Return of the Emblem Chapter Seven: Reunion

[Snike]

This attempt was a triumph. Bert successfully was tempted into a fight, which meant he could be removed before things got messy. Blake merely nodded towards the rest of the group, as the mace-wielding pegasus rider lead the way past the great hall, down the mighty stairs, through the rubble, and straight into Danton's courtyard.

The swordsman stepped about ten feet away from his opponent, and lowered his sword, in preparation.

"You first," he said, simply.

Edited December 13, 2011 by Snike

[Acacia Sgt]

''Sometimes, one over-thinks.'' John replied while Bert was still in the room. ''Assuming bad things over just one can easily lead to a lack of trust. Blind trust is not always good, but neither is constant wariness.'' He didn't expected him to reply or not to it, he seemed to be more focused in his eventual duel.

[Mercakete]

When they got outside, Norbert first walked over to his pegasus and removed his poleaxe from her tack before resting a hand on her snout and muttering, "Stay here." He wasn't sure if Blake would harm her or not and it would be better if she were rested instead of flying or running around carrying him when they didn't know when the armored man would return, not to mention if both were grounded, dependant on their own feet, it would make the fight more fair.

Both men faced each other, each holding his chosen weapon for the fight. We'll see how well this works. Though he was less familliar with the polaxe than his maces, it would give him an edge against those who specialized in swords, seeing as it was somewhat akin to a lance with its pole. He was invited to attack first. Is this a trick? Trick or not, gaining the first strike can help me. He thought as he began circling a little. Then, he rushed at Blake with his attack.

WTD!

((6-2)-2)-9 = miss!

The poleaxe was much longer than the maces Norbert was used to fighting with. He'd used the poleaxe in combat before, but that was while he was riding Rizen. Ground combat was completely different. The result, the head of his poleaxe cut through the air instead of hitting his target. Blast it! He had to work quickly to prepare himself for Balke's counterattack, lest he leave himself open.

[Snike]

Bert decided to drop his maces, and produced a poleax instead. This put Blake on edge. If that thing hit him, it would be curtains for sure. As his opponent strode over to try and cleave him, the swordsman ducked, as the poleax made a wide pass well over his head. Now's was his chance.

[spoiler=Roll]http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3298814/

Valiant Stance activated! HP -2, STR and SKL +2.

4,3,6 = Hit! 13-4 = 9 points of damage

Blake 10/12

Bert 6/15

Valiant Stance activated! HP -2, STR and SKL +2.

1,4,3 = Hit! 14-4 = 10 points of Damage! Bert is down!

Blake 8/12 HP

With a swift smash of the flat of his blade, the swordsman pushed the pegasus rider back, and with another dulled blow, knocked him down onto his back. Blake pressed his blade against the other Ursian's throat for a moment, but relented. Instead, he stepped away from his downed opponent, sheathed his sword, returned, and offered a hand to the other man.

"Do you have a bit of that rage vented? Or do we need to go at it another time?" he asked.

[Mercakete]

"What? What rage?" Norbert asked. Sure, he was frusterated now, since he lost the duel, and before he was angry because he felt betrayed, but it wasn't like he wasn't calming down even before Blake challenged him to a duel. "You were trying to have me blow off steam when I was...? Heh...heheh... Hehehahahahaaa! I bet that wasn't a death threat you gave me in there either!" It was weird, but the pegasus rider was actually finding the whole situation hilarious now. He backrolled to his feet and brushed himself off, in a pretty good mood now.

"I lost, I know. Seems like I've been losing a lot recently. It's funny how you thought I was about to attack someone, though. I was calming down before you asked me to duel," he explained, "I don't even feel bad about losing since the reasons for the fight in the first place were harmless misunderstandings." He rested his newest weapon on his shoulder as he continued, "I wouldn't might fighting you again, though. I usually train alone, so it'd be good to have someone to fight against. I'm new at the poleaxe, too, so it'd help me get some practice in."

[Phoenix]

Lilith's Chamber

Raquel curled up even more as the accusations continued. Blake was quick to divert Bert's attention, though, and the two left the chamber in short order. She seemed to at least have John and Robin's support, for the moment, and Amon and Veronika didn't seem terribly upset ... she wasn't sure about Gytha, though. How did she feel about this? "Thank you Robin." she told the archer directly, though still having only taken the time to look at Lilith during the argument. She kept her head down for the moment. Even now, her barrier was in place, and there was little evidence beyond what Lilith had said that she had any real magic at all.

