Return of the Emblem Chapter Six: Enemies Abound

[Phoenix]

Pegasus Meat

Raquel and Gabbie looked to Shadrak who was asking ... about food? "Wait ... Siv wants to eat a pegasus?" Raquel finally asked after thinking for a second.

Gabbie sighed. "She just can't wait, can she? Eh, may as well. I didn't think the thing would end up as a snack when I killed it but all's well that ends well I guess."

"Siv seems so young and innocent but it's times like this where it really hits me that she was born and raised a fallen. How are we even going to cook the meat? We don't have time to get a fire going." Raquel commented.

Finally Atsuko stepped over to explain something Raquel obviously didn't understand yet. "Fallen can eat almost anything, and they grow accustomed to eating things raw. I doubt she'll make a fuss over it."

"That's disgusting ..."

"They're demons. What do you expect?" Atsuko shot back, surprisingly less cutting in her words than usual.

[Dark Sage]

Now things were getting worse. The pegasus knight was threatening the traveler. That was the last thing that needed to happen. While Domovoi had always prided himself for being able to maintain his temper, he felt himself losing it as he marched up to Bert, clenching his fists.

"Goddammit you idiot! Can't you keep your temper in check for once in your life? You want to get arrested for assaulting travelers? Because if you do that, I'm going to have a word about you getting your ass kicked out of here and for good too. Is that getting through your thick skull?....I'm sorry about that sir."

[Acacia Sgt]

John finally reached Gil. The wyvern had his eyes in the direction of the stranger, but broke visual contact once John got near.

''Well Gil, we may be leaving soon, time to get back airborne.'' He said as he mounted. Gil grunted as he stretched his wings and they took off once more.

[Rothene]

"So if we both agree, I suppose I can leave now? I'm feeling dizzy right now..." said Ranyin stepping away as the tiring effets of the battle was getting to him. He needed to rest somewhere, like the wagon.

Hearing Zel's question, Ranyin said, "Well, the two of us just came to some sort of agreement, nothing special," recalling something Aneda had said that gnawed at him at the back of his head, Ranyin added, facing her briefly before turning his head away to avoid prolonged exposure to the rainbow coloured hair, "I'm way to old to be a kid. I may be short, but I'm already twenty five years old!"

[ReformBlade]

"You're twenty five...? Ahaha... My apologies then, sir! I meant no offense!" She couldn't help but laugh, however she tried her best to stifle it. "I'm sorry sir, I really don't mean any disrespect, I'm just kinda laughing at myself at this point." And suddenly, Zel walked up to them, seeming curious as to what they were doing. "Erm... yeah, an agreement of sorts you could say. He can't stand my fabulous flowing rainbow hair, which I've agreed to cover up in a few days if he can't get used to it. Fairly simple." She flashed a smile at Zel, intrigued by his presence. "So uh, what brings you over to us folk? You bored or curious or you trying to flirt with me, aren't you? I knew it! Oh crap, do we need to head out or something?" She looked about, noticing not much in particular except a little commotion and some yelling, neither of which bothered her at all.

[Zsword]

Shadrak smiled, glad the others seemed to understand. "Well then, any of you willing to help me with this then? I don't know much about butchering creature, just people." he said with a jesting tone, glancing over to the cavalier he killed with a slight grimace. You know, I get so into it, it's hard to remember they're people tell after the deed...

Zel chuckled. "Bored I guess, bored and... kinda amazed that so far, no one's commented on my appearance yet... I thought I looked like a demon without my helmet on." he said with a smile. "I don't think we're moving out just yet, we still have some time... wait... did you just suggest I wanted to flirt with you?" He asked, his expression instantly flying from light hearted jesting to horribly confused...

[Phoenix]

May I Take Your Order, Please?

"Well, first things, first. We need to foind out what part of the thing she wants so we know how much carvin' up we actually need to do. Don't wanna bring her a whole leg and foind out she just wanted to eat its heart or somethin'" Gabbie half joked. Then she walked over to Siv and asked her. "Okay, we're gonna get you some of that corpse over there to eat since you won't stop droolin' over it. What part do you want?"

