Abysmal Souls Chapter 5

[ReformBlade]

Carrion

"I'm not asking for approval, I just want to see where you're at, alright? I don't want to drag you along without any say... I want you to be with me, I need you, probably more than I originally thought or counted on." It was mushy, it was cliche, but it was how she felt about it. "Anyway... You seriously don't want to talk about... all of that? I guess it's a bit heavy, but... it might directly affect you if I use magic, and that terrifies me. I mean, I or someone else may have already killed my brother again by magic usage, and that just really disheartens me. But since I don't know for sure..." She gripped Adrian's hand tightly, "I'm going for it. I think I'll attempt that ritual... And before you protest at all... I can't die, remember? And besides, I've been given a rare opportunity, and yet... it's been taken from me as well... We need to find Faye, and I know that's almost impossible now, she's... only noticeable by us, and I have no idea where she went or disappeared to... And to think, the last thing I did to her was shun her. I feel so awful about that... I should've listened to her, oh dammit." She stood up, determination spread on her face. "No, I'm... I'm done with this bullshit wallowing. Come on, dear... I've got some enchanting to do, and she sounded impatient."

Aiduen

"Eh, I'm..." Now that she thought of it, she was pretty bored as it was. Nothing was drawing her attention, making her a little sad on the inside. "Sorry for wasting your time, I'm kinda shot from dealing with my brother, who IS a bit of a meathead, I must admit. He's... not the brightest, but he's just. Um. I don't know, you wanna grab a bite to eat or you full or do you just want me out of your hair...?"

[Nanami Touko]

Amera

She absently smiled at him when he sat down with her, engrossed in what she was reading, leaning onto the table to do so. "You're going to have to read some of this out loud" "Yeah, I know..." "I mean, once you find...whatever you're looking for." "Mhmm, just gimme a second or five hundred..." Apparently not absent enough to crack jokes, but it didn't take her that long to find what she was looking for, running into the specific magics section of channeling right near the start. "Awesome! So..." She cleared her throat, looking over what it was saying for a moment before starting to read it out to him, "Uhm... mana is the energy within all living things. It composes us, and is all around us at all times. Over history, we have learned to harness this vast energy by channeling it through our... emotions, really?" She was a tad surprised that was what was controlling her magic, but she kept on going, "right, uh, for those who dabble in fire, certain emotions like rage, passion, anger; extreme emotion, will make it easier for you to control your mana, but maybe not yourself. For those of ice, being calm and empty of almost all thought would be best. Ice is a very graceful magic, like what it encompasses, and becoming enraged would shatter your magic. Wind is the most whimsical of magic, and those who are as such will control it best; those who aren't bound by anything and think freely. And... thunder, yay, my magic," she giggled for a moment, "Thunder strikes quickly and painfully, and for someone to harness this, they must be sure of themselves, and determined to give everything they've got for it. Those who think quickly and coldly; calculating their plans, they are also able to use this power, so that they may strike like the magic they attempt to possess... Well." She flopped onto the book, laughing a little, "that explains why I'm so bad at thunder magic. So, Gideon... any idea which of these fits you best?"

Adrian

"I'm not asking for approval, I just want to see where you're at, alright? I don't want to drag you along without any say... I want you to be with me, I need you, probably more than I originally thought or counted on." "Er... right." Wow... this is a side of you I could get used to seeing. It was better than seeing her mad all the time, and he appreciated the affection more than she might've thought. "Anyway... You seriously don't want to talk about... all of that? I guess it's a bit heavy, but... it might directly affect you if I use magic, and that terrifies me. I mean, I or someone else may have already killed my brother again by magic usage, and that just really disheartens me. But since I don't know for sure..." "Well, I'm a bit against you teaching me magic now, that's for sure... if that's all true, I don't want to learn how to fling things around at the cost of someones life. I'm more worried about how you feel towards it. Like you just said, your brother..." he didn't want to say anything about that. She was obviously already thinking about it and if he accidentally said anything insensitive, that might throw her over into crying again, or getting upset. She tightened her grip on his hand, though.

"I'm going for it. I think I'll attempt that ritual... And before you protest at all... I can't die, remember?" "Wha-- Carrion, that's..." "And besides, I've been given a rare opportunity, and yet... it's been taken from me as well... We need to find Faye, and I know that's almost impossible now, she's..." If light bulbs really did appear over peoples' heads when they realized something, Adrian's would've been bright enough for an entire city. He'd completely forgotten about Carrion's rather brazen fairy friend, not even beginning to wonder where she'd gone off to. Shit, how could I have been so careless? "only noticeable by us, and I have no idea where she went or disappeared to... And to think, the last thing I did to her was shun her. I feel so awful about that... I should've listened to her, oh dammit." He was about to do his trademark consoling once more, but she surprised him, "No, I'm... I'm done with this bullshit wallowing. Come on, dear... I've got some enchanting to do, and she sounded impatient." He stood, and pulled her up with him, "that was... rather mature, Carrion. I'm surprised, ha ha. I was hoping I'd be able to give you another hug and tell you everything would be fine." He gave her a smile, lightly pulling her along the stairs.

[Jaybee]

Danyon

Looks like I really suck at playing hide and seek.

No time for little games now. Danyon didn't even notice Teis behind him when he ran forward, hoping he'd be fast enough to catch the purple-haired guy. When he was somewhat in range of him, he dived forward, trying to get in a good tackle.

[Shin]

Ken

Lucinda has seemed oddly bright the last few days, it may have been a good sign. He eagerly awaited the day she would wake, although he still wondered Obelia's path after that.

The Great Ken Killing Mook

His target was so incompetent yet had managed to elude him for over a week now. Perhaps the priest was smarter than he let on. Another attempt would have to wait until nightfall, his companion was far too alert for a daytime strike. That was the last time he fired a crossbow bolt during the day, he still can't believe he tried something so stupid. Although time was running short...

[Sakusa]

Giselle

"Eh, I'm..." Aiduen took a few moments to think, but inevitably came up short. "Sorry for wasting your time, I'm kinda shot from dealing with my brother, who IS a bit of a meathead, I must admit. He's... not the brightest, but he's just. Um. I don't know, you wanna grab a bite to eat or you full or do you just want me out of your hair...?" She looked noticably sullen, which wasn't good for Giselle - she hated dealing with depressing people.

