Return of the Emblem Chapter Nine: Consolidating Forces

[ReformBlade]

Aneda groaned as she was helped, ultimately relaxing when she found the right position. "I think I'll be okay... Just... woozy is all. Thanks, Gytha..." It was all she could do to stay awake now, but really, she didn't mind it. It sure beat sitting there like a vegetable. "What a weird night..." she mumbled to no one in particular.

"Driving? I thought there'd be someone else... Hell, if everyone else is tired, I'll do it." Davod offered as he tried making his way to the front. Oh this is gonna end well "Oh shush you..."

[Mercakete]

"Not a problem," Gytha replied to the pegasus knight. When talk went up about who was going to be driving, Gytha was tad bit confused. She'd thought Gar would be driving, but she decided to volunteer. "I could drive," she offered. The mariner looked over as Zachary instructed Lia to "toss sleepy-head there in the back of the wagon."

"Hoy, now, if yer goin' t' throw 'im in here, I might as well help," she put in with a grimace. Why were people just throwing unconscious people around? First Aneda -- who wasn't unconscious but might as well have been -- and now-- Well, she could kind of understand the lack of care with Norbert. He wasn't all that well-liked. Still, it didn't really sit well with her how careless people were being.

[Acacia Sgt]

<I wonder how much longer we have to wait.> John thought. Whoever was still left in the manse were sure taking their time. Then again, with the guards inside, it was expected.

And then all of a sudden he heard a yawn, who turned out to be Sophia.

''Tired already?'' He asked her.

''I think I can manage to stay awake until we reach the ship.'' She answered.

''Heh, well, we better not take our chances then.'' He said. <I suppose they wouldn't mind if we get ahead.> And with that, he made the horse to start to move. <Thankfully I do know the way back.>

[Ether]

It seemed that they wanted this man in the wagon. Very well, that was simple enough. Taking a step back from the wagon, Lisandra took a leap into the back of the carrier wagon, with Norbert still in tow over her shoulder. Shaking the vehicle slightly when she landed, Lisandra put the unconscious man down gently at her feet, before noticing Zachary calling her over.

"O... O-kay." Lisandra managed, hopping off the back of the wagon and making her way over to Zachary, who appeared to have mounted a horse. Looking at the animal curiously, Lisandra was unsure what to do. She knew what it was, but had never actually seen one up close before, and certainly had no idea how to get on without hurting it.

[Mercakete]

Well, that girl ignored her and instead jumped onto the wagon while still carrying Norbert and set him down before leaving and walking over to Zachary. It certainly wasn't something you saw every day but it also left Gytha grimacing. Was that the girl they'd rescued? Yes, she had to be. Well, odd as that was, there really wasn't anything to do about it, so Gytha just stood there a moment before shrugging and climbing over to the driver's seat. She'd wait to make sure everyone was ready to go but no one had objected so it looked like she'd be driving the wagon.

[Eail]

Damn, this kid was one surprise after another. Being able to jump that high was pretty damn impressive by Zach's standards. Though she seemed to not really know how to get on the horse.

"Come on kiddo, up ya go" Zach said as he reached down and picked her up before placing her on the horse and then jumping up behind her. Seeing that the wagon was almost about to leave as well Zach decided to go ahead and take off.

Having some time to think finally, Zach began to go over his situation in his head. Shaking his head in disbelief he muttered under his breath.

"20 years old, I'm an orphan, no home, no job, no contacts, and the closest things I have to friends right now are people I met today. And on top of all that I suppose I'm now the closest thing Lia has to a guardian as well.

'Oh man my life is messed up right now.'

[Mercakete]

Gytha saw Zachary and the girl already beginning to ride off. Not everyone was out of the manse yet, though. Another grimace from the mariner, then she called over to whoever might've been able to hear, "Hoy! Someone let th' rest know we're leavin' now!"

[Script]

A Man Called Gar

"Oi," Gar said to gun-lass. "You got knocked out, whip-guy didn't, let him drive."

[Mercakete]

Gytha looked a little confusedly at Gar, "I'm fine now, though. He can drive if he wants t', I'm just offerin' since people're alreada leavin'."

[Acacia Sgt]

And so they began to get away from the manse and into the road to town. Didn't matter if they took a headstart, they'd probably not be chatting with anyone at any rate, most likely.

''So are these Artificial all that strong?''

Of course, talk between them was another thing entirely.

''Well, the ones we fought certainly.'' John answered. ''They also have certain other abilities, but it doesn't look like the girl had them or at least not as strong.'' <Quite fitting, considering she wasn't made with combat in mind.>

''So when was that?''

''Before leaving for the Fallen errand actually. We were there as support for the military.''

''Oh, so that was that mission was about.''

''You heard about it?''

''Yes. Not much of course, but I'm glad nothing bad happened then.''

By then they had reached the town and kept going their way.

Edited July 9, 2012 by Acacia Sgt

[roymbrog]

Synthia, at this point, would've agreed with Gar, but she was too busy nodding off. Seems people were gonna die tonight.

[Ether]

Lisandra tensed slightly when Zachary picked her up and placed her atop the horse, but let it slide, as she had been practically asking for it. Soon enough, they had begun moving, with Zachary leading the horse, though he was muttering something incomprehensible under his breath once out of earshot of the others.

Lisandra wasn't quite sure what he was saying, but his tone sounded distraught and somewhat confused. Not sure what else to do to console him without the ability to speak, Lisandra give a light tug on his sleeve.

[Eail]

Pushing the doom and gloom thoughts out of his mind Zachary felt a light tug on his sleeve coming from Lia, who seemed to have a concerned look on her face.

'Guess she heard me, might be worried or something'

Giving her a comforting smile Zach ruffled her hair a bit and said "Don't worry Lia, I'm all right."

