Lord of Azure Flame Final Chapter: Victory or Death

[eclipse]

Arlene had no idea what was going on. As usual. Midori tried to fill in the gaps in her memory, with no success. None of it seemed familiar.

[Phoenix]

Reese

"As I said, if you go, go as sentries. This isn't a great idea regardless, but an extra watch will at least make it easier to spot any enemies lurking about," Reese replied.

[Mercakete]

The Grand Marshall certainly was decided when he made a decision. So, Tas just replied with a "yes, sir" and a polite half-bow, half-nod before going off to find the next person on the list: Isotov. On his way, he pondered what the Grand Marshall had said and struggled with whether or not to tell Irina. On the one hand, he knew full well that the compromise had not been accepted. On the other, he really just wanted Irina to relax and have a good time without worrying about duty. Thinking beyond that, he began to consider the potential consequences of both actions. If he didn't tell Irina and the Grand Marshall found out, he really had no idea what would be done with him and that would wind up distressing Irina anyway. If he did tell Irina, then it could suck the fun out of the flight enough that she'd only be disappointed about it. Then again, if he told her, she could also decide to have fun with it anyway. He was sure she was capable of handling a task like that one and still manage to relax.

Well, that settled it. He'd tell her exactly what the Grand Marshall had told him. Maybe not word-for-word, but paraphrased. He reached that decision a little before he reached the two fire mages. "Hello," he greeted them. He figured this relay would probably go shorter than the previous one. "Irina, Kiev, Namid and I are going to go flying and Irina wanted to let you know."

Edited December 25, 2013 by Mercakete

[Balcerzak]

Iso

Iso squinted at Iris a few times throughout the story, trying to figure out whether she was talking about herself or someone else. With each squint, he became a bit more certain that this was her own story. It'd be strange if she was getting into this much detail about someone else, but he couldn't be completely sure. He also expected something more profound toward the end and feared the Battle of Kalten and 'that officer's' role in it would eventually come up, but thankfully it didn't. Ivanko's shenanigans may have appeared heroic to other people, but the results were still the chains that bound him and his sister, so he didn't exactly feel like hearing about them, at least not in a positive light.

"Maybe ... but it'd be a lot simpler to just never go back to Zaftra, too. I've got no intention whatsoever of dying, but knowing that my future, and my sister's future, isn't even in our own hands ... to still have our lives shaped by the whims of others--especially his--even after all of this ... it's so far beyond frustrating." Deciding not to throw himself over the ledge of bitterness he was approaching, he said, "Well ... y- ... that officer ... I'm glad they found some solace in that situation, at very least." He tried to offer a smile, but couldn't quite manage one at the moment.

As expected, Isotov had quite nearly missed the point completely. Iris was working on putting together the next thrust of her argument in her mind when the prince's final words caught her woefully off guard. While he was thoughtful enough to correct himself mid-speech, switching the pronouns to try to disguise the fact that he'd seen through to the truth of her thinly veiled third-person narrative, honestly that just made the embarrassment even worse. She hadn't been fishing for sympathy, and getting it out of the blue, from someone who she'd not exactly been on the best of terms with, well it was frankly a little uncomfortable.

Acutely aware of the sudden flush rising to her face, Iris covered her face in embarrassment, the fingers on her hand splayed wide, trying to cover both her eyes as well as her cheeks. After a few moments of silence, to steady her breathing, she found herself able to manage. Pointedly ignoring any specific discussion about 'that officer', Frederikov attacked the main flaw of the stubborn mage. "That's not unusual. Nobody's future is in their own hands, ya? Everybody's lives are shaped by the whims of others. Colonel Damian is sent where the Emperor of Halten wishes, no? He doesn't get to choose his deployments or his command. And how long has the little Jerdon princess chafed under Jace's whims I wonder? The fact that you have a face and a name, and a history, with the one currently influencing your fate is the only thing that separates you from the farmer whose harvest is ruined because the King of Elysimia decided to raise the tariff on wheat imports."

An explosive sigh prefaced the conclusion, "Nothing's ever going to be simple, and in that you are just like everybody else. I am trying to help you see you should just make the best you can, the future is not yet written, so there's no point endlessly lamenting what you think will happen. That might only blind you to the possibilities just ahead. That was the point of the story. Well, that and the other things, I guess..." Iris trailed off at this, and wondered if she wasn't just reversing any progress she might have previously made in mending bridges with the prince. Nobody likes getting told the harsh truths, after all.

Edited December 28, 2013 by Balcerzak

[-Cynthia-]

Tristan

Tristan laughed along with Viveka. "This weather doesn't seem too bad to me, but Elyisima is warmer than Septimus. And I've had a lot of practice whistling- something to keep one occupied when being forced to sit in on meetings on trade tariffs and such."