"Let me see if I've gotten this right; you were all led into a trap by an armored man, forced to fight coffins, and warped here at some point? Even with everything I've gone through, that sounds odd to me. Not the armored man, the coffins." she said to those around. "... this place is probably the Purgatory. It seems odd that I of all people would wind up here. Anyway, if this really is Purgatory, then the people who brought you here are extremely powerful. No normal magic could possibly complete a warp to this world. Purgatory isn't a place one just hops to. You're tearing your way out of one realm and into another. Fortunately I can do the same, and I have no intention of leaving the lot of you here. You can't survive in this world for very long."

Darksider: Urcenter

With the assassin's last known whereabouts in hand, Simon left the townhouse and mounted his horse. From there he began riding gallantly toward another part of Urcenter. The Neviskotian military seemed to be concentrated in the areas around the governor's estate, with pockets of patrols and small bases here and there. Simon made sure to avoid them as best he could. He was riding through the streets, however, and did not notice anyone up on any rooftops, a move that could have gotten him sniped if he were perceived to be a threat by anyone up there, be they archer, dragon, or white haired assassins.

Eventually he brought his horse to a stop outside of a tavern. He hitched the steed and scurried on inside. The tavern wasn't empty and he rushed up to the barkeep. "Good sir, do you know the whereabouts of a white haired individual who carries a large sword and firearms?"

"Hmm, now that you mention it, there was a guy like that in here, yesterday, and the day before that. He might've been staying at an inn in town." the barkeep answered while cleaning a mug.

"Quickly, you must tell me everything that you know!"

"He's a nice guy. Dangerous, but nice. He got to talking to some girl a punk already had his eye on and it ended in a fight. Well ... can hardly call it a fight. In the end, nobody died, and he even paid me for the trouble and any 'lost business' it might've caused. Offered him a job as a bouncer but he said he had a schedule to keep and would only be in town for a few days. Doesn't seem to give a flipping pegasus about the war goin' on here, either. Why don't ya stick around? If you want to find'em, this is probably the place to be."

"I most certainly will! When are you expecting him?!"

The barkeep shrugged. "Could be any time really. First time he showed up was at night. Yesterday it was at noon. So can I getcha somethin'?"

"Water, please. Must keep the body pure for such a perilous journey."

"Huh, not what he said but he orders the same thing."

[Mercakete]

"We can't? Thank ye fer helpin' us out," Gytha replied to Lilith, still seeming less energetic than her usual self.

[Zsword]

Shadrak for awhile the mage was just dumbfounded. After a second of contemplation he walked up to the girl, and just hugged her, pulling her into a comforting embrace. "It must of been terrible... you're such a strong girl, you have potential... you managed to keep yourself hidden from Naoki... and that's something... I'll try to help you, I promise..." He said to her, before turning to Lillith. "Well, that's nice. I hope you don't plan on leaving us once you do though, I still have questions I want answered..."

[Acacia Sgt]

Now those were certainly good news indeed. <Well, at least we may be out of this place soon enough.> John thought. <I guess for now we should prioritize on that, our trip here has sure revealed much for a single day I'd think.>

Wait, so we do have a way to leave this place!? Sophia thought, feeling much more happy at this. Looks like things are finally starting to look up.

[Snowy_One]

A slight twang of jealousy flickered through Robin as Shadrak hugged Raquel, but she quickly squelched it. Shadrak was a magic man and likely wasn't interested in her anyways, besides, it wasn't her business who he loved anyways. Right? Besides, it wasn't the hug, it was the fact that she was capable of wielding magic that sort of bugged her, not that she needed it.

"Shade drake knows much about magic. I am sure he can help you out. If not make you a mage, at least to get a hold of your own power. I admit, I am jealous, but I will help in what way I can... though that means little more than being a human target in helping you learn magic."