[Script]

A Man Called Gar

"It's when things are fine that they're at there most dangerous," Gar snidely said.

[ReformBlade]

Sounds and voices whirled about her, a chill going up her spine. She huddled herself as much as she could but in the end it didn't matter all that much. Thankfully she wasn't able to feel all that well either, so she opted to just zone out and recuperate. "Zzz..."

"If it's OK with you I'd like to do the honors here. I may be tired but I've still got a lot in me right now. Not saying you don't but from what I understand you could use a whee bit more rest than I. I just joined up with you guys, let me pull my weight if you'd be so kind..." Well that sounded a bit forced... But hey, at least you're not being a rude jerk, at least by my standards. Davod tilted his head, waiting for a response.

[Mercakete]

Gytha was a little perplexed. She was hale and whole, not the least bit fatigued. After all, she'd been knocked out fairly early on in the fighting and when she woke up the only problem she had was a bump on her head and that'd been healed. She was probably the fittest one there. Wait a moment... The mariner narrowed her eyes in unamusement. She could see what was going on. "Ye don't trust me t' drive, do ye? Not a one o' ye," she questioned in such a way as to indicate that this was her guess. Without waiting for an answer she shrugged and left the driver's seat in favor of the passenger's area of the wagon where she sat down next to Synthia again and reclined folding her arms behind her head, resting one leg over the other and closing her eyes to quietly return to her thoughts. She wasn't tired, so that was all she could do, really. And so her mistrust only hardened further.

[Script]

A Man Called Gar

"Think of it as you being one of the only defenders in case we're suddenly involved in a high-speed wagon chase," Gar chuckled.

[Mercakete]

Gytha opened an eye to look at Gar. "I'd rather see things as they are, thank ye," she flatly replied before closing her eye again and returning her thoughts to other things.

[ReformBlade]

"... Really, Gytha? I offer to let you rest and that's the conclusion you come to? I misjudged you. Either you've taken more knocks to your head than you thought, or you're just in a really immature mood right now. But hey, guess what, I'm in no mood, no one is right now, to deal with such petty crap. Here, tell you what, lets flip for it. Heads I drive, tails you drive..." Taking out a coin, he flipped it, caught it and slapped it on the back of his hand. "Tails, congrats Gytha, fate dictates that you're driving. Have fun." Davod sat back down, not really unhappy so much as disappointed in her behavior, and his as well. The hell is your problem...?

[Mercakete]

"If they don't want me drivin', I'm not drivin'. Sides, it's not that ye offered t' let me rest when I clearla don't need it of and by its self. Evera time I've offered t' drive, someone else franticalla offers t' instead. I finalla caught on so ye might as well," she replied, not budging from her spot.

[ReformBlade]

"Whatever, I doubt people want to be kept waiting..." Davod grumbled as he climbed into the driver seat, miffed but ready to get the show on the road. "Just give the word if you're all ready to go." he shouted back.

[roymbrog]

“Seriously? We're arguing about this?” Synthia grumbled. She had wanted to take a nap, but it seemed that wasn't going to happen tonight. “Gytha, you've only driven a wagon once. Other people offer because they feel better qualified. Take some lessons from someone or something first.... I want to sleep."

Edited July 9, 2012 by roymbrog

[Mercakete]

"Then go t' sleep," she flatly replied. Quite frankly she just wanted to be alone with her thoughts for the time being. Makin' excuses t' try t' look polite... If ye feel somethin', just say it. Don't say what ye mean then try t' pretty it up. She thought bitterly, getting a bit irritated with how this was getting drawn out much more than it needed to.

[roymbrog]

The mage glared silently in the dark. What was her problem? Whatever it was, it didn't stop her from taking the mariner's advice. Synthia was out like a light.

[Phoenix]

Manse to Leverager

Things inside were progressing slowly at first, but as more and more guards finished combing the building and began to join in the clean up, things picked up their pace. Eamon kept his cousin Grant for awhile so they could discuss the situation in more detail, but everyone else was free to leave for the moment. Shadrak took a short trip to the manses library since it occurred to him that he might find some interesting information there, not about the cult or the organization that was after the fire emblem, but the fire emblem itself and those relevant to it. Having the guards in the area made it difficult to focus, and he ended up leaving with only one book. It wasn't what he was looking for ... but since the main focus of the book was the Legendary Rebellion, it was worth a look. The guards didn't hassle him over it, though they did give him dubious looks as he left the library. He left the manse, but by that time the wagons and horses had already left. Frankly he didn't mind. He could get well into the book on the way back to the Leverager.

Gabbie soon graced the Leverager with her return and landed Ringo beside the Dauntless. Ringo immediately lied down to rest and Gabbie put her weapon down beside him before sitting down and leaning up against the heavy vehicle's front wheel. "Ugh, it's been a long noight. Mission accomplished, though all we really learned is that Raquel's enemies are actually willing to create artificials for outsiders if the proice is roight. Gotta let Weyland know about that." That was when it occurred to her that Connor might still be awake inside the Dauntless, but she was too tired to get up ... no not tired really, just lazy. Her voice could reach him and confirm her suspicions faster than she could anyway. "Oi! Connor! You awake in there?!"

An hour had passed by the time Shadrak had made it back to the docks. He couldn't tell if the others had arrived from there but he was pretty sure they had. Not wanting to focus on it, he went back to the book; it was rather interesting despite already knowing the story. The more he read, the more he looked forward to Lilith's return. He already had questions, but he was hoping to find something in the legends, something he could bring up that would convince her to come clean about her intentions. Everything he knew about her so far told him not to trust her and he had a feeling that the next time they encountered her, he would either be proven right or wrong about that.