Return of the Emblem Chapter Eight: Affairs of the World

[Snowy_One]

Robin gritted her teeth in annoyance as Gytha seemed to ignore her entirely, but at least she quieted down... enough... to stop being annoying. Her ears saved Robin went back inside before sitting down upon the floor of the Dauntless. Quietly she pulled out her knife and stared down the edge of the blade to pass the time. It was a fine knife to be certain, carved from what she had left of her obsidian, its edge was probably one of the sharpest things in the world. She could swear she could almost feel a faint trickle of blood upon her finger just holding the tool aloft. It was just as sharp as the day she had made it though, a sad testament to its lack of of use. Being careful to not cut herself, she held it close and sighed as she thought about how useless it was in combat despite its sharpness and how bad she had been the prior day.

"<Wait a moment...>" she thought back to the prior night, trying to remember the dreams she had had, to see if her work had paid off, only to remember Bert's unfulfilled promise to go knife-shopping with her. "<Bert still owes me a shopping trip.>"

"Raquel? Will we have time to spend in the town before we leave?"

[Mercakete]

Norbert snickered at Faatina's observation about Gytha. "Heh. Yeah, she sure is happy about it. She's a mariner, so I guess it makes sense. I don't know if you know what pirates are, but she kills them for a living, from what I understand. Apparently she's spent most of her life near or on the ocean, so maybe she's so happy because of that. Oh and careful not to call her a pirate. She'll give you a fair warning, but after that she'll shoot you for calling her one," he explained, still finding the observation hilarious, but trying to remain composed.

[Ether]

"I've heard tell of them from bards, but no more than that. Money-obsessed rogues who roam the seas in search of underguarded vessels to pillage for all their worth. Bandits of the sea, if my knowledge is correct. So then would that make her a vigilante of sorts? She does not look the type to work under a specific government, so I assume she either does it for hire aside from law enforcement, or simply for her own sense of satisfaction?" Faatina asked, hoping to confirm what little she knew, or what she had assumed.

"In a way, I suppose that makes us opposites. She has spent her life on the ocean, and I can only assume has not spent much, if any time on the sands... whereas I have spent my whole life in the center of a desert, the sole shelter hidden in a barren wasteland, seeing the ocean for the first time... perhaps it is fate that we are to meet this way?" Faatina pondered aloud, before giving Norbert a sly grin.

"Though, from the sounds of it, you speak from experience on the last point of yours, Bert."

[Mercakete]

Norbert was minorly irritated as he answered, "Yeah, she's nearly shot me a few times for it. And for other reasons. I may be an easy-to-set-off loud-mouth at times, but even I know to shut up when someone can and will do me some serious harm. ... Hmm actually, sometimes it's worth the pain, but I don't feel like getting shot over something as silly as that."

That said, the pegasus rider commented on Faatina's definition of pirates and Gytha's job. "Yeah, I think she's mentioned she gets hired onto merchant ships as part of the crew to protect them from pirates. Her and her cat, anyway. And yeah, that's all I know about pirates, too. I've never met one myself, though, unless you count--"

A click sounded and Norbert shut up instantly. There's been a lack of dancing throughout his explanation, though he hadn't noticed it until now. Looking up, he saw Gytha lying on her belly on the Dauntless' roof, supporting her head with one hand and casually pointing her pistol at him with the other, a lazy grin on her face. "Ye've met a pirate, have ye?" she asked.

Norbert's reply was a glare for a moment before he finished, "unless you count having heard about them in stories."

"Aye, I knew ye were a smart lad. At least sometimes, heheharr!" Gytha giggled as she put the gun away. She was only joking when she'd pulled out her pistol that time.

[Ether]

"It sounds like you take a lot of pride in your work...err... Gytha... ?" Faatina stumbled a bit on the name, having gotten only a brief introduction to her new travelling companions the night before.

"It does sound noble, drifting about the land and sea, slaying those who would do harm to others for personal gain. Had I been allowed the chance, I would have likely done the same, joining Sanctuary's militia to combat banditry in the area... though I suppose it is not a chance I'll ever have..." Faatina noted, drifting off herself for a slight moment before posing another question.