"Part? The ... the uh ... leg? The high part of the leg." Siv said not sure how else to describe it.

"A thigh?" Gabbie asked, illustrating by putting her hand in a knife like shape and running it along her own leg, pretending to isolate parts.

"Not just the ... thigh. The uh ... uh what is it called?"

"Tell ya what ... we'll just go cut off the whole damn leg and you can decoide then, kay?"

"... kay."

Gabbie then went into the back of the wagon and 'borrowed' an axe from the inventory. She whistled innocently as she strolled over to the kill she made earlier and didn't waste any time in hacking the pegasus' entire left hind leg off, buttock and all. She then hauled the dripping leg back over to Siv. "The battle itself is koinda obvious, but I think that missin' leg is gonna throw'em for a loop. Okay, here ya go ... oh roight, you're tied up ... uh Shadrak? Maybe you should handle this part. I don't do hand feedin' ... at least not this koind ... sheeesh."

Siv eyed the leg hungrily. She had a feeling she wasn't going to be untied, so she had long been prepared to just be fed little pieces or sat conveniently in front of her meal.

[ReformBlade]

"Yes, that is what I said, yes." Another smile which turned quickly to a look of confusion. "A demon? Eh... I suppose? Most demons I've heard of are winged sons of bitches, towering, ebon skinned ass hats throwing fireballs around like..." She took a moment to put on the most mockingly fearsome face she could, throwing her arms about like she was pretending to be some big monster, "Fwoosh, muahahaha, fear me mortals, your time is at an end! Succumb to the suffering yooouuu haaaave wrooooought!" A shushed roar later, her arms lay limp at her sides and she shrugged. "That's the kind of being I think of when I hear demon. I think you... look more like some vampire or a count guy. You know? Personally, I prefer the count description much better. At least counts get to be handsome~"

[Zsword]

Shadrak smiled at Gabby gratefully. "Oh you've done plenty Gabbie, thanks." Shadrak said, walking back to the wagon. He knelt down next to Siv and the hunk of meat, set his tome down in front of him, and took a deep breath. His hands moving in precise, controlled movements, he magically dissected out a section of the meat, and sliced it into several pieces. After the slicing, he levitated two pieces, and slowly drew them away from each other, while the piece on his right floated smoothly toward Siv, the one on the left seemed jittery, like it too wanted to go right, but was getting forced left harder. After a second of this, Shadrak called to his bird: "Naoki, Catch!" and sent the left chunk flying into the air, the Raven followed as ordered and snatched the piece up, before returning to a corner of the wagon to enjoy his free meal. The right piece stuttered a little during this action, but stayed none-the-less, to float over, just in front of Siv's mouth.

Zel laughed at Aneda's impersonation of a demon, calming himself down to speak. "I used to think i was a vampire, lacked the fangs, but bright lights, like the sun, always bugged me. As for a count... well, I AM nobility." He said with a slight wink and a smile... stepping a little farther into the ever-dwindling shade of the wagon-side.

[Phoenix]

Noms

Siv quickly bit down and ate the meat offered to her. It was still slightly warm which made her smile cheerfully as she ate. When she swallowed, she opened her mouth again ready to take another piece. She was still hungry obviously.

[Acacia Sgt]

Now airborne, first things first...

<Doesn't looks there's anyone else coming this way.> He thought. That's good I guess.> He then looked back down.

<Hm? Domovoi joined in?>

[Mercakete]

"Who in Wrath's name are you?" Norbert asked Domovoi with a growling tone, turning most of his attention to the wyvern rider. Probably one of us. Judging by his accent, annother 'Skotian. "Not the one in charge, right? Thought so. Now get your ugly, filthy hide out of here -- provoking me won't solve anything, you worthless, dragon-kissing pissant. I wasn't going to attack him" immediately "I was seeing if he was one of the people who seem to have something against us."