She stopped, turned around, and cracked a smile for the girl. "Look, Aiduen," she said somewhat sternly and poked her cheek, "If I wanted you out of my hair, I would've left you on your own in the streets when you called for me, and I definitely wouldn't be talking to you right now. I just ate, so I'm not particularly hungry, but if you are, I don't mind getting us a bite to eat." She put an arm around her and urged her along. "Are you sure there isn't anything you want to do? What're girls your age interested in these days, anyway? Fortune telling? Matchmaking? I dunno, looking at shiny baubles and buying clothes seem to be a staple for a girl of any age. If you're still feeling childlike, I guess we could see if they have any 'magical' plush toys available. Well?"

[CT075]

Ormis

"Heh, alright, sure!" Ormis grinned, more determined than before. He'd already lost to Arcen once, he wouldn't lose again!

"Ready set go!" He took off.

Sisters/Teis

Therese blinked twice, and fired. It was a really wide shot, destined to miss, but it made for a decent distraction. Gulping down another mouthful of water, she reloaded and tried again. This time, she was a bit closer, though it still didn't hit her target. At least, not her intended target.

Teis cursed. Not only did the man notice Danyon right away, the horseman had decided to attack, in public. His every instinct was to charge in and help, but something stopped him. The knight forced himself calm down and think about the situation. It really was a worst-case scenario. There was no way out of this without some inquiry, and at the very least gossip would eventually bring the tale to Grant's ears.

Teis had taken three steps forward when something grazed his side, stopping him dead. Who-? One look revealed a stunning woman leaning out of a window, some kind of crossbow in her hands. Teis grit his teeth, ignoring the blood dripping down his hip. He ran forward, grabbing Danyon around the neck and yanking him back. As he did so, Teis leaned in and whispered into the horseman's ear.

"Are you mad? If we assault him now, when he has no weapons drawn, we will be considered the aggressors, not him!"

Therese fired again, this time planting two darts in the floor slightly past the fancy guy's shoulders.

Edited August 25, 2011 by Cam

[Sakusa]

Seilynda

The young guard managed to secure work at a shabby-looking smithy. The owner took pity on her after she told him her story and had her clean herself up before anything; she looked like a mess and her armor was in horrible shape. Once she was at least somewhat presentable, he sent her to do menial tasks, such as fetching water and bringing over scrap metal.

[Anti-Social Meta Knight]

Gideon

"Mhmm, just gimme a second or five hundred..." Gideon smirked - with a book that dense, he expected the latter. But apparently it took her less time, and she found whatever information she was after pretty quickly. "Awesome! So..uhm... mana is the energy within all living things. It composes us, and is all around us at all times. Over history, we have learned to harness this vast energy by channeling it through our... emotions, really?" She sounded surprised. Didn't she already know this? "right, uh, for those who dabble in fire, certain emotions like rage, passion, anger; extreme emotion, will make it easier for you to control your mana, but maybe not yourself. For those of ice, being calm and empty of almost all thought would be best. Ice is a very graceful magic, like what it encompasses, and becoming enraged would shatter your magic. Wind is the most whimsical of magic, and those who are as such will control it best; those who aren't bound by anything and think freely. And... thunder, yay, my magic," Gideon shook his head, smirking. "We're after mine here, hun," he told her as she continued. "Thunder strikes quickly and painfully, and for someone to harness this, they must be sure of themselves, and determined to give everything they've got for it. Those who think quickly and coldly; calculating their plans, they are also able to use this power, so that they may strike like the magic they attempt to possess... Well." Her little flop-move onto the book wasn't exactly reassuring. "that explains why I'm so bad at thunder magic. So, Gideon... any idea which of these fits you best?"

Gideon thought for a moment, but it only served to confuse and frustrate him. "How should I know?" he said, leaning on his cheek as he looked over the picture on the page. Each element was present and inhabited a cardinal direction on a white circle. Fire was left. "Is this something I should have learned before? 'Cause I'm drawing a blank." Just thinking about it annoyed him. Wait... For those who dabble in fire, certain emotions like rage, passion, anger; extreme emotion, will make it easier for you to control your mana, but maybe not yourself. It seemed to fit the bill. That would explain why he was in his element on the battlefield, shouting people down and throwing his axe - and it certainly explained how impatient he was with Amera, whether he let it show or not. "Fire," he said softly, the surprise in his voice evident; he didn't expect to figure it out so quickly. "I think it's fire." Of course, that just confused him further. "So what does that mean?" he said, rolling his eyes. Answer one question, get two more. How do these studious types even keep their sanity? "I have to get pissed off to even do anything with my mana? That hardly makes sense..."

Melanie

A bit of wandering and a few more chapters brought Mel to a flight of stairs. She didn't notice, though - she was engrossed in the book. "This makes a lot more sense than the alchemy book," she thought out loud as she walked. "I was hoping I'd be able to give you another hug and tell you everything would be fine." Mel immediately hid behind a bookcase near the stairs when she heard the voice. It took her a moment to register it, but when she did... Carrion's boyfriend? That means they're out of the forbidden section! She grinned and peeked around the bookcase, looking up the stairs. Sure enough, there they were. "Hey!" she chirped, running to the foot of the stairs and presenting the book she had found proudly. "Been doing some homework. I think I know exactly what I'm lookin' for, but it'd help to..." Then it hit her: Carrion looked upset. What happened in there? Did she, like, have to sacrifice someone to learn a new spell? Is that why it's forbidden? Maybe that's how all magic works, but we just never notice...that'd be creeeeepy. "Carrion?" she ventured gently, lowering the book a bit. "You okay?"

[Shin]

Oshea

His search had bared no results. Just as despair began to seep into his heart, he spotted her. By a blacksmith? Surely that was no place for a lady! If she required money, support or even love, he would make it his duty to help. Entering magnificently again, he presented a bag of money to the maiden;

"Do not worry, my dear! That brute from earlier shall trou-..."

He looked at her. It seems she was a lot younger than he expected... and nowhere near as endowed as he had wanted. Whilst all ladies were deserving and in need of his love, a child was not. He'd have to turn this one around quickly.

"Ahem... um... I mean, do not despair, fair child! I've given that old man something to think about. Should you not be with your parents? It is not safe for a girl your age to venture alone."

That was good. Be careful, Oshea. You must not enchant her! Maybe she has an older sister? She'd probably ran away from home, although it was unusual for a young girl to possess a lance.