"Could you tell me more about the sea?"

[Phoenix]

Dauntless

"Mmmm let's just see what happens. If we can't get out of here in a timely manner, we might as well find someone who only cares about money ... and then hope he doesn't want all of it." Next Robin asked her about how much time they had before departing. "I don't know yet, but if there's anything you guys have to do, it's probably a good time ... once we get to the docks, I mean. I'm going to keep the Dauntless there while we try to figure out how to go about getting a ship." she explained, first to Robin, and then everyone in the wagon.

"Connor, I kill people in armor. I've got to know what I'm up against or I'll make a mistake and then I'll be the one that gets stabbed." Gabbie explained with a wince. "I do have a few bits and pieces I was thinking of using once I'm strong enough to handle the weight. Brought'em with when we left Weyland's. It's not enough for a 'suit', but I hate immobility as much as you do. Speakin' of which, try not to fall over, hahah."

Cave of Collapses

"Digging them out seems very dangerous, Ma'am." the exhausted mage spoke up. "Even if we make them pass all of their weapons over to us first, they could still keep something to use later. I don't think they're suicidal but ... now might be a good time to let them know they don't stand a chance against us. I'm certainly not portraying that in my state. I'll be quiet now ...."

"Leave it to me, Captain! I'll take the front and if they try anything, they'll get a face full of steel!" Amber chimed in, volunteering to tank whatever the bandits might have planned.

"The hell is going on out there? Look we surrender!" "Shut up! Tie him up already!" another bandit interrupted. "Don't do this, it's the military for crying out loud and they've got us cornered!" "The chief escaped with that syndicate bastard. So can we!" "WE'RE BURIED ALIVE FOR TRUTH'S SAKE!!!" The mage was trying her hardest not to laugh at the exchange, even going as far as to cover her mouth.

Wagon

<"A challenge? Are you an officer?"> Katsu wondered aloud.

Edited March 20, 2012 by Phoenix

[Mercakete]

"Haharr, aye, I'm basically hired help t' defend merchants n' such from pirates," Gytha replied, "I grew up in a port n' that's as far inland as I ever travelled 'ntil I met Raquel. The ocean is great, but I haven't had th' chance t' explore it meself, unfortunatela. I just hitch a ride on th' merchant ships 'n guard 'em. Ye hear a lot o' stories about th' sea in ports, though. Heharr, not all o' it's true. Lots o' sailors'r blow-hards, ye know. But th' sea is vast n' when yer on a ship, ye never know what's comin' at ye. It's open, though, n' free. Ye never do forget th' smell either. Gusts off th' water, th' waves, th' skyies... Lot's o' work, too, but ye meet good people. Onla problem's supplies. Ye need t' keep up on those. Water goes stale n' weevils fill th' biscuit. Rats get inta th' grain n' eat it. N' when ye run out o' food, ye realla don't care much what ye eat. That's fer long voyages, though, n' usualla onla if ye don't plan t' stop fer supplies. Good way t' get yer crew killed, so no one's that dumb, but sometimes th weather blows ye off course. Bein' on th' sea is dangerous, but a great adventure."

"I think I'll stay in the air and on land myself," Norbert decided aloud after Gytha's summary of ship life.

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

"You're cornered, are you?" Cecelia asked as a small, sly grin spread across her lips, "You should surrender to us, then. I am Captain Cecelia of Colonel Langley's Battalion. Surrender or we'll make sure you'll never get out of there. Oh, and all of the others who tried to flee were either captured or killed, so don't think you can escape, especially if you're trapped." As she spoke, Cecelia signalled to her soldiers to form up as a precaution. If they save us the trouble of going in there, it will be much easier to pick them off. I'll have to ask about this "syndicate bastard" once they're in our custody.