Turning his attention back to Blake, he replied to him, "I don't know who shot you, but it wasn't us if it was a light arrow. We don't have those." His glare had softened somewhat, but its intensity returned at his next sentence. "And we're not bandits. We're mercenaries hired by a marchant with bad luck." He was about to say that the swordsman didn't need his weapon out since it was safe, but he didn't quite trust any of the men involved in the conversation, himself included. Rizen was even tense and ready to ram her still-growing horn into whoever attempted to strike her or her rider first.

[Snowy_One]

With Shadrak's question finished, Robin went inside and returned to her corner. As she went back, she passed by the arrows she had thrown at Gytha, stepping over them in her path back. A look of contempt for the iron passed over her face as she moved. They were tools made by outsiders, not herself, not her family, but people like that damned pirate or the people who had been so calloused as to decide to kill another person in cold blood. She didn't want anything to do with them, not talk to them, not use their weapons, nothing. Instead she went inside to her corner and sat back down.

But she wasn't idle. Robin had never been a religious person. Spending so much time out in the woods hunting meant that she often would miss any holy days or ceremonies... regardless of if her town was capable of handling such occasions or not, but she felt like she had to do something. People had died here, and unlike when she was a slave or in the church, the odds of someone preforming proper ceremonies seemed impossible given the groups disposition.

"<I'm sorry.>" she said softly to no one. "<I'm sorry I do not know how to honor you, I'm sorry I don't know the rites, but... I will do the best I can. Please, don't be mad at me.>" Carefully, using a small piece of flint and stone, she lit a candle within the cart, being careful to keep it from anything flammable. She held the lit candle up to her face, illuminating her corner.

"<Poor souls killed in combat today, poor souls murdered in cold blood. I light this candle in your honor. I do not know what service I can offer you, but I offer what I can to ease your passing, honor your memory and life, and respect your souls. May this candle somehow guide you, or failing that, show you my respect for you.>"

She set the candle down, securing it on the floor as she watched the flame. She was doing this for Ursium soldiers, enemies of her nation, people whom she hated and despised. Why? Why was she doing this? Two months ago she would have been jumping for joy at the sound of the death of Ursium soldiers... Two months ago she would have been still hunting in the forests of her homeland. Was it being out here that was causing her to change? How much did she really hate Ursium? To the point that she was jumping up and down with joy at the sound of her demise, or... what? She didn't know. Did she really hate them that much?

She bent forwards and blew out the candle. "I am sorry." she said, in common, their language. As she looked at the thin trail of smoke from the extinguished flame, she could feel conflict growing in her body. The patriot in her that wanted to see the Glory of Neviskotia triumph over the hated foe of Ursium, and the person whom had just stood up for her foe and lit a candle in her honor. She felt for sure that the patriot was stronger, but no matter how much it tried to win, it never seemed able to crush its foe. She could not harden her heart to what she had done and pass it off as a lapse in judgment or something similar. She took a deep breath, inhaling the smoke from the candle, a brief moment of peace flowing over her.

[-Cynthia-]

"Most of the horses left anyway. They're not goin' to stick around after the rider's dead and weapons are flyin' everywhere after all. Only the crippled or dumb ones would stay," Nadya noted to no one in particular, continuing to loot the bodies.

Connor watched Gabbie give the pegasus leg to the Fallen, which she enjoyed to...a distressing extent. "Um, are you sure that's really a good idea Gabbie? Pegasi are supposed to be Mercy's favored creatures after all- I don't think she would want to see them fed to a Fallen. Considering we already have Wrath angry at us apparently, I don't think we want to antagonize the other gods. People who go against the gods too often...tend not to live very long," he saod to her, frowning.

Veronika sighed as she watched Bert and Domovoi devolve into a shotuing match right near the newcomer. It's a wonder we haven't picked up more people, we're so welcoming and friendly after all. she thought to herself sarcastically from inside the wagon.

[Phoenix]

Gabbie

"Oh the pegasus? Pft. Don' worry about it. If what I did was enough to piss off Mercy then the Skotians are really in for it, heheh."