"If you require any help, please let me know, and I will be happy to lend my services. May I ask your name?"

He was running out of dashing pet names... well, his clean ones.

[NagafenOfIlivikitty]

Obelia has been rather amused by his statement, slightly surprised by her own humour at his words. Yet such a man to exist, one who is this kind and this stern with the usage of weapons or fighting against another who is threatening his life, well, it's quite an amusing scenario to her. But in a country where swordplay is not exactly out of the ordinary, her home taught her that to fight isn't always for defence but sometimes just for the thrill of it. Her mind feels slightly troubled by that, her lips falling from a smile even as Ken tried to cheer the mood. But she has moved to his side now, hesitant but a clawed hand tracing the pommel of her blade with a slightly quiet glance around her. She will protect this oddity of a man, if for the very least, to see that his hearts kindness lives long enough to keep being so.

---

Langley's eyes widen as Noel, far more confident then she's ever been, grins lightly at Andy's response. She leans down and slips a finger under his chin, soft as she can tilting his head up. With a whisper into his ear, after her own brown eyes watch his, she whispers.

'You like her? Like as in find her a good friend? Or~'

With a slower, lower whisper, Langley's mind racing in quiet confusion and panic, hesitantly reaching out for the both of them but her hands pausing halfway, unsure truly of what to do. Her eyes are a bit troubled, but she looks on as she trusts the both of them, not that she isn't nervous. But now, Noel smiles as well, continuing her sentence with soft breathes against Andy's ear.

'Or maybe, you're starting to notice the fact she looks a bit nervous when I'm talking to you. Or how about the fact you're the first guy she's ever let her in her house. Or... how about the fact she's flushing red... and trust me, it's hard to make her blush..'

She grins indeed, while confused; Langley's cheeks do burn crimson.

---

Carrie's eyes shoot awake and she shivers as her body lays there a moment, rather limp among the sheets. She groans to herself, a bad dream fading like the echoes of the day. But she just rubs her lips, feeling their rather dry. Glancing to the side, with a slight sigh of exertion, she leans over and, still tired, takes the jug of water, tipping it to her lips and letting some pour along her mouth. She puts it down after a moment, rubbing her head with a slight wince at the tired feeling in her bones, yet she also smiles. Why, she supposes is because she got to Pravna safely. That's something in her head. With that thought, she stands and glances to the bathroom, before with a yawn and stretch, heading for the door to have a good, long shower.

---

Zwool's eyes take in the rather large doors of the library but now he just heads inside, a hesitant desire to forge onward. He is slightly taken aback by the large degree of books dotting the library. With a slow gape to all in front of him, he glances to a side shelf, slightly aware of people around him but losing his train of thought, he is now focused on just glancing over the books, touching their spines and searching for a random one, any that might distract him for a while. He is unsure why, but he feels a distraction would be quite good.

[ReformBlade]

Carrion

"Huh?" Confused, she tilted her head, looking to Adrian for a second then back to Melanie. "... Yeah, I'm fine, what made you think otherwise...? It's just books, nothing in there can harm me. I uh..." She blushed a little and turned away, "Thanks for the concern I guess." Turning back yet again, she smiled. "So what did you have in store for me to do? Also, what kind of price range you looking for? I don't do this kind of stuff for free unless you're a friend or I'm desperate."

Arcen

"Oh come on, what's this head start bullshit?!" He took off behind Ormis, dashing between citizens with a smile on his face. He coulda sworn he ran by Aiduen, and he would have yelled to her but he was on a time crunch, ro so he thought.

Aiduen

"Thanks Giselle. Not to be all mopey but it's annoying travelling from place to place, I've never really made any friends. Erm... anyway... Yeah let's grab some- oof!" She was almost bowled over by a running man, giving her quite a start and a scuffed knee. "Ow, what the heck?! Oooooh, why me...?" Standing up and dusting herself off, "Just my luck, as always... I want to try and enjoy myself, stupid things happen. Grrrr...."

[Jaybee]

Danyon

He was in the perfect position, ready to dive when Teis had grabbed him and dragged him back.

"Are you mad? If we assault him now, when he has no weapons drawn, we will be considered the aggressors, not him!"

"Well, how about letting that killer run free again back to wherever this Grant guy is? You tell the people that he's an assassin, they'll instantly believe you, damnit! You can wait for him to kill Carrion if you want, but I won't."

He was about to leave when two arrows flew past his shoulder and embedded themselves in the floor next to him. Who the fuck? He guessed where the arrows had come from, and saw the same woman who the purple-haired scumbag had brought up.

"You see now, don't you? He's got his own fucking accomplices already! We can't- Wait..." That means he has at least one room in there. Everyone who signs in must put down their name and their room... The registry!

"Cover me!" Danyon immediately made for the inn, knowing that he'd be able to find Horatio's two friends in there.

[Nanami Touko]

Horatio

He'd barely had time to react to the knight coming up behind him, before another man pulled him back, Horatio still rolling out of the way. It had become instinct. "Tch. Looks like you're not good enough for words!" He got up, only to notice the bolts shooting past the two. The girl, Therese, was shooting at the both of them, and it made him smile. "Thanks, lass! Come find me when yer not drunk, we'll have a good time!" He walked off, not bothering to slow down for them to talk to him. Geez, trying to do somethin' as stupid as tackling me... fuckin' idjit. He wasn't going to give them the chance to talk with him, not anymore. Do hope that girl shows up, though... she was right beautiful... The fancy man ran into the inn, but he didn't care. He knew that Therese would be able to handle herself, or at least he thought she'd be able to.

Amera

She glanced up at him, and wondered what he was thinking. He looked like he was pretty deep in thought. Maybe he's figured it out...? "How should I know?" Nope. Not at all. It sort of made Amera giggle, though she really did hope he'd be able to figure it out. She'd figured it out when she'd set a small cloth on fire by accident with a jolt, one day when she was told to set up a table. "Is this something I should have learned before? 'Cause I'm drawing a blank." "I dunno, really... I found mine out on accident, so maybe there's something that can trigger yours?" She was leaning onto the table completely now, arms outstretched and head laying against it. She was getting ready for a little nap, when Gideon said something, perking up her ears, "Fire" She turned her eyes up at him, "fire?" That... yeah, that fits him. "I think it's fire." "Why fire?" She wanted to know why he was thinking that, even though she could think of a few reasons. "So what does that mean?" "Oh, uh..." She pulled herself up and started scanning the book, "I have to get pissed off to even do anything with my mana? That hardly makes sense..."

