the main deck. Since the storm had cleared, they were free to begin their search, and with the sun lighting the land, they didn't have to worry about being quietly picked off in the night. The ship's ramp eventually hit the soggy grass of the shore, and a few crewmen armed to the teeth rushed out to secure the area.

On the main deck, the captain looked out over the landscape seeming a little depressed. "What a soaking mess. So much for your forest fire tactic. The only way that would work now is if Fira went along. She's the only one I know of that can start a fire in any kind of lousy environment."

"We'll think of something. I was hoping it wouldn't come to that anyway." replied Raquel.

"Hmm, you seem a bit better this morning. Less damned. Did you come up with a plan or somethin'?"

"Well, no I just ... had a good night's sleep for a change. I'm trying not to think about it."

"I know you're worried about them, but they'll be back in one piece. I'm sure of it."

"They'll ...?" Oh ... right ... I guess I can't exactly go with them. If the wagon isn't going then I've got no excuse for tagging along, do I? I'd just be slowing them down and I would need a personal guard and everything.

"What? You planning on going with them?"

"I uh ... I don't know ..."

[-Cynthia-]

Connor

Connor had briefly considered staying in the wagon to work for the night, but thought better of it after the lightning hit. After the worst night of sleep he had ever had, he got up and went back to the wagon on deck, eager to resume his work.

Veronika

Raquel seemed unsure of whether to go or not and so Veronika decided to chime in.

"It would probably be better if you stayed on the ship, I'm not sure if having you near to a battle is necessary. Besides, we need you to protect...that thing that needs protecting," Veronika said, giving a shifty glance towards the pirates. "If I die...try to find Pavel wouldn't you? He might be somewhere near your father...I'd look in the same places anyhow," she said, looking down.

[Zsword]

Zelatus

Zel woke with a stretch, walking outside to the misty morning air. Sleeping on the ground was nothing compared to learning how to sleep in the saddle, that atleast was stable. He staired out to the misty forest with a hearty "Ha!" After his mock he found himself a clear space, and began running through some basic combat stances and attacks, his air and poise.. oddly serious for him. and now... we're on their turf...

Shadrak

The night before Shadrak had told Chelsea all he knew about the Fallen... which... wasn't a whole lot, but he felt it was moderatly accurate, considering his sources were Kigen, and it was the Kigen who knew Fallen the best. After their talk they were usherred inside due to the storm. He was grateful, he really needed the sleep, and really, the floor inside the ship, not the worst place he to sleep yet, some times you just can't get something to work out in the wilderness. When morning rolled around he sat himself on the edge of the ship, dangling his legs over the side as he began scribbling some notes, waiting for the order to move out.

[Rothene]

Ranyin wasted no time reciting the lengthy explanation he gave to the group back when they were discussing about the fallen back in Weyland's mansion to Bert. He was not sure whether Bert managed to catch them all or not as he kept going on without pause. At the end of the 'lecture', Ranyin concluded with, "And that's about all I know. Ask me if you have any further question," before reaching for his water sack.

[Acacia Sgt]

Come next morning, John had headed back outside and heading to where Gil was. He didn't minded sleeping on the floor since he's used to it. If anything, as long as he did it in a sitting position with something to lean on, he couldn't care, and the walls certainly were a good as choice as any.

Gil, on the other hand, didn't liked to have to remain on deck, not with a storm and all, which is probably why he didn't growled or anything when being covered up for the night, surprisingly enough since John hadn't been nearby. Now that the time had gotten better and were now on the other side of the water he was now itching to stretch his wings again.