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

<"Oh, this is a little embarrassing. I thought you saw..."> Daichi replied modestly before displaying the back of his left forearm. <"You see, I am a Hikibain.">

Edited March 20, 2012 by Mercakete

[Ether]

"It sounds like we really are opposites then, aren't we? Until now, I've never left Sanctuary... all I know is the desert. A landscape so desolate must be a bit of a culture shock for a seafarer, though. One needs only look into the ocean to come across fish, but in the desert, life is much harder to find... much more easily stamped out... but I only know of the sea from stories, so if sailors are so quick to spin tales of false valour as you say, perhaps I don't really know anything at all." Faatina commented, thinking it over.

"But that does tell me one important thing... life on the sea... it lets you be free as you please if you are ready to face it. That sounds like a lot of fun."

[Mercakete]

"Harr, fishin' isn't so easy. Th' fish swin deep, so ye have t' throw nets n' lines inta th' water n' ye don't always catch 'em. I'm not a fisherman, though, so I onla know a little bit about it," she explained with a shrug.

"Wait, you go onto boats but don't know how to get fish from the ocean? Sounds like it'd be useful to know," Norbert mentioned.

"Would be handy fer ye t' know how t' hunt too, aye?" Gytha asked Norbert in reply with her usual grin.

"I...see your point..." the pegasus rider grumbled.

Edited March 20, 2012 by Mercakete

[Ether]

"Though hunting would likely be easier than fishing, wouldn't it? You can't exactly chase down a fish unless you're a swimmer to rival them... whereas I can hunt down any animal that is slower than Sharif so long as it will fall to my lance... I don't need to be able to catch it myself, I need only a weapon with which to strike it down." Faatina replied, looking back towards the sea.

"I would imagine it could only get easier with a pegasus."

[Mercakete]

Gytha chuckled as Norbert grumbled under his breath at the last bit. Then, he spoke up, "I don't use weapons that are good for hunting and it takes a knowledge I don't have. It's not all about speed, but that and agility sure seem to help. It's not that I can't kill -- I've done it before -- it's that I can't do anything with it once it's dead. My main weapons are blunt, so everything gets crushed together. I can't cook anyway so there's no point in it."

[Ether]

"A blunt weapon can still be used to hunt, you just have to be more careful with it, right? I mean, if you crush the skull of say, a deer, the rest of the meat is fine, and most won't have anything to do with the brain even if it were fully intact and not filled with shards of bone... though I guess your weapons are a bit short, aren't they?" Faatina noted, taking a look at Bert's maces.

"The cooking issue is a touch more dire, but not by much. Even if one isn't a learned chef, it is not difficult to cut a piece of meat and roast it over a fire... if you worry for it to not cook through, then you can simply cut it thin and cook it in batches, rather than all at once. Surely you must at the very least have a knife so you can do that?" Faatina continued, asking Bert a question that should have an obvious answer for anyone wishing to survive.

"I may not be an expert, but I could teach you what I know of cooking. An apron might look good on you, perhaps some sort of cute design..." Faatina pondered aloud, trailing off for effect.

[Mercakete]

How did I find someone out here who acts like my sisters? Norbert internally agonized, his grip on Rizen's reigns tightening somewhat in his frustration. "No, I don't carry a knife on me. Not one that's good for cutting food, anyway," he replied in a tone that was clearly indicating he was irritated, though controling himself enough to remain civil, "And no thank you, I'd rather not wear an apron like that. Learning to cook enough to make my own food would be helpful, though, so thank you for offering."

Edited March 21, 2012 by Mercakete

[Ether]

Sensing the hostility emanating from Norbert, Faatina backed off a little with a pout.

"It was just an idea, no need to get mad over it..." Faatina trailed off, before releasing one hand from the reins, and using it to open her cloak. Detaching the instrument from her belt, Faatina had Sharif trot closer to Rizen, as she pulled the sheathed knife from her side, and offered it to Norbert.

"You should always carry an all-purpose knife."

[Phoenix]

Come Out With Your Hands Up

There was silence for a few seconds. "... w-we want a pardon!"

The mage couldn't restrain herself anymore. "Bahahah a what?! Hahahah!" True, the bandits were in a panic-worthy situation, but now they were making demands?"

"They can't pardon us. I just don't want to die down here." another voice came. "Shut up, and let me handle this." the voice asking for a pardon replied.