Raquel

"Um ... e-everyone get ready ... because we're leaving soon! Really soon. You know, so we don't attract anymore unwanted attention ..." Raquel announced weakly. She wasn't quite in the leader-esque mood she had been in back when someone's life was on the line.

[ReformBlade]

"A noble, you say?" She was honestly semi impressed by the man's statement. "I'm not familiar with nobility fighting on the front lines! I have to say, sounds so very... noble!" Of course, her enthusiasm was cut short by his withdrawal into the thinning shadows. "You really hate light that much, huh...? Your skin that sensitive I guess? Oh well. At least you got a helmet!" It was then she heard the pink haired Raquel attempt a rallying call, which Aneda only shook her head at. Walking over to the girl, she coughed and then shouted. "LISTEN UP, WE'RE MOVING OUT NOW SO GET YOUR SHIT IN ORDER AND LET'S MOVE, PEOPLE."

Looking back at Raquel, "Be a bit more assertive next time. People won't take much notice if you're gonna be all timid like that, okay?"

[Zsword]

Shadrak proceeded to lift other hunks of meat up to Siv with his dark magic prowess, turning a mundane task into a nice excorsise for his abilities... it was kinda nice really, to have the problems of the world around him fade out as he meditated on the simple task that he was doing.

Zel looked a little amazed at Aneda's claim... it was pretty bad... he looked down at his helmet... he hated having to hide behind the thing at practically all hours, it was such a burden... but for now, he would just bear the sun's torture for a little while, these were good people, they derserved to see him, and not just the steel he hid behind. Placing his helm in one of Sliep's saddle-bags he mounted up and rode next to Raquel. "Anything I can do to help get us moving?" He asked her, and indirectly Gabby and Atsuko, who seemed to be joint leading the operation with her.

Krystal looked at Robin, the Hunter Girl, with curious eyes, as the Hunter moved in and around the carriage, and eventually held some sort of Ritual, once Robin was complete, Krystal slowly, quietly, moved and knelt on the other side of the candle. "For what?" She asked, tiliting her head. She had already tried to connect to Robin, to skip the unneeded dialogue, but the Hunter thought in dialects that Krystal didn't know... though behind the foreign words was the very universal sense of sorrow.

Edited September 17, 2011 by Zsword

[Phoenix]

Raquel And Those Other Girls

Aneda's method was loud, but anyone who claimed not to hear her was a liar, certainly. Now whether they listened or not was another story, but the message was sent. "I'll try ... it's just a little odd for me to be trying to lead around a bunch of heavily armed mercenaries." I'm no villain but I'll never forget those books I read where the small wimpy villain was killed off by his own men once they got tired of him. It's kind of intimidating. Maybe I'd better make Gytha my personal bodyguard after all then hahah.

As Zel approached and asked if he could help, Raquel took another look around. "Well we don't have time to do anything about the battlefield, so just make sure we're not forgetting anyone and people are getting ready. I'm going to go make sure Sandrock and Riley are ready too-" "Oh ... my ... gods ..." Gabbie interrupted in a ridiculously excited tone. She immediately took some steps closer to Zel with her hands over her mouth suppressing what may have been chuckles. "You're an albino, that's so cuuuute, hahahah."

"What's so cute about red eyes and white hair? He looks more like a wingless demon to me ..." Atsuko commented with a blank stare.

"Nonononono! He remoinds me of one of mess lab rats I used to fiddle with when I was on a six month job. It's loike one of'em turned into a man, hahahahah! Come're lemme pet ya!" she said urging him to lean to the side so she could fiddle with his hair.

"... never seen this side of her before ..." Raquel commented quietly.

[Acacia Sgt]

<Hm?> John looked around below. <Did someone just shouted? I think I faintly heard something. But wait, at this altitude, it must've been quite the scream. Well anyway, I guess having already checked the vicinity, there is no point in being this high. ''Gil, let's fly lower.'' He said. The wyvern in complied with a grunt as they descended somewhat.