"It says here... for one to control their own element, they must be able to control the emotion or feeling attached to it. Of course, going out of control with this emotion will result in being able to use one's mana, but they will have very poor control over it. Focusing on a memory that embodies that emotion, or even being able to channel that emotion by one's self, will produce what one might be looking for in their magic..." This was really explaining to Amera why she was terrible with her magic, and she couldn't help but chuckle at that fact. She proceeded to flop back onto the table, closing her eyes to try and relax, though she'd reluctantly get up if Gideon asked her anything else.

Andy

You like her? Like as in find her a good friend? Or~' Oh Gods, why is she so clo-- get your finger off my chin please-- oh Gods! Andy was flipping out, shaking, blushing, stuttering in trying to form any set of words. Alright, Andy, calm down, just... oh, there's no use trying to calm yourself down in this situation, you've just got to get out of it! "Pl-pl-p-p-please... Uhm, uh, l-let..." he couldn't even speak, let alone think rationally. And Noel decided to make it worse for him, bringing her words uncomfortably close. 'Or maybe, you're starting to notice the fact she looks a bit nervous when I'm talking to you. Or how about the fact you're the first guy she's ever let her in her house. Or... how about the fact she's flushing red... and trust me, it's hard to make her blush..' "M-M-Maybe, that... it-it's I-I... She... ahhhhh..." and he had fainted once more, crashing down onto the floor, a lifeless lump.

Adrian

Wanting a bit more than he should've been asking for, and since no one was around that section, Adrian's hand started to slip down her back, but a rather loud, "Hey!" shook him out of that thought. Oh, it's... uh, Mel, was it? Right, Mel. She seemed like her cheery self; the cheery self that Adrian had known for about fifteen minutes, but she sort of stopped. "Carrion? You okay?" Wha-- Adrian glanced at Carrion's face, not seeing many signs of how upset she'd been moments ago. Well, she didn't really cry, did she? "... Yeah, I'm fine, what made you think otherwise...? It's just books, nothing in there can harm me. I uh..." I love knowing so much, and being able to say so little. Love it so. Damn. Much. Adrian got over his own mental bitching within seconds, joking to himself about it more than anything.

"Thanks for the concern I guess." "Ha ha ha... Come on, Carrion, be nicer to her. It's not like we've got a lot of friends." He wanted to tease her about this a bit more, but she got back into what Mel wanted, "So what did you have in store for me to do? Also, what kind of price range you looking for? I don't do this kind of stuff for free unless you're a friend or I'm desperate." He laughed, letting the two get to what they were doing. "Right, I'm gonna go back to listening. Don't mind me." And he sat down on the stairs, waiting for Mel to either drag them down, or get into what she was willing to pay.

Edited August 26, 2011 by seph1212

[CT075]

Inn

Teis

"Think for a second! If we were to attack right now, when, as far as any bystanders are involved, he has clearly never raised his hand against us, our word means less than his! As far as anyone cares, you and I are following this man for no adequately explained reason!"

Then two more darts flew past him, hitting the ground with a thud. Damn... the sniper?

"Cover me!"

Teis really wished he had his armor now. There was no possible doubt as to what Danyon was really after. The knight grabbed his axe and was about to follow when his vision swayed. His hand flew to his side. There was more than just blood dripping down his hip.

Poison...

There was no use worrying about it now. Teis grit his teeth and ran into the inn, bursting past the doorman and making for the stairwell.

Sisters

Therese cursed, and slapped her forehead with the wet towel again. No time to sober up... gotta just run for it-! From the looks of it, the two knights had spotted her and were on their way in. Which wold be fine, Therese could hold her own in a fight, except that Rina would be dragged into this mess as well. Panic and fear overcame the effects of the alcohol, her thoughts were sharp and her movements were quick and tense.

"Rina, grab yer bow and le's ge' outta here! Ge' down t' th' clerk b'f'r they can corner s her'!"

Rina, as it happened, was cleaning her bow at the time. From the sound of it, there was trouble. "But-"

"Shut it, 's no time! Jus' grab it an' ge' ready t' run!"

Therese ran pell-mell down the stairs, almost colliding with the axe-guy. From the looks of it, she'd hit him with a poison dart on accident.

"Rina, go back up an' fin' anoth'r way down! Tha', or ge' back int' th' room!"

All

Teis had just reached it when the lady with the crossbow hurtled into him. Normally, that would be no problem, except that Teis was weakened by poison and had no armor.

"Guh-!"

The woman shouted something over her shoulder, to a young girl around Ormis's age by the looks of it, and she turned around and hurtled back up the stairs. The knight tried to shove his way past, but a well-placed elbow to his ribs stopped him dead.

"Not on my watch, ya jerk! What, yeh thin' yeh can jus' attack a girl's date an' not ge' beaten up a littl'?"

Therese wasn't about to let the huge guy get her sister.

"The man you are defending is an assassin! He has no morals, and would gladly kill if he were given a fee! What slander has he told you to win such loyalty?"

Teis could've sworn that he was wearing armor, it was so difficult to move. His limbs felt heavier and heavier by the second.

"I dun' care wha' he's dun t' ya. 'cept, from th' soun' of i', th' two of yeh 're jus' chasin' him down fer no reason!"

The woman took one look into the knight's eyes. It was a cold stare, and Teis's blood ran cold. Therese had figured that the man was no good, and what this knight had just said confirmed it. On the other hand, who knew? They had, after all, just attacked Horatio in the street for no reason. Either way, Therese was confident that she could handle Horatio if he betrayed them.

"And 'sides, I don' give a shit abou' tha'. All I know is, my sis is behin' me, and who knows what yer gonna do t'her 'f yeh can get pas' me."

The knight took two steps forward, raising his axe. It was getting harder to see, what with sweat dripping into his eyes. It was probably an effect of the poison as well.

"Now... listen here, you... Just...-"

Therese sighed, and shot him in the shoulder. Teis lunged, and missed. Then the poison took its effect, and he collapsed.

"I's shoul'n't kill yeh, don' worry. 'n th' other han', it'll knock yeh ou' f'r jus' lon' enuf' f'r me t' ge' pas' yeh~"

She stepped over him, passing into the lobby. The fancy man was flipping through the registry, probably looking for Horatio's name.