"Can't we just chuck a grenade through the opening and call it a day? At least if we do that, they'll either stay in there and get blown up or come scampering out of their and right into custody." a random soldier muttered, mostly to himself.

Skills

<"I hadn't gotten a good look at it, no. So you're one of them ..."> Katsu paused, seemingly awestruck, but with an expression and tone like his, one couldn't be sure. <"A challenge indeed. I wonder if I could even best a blade of the Firetusk in battle. Losing to the White Devil has me wondering if I challenged something too strong for my skills or if I'm simply not that strong to begin with.">

[Mercakete]

Cecelia was finding this amusing as well, but she kept herself more composed than the mage. Motioning a certain signal with her hand to indicate not to follow her next orders, Cecelia called out, "You will not be making demands, bandits! Prepare the grenades! Ready the blunderbuss! On my signal!" The captain glanced to the soldiers, hinting at them to enhance her facade.

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

<"The demons are difficult to defeat, even for us. Those with such reputations as the White Devil not least of all,"> Daichi replied as he returned his arm to a resting position, <"I'm impressed you survived fighting her. ...And concerned that no one noticed her until she was on our northern border..."> Daichi's brow furrowed at his last sentense as he looked out the window the wagon, thinking. <"I hope you don't mind. I sent in a report about the results of your battle. This news is...disturbing.">

[Phoenix]

Panic

As soon as Cecelia gave her false orders, some semblance of a riot broke out beyond the pile of rubble obscuring the bandits. Screams, demands, the sounds of weapons being flung across the room, bodies hitting the floor, fists impacting faces ... it wasn't until one of the bandits came crawling out trying to show that he wasn't armed and pleading for his life that they had some sense of what was going on. "Don't shoot! Don't shoot me, please!" He was quickly shoved aside by another bandit who desperately wanted out. This repeated a few times and the emerging bandits were quickly restrained as they cleared the rubble. There were still a few more to go, and one bandit seemed hell bent on surviving the grenade(s) by simply hiding behind a small boulder. Trouble was, it would only help if the grenade landed in a certain spot ... a rather big gamble but he was a stubborn mule that one.

Fault

Katsu looked down at his lap and frowned. <"The White Devil was hunting us ... and we were careful to avoid detection, ourselves. That is probably why she was able to come this far north. That's exactly what got most of us killed in the end, as well."> he explained, making that last point somewhat bitterly. Their mission required secrecy, but they would not have been able to bring their captive up north without being found out at some point, and their alternate route allowed Bryndhildr and the others to catch up to them easily thanks to their relatively small group. Despite the fact that the mission seemed doomed to failure even in hindsight, it technically succeeded. Katsu still felt the cost was too high, though ... then again, losing almost everyone he cared about seemed more like a punishment for breaking the law than a price for success.

[Mercakete]

Cecelia was quite satisfied as the pleading bandits fell into her ruse. When the flow significantly lessened, she quietly asked the armored soldier in her group, "Grace, could you peek into that hole and see how many are left?" Then, to the mage and an archer, she instructed, "Follow her and if there are any left, then disable them, please. It is preferrable that we bring these gentlemen in alive."

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

That was curious. Why would the White Devil be hunting down a group of mercenaries? And why would said mercenaries avoid military detection when the military could have saved most of them? Daichi pondered asking about it for a moment. <Not now. It should be asked sometime, but I don't want to bring up such a fresh wound.> He could see that Katsu had fallen into grief again. <I should just be quiet for now. I'll leave him with their memory.>

The next few days that passed were fairly uneventful and since they were travelling for most of the day, Katsu unwittingly got the rest the doctor had requested of him. On the third day, the two Kigenese swordsmen arrived at Kosato. From there, Daichi led Katsu to his home, which was a bit of a walk from the village proper. And finally, the house came into view. The Hikibain smiled fondly at it as he led the way and then they arrived at the doors. <"Sumire, I'm home! And I have our guest with me!"> he called.

In short order, a Kigenese woman with black hair opened the door and bowed respectfully to the two men. <"Welcome home, my husband. And welcome, you must be Katsu-san."> she greeted.