[Snowy_One]

Robin wasn't shocked by Krystal's arrival, or rather, she had seen the girl when she entered the wagon, but had not expected her to take a seat opposite the candle. She looked up, across the thin and fading tail of smoke. "Letting them kill that woman, them not having the chance for a proper burial, killing one of them in hatred, I do not know. I am confused, torn, unsure. It just... Somehow I know that, even though I hate Ursium." she looked down at the candle. "I am sorry, I am so confused right now. Part of me wants to be happy at their deaths while another part feels that, even though they are my enemies, I should be respecting their lives, effort, and deaths."

[Snike]

This was getting surreal. A tanned man - Neviskotian, judging by his accent - approached the pegasus rider and proceeded to insult him, before ... apologizing? What was he sorry for? The pegasus knight's behaviour, or that they had to slaughter the patrol for some reason or another. Or was it for his impending demise?

Regardless, the pegasus rider yelled at him back, before responding again to Blake, denying that they had a light arrow, and once again saying that they're not bandits, and they just have bad luck.

"I don't see any light arrows on these poor soldiers," he said, sweeping his eyes over the sorry sight once more. "And I didn't say you were bandits." I thought it. "I just said that it's really hard to believe that you wouldn't know what they attacked you for." Oh, hey, they do have wyverns, too. How did I miss that, as well?

[Mercakete]

"Well, I don't. Maybe some of the others do -- I don't know. I was in the sky when we were engaged. When I asked why we were being attacked," at this point Norbert selected his words carefully since he knew Raquel was being hunted by some organization, "our leader and employer said there wasn't any time to talk it over and to just ready my axe. Then they attacked us." "Your group is both refusing to turn over the creature you illegally possess and you're holding on to an ancient artifact that doesn't belong to you," Norbert recalled the patrol leader saying, "Your refusal to cooperate necessitates the use of force on my part. I'll kill the demon, the rest of you take out the others." "Actually...the leader of their side was nice enough to tell us that they wanted something we had and would attack us for it. I don't think you'd believe something as unusual as that, though, even if it is what happened. Regardless, what do you plan on doing? We'll be moving out soon and you already said you didn't plan on attacking preemptively, the pegasus rider both informed and asked.

[Phoenix]

Competition?

Siv continued to eat like a starving child until Ringo walked over and began nosing around the pegasus leg. Siv immediately began snarling, almost like a small dog. <"Back! Back at once, lowly lizard!"> she warned in Corvian. Since she was completely tied up, Ringo ignored her almost completely and began sniffing the leg. Siv's growling then turned to hissing, almost like a small cat. <"Back! Or I'll set you ablaze, you dumb animal!"> She even shifted her eyes for a moment to try and emphasize her point, but the seal quickly drained away the magic powering the shift, and it lasted only a split second like the last time. <"Urgh! Shadrak! Get rid of-huh?"> Before long, Ringo was done sniffing around. He left Siv and Shadrak in peace and followed the scent back to the pegasus Gabbie had killed. Once there, he began eating what was left of the corpse. <"Oh ... so I got through to him after all?">

Ringo knew better than to eat other people's food, but wanted to be sure of the scent he was tracking, so of course a little sniffing was in order. He wasn't supposed to eat humans or 'still living' horses with a missing leg after all.

[Zsword]

Zel tilted his head at Gabby, looking very confused... but, no harm no foul, he went ahead and dismounted Sliep so that Gabby could entertain herself. "I didn't know they had a term for it..." He said.

Krystal nodded at Robin. "Why are you sorry? You're confused, which is understandable for someone in your position," She said to the girl

[Snike]

"I-" all of a sudden, something snarling to the left drew Blake's attention. As he turned his head, a wyvern lumbered away, revealing a female avian bound by rope. Or at least, something that appeared to be an avian. The being's eyes had a feral look to them, and the wings looked... different, compared to the few he had seen over the past two years. Could it be a 'Fallen'? That would explain the number of mercenaries accompanying the merchant, along with why the patrol attacked.

"Your trade must be lucrative, if you just murdered that patrol so you could keep smuggling," the swordsman said, eyes locked on the harpy.