"So... wha' exactly has he dun t' yeh? Since, by th' looks 'f it, the two 'f yeh ha' jus' been af'er him f'r no reason. 'f he really was an assassin, shouldn't th' town guard know 'bout all tha'?"

Therese slipped a dart into her gun, leveling it at the man's face. She wouldn't kill him unless she needed to, but it certainly didn't hurt to threaten like that.

"'course, I dun' care 'bou' all tha'. All I know is, 'f I let'cha jus' get up there, my sis'll ge' involved in all thi', and no one wan's tha'."

Edited August 26, 2011 by Cam

[Jaybee]

Danyon

Fuck... where is his name... where is his name?! He was scanning the most recent pages of the registry, but nothing he recognised. Windsor, Therese, Friar... Nothing he could gather from any of these. He was so engrossed with the registry that he didn't notice what was happening to Teis.

"So... wha' exactly has he dun t' yeh? Since, by th' looks 'f it, the two 'f yeh ha' jus' been af'er him f'r no reason. 'f he really was an assassin, shouldn't th' town guard know 'bout all tha'?"

Hmm? He turned around, seeing that same woman who'd shot at him.

"That's funny. As his accomplice, I should say, I'm surprised he didn't tell you what he did. He held a friend of mine at knifepoint, threatened to kill him and his girlfriend, and is the lap dog of someone who wants said girlfriend dead. Then again, maybe you do know, and you're just playing dumb, you little..."

And then she just had to load her gun/crossbow/dart thingy with an arrow. In retaliation, he drew his sword, ready to strike if needed. Taking down a woman almost wasn't ever a good thing, but...

"'course, I dun' care 'bou' all tha'. All I know is, 'f I let'cha jus' get up there, my sis'll ge' involved in all thi', and no one wan's tha'."

"So, an assassin's helper even drags in her sister! I wonder how many people you've got roped in to help with this!" At this point, a little bit of a dig at her wouldn't hurt, he guessed. He just needed to stop wasting time and for Teis to help out...

Then he looked to the left, and saw what had happened to him.

Oh, for fucks sake.

[Shin]

Aurelio

The three of them had been riding for quite some time now. The fields seemed to go on forever, they hadn't seen a sign of life for most of the day. There hadn't been any noticeable landmarks either, they hadn't crossed a river so they hadn't passed Indolcure yet, it would probably be at least another day before they reached Pravna... and Lunaria. Even if there's a chance she's there, at least it's something. Adano seemed to be coping on a horse. Maybe someone in Pravna could help him.

Aurelio's thoughts were interrupted by the weather. It had begun to rain quite heavily. The horizon seemed to vanish behind the clouds, the rain obscuring their vision even further. It would be difficult to continue, and there really wasn't much cover.

"Bah, and it was going so smoothly! I don't see any shelter around here or nothin'. How're you two holding up?"

It was a pickle, if they stopped, they'd still get soaked setting up. There wasn't really anywhere for the horses to go, either. If they pressed on, they would still receive a soaking.

[Anti-Social Meta Knight]

Gideon

"It says here... for one to control their own element, they must be able to control the emotion or feeling attached to it. Of course, going out of control with this emotion will result in being able to use one's mana, but they will have very poor control over it. Focusing on a memory that embodies that emotion, or even being able to channel that emotion by one's self, will produce what one might be looking for in their magic..." Gideon nodded - that made sense. "Dwell on the past, produce fire, um...profit, I guess," he mused, standing up from the table. "That's probably all we need, right? Did you want to look for something?" In reality he just wanted to leave the library. Just being there was daunting to him, and it was a constant reminder of how bad his education - and his childhood - were for him. "If not, we can probably go test this out..."

Melanie

"... Yeah, I'm fine, what made you think otherwise...? It's just books, nothing in there can harm me." Mel wasn't convinced. She looked like she had been crying...still, she couldn't really afford to probe. "Alright, if you're sure," she said, grinning. "Thanks for the concern I guess." "Ha ha ha... Come on, Carrion, be nicer to her. It's not like we've got a lot of friends." That made Mel's eyes go wide. "No way. How do you not have friends?" she near-demanded. "Most people think I'm nuts, and even I have friends! Fine, you know what? We're friends now. Easy fix!" she threw in quickly, grinning.

"So what did you have in store for me to do? Also, what kind of price range you looking for? I don't do this kind of stuff for free unless you're a friend or I'm desperate." Having just declared Carrion a friend, Mel couldn't help but grin. "Didn't count, huh?" "Right, I'm gonna go back to listening. Don't mind me." Mel shook her head rather energetically. "No, no, I can do it," she insisted. "Been reading this, so I'm starting to figure it out. I just want to make sure I've got the right ideas here." Carrion's boyfriend...Andrew? Something like that. Feel like I've heard that before...Whoever he was, he had sat down, so Mel opted to sit too, putting the book a few steps below Carrion and opening to the page that had caught her eye - resistance enchantment.

"See, I'm trying to make a suit of armor that can either absorb or reflect fire magic. I'd get into why, but it's a looooong story. Anyway, since you're a fire mage, you probably know something about channeling mana into objects and making sure it stays there - 'cause that's what I figure I have to do - and that's why I came to you, 'cause like, you're probably a LOT better at magic than I'll ever be. Blacksmith and all, you know?" She stopped out of necessity to take a breath and grinned at Carrion. "Thoughts?" Please work, please work, please work...

[ReformBlade]

Carrion

"You're my friend now? No offense meant by this, but I barely know you." A smile spread across her face. "I'm sure you're sweet and all that, but I'm not a naive little girl. Enchanting anything with halfway decent effects will leave me pretty damn drained for at least a day. If it's just one thing like my boyfriend's weapon I'd be fine, but you want me to do this for an entire suit of protective gear I assume, right? I don't like being vulnerable unless I'm compensated for it. But... maybe I'll do it for free, depending on certain things." Sitting on the stairs now next to Adrian, she continued on, clasping her hands together. "I'd like to know what my magic is going to be used for. If I give you this gift and you're going to misuse it somehow, I'll break the armor and whoever wears it. Magic is a gift, not a tool, and the misuse of it really irks me, now more than ever..."

Grant

Waking up from his daydreaming, he sat up and yawned. "I suppose I should be getting over there... Sun'll be down within the hour now I assume." Getting himself cleaned up, he got ready and walked out of the inn, trying his best to ignore any commotion going on, almost ignoring his surroundings.