<"Katsu-kun, this is my wife, Sumire."> Daichi introduced.

A moment later, a girl who seemed to be around fifteen years old came running, stopping when she reached the door. She was dressed in clothes that were comfortable and easy to move around in, much to her mother's apparent chagrin. <"Dad, you're home! And, uh, um..."> She wasn't sure how to adress Katsu.

<"Hana! Show some respect to our guest and introduce yourself properly at the very least!"> chastized Sumire.

Hana immediately bowed deeply. <"I'm sorry! My name is Kazemi Hana, eldest daughter of Kazemi Daichi,"> she hurriedly introduced before adressing her father, <"Dad, are you going to help me look for Kikuko today?">

<"Hana, your father will take care of that. Stop pretending like it's your place! Now go get properly dressed! Your appearence is disgraceful!"> Sumire rebuked.

<"But--!">

<"GO.">

Hana grudgingly obeyed her mother's orders, disappearing into the house again. Sumire returned her attention to their guest, bowing deeply. <"I appologize. Hana-chan is...spirited. She did not mean to be so rude. Please forgive her.">

Daichi himself seemed a tad exasparated at the embarrassing display, quietly just standing there for a moment.

[Snowy_One]

"That will not work miss." said Robin as she looked towards Tina and Bert. She had been listening in on the conversation ever since the talk had moved to hunting and had been somewhat amused by the ideas. Using a blunt weapon to hunt? That was a bad idea! It would be almost impossible to get close enough to the quarry in the first place and, in the event that they did, they wouldn't be able to deal enough damage. It was almost amusing, but she felt that her time was up.

"You need a flat and wide blade for skinning, but a thick and sharp blade for cutting the meat up to carry home. There is a reason hunters are obsessed with knives, I should know, I am one. Also, Bert in an apron? I think that would look more scary than cute, especially if he is mad about it."

[Acacia Sgt]

<Heh, that was expected.> John thought, watching the little spectacle happening below. <Poor Bert though; can't even get in casual conversation without getting annoyed by it.>

-----

Well, that sure was a problem that came up.

Are they really thinking on getting into Ursium illegally? Sophia thought. I understand wanting to head back as soon as possible but...

Edited March 20, 2012 by Acacia Sgt

[Phoenix]

Holdout

"I'm on it, Ma'am!" Amber cheerfully replied, walking over toward the rubble with her shield up. The archer nodded to the Captain and followed. He had his crossbow ready. "Come out with your hands up, and if you're handsome, I might just go easy on you!" Amber demanded. The archer's face cringed tightly. That was such a stupid thing to say.

"Just don't shoot! We give up!" a bandit's voice came. He was reluctant to come out, but was slowly beginning to come out of the hole in the collapse. Another was behind him and waiting his turn.

"Is that all of you?"

"No, Cal's back there. Good luck with that." the second bandit said as the first came through and was hauled off.

"Cal? That's your name isn't it? Come out!"

"... piss off rookie!"

"... Captain! Permission to execute?! Nobody calls me a rookie and gets away with it ..." she exclaimed before coming down into mutters.

Greetings

Seeing how formal and well presented Daichi's family was reminded him of just how ... uncouth he and his fallen hating family had become doing all of that mercenary work. They were nothing like loud angry brigands, but compared to this, they might as well have been. <"It's alright. It's a pleasure to meet you."> Katsu glanced at Daichi wondering who this Kikuko was. His first and only guess was another daughter. He couldn't possibly bring himself to pry, though, and tried to forget about it for the moment.

[GoD]

Feeling a bit left out of the conversation, Chelsea decided to chime in, by poking her head out of the wagon.

"Bert in an apron..... picturing it now I think he would look kinda cute. All that's left is the charming smile and he would have a bunch of women flocking to him. Ha.... that's actually funny."- the troubadour smirked at the image of Bert running away from legions of women. Nearby Nesha whined a noise of disaproval, which caused his master to stare at him.

"Oh come on, don't give me that."- Chelsea spoke to her horse as they engaged in some sort of staring competition.

