Return of the Emblem Chapter Six: Enemies Abound

[-Cynthia-]

Nadya

"He's a tricky bastard like that," Nadya said with a laugh. "C'mon, let's find if there's anythin' here that's not horribly overpriced," she said to Luca, gesturing for him to follow her into the festival.

Veronika

"Some humans are guilty of slavery as well, but that doesn't excuse the Fallen from doing it. Then again, I'm not sure simply slaughtering one's enemies is doing them much of service either...this world is full of conflict, in one form or another. That's why I make it a note to defend myself- from any sort of threat," she said, giving Siv a watchful glance.

[MinunRobotnik4]

Saken looked to be in a pretty good mood. He had made his wish, tried some food from a couple of the stands, and was just overall feeling pretty good.

Good days like today are becoming scarce as of late for me, best to make them count while they are here. Guess I should head back to the wagon until the rocks start floating.

Walking back he saw that some of the stands were beginning to close up shop.

Hmm... it won't be too much longer until people start gathering around the rocks... You know if they are distracted maybe Raquel and the others will be too, I could get away with stealing people's wallet's... nah best not risk it, large village but it isn't a city.

At the end of that thought he stepped into the wagon and heard then of Veronika's comment.

I think the mood outside is much better than the mood in here was.

[Snowy_One]

"Yes. I am hungry." replied Robin, trying to smile while keeping the sourball in her cheek. "Though not for eating food." she pointed to the purloined candy. "Rather, for many of the odd wares here that I've only seen on rare occasion, but cannot purchase. Beef, candy, and such. That is not why I followed you though. I was wondering if you can write in common?"

OOC: POWER'S BACK!

[Mercakete]

"Aye, not too well, though, I've been told. Me penmenship's not as graceful as people who write more often than me, but I can write well enough t' get by," she replied before begining to eat her purchased food.

[Zsword]

Shadrak rolled his eyes a little. "<A flattering proposition, I'll have to think about it.>" He said to Siv, before looking back at Atsuko. "In all honosty, HUMANs, enslave humans, if anything it's a trait that the Fallen could of gotten from us, really it just seems like they're like every other nation out there. They want to rule the world, and want to use whatever means they can to get it."

[Phoenix]

Luca

Now that the young human had been thoroughly beaten, Luca was satisfied and trotted off following Nadya.

Amon

Amon didn't have much else to say to Naddy or her mother so he waved goodbye and followed Nadya and Luca, unsure where they were going, and taking a glance back over his shoulder at the rock he had written on. He wasn't sure where it was going, but it would be going there soon from the sudden rush some of the writers had gotten in.

Wagon

Atsuko glared at Shadrak for his assessment. "Next your shaman here will blame fallen eating habits on humans too." she said to Raquel. <"Shadrak, do you honestly think they picked up slavery from humans? They could have just as easily figured out that it was cheap labor all on their own.">

"Don't forget wishes!" Siv called over to Raquel.

"Err ... yeah, see, I don't want to die so how about I just write down the applicable ones?" Raquel replied looking uncertain as ever.

"Appli- ... cable ... ones ...?"

"Let's see ... The rescue is out ... the wife thing works though, I guess. Taking over the world ... I think not. Shadrak as a *snrk* pet-*snrkkkk*." she paused to crack up a bit. "Well that's up to him I guess. And I'm not sure what you mean by wanting to be bigger. Do you mean grow up to look like your sisters?"

Siv paused to try to pick out a few words she could understand to try and get some meaning out of the question. "Uh ... look like ... sisters. Big, like sisters." she tried to clarify in the complicated language.

"I'll take that as a yes. Well I'm going to go over to the rocks while I still can. Anyone who wants to tag along, feel free. After they all take off we can look for a place to set up camp I guess ... or if you guys want, you can go look for one now and I'll just bring the wagon over once I get back. Either way's fine."

"Alright, time for this to go back on." Atsuko announced, eager to get the cloth back in Siv's mouth to shut her up. Siv of course leaned away defiantly.

OOC:

@ Closing stalls: I don't really see a reason for them to close down just because the rocks are about to lift off. A few shutting down early due to accurate sale decline predictions is fine(like the guys selling chalk to write with might decide to just close down after sunset when there are no rocks to write on ... until the next day, at least), but as a whole I wouldn't see all of them closing up until later in the evening once the activity really dies down, or they run out of whatever they're selling.

Just my take on the vendors.

[Rothene]

Not certain what to really buy from the stalls other than a few more snacks that could be kept in a pouch he used to store less oily or wet food like buns, Ranyin headed back to the rock to read the wishes others.

[Snowy_One]

"I can write well enough, but not in common. I have to stop to sound out letters in common just trying to read and I do not know how to write most of the words I know in common." Robin sighed. "If only this was home... I could write on my own then. My wish is simple though, I want to return home. Would you be willing to write that for me?"