[NagafenOfIlivikitty]

Obelia is hesitant as her hand reaches for the door handle. Perhaps her hopes are high for a reason she can't quite fathom. Perhaps Ken's just good at raising them. But she slowly, hesitantly turns it, entering Lucinda's room at Ken's side, glancing un-convincingly nonchalantly to the bed. And sees?

---

With a sudden freeze, Noel actually glances to the fallen boy and catches him quickly, before he falls entirely to the ground. She realises hesitantly she was teasing him but she hasn't expected such a reaction from him. And then she glances to Langley and all colour fades from her even faintly coloured cheeks.

---

Langley's panic was at it's peak a moment ago. Seeing Andy in such a state of fear and so red, shaking that much has made her mind race where before, seeing a boy do that may mildly worry her, at best. But now she is silent. His words, what was he trying to say? Maybe..? Maybe what?

And then he falls and she dives but Noel has caught her. And she glares darkly, her eyes filled with a rather silent anger. Noel's own are quiet, having only once seen such an anger in two others. Now, more then ever, she notes the similarity between Langley's eyes and her mother and fathers when she is angry. Langley herself silently moves and takes Andy into her arms, quietly whispering just four words, her head nodding rather quietly to the living area.

'In there. Right now.'

And she then heads upstairs, quiet as she carries Andy with relative ease. Noel is silent a moment but lightly, she heads a bit quietly into the living room. Confidence is not at the top of her list at the moment, her entire body slightly quaking. She is afraid of what might come. Will Langley just.. tell her to go and never come back, the first time she's seen her in so long?

Yet at the moment, Langley is just quiet. She takes Andy to the bed he was in before, setting him down and slightly glancing over him. With a small pause, noting he's okay, she sighs quietly, before heading back to the stairwell. Ready to finally confront her friend.

---

Carrie shivers. The shower feels good but after exiting it, she is quickly to throw on her still rather worn clothing, tugging the hood and glasses, cracked, onto and over her eyes and head. She checks her money and realises she has plenty to afford quite a few more nights, yet knowing she still has the rest of the day, her sleep rather short, she glances around, picks up her bag and sets out downstairs, a small thought of fear. Such a big city, it is possible so much bad could happen. But she steels herself, giving a rather stern nod to the woman at the bar, whose eyebrows raise in slight amusement at the girls serious look, but nods, understanding she is departing for now. Carrie is trying to be resolved because, well, she's seen so many things come at her mom during her stalls sales, any customer from the needy and sad to the greedy and fickle. So a city like this, she decides quietly, to treat like a rather large selection of stall customers. With caution, care and attentiveness. And possibly, a weapon. But for now, she just glances around the street as she steps outside, taking a step into the unknown of the day.

And of course, with a smile to her lips, she is unaware if she will regret it or not.

---

Zwool's eyes trace the book he holds in his hand, He smiles at the feeling of the rather soft hardback, the front quite smooth as if the publisher has taken the time to weave the front. He is slightly curious what it is made of and wonders for a moment if it's an animal skin. He realises quite suddenly he'd be upset if that were true. He knows many hunt animals but the idea their fate is to become a book cover is... sad. He is annoyed a moment, that the word sad is all he has for it, but he just sighs, turning to any table and walking for a chair, wings furled and twitching ever so often as he glances over the title of the book, worn into the spine.

Tales of the Anri.

How convenient, he grumbles inwardly, glancing up to make sure there is a free seat ahead. He doesn't pay attention to the fact the author isn't listed.

[Nanami Touko]

Amera

Gideon nodded, Amera smiled. So, he's got it, then? "Dwell on the past, produce fire, um...profit, I guess" "That seems like it, yeah... I'm sure you've got some memories like that? I sure don't, heh..." Not that I want to think back then to try and find any. She tried to settle back into her nap, but Gideon was getting up, an annoyed whine coming from her. "That's probably all we need, right? Did you want to look for something?" She stood and stretched, sighing before falling back into the chair. "If not, we can probably go test this out..." She looked up at him, a little tired. "Y'sure we can't just relax here for a while? Like, if we can't, we can go, but I might just drag you back to the inn. I'm feeling pretty tired, today..." Don't know why, really... I shouldn't be this tired. I didn't sleep badly, so... bleh, whatever. She lightly slapped her cheeks and stood, smiling, "right, don't know why I'm tired, but let's go."

Adrian

Mel sat down with them, so I guess we're not going anywhere. It was easier for him, and as Carrion sat down as well, he slipped his arm back around her shoulder, pulling her into a sort of half hug. "Been reading this, so I'm starting to figure it out. I just want to make sure I've got the right ideas here." "Yeah, Carrion can help with that, but, you're already figuring it out yourself? That's pretty impressive, Mel." He was smiling until she began to go into detail about what she was looking for, a small part of his mind jogging something he'd heard earlier. That... that assassin said that Grant had roped some girl into helping him... right? He did say that, didn't he? She couldn't... no, there's no way. She's being way to nice to us, Grant would've told her what we look like. Adrian, you're being paranoid. He threw his smile back on, shaking the thought away.

"You're my friend now? No offense meant by this, but I barely know you." He chuckled once again, Carrion smiling at least. "I'm sure you're sweet and all that, but I'm not a naive little girl. Enchanting anything with halfway decent effects will leave me pretty damn drained for at least a day. If it's just one thing like my boyfriend's weapon I'd be fine, but you want me to do this for an entire suit of protective gear I assume, right? I don't like being vulnerable unless I'm compensated for it. But... maybe I'll do it for free, depending on certain things." "Wait, really? Wow, Mel, you're pretty lucky there. I never thought she'd hand out her magic for a charity cause like this, ha ha." Really, Carrion? Who are you, and where's the stubborn mage I know? Not that I'm complaining... She was being a much nicer person, and he was loving every moment of it. "I'd like to know what my magic is going to be used for. If I give you this gift and you're going to misuse it somehow, I'll break the armor and whoever wears it. Magic is a gift, not a tool, and the misuse of it really irks me, now more than ever..." He nodded in agreement. "Right, we learned some pretty... jarring things in there. And, we've got time, right? You can tell us this long story of yours, Mel. I'm pretty interested actually." Maybe she's helping someone with this fake witch down south? That would explain the fire resistant armor.