[Mercakete]

"Hmm? Yer stayin' aboard th' ship?" Gytha asked as she walked over to Raquel, "Well, if ye are, could ye do me a favor? I can't find Maw anywhere and I think she thinks we'll be stayin' aboard fer longer than we are. She'll show up sometime today. When she does -- and ev'ry day I'm not around -- could ye try t' get'er t' let ye treat 'er eye socket? I keep'er as healthy as I can, but she won't be comin' with us, so... I think ye could do it in me place while I'm away, if ye would." The mariner was holding the ointment and roll of bandages she used to take care of the cat every morning, and was clearly somewhat worried at not being able to find the one-eyed silver tabby.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Norbert was already in the sky on Rizen's back, taking a look over the land beyond the border. "It's almost more...vibrant than Ursium... So, this is where Ranyin's from..." he murmurred to himself, "As the day goes on, I'll be able to see things more clearly... This place isn't bad, though." Ranyin's explanation as to what Fallen were from the previous night had mostly been forgotten, but he'd managed to retain that they were evil, powerful bird-people. Flight would not likely be an easy escape this time. It didn't concern him too much, though. For now, he didn't want to worry about pointless worrying, as redundant as that was.

[Phoenix]

Raquel

It wasn't like she wanted to stay, but she didn't want to drag the party down. She not only couldn't fight, but she also wasn't one for a lot of walking and would slow the group down whether they were fighting, running, or just plain searching. Her best option if going with them would be to ride as a passenger ... and like Veronika had just alluded to, there was the fire emblem to consider. From the looks of things though, Veronika was making some preparations of her own. Raquel understood full well why, but had to say something to the contrary. Something.

"Don't say that. We're on a mission, but no matter what happens, keep yourself alive. You're the one that's going to find Pavel."

That was about all the reassuring she could get out before Gytha came to her with an assignment that made her want to go with the group that much more. All she knew about cats was that it would take divine intervention to get one to do what she wanted it to, that's why monkeys were better ... in her humble opinion.

"Uh ... err, Gytha, I don't know anything about cats, yet alone cleaning injured ones. Are you sure I'm the right person for this? I mean ... who's going to lead the search and speak with the mercenaries when we find them?"

"That cat from yesterday? Hmm ... well I guess we don't have to worry about purging the ship again just yet." the captain said crossing his arms and looking out over the landscape again. The conversation the women were having was getting a bit boring for him.

[-Cynthia-]

"Death is not always a matter of our willing it not to be so, but thank you for the sentiment Raquel," Veronika said, giving her a short nod, before Gytha started talking about cat care.

[Snowy_One]

Come the following morning Robin awoke early, as was her way, with the rise of the sun. The prior night had not been well on her as a noticable shade of green stained her face and cheeks. She had not found her sea-legs in the slightest and, though the offer of the hammock had been nice, being away from solid land for so long had taken its toll. Robin was greatful that she was used to going without food for days on a hunt now as she felt certain she would be incapable of keeping anything down. Indeed, the only reason there wasn't anything coming up was because there was nothing to come up.

The moment the ramp was dropped and the area secure Robin hurried down the ramp. As her feet hit muddy earth, she quickly bent over, kissing and hugging it soundly. "<Sweet earth, how I love thee.>" she quietly whispered through mud-stained lips, a silent promise to never leave the earth for water again forming within her.

[Mercakete]

"Oh, so ye are comin' along? Alright, then. I'll just have t' find someone else. Just thought ye had it in ye t' gain Maw's trust just enough for her t' let ye tend'er socket," Gytha replied with a shrug before beginning to wander again. Someone had to tend to the feline while Gytha was absent, after all.

[Zsword]

Zelatus

Zel finished his morning exorcise, and walked over to Raquel and the group, he had heard the conversation from the distance. "Lady Raquel, if you would like to come, me and Sliep can easily keep you out of harms way if it comes down to combat, and if you need to leave, Sliep can keep you safe." he told her. He didn't feel comfortable leaving Raquel behind, she seemed like the parties leader, without her the party would be rather lost... she needed to come.

Sliep was very polite to the crew of the ship, letting them guide him easily back up to the deck.

Shadrak

Shadrak chuckled at Robin, getting off his rail to follow her down the ramp. He found it funny her reaction... first time experiance was always fun. <"Never been on a ship before?"> he asked her with a smile, before covering his mouth when he realised he talked to her in Skotian. "Oh, sorry, not sure if you're comfortable with me talking in Skotian yet..." he said apolagitacly. He wanted to talk to her in her native tongue... he was proud of his ability to.. not doing so felt so... rude.