[Acacia Sgt]

'He sure is dead-set to blindly defend them.' John noted. 'Though, he should know better as to where to draw the line. Well anyway, looks like it's time to head to the rocks. At this hours, it probably won't be as crowded. I guess it was good to have waited.'

[Mercakete]

"Sure, but I don't think it'd be a problem if ye wrote in yer own language," Gytha replied before beginning to walk with the archer over towards the nearest, giant sphere of rock, "Not sure I caught yer name, by the way. I'm Gytha."

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

Meanwhile, a particular, blue eye was watching the...thing... Maw really wasn't sure what it was, but it demanded a pouncing, dragging by like that. Being the feline huntress she was, Maw was oblidged to answer that call. And so, she bolted forward and pounced. Ah, what a wonderful, accurate pounce it was, too! There was no denying the grace and power in that pounce. However, pouncing was never the end of it. No, after pouncing came dispatchment and so Maw clawed and bit the thing she had pounced upon in the frenzy of the hunt. Whatever this thing was, it would soon die at her namesake: her fanged maw.

OoC: Whatever she pounced on, it was dragging by. Probably someone's coat or cloak or something. Have fun with this but keep in mind that Maw has good reflexes and thusly will run away if something comes towards her that she doesn't recognize. Meaning, you try to attack her, you miss and she runs. Also, you try to pet her, your hand will not touch fur but claw might cut into hand.

[Zsword]

Shadrak rolled his eyes. "<Siv, if you promise to be quiet for us you don't have to wear the gag.>" He said, before turning to Raquel with a smile. "Could you right down that I wish to see my family for once, for me Raquel?"

[Phoenix]

Wagon

"Uh, sure, that's easy to remember." Raquel replied.

"Hey! Wait! What gives you the authority to do that?!" Atsuko exclaimed when Shadrak gave Siv and alternative.

<"I can be quiet."> Siv said ... quietly.

Raquel was listening, but pretending not to. Siv was a potentially serious issue should she be discovered back there all tied up, so she partly sided with Atsuko for insurance's sake, but on the other hand, she felt less bad with having the young fallen tied up if she could at least talk from time to time without having to hope Atsuko is kind enough to let her. It would really just come down to whether they could trust the fallen not to make things complicated for them down the road, which she doubted they could. She just wanted to focus on the festival for now though, so said nothing on the subject. "Well if that's all, I'll be off. I'll ... let you two handle Siv for now ..."

"Wait, what about her restraints? We can't let her sit there with her mouth free. She could call for help." Atsuko protested.

"Err ..." She tried to get out, but Atsuko pulled her back in. "Well don't talk about it too loudly either, or it'll just have the same effect. Her yelling for help and you ranting about gagging someone end pretty much the same way if someone actually notices."

"Ugh ... I apologize. I'll try to speak my mind more quietly, but it's still a terrible idea to let her not wear this."

I really don't want to deal with this right now. I'm not a professional humanoid smuggler. "Just ... vote on it or something." she said before turning to leave. She would be perfectly willing to deal with it once she got her prayer and the other wishes written down, but right now she was running out of time and knew it.

[Acacia Sgt]

'At this rate it wouldn't surprise me if he is held responsible at the first sign of trouble regarding her.' John thought. 'Well, I guess the whole thing won't rest just yet. But for now, time to head for those rocks.' With that, he followed in getting out.

[Snowy_One]

"My name is Robin, from... Errr... UrOhka." said Robin, trying her best to smile and not draw attention to what country she was really from. "And it probably would cause trouble Gytha. I am trying my best to not make it clear where I am from so I do not cause any more trouble until we are well out of Ursium. They would not hesitate to enslave a primitive brute like me again if they realized I was not of their number."

[Mercakete]

"Well, I'll write it for ye, but I really don't think it'd be a problem since these bulders'll be goin' into th' sky. 'Sides, I think yer assumin' th' worst o' all th' nice people here. Can't be good for ye. Well, yer wish is t' be homeward bound soon, aye? Good wish; many a sailor's wished the same in prayers t' Leviathan durrin' a long voyage," Gytha rambled somewhat as the people around them took their turns writing on the boulder. By the time she'd finished her slight rambling, someone handed her some chalk and she went right to finding a blank spot and writing Robin's wish. As she did so, she broke out into a quiet song, going back and forth between hummung and mumbling, "...and we're homeward bound once more~ To where the sky is clear as... hmmm hmm hm~ ... ...my return~ Hmm hmm hmm hm... the Fairgale hooomeward bound~ ..." And then she accidentally wrote down her own wish and then gave the chalk over to the next last-minute wisher.

"Um, it's not my turn," the villager mentioned, indicating Robin.

"I wrote 'er's down for 'er," Gytha happily explained, "She's not from 'round here, so she can't write in Common."