Edited August 27, 2011 by seph1212

[CT075]

Therese

Therese was really tempted to just shoot the guy and leave. He was spouting some rubbish about her being an accomplice, and shit like that.

"Accompli-? Yeh wish, yeh fancy-ass hors'm'n. 's just some guy I me' changin' his hair in th' fountain. Earlier today, 'f'ya care to go check."

It was getting late. She planted two darts in the ground at his feet, then blew a kiss at him before spinning on one heel and taking off up the stairs. As she ran, she grabbed a rope, and Rina. The door was out of the question at this point, but the windows in their room were close enough to the ground that it wouldn't totally cripple them if they jumped.

She hoped.

"Wha-?"

The younger girl would clearly not agree with this, but there was no time for arguing. Therese grit her teeth and spat out the next few words while she fumbled with the keys.

"Hang on tigh', sinc' we're goin' f'r a ride!"

That's what she thought. There was a flash of crimson, a triumphant yell-

And the next thing she knew, both of them were on the floor. A boy probably around Rina's age was standing in the doorway, unsheathed sword in one hand, the other one grabbing a bright red rag that he brandished like a cape.

Ormis

Ormis walked around, looking for some commotion. The guy was definitely trouble, and no bouncer worth his salt would let him in a bar (Ormis thought). Sure enough, outside some trashed bar, there were definite signs of a fight. According to the bystanders, "A man with a cloak and purple hair had shouted at some horseman before getting tackled. Then some other mercenary guy came and broke it up, and the cloak-guy left and the other two guys went inside, 'cause some stunning woman wit' a crossbow-thin' had sho' the merc."

One peek inside showed Danyon frantically flipping through papers and some other guy's back in the stairwell.

Guess that rules that out... were his first few thoughts before his eyes fell upon a few vines that he could use as a rope of sorts. It was dangerous, stupid, and he almost died four times when the makeshift ladder slipped from his hands, but he made it into a room without much trouble. He burst out the door, flourishing his rag cape.

"Aha!"

He had inadvertently crashed into two girls. Ormis didn't care, though. He waved his sword in their general direction.

"You, there, who are you! Who did all the shit to the bar over there! Was it some guy with red hair and a- Guh!"

((Note: everything that happens in the next bit of this post is actually just the same few seconds except from different perspectives))

Inn

Therese

Fucking bigshot hero... probably wit' tha' stupid knight downstairs...

By the looks of it, he was just some fool. He was in the middle of some grandstanding act, like he'd just caught a serial killer. She didn't let him finish, though. Therese wasted no time in lunging at the boy, nailing him in the gut with her shoulder. The kid stopped dead, staggering back a bit. Before Therese could recover her own balance, though, the boy just shoved off the wall and hit her in the face. She was about to clobber the kid with the dart gun when an arrow shot over her shoulder and knocked the hotshot into the wall.

Rina

It was a boy, around her own age. Rina was about to get up and just go plead with the guy downstairs when her sister tackled him. In later years, when things seemed bleak, she would replay that scene in her mind, and have a quiet chuckle. It was comical, really. He just kind of stopped talking, and stepped back a bit, clutching his stomach. Then Therese punched him, and he flew into the wall. Rina grabbed her bow, nocking an arrow. She wouldn't actually shoot anyone, of course, but anything to get this kid off her sister. Speaking of the kid, the boy seemed to be resiliant, landing a few blows on Therese. Rina fired, catching his shoulder.

Ormis

Ormis hadn't expected her to just attack him like that. I mean, who interrupts a guy in the middle of his speech? There was no time to complain though, since a well-placed blow to his jaw sent him reeling. Kicking off the wall, he leaped and landed a punch squarely into her face. There was a bit of a fight, but then an arrow glanced off his shoudlerplate. Nothing that bad, it didn't pierce, but it was so unexpected that it knocked the boy off balance. Just enough so that he tripped on the carpet and faceplanted into the wall.

[Jaybee]

Danyon

"Accompli-? Yeh wish, yeh fancy-ass hors'm'n. 's just some guy I me' changin' his hair in th' fountain. Earlier today, 'f'ya care to go check."

Danyon was nearly stunned into silence - He had met some idiots over the years, but this was pretty astounding. Couldn't you at least think about why he'd be changing his hair in the first place? Your brains, girl, use them!

Then she nearly shot him, twice. He didn't care about her flirting, instead picking up the two darts, gripping them in his left hand. He went over to check on Teis, and he really was totally out of it.

Gimme a few minutes, ma- What the hell? He heard something going on upstairs, and it wasn't something he could just ignore. The darts still in his hand, he gripped his sword and ran upstairs, where Ormis' face was in a wall, and he also didn't look too good.

"Ormis, what the hell were you doing?"

Cyrus

This inn was posh, middle-class; too much for Cyrus. Still, it was a source of gossip for the town, and there were many mercenary jobs here free for anyone to undertake.

He scanned the list of jobs, but only one thing stuck out to him - A pack of wolves. Boring, but something which people would think manageable for an old man like him, and it could serve as food if really necessary.

Once he had directions, he left the town immediately.

Adonis/Elune

*doing whatever they were before*

[Sakusa]

Seilynda

"Do not worry, my dear! That brute from earlier shall trou-..." The other annoying guy from before somehow managed to hunt her down and was speechless. Probably because of her lack of womanly assets. He held out a bag of gold to her, and she merely blinked.

"Ahem... um... I mean, do not despair, fair child! I've given that old man something to think about. Should you not be with your parents? It is not safe for a girl your age to venture alone. If you require any help, please let me know, and I will be happy to lend my services. May I ask your name?"

Seilynda narrowed her eyes, clearly irritated by this man. "I don't think that's any of your business, and I'm not obliged to tell you my name. If you don't have any more business here, I would like to suggest that you leave," she spoke quietly but firmly.

Giselle

"Thanks Giselle. Not to be all mopey but it's annoying travelling from place to place, I've never really made any friends. Erm... anyway... Yeah let's grab some- oof!" Aiduen wasn't given the chance to finish what she was saying since some bozo knocked her over. "Ow, what the heck?! Oooooh, why me...? Just my luck, as always... I want to try and enjoy myself, stupid things happen. Grrrr...."