[-Cynthia-]

Veronika

"Thank you," Veronika said to Lilith, giving her a small bow. "We have wagon and some more companions outside of what you see here outside of this tomb- please bring them with us if you would,"

At the continued discussion of Raquel's newly revealed magical gifts, Veronika rolled her eyes. "Magic is like any other weapon Robin, it's nothing to be jealous of. You're good with a bow, focus on your strengths, not your faults."

Edited December 13, 2011 by -Cynthia-

[Snowy_One]

Robin nodded. "I can outshoot anyone in this group. I make my own weapons and I am proud of this fact. Everything I use I either made myself, or can attest to the craftsmanship of as I saw it made before my very eyes. I know my own strengths and I am proud of them." she said proudly before returning her gaze to Shadrak and Raquel. "It is not a fault that I can not use magic, but a gift that someone can. A romantic gift..."

[Phoenix]

Lilith Troubles

"It would be best if everyone is in one spot. There is one problem, however. There is no true link between this world and Sardius. To put it plainly ... we are not going to come out in the same place you came in. The chances of that are astronomically low. There is even a chance we could end up out in the ocean or in some other inhospitable place." she warned. "Aside from that I f- ..." she paused, and put her hand to her forehead. Something was wrong. "This is exactly how I felt right before ... oh no ...." Within a second, Lilith had lost consciousness and hit the floor. Once again, she had no breath, and no pulse to speak of.

Raquel Troubles

"Uh ... umm." Raquel was a bit surprised by the hug. That was usually something that only her little sister or mother did. Being called a strong girl made her think of her father and it felt odd or a moment. She wouldn't have time to say anything else before Lilith collapsed. "W-what's wrong? What happened to her?!

Edited December 13, 2011 by Phoenix

[-Cynthia-]

Veronika

Well at least she's not upset about not being able to use magic...wait what? Veronika thought to herself listening to Robin. "I don't really see what's romantic about setting people on fire with your mind, but whatever works for you I suppose," she said, before noticing Lilith fell over.

"Uhh, did the curse reactivate somehow?" Veronika asked, somewhat panicked.

[Zsword]

"I'm not sure... it might be she has no powre... or this place is draining her... Raquel, try shaking her awake." Shadrak suggested, letting go of the girl to examine the woman, scanning her form for some sort of seal, especialyl dwelling on the writings on her front... strip, thing.

[Mercakete]

Gytha just sort of...stared at Lilith. "... She a'right?" she wondered aloud. She also wondered things silently. Why would th' sea be inhospitable? ... What if we wound up on a ship? ... Or... Hmm.

[Acacia Sgt]

And just like that, Lilith collapsed. <Huh? Just what happened?> John thought. <Wait, didn't she woke up because the emblem...?>

What? Sophia thought. Why did she just...? She would've rushed to her side with her staff, but she knew that she wasn't exactly human, she had no idea what was wrong with her anyway.

''Say, didn't she first woke up because of the emblem piece?'' John asked. ''Perhaps if it were to happen again...?''

[ReformBlade]

A simple nod to the man was all she decided to give, agreeing wholeheartedly about wanting to leave the dreary place and all it encompassed. Upon hearing about Raquel being a damn dirty liar, Aneda couldn't help but frown a little. IT was one thing to hide a secret, to hide something you're ashamed of, but to hide out and make others do dirty work for you? "That's... a bit of a... Why would you do that, yeesh..." She said more to herself than to Raquel directly. Yelling wouldn't solve anything, and the woman was upset already as it was, or at least she seemed upset, and that was the problem Aneda was dealing with. "I've only been here for a small bit, but I have to ask, since she's gone all kersplat on the ground now, why you thought the best course of action was to act like a princess in distress? It's one thing not wanting to kill, I can completely understand that sentiment... if it were true. Not wanting to kill and then hiring a bunch of mercenaries and wanderers to... to what, save your face? Look, the cat is out of the bag now, and honestly, it's a fairly huge cat that can't be ignored. Maybe I'm the odd one out, well actually I am the odd one out, but I think this deserves some heavy discussion."

[Zsword]

Shadrak nodded at John. "That's why I want Raquel to be the one to do it... unless I can find whatever is causing this..." He said, still carefully looking over Lillith.

[Phoenix]

Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep Beep ... Beep ... Beep ....