"Oh, okay. Thanks," he replied, happily taking the chalk and searching for a blank spot himself.

"So, that's it, then?" she asked before continuing to snack on the food she'd gotten and adding with a half-full mouth, "Ye think we should head f'r th' wagon now?"

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

Maw dashed away after making her kill of the dragging thing then leaped into the wagon, saw the bird-human, leaped out and hidunder the wagon all in rapid succession.

[Zsword]

"Vote? There's two of us." Shadrak said... shaking his head and looking around... "Besides, I wanna talk to her a little. <I wanna know more about this 'pet' thing, like, what it would mean on my end.>"

[Phoenix]

Atsuko and Siv

Raquel had hurried off rather quickly, and so it was left to Shadrak and Atsuko. Siv watched the one-way argument silently.

<"How can you be so incredibly stupid? The word 'pet' is just a fancy word for 'well kept slave'.">

<"Slaves are laborers who are supposed to do work all day. Pets are pets. You take care of them and train them not to try and run away, and other things. Most pets are demons like raptors, but I want a human."> Siv explained.

<"Call it whatever you want, it's still less than humane."> Atsuko shot back. Why is she telling us all of this? While we were on board the Al-Lyrae, she wouldn't say anything about demon culture, but now she's beating us over the head with petty details every chance she gets. Maybe she's ... getting comfortable? And maybe, Shadrak is only saying ridiculous things like that to get more information out of her. At least that's what I hope.

Raquel's Prayer

She had to wait a little while, but once she made it to the front, she set her eyes on rock number one, the biggest at the festival, already covered on most sides with no fewer than a hundred prayers, requests, and wishes. Standing up front with the blue colored chalk a family had shared with her, she contemplated what she needed to write down. Let's see ... Shadrak wants to see his family. That was easy to remember. Siv had a bunch of wishes but I'm only writing down the wife and growing up thing. And ... then there's what I want.

One by one she wrote down Shadrak and Siv's wishes, and then she moved on to her own, the one she needed to write carefully, she felt. "Okay ... umm."

"Mother Nature,

Please let my prayer reach Lord Truth. I can ask nothing else. Thank you for seeing to it last year."

"Lord Truth,

This is Raquel Valcyn praying to you this year. Thank you so very much for answering my prayer last year. This year, things have taken a turn for the worst, and my father was taken by an organization I know very little about. I've taken it upon myself to combat and defeat them, before they cause the world a lot of trouble, but what I want even more than to defeat them is to see my father again, safe and sound. If you could guide me to my father, and help me save him, I would be eternally grateful.

The chalk finally came off of the rock, and Raquel took a deep breathe before handing it back over to the people who lent it to her. "Thanks." she said with a nervous smile. That was when the bag at her side began to shake rapidly. The thought of Chip suffocating inside prompted a terrified expression. It hadn't happened before but that didn't matter. She was scared for her little monkey and opened the bag to see Chip stick his head out. She sighed with relief. Then, something else got her attention, and she glanced at the rock she was standing in front of. "Wh-..." she cut herself off to look toward the sun, and lo and behold, it was already touching the horizon.

"They're about to take off!" a young girl cheered!"

[Rothene]

Okay...so they do fly, thought the bewildered kigenese mage. Ranyin had assumed that them flying was some form of symbolism or a smart reenaction of a common belief. Apparently rocks do fly around these parts of the world.

Watching the rock fly up to the sky caused some gears in Ranyin's mind to start moving, places that had never once spun creaked with great fury. He felt as if the universe was opening up to him, and that he was on the verge of discovery some great secret of truth behind the concept of flight. Then as quickly as it came, Ranyin suddenly thought of Riz, of pegasi and how wonderful it was to fly astride them, and all revelation was lost forever.

[Acacia Sgt]

Arriving where the rocks were, John waited until he had the chance to get close enough. Getting a piece of chalk, he eyed a blank spot for a few seconds before finally starting to write, in Common of course.

'I don't really think it may get granted soon.' He thought, removing the chalk from the stone and looking at the words, where it reads:For peace between Ursium and Neviskotia. 'But I guess there was no harm in trying, even once, if the gods do read these things. Though I guess that Wrath guy would oppose to have it granted.' He laughed to himself.

Giving back the chalk, he stepped back and got himself to see the rocks rise. 'I guess it's any minute now.'

Edited August 31, 2011 by Acacia Sgt

[MinunRobotnik4]

"Huh..." Saken muttered as he heard something.

"Well the rocks are starting to go up, I am going to go watch... was hoping to get a little shut-eye" he said the last part slightly grumbled.

As he left the wagon he saw that the first rocks were already beginning to float.

Well I still get to see most of them...