She rolled her eyes a bit, not quite so amused by her melodrama. Luckily, Giselle was able to catch the ruffian by the scruff of his neck, but there was no way she could've held him back so she just... hung on. "Hey, you, chowderhead! Don't you owe that young lady an apology?" she yelled, trying to run and keep up and not to express any discomfort in her voice out of stubbornness. Damn... the things I do for people... urgh. I swear, I should be qualified for sainthood sometimes.

[Anti-Social Meta Knight]

Gideon

"That seems like it, yeah... I'm sure you've got some memories like that? I sure don't, heh..." The thought came back to him immediately, and it hit him hard. The look on that dumb farmer's face when he saw his farm up in smoke, the frustration he had felt when he whipped that coin at the door... "Yeah," he said softly. "I think I have one that might work." She whined when he rose to his feet, causing him to sigh. Looks like we've got another lazy day. That was fine with him, if a bit inconvenient. "Y'sure we can't just relax here for a while? Like, if we can't, we can go, but I might just drag you back to the inn. I'm feeling pretty tired, today..." You'll be the death of me, you know that? Gideon smiled at her, sitting back down and closing the book. "Day's almost over anyway." He leaned back in his chair and looked at the ceiling of the library, still astonished that the stacks of books went as high as they did. "How do people write all this?" he mused quietly. "Where do they even find the time?"

Melanie

"You're my friend now? No offense meant by this, but I barely know you." Mel grinned. "So what?" "I'm sure you're sweet and all that, but I'm not a naive little girl. Enchanting anything with halfway decent effects will leave me pretty damn drained for at least a day. If it's just one thing like my boyfriend's weapon I'd be fine, but you want me to do this for an entire suit of protective gear I assume, right? I don't like being vulnerable unless I'm compensated for it. But... maybe I'll do it for free, depending on certain things." Her face lit up at that. "R-really? I mean, I can still do it myself, but if you're offering..." "Wait, really? Wow, Mel, you're pretty lucky there. I never thought she'd hand out her magic for a charity cause like this, ha ha." "Okay, okay, what 'certain things?' " she asked, barely registering what boy-toy had said. She probably wants me to join her on some adventure or something! Please let it be that! Please please please! "I'd like to know what my magic is going to be used for. If I give you this gift and you're going to misuse it somehow, I'll break the armor and whoever wears it. Magic is a gift, not a tool, and the misuse of it really irks me, now more than ever..." "Right, we learned some pretty... jarring things in there. And, we've got time, right? You can tell us this long story of yours, Mel. I'm pretty interested actually."

"Right. Okay." Mel sat down on the steps below them, adjusting a bit to get comfortable, but still leaning forward a bit - her enthusiasm was radiating from her face as she looked up at them. "First I gotta warn you: all of this is super-duper-top-secret stuff. Like, I shouldn't be telling you, but I need the help, and you both seem like decent people so I don't mind." Maybe I shouldn't tell them...Grant would be mad at me if I did. It'd blow his cover. She took a deep breath and paused for a moment, then continued. "My friend, the one who wants the armor, is...well, he's chasing someone. Someone really evil, according to him. I think she calls herself the Crimson Witch." It sounded right, so she nodded and kept going. "Anyway, she's supposed to be really, really powerful, so I need to make sure this armor can protect him from anything Crimson can dish out." Wait, no, I should stop. This isn't a good idea... Despite her inner reservations, she kept going, her apprehension starting to bleed into her voice. "I know, it seems kind of dumb. Little girl making armor for crippled guy - that's another thing, he's missing a leg, so, like, 'hello, don't fight, you're a cripple,' but he wants to anyway, so I dunno - so yeah, little girl, crippled guy she's never met and all that. But...but he sounded really, really convinced of himself."

Barely conscious of how she looked as she did it, Mel stood up on the stairs, gazing resolutely at the two of them. "He's not going to stop. I know it. So the least I can do is make sure he doesn't die, you know? I mean, he seems strong. But in his condition, he just...he can't win, Carrion! How can I just send him into a meat-grinder like that? Someone that strong'll..." Then it hit her - she was making a huge scene. Her cheeks reddened a bit and she leaned against the stairs, smiling slightly. "Sorry, got a bit enthused there. But yeah, don't want him to die is all." Her grin widened as she sank down against the stairs, looking up at them. "So how much of that d'ya think is nuts? Some or all?" It did sound a bit silly, in hindsight. All true, though. I really hope it got through to them...

[ReformBlade]

Carrion

Listening intently, her face went stoic at the mention of her title. Listening until the end, Carrion gave a look to Adrian, and then raised an eyebrow to Melanie. "I-I'm not sure if fire resistant armor would even help against someone so... powerful, right Adrian? I mean... I just... I don't want to be a part of this, this is too much pressure for me. If you'll excuse me..." Standing up and going as fast as she could out of the library's main doors, she took a deep breath. Oh my Goddess... oh my Goddess... It's Grant that wants that, isn't it? Oh... "Dammit!" she shouted loudly, getting a few stares from people going in and out, none of which phased her. She still had to come to grips with the fact that Grant really had chased them all the way from Sapphire. Clenching her fist tightly until her knuckles turned white, she shot off into the city, looking for Grant, mumbling to herself. "Missing a leg, is he? That piece of FUCK will be easy to find, and then I'll end this once and for all. And then Adrian and I can just... go on living, far away, we can live peacefully, maybe have a child, start a family, m-maybe even run our own local sh-shop..." She had begun to tear up in her sadness, her mind still fuming at the source of her problems.

Grant

As he made his way to the library, he heard a loud shout from the direction of it. "What...?" Hurrying as much as he could, he found quite possibly the one thing he thought he'd never find here. "The Crimson... Witch..." A flurry of emotions flooded his mind. Anger, confusion, rage, desperation... Everything negative hit him hard, and yet, he hesitated. This is it... Either you find the truth out now... or you die not knowing anything about the person you want to murder.

His face resolute and undettered, he ventured towards her, his crutch making his presence known immediately to the witch. "Strange fate, isn't it...? The odds that we'd meet here are insanely against us, and yet... here we are..." His heart beat faster than ever, his mind racing as well, but he had to know what this was all about, he couldn't afford to lose everything now, not when he was so conflicted.

Arcen

"Whoa, aaagh, what the hell lady?!" He was thrown off balance and tumbled a few yards before stopping. "Oh gosh... sorry about that, but... you did that to me, why am I apologizing?" He simply glared at the woman, wondering what her problem was.