"O-okay ... I'll try ...." Raquel said, coming the very short distance to Lilith's body on all fours with the emblem clutched in her right palm. She wasn't sure what to do, but that left her a moment to address Aneda, who was also using the opportunity to address her. "I wasn't trying to make you all think I was completely helpless. I was only hiding that I knew how to use dark magic. What I was really hoping for in the beginning was that we would just catch up to Sardis, defeat him, I'd get my father back, and we could go back to the way things were. After awhile I got sick and tired of not being able to do anything but stay near the wagon while you all fought. When I had opportunities, I would try to study staff magic without getting caught, but at this point, I would be a terrible healer. I could probably use a restore staff, but I've never had the chance to test something like that. Once I was ready I would have told you, but ... Lilith had no 'obligations' as she put it. I'm sorry, I really am, okay? Can we deal with it some other time-Huh?" she paused. The emblem's glow caught her attention. She sat down in front of Lilith and held it up in her hand. The glow became intensely bright again and she had to look away. When the shine died out again, Lilith was moving. Barely.

<"I must have fallen."> Her eyes were still closed.

"Lilith?"

<"Is that the new language?> Wait, where am I? Don't tell me it's been another cycle, I couldn't possibly restrain myself." She opened her eyes and shot up into a sitting position looking around. She sighed in relief. "How long have I been unconscious this time?"

"Thirty seconds, give or take a few."

"The curse isn't broken, then ..." She stood up, and Raquel followed shortly. "I'm not ... certain how, exactly. Not yet. The fire emblem has overcome my curse temporarily." She sighed, again. This time, though, it wasn't in relief. The situation was a bit hairier now. "I am in an uncomfortable position, but it could be advantageous in the long run. Raquel, give me your fire emblem."

"What?!"

"I need it ... apparently." she admitted dejectedly.

"Well so do I!"

"I don't recall asking you for it." she said giving Raquel a threatening glare. Then suddenly, the emblem flew right out of Raquel's hand and into Lilith's.

"HEY!!!"

"Calm down." She said before holding the emblem with both hands by her fingertips almost like someone holding a small sandwich. "I'm well aware that your situation is nearly as pressing as mine, so we'll simply have to compromise here." With that, she put some pressure on the emblem, and it snapped in two like a frail saltine.

Raquel gasped loudly. "WHAT did you just do?!"

"... did it ... did it ever occur to you that these 'pieces' of the fire emblem could not be safely broken? When I shattered the fire emblem, there was not one piece larger than a grain of sand left, so seeing one as large as yours is clear evidence that the fragments have been coming together over the ages. I am not sure how many pieces would exist in total, but they are naturally drawn toward each other. Put them too close together and they will unite, but they can be broken down as well ... at least by me." Lilith explained. She then tossed the broken medallion back to Raquel and held her own half in her hand, examining it closely. "This will have to do ..."

Back In Black

Lilith, after only a moment's pause slapped her half of the emblem onto the top of her chest plate. The result was a burst of light that nearly obscured her entire body. Any standing in front of her could see little but golden light, while those behind could spot the change in colors on her clothing. By the end of the bright spectacle, her entire outfit had changed significantly. Her white coat had been replaced by a black one, and the plates going from her chest to her feet were now all golden, including her armor. Anything metal on her became golden and bright. Even the shape of the chest plate had changed, the sphere at the center now giving off an eternal light. The red gems hanging from her coat tails and her heels became golden and gave off a constant glow as well.

"Noice." Gabbie commented.

Raquel was impressed as well, but quickly went back to staring at her piece of the emblem. It looked like a large broken coin now. "I hate to say this, but it looks kind of stupid, now."

Lilith let a small smile slip in place of a laugh. Raquel was truly hopeless at present.

OoC:

Lilith's appearance during The Legendary Rebellion

Lilith's appearance now

Edited December 13, 2011 by Phoenix

[Zsword]

Shadrak scratched his chin in thought. "So, Lady Lillith, are you going to need more pieces in order to stay concious? Or will that one piece suffice in the long run?" He asked. No larger than sand... huh... slowly drawing to each other... okay... "and Raquel, you could of told me, I would of happily tutored you... I can use staves and dark magic you know..." He said, it was almost hurt really, the way he said it, but still caring.