[Snowy_One]

"To be honest, I would rather see most of the festival first. In Urohka we do not get much in terms of festivities since we have only a few people and... it is something special to be in a place like this. I would rather not dr-" As Robin spoke, the first of the stones started to slowly rise off the ground before moving higher and higher into the air, rising up to the heavens above.

"They're launching!" exclaimed Robin, turning around as quickly as she could to watch as the stone flew into the air. "Be it magical or divine, it is still amazing... I hope the prayer your wrote for me comes true."

[Phoenix]

OOC:

Read more carefully, guys. The rocks haven't lifted off yet. I'm just going to pretend you were all posting slightly ahead of me. Not a big deal, just something I wanted to point out

Raquel's Emblem

The girl's cheer did little to take Raquel's attention from whatever it was that was distracting her. The rock in front of her was moving ever so slightly, but remained on the ground. Chip finally confirmed her suspicions when he freaked out inside the back. The emblem came slowly floating out of the bag and out of her cloak and began going straight upward! Then, the rock followed suit, and at a very slow pace, it left the platform.

"Gaaaaah! Oh no oh no oh no!" Raquel panicked as she leaped up to grab the emblem. She jumped just high enough to reach and clasp it in her hands. Even as she came down, she could feel a strong tug on it that nearly overpowered her. She took a half dozen steps away from the platform and eventually fell onto the ground trying to hold onto the emblem. "What was that ... force just now ...?" she asked herself aloud. "It's not letting go ... urgh!" Chip quickly wrapped his whole body around her hands to keep the emblem safe. Even still Raquel held kept low despite the odd looks from the few people who did bother to look at her.

Finally, after half a minute of nearly being pulled to her feet and having the emblem sucked away from her, the force subsided, and Raquel could venture a guess why. By the time the force released the emblem, the rocks were incredibly high up in the sky. She sighed in relief muttering "... what ... was that ...?"

Gabbie's Shenanigans

While Raquel struggled to keep hold of the emblem as the rocks began rising into the air, Gabbie readied herself for a daring and most likely illegal stunt. Grasping Ringo's reins, she guided the wyvern into a high speed chase. They flew toward the largest rising rock, the same one Raquel had written on. By the time they reached it, it was over a hundred feet off the ground. The wyvern flying overhead caught some attention. As Ringo closed in on the rock, Gabbie leaped off of him and landed gracefully on the top. "Nyehehehhh. Airborne wish makin', let us commence." she said to herself.

Ringo began circling around beneath her while she quickly jotted down her wish on the rock. "That oughta do it. Handsome, large and in charge." she said before letting herself fall backward and off the rock. Ringo was there to catch her, and they flew off into the distance. Unsurprisingly, a couple of security guards on horseback gave chase. Truth only knew how that would turn out ...

[Acacia Sgt]

(OOC: Edited last post for continuity sake.)

And it was time, one by one the rocks had begun to rise, as John calmly watched. 'Up and away they go. I guess it was worth it to have come here.'

Just then, something caught his attention: Raquel's sudden behavior near one of the biggest rocks. 'Hm? What is she doing?' He wondered. He tried to get closer, but then some started to say something about a wyvern overhead, which caused him to turn up, and indeed, there was a wyvern up there. 'Huh? Who could think of doing such thing? Better not be one of ours, though I'm sure not that many around here have wyverns.' He shook his head. 'Oh yeah, first things first.' With that, he resumed moving towards Raquel.

''Hey, are you alright? What happened?'' He asked once he arrived.

[Phoenix]

Oddities

Raquel managed to pick herself up, but kept a tight grip on the emblem after what had just happened. "Oh, John. I'm not sure what happened really, but something was tugging on the emblem, and hard. Trying to pull it up along with the rocks. I almost lost it." she explained. Shortly after her little explanation, Chip began making a bunch of noise, seeming to be in protest. That was really close. I was sure the tug was going to keep getting stronger until I let go or got taken right off the ground, but it just stopped.

[Mercakete]

"I'd bet ev'ryone 'round here's thinkin' th' same 'bout their wishes. Well, if ye'd like, ye can keep lookin' 'round. I'll head o'er to th' wagon. I'll see ye soon, Robin," Gytha replied, only watching the boulder for half of her speaking time. When she'd finished her farewell, Gytha walked back over to the wagon, eating her snack along the way.

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

"There they go: the hopes and dreams of alost everyone in the area," Norbert mentioned as he saw the spheres rise into the distant, warm-colored sky, "It's almost inspiring, isn't it? I actually feel like sending up a prayer myself. Not sure what I'd wish for, though. The first thing that comes to mind is that everyone back home keeps healthy. Even the sisters who aren't at home like Cecelia or Alicia. I also want Splinter and Crunch back but I think that'll take care of its self soon. ... It's kind of beautiful." With that, Norbert contented himself with just watching the sky. Rizen just grazed.