[Mercakete]

In the end, the topic of conversation was what he'd look like in an apron. What the heck is even wrong with these people? How did the subject become THAT? Uuhg... This is too much like home... Crazy women... The pegasus rider took the offered knife and slipped it into his saddlebag for later use. "Thanks for the free knife," he replied to Faatina before making a gamble in what he said next, this time to Robin, "That would make sense for bigger kills, but how about for smaller things like rabbits? Since you're such an expert" I hate asking for favors "why don't you teach me how to use this knife?" I hope I didn't just get myself into something I'll regret...

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

"Sometimes the most stubborn are the most valuable," Cecelia replied as she walked over to the hole, "Stand by, Grace." With that, Cecelia herself climbed into the hole in the rubble, figuring she'd have to retrieve this one herself. Once through, the captain readied her whip in case it came to blows. "Bandit Cal, surrender. If you do not, then I will be forced to subdue you," she warned.

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

<"Thank you, Katsu-san,"> Sumire replied with another bow.

<"Sumire, I will show Katsu-kun his room now. You don't have to worry about it,"> Daichi told his wife who, in return nodded, offered another bow, then disappeared into the house. The Hikibain sighed as he began leading the way into the house where Katsu would be staying. The house was below average in size compared to Ursian housing, but above average to large by Kigen standereds. It had only one level but its kitchen was connected to its dining room and had five bedrooms, two of which were guest rooms. It was neat and tidy and, by design, a simple, traditional, Kigenese-styled house without many decorations, though various flower arrangements were the most common decorations.

After they reached Katsu's room and the two entered, Daichi slid the door shut and sat down at a low table in the center of the room. <"I hope you like this room. Sumire is good at keeping things tidy. She has our daughters' help, but I can't imagine them doing most of it,"> he said to Katsu.

Edited March 21, 2012 by Mercakete

[Snowy_One]

"It is the same deal except with a smaller animal. There is some reasons for it that I will teach you." she said, smiling. "And yes, I will teach you Bert. I am glad to offer help if you need it. When we get to a resting point I will start to teach you."

[Phoenix]

Arrival

The conversations dragged on, and so did the Dauntless. The ocean and the horizon were eventually completely obscured by buildings of every height. Raquel was admittedly lost, but traveling east while following the main road almost guaranteed they would reach the docks. She was only worried about steep areas that were fenced off and therefore 'dead ends'. They didn't reach any, luckily, and instead passed a few more buildings to reach the docks. There were more ships out there than she could have ever imagined, including some Kigenese trading vessels and fishing ships farther out. Also not surprising were several small warships out on the water. Probably the only deterrent from pirates and the like.

"Oooooo noice guard towers." Gabbie spoke up, pointing out something Raquel just happened to miss in her observations. There were some towers about, but she didn't notice the ship sinking cannons they had stuffed right out of the windows. A lone pirate ship didn't stand a chance, no matter the size. They reached the docks proper and Raquel gambled on an open space right next to a tavern. The Dauntless finally stopped, and Raquel quickly got out of the wagon from the driver's seat in order to turn off the deflectors. They made it possible for Sandrock and Riley to pull an unreasonably heavy vehicle with ease, but they also kicked up a lot of dust and she knew she wasn't making a good impression on the rexians there. One by one she remotely flipped the runes over and turned them off, letting the Dauntless' full weight come down, making it almost unmovable.

Standoff-ish

When Cecelia climbed through to the other side of the rubble, there was little to be found but a dead end and some large boulders and supplies strewn about. There were also small weapons like handaxes, knives, shortswords, and pistols lying all over the place. It also seemed the bandits had a few grenades of their own, making their surrender both ironic and timely. The last bandit in that particular tunnel stood up from behind the boulder with a hand axe in one hand and a pistol he hadn't finished loading in the other.

"Just try it!" he shot back, before chucking his axe right at her. This was only meant to serve as a diversion while he finished loading his pistol ... though he was relying too much on the axe hitting her to avoid a counterattack.

Arrival?

<"If there's anything that needs doing, I would be more than happy to help."> Katsu said the very instant Daichi finished his statement. <"I plan to earn my keep.">

Edited March 21, 2012 by Phoenix