[ReformBlade]

Her hand covering part of her face, Aneda simply shook her head. Pressing the issue wouldn't yield anything of substance right now, and it seems more important stuff was going down as she had to close her eyes to avoid going blind from the sudden burst. What she saw affterward was a lady in black and gold Clearly a steelers fan so at the least, she could smile at that. "Better than boring old white I'd say."

Edited December 13, 2011 by RainbowKitty

[Acacia Sgt]

<Well, so that explains it.> John thought. <Well, at least that eliminates the chance she would've passed out again in the middle of warping us out of here.>

I think white suited her better. Sophia though. It went well with her hair and wings, but what do I know of her tastes anyway?

[Mercakete]

"So, we goin' t' go back outside now?" Gytha asked. She was beginning to just want out of that realm. What sort of realm didn't have a sea anyway?

[Phoenix]

Guardians of the Emblem

"I've found that one piece is all that is needed for anything short of having the 'whole' emblem. If one piece was not enough to keep my curse at bay, I would not have woken up at all, let alone twice. The problem is proximity, which is why I'll be needing half of the emblem." she explained to Shadrak.

"Where is it? I'm not sure which glowy thing is the emblem ..." Gabbie chimed in. "Also your plate things are gold too, what gives?"

Lilith shrugged. "You don't like it? Don't worry about where the fire emblem is. As for ... these." she looked down at her plates. "It's what came to mind. The writings haven't changed, only the symbol I used."

"Not even gonna ask how you did that ..."

Meanwhile, Raquel replied to Shadrak saying "I could have told anyone, really, I just didn't want to until it would make a real difference in the fighting. I can't change any of it now." Lilith overheard, of course.

"That's correct. I don't like how you've handled things in the past. I suggest you move forward with a different attitude."

What is she, my mother? "What do you mean by a different attitude?"

"You carry a piece of the fire emblem with you. It doesn't make you anyone particularly important, but you still carry yourself like a victim. You are not a victim, you are the guardian of the emblem ... in a sense ... so you should carry yourself in that way, instead."

"That's nice, but I'm hardly a guardian. All I can do if someone tries to take this thing from me is run away or hide behind someone else."

"I bet you keep the emblem in a bag or something, as well, safely hidden away ..." Lilith speculated with her arms crossed.

"Of course I do! What do you want me to go waving it around everywhere I go?! Or would putting it on top of a flag be better? And while I'm at it, why don't I make a set of flags just to spice things up? Neviskotian flags for when we're in Ursium and vice versa! What exactly do you want me to do about how I ... 'carry' myself?"

"Well ... perhaps this will be a good start" Lilith replied before leaning in and taking Raquel's emblem away from her a second time. Raquel didn't snap this time, but was still reluctant. Lilith placed the emblem over the gem on Raquel's cape, and a flash nearly blinded Raquel before leaving to reveal that the green gem and the emblem had fused into a golden gem. "There."

"What did you ... do? What did you just do?! What am I going to do now?!"

Lilith smiled. She was ... probably enjoying this. "If it really bothers you to wear the emblem so openly, then take it off and go back to hiding it in a bag."

Raquel tried just that, but something was wrong. "What did you do?! The gem's not coming off!"

"You can't control the emblem so I guess you wouldn't be able to undo that spell. Well, you could put the entire cape in the bag, I suppose .... I'll be honest with you, Raquel. I think you are a poor choice to possess the emblem. I have just enough pity to give you some advice. Use it. If I find that you can't improve, I'll come to relieve you of it permanently. For the time being, I want you to wear it."

"But when it shines, people will know something's not normal about this 'gem'! If we run into the Wrathite's again they'll probably figure it out in two secon-" Lilith interrupted saying "When enemies come, you and your allies will band together and fight. Don't hide. Grow stronger. That is the attitude you need to walk with. It's firmly established that you have no faith in your allies, but that too has to change. If you cannot trust them, and you cannot handle this role, you're going to die no matter what happens, so wear it." she explained.

"Lilith soigned us up for a gauntlet of dumbass pointless foights just now, didn't she?" Gabbie asked no one in particular.

OoC:

Raquel's new appearance

Raquel's new appearance when relevance occurs

Edited September 28, 2012 by Phoenix