Morgan

"Flemeth worries me more than the templars and the Lord of Azure Flame worries me more than Flemeth. Prioritizing my enemies is necessary for the time being I believe."

[Phoenix]

Iso

"Really? I'd sincerely like to know who's whims are swaying Ivanko's life, because he seems to be in complete control at this point ... literally," Iso noted, irritably, but with a soft tone of voice. He didn't want Iris to think he was getting more upset or anything. Irritation was becoming something of a default state for him by this point. "I've also got to wonder what's influencing Jace. Those two aside, I'm not saying I disagree with what you're saying, only that some people have more control over their lives than others. I can't just accept things as they are. If I can break free of ties like Ivanko, and if we can put an end to these demon attacks, then I'll be free to live my life as I choose. It might be influenced by other people to some extent ... but at least I'll be the one holding the reins for a change."

As much as Iso believed that, he knew there was a serious flaw with his long term goal, one he'd created himself. He hated to see it this way, but of all the obstacles between him and the freedom he wanted so badly, Irina was among the most notable. She couldn't be convinced to go with him just anywhere, despite their promise to stay together from now on, and despite the incident before the Battle of Kalten, she wouldn't so readily sever ties with Ivanko like he would. To think of Irina as a chain binding him to his troubles was a feeling that made him sick to his stomach and it began to show on his face. So soon after expressing his feelings on the matter, he looked as if he'd just seen a ravaged corpse.

That was when Tas arrived and relayed some oddly related news. Apparently he and Irina were going flying ... at this time of night? "Are you guys patrolling or something?" That was about the only thing that made sense to him. Irina occasionally went for leisurely flights, even in her childhood, but this was far from the time for that sort of thing.

Viveka

"Well I can't stand it, myself," Viveka quickly replied with a pitiful smile. "Iso should do something useful and make that fire bigge--oh! On second thought, that might attract unwanted attention. I guess I'll just have to go over to one of those fires or tough it out until morning ..."

Lev

"Flemeth worries me more than the templars and the Lord combined ... mainly because about the closest thing to a move she's made is pestering us in Zaftra ..." Lev explained, though he wasn't sure if the gist of his reasoning would make sense to Morgan. As far as he could tell, the templars and the Lord had both laid most of their cards on the table. Flemeth had merely revealed herself as a player in this game and left it at that. Nothing was quite as uniquely frustrating as dealing with an adversary who still had all their cards, and well hidden at that.

[-Cynthia-]

Tristan

"Maybe you should try sleeping by the fire. I think I might go for a ride myself, Bellerophon is getting anxious I think," the prince suggested.

Morgan

"I should know Flemeth better than anyone, but I have no idea what her plans are. Perhaps she intends to take advantage of all this chaos by striking when everyone's attention is elsewhere...but how? I do not even know what she is after at this point."

[Mercakete]

"Well, I will be," Tas replied with a bit of a thoughtful frown, "The Grand Marshall said it was the only way he'd allow it. I haven't told Irina about that yet, but I hope she can still relax even while keeping an eye out. She hasn't had a lot of time to just relax with Kiev and the sky's so vast and clear tonight... I was planning on heading up anyway, so I asked her if she wanted to come along. All this fighting's...kind of getting to me. I'm not used to it and I really need to let some of this stress go..." As he talked, Tas became visibly more and more distressed until he was looking nervously at his feet, brow creased with unspoken fears.

[Balcerzak]

"Heh, well, when I get to know the Emperor better, maybe I'll find out. I've barely met the man," Lt Frederikov replied good-naturedly to Isotov's continued grumbling, it seemed he was at least somewhat coming to grasp what she was trying to say, though he didn't seem fully on board. There was maybe more that Iris was considering adding, but the prince's complexion lost a bit of color, and his expression soured considerably. Iris could only conclude that somewhere along Isotov's train of thought he'd wandered into the wrong dark alley, and some unpleasant notion had mugged him.

But that's when the courier arrived, and provided a break in the conversation, bringing his own set of news: he and Irina were hoping to go on a night-ride. Alone. Would her work never stop? She gives one sibling an inch to focus on the other, and then they go and try to take a mile? At least Isotov seemed skeptical, maybe the prince would be able to talk them out of it and she wouldn't have to get too involved, Iris thought wistfully. The lieutenant was pretty sure none of her ideas for stress relief would really be anything Tas would appreciate.

Edited December 30, 2013 by Balcerzak

[Phoenix]

Iso

Iso wasn't sure what to say to Tas at first; how flying was supposed to be stress relief was anyone's guess. Iso himself found it to be more of an exercise than anything else, but admittedly he didn't enjoy it in general. "You know you guys can do all the flying you want during tomorrow's march, right?" He voiced the idea as soon as it came to him without really filtering it, figuring it was the best way to get their flying in without losing any sleep for it. He'd have felt better about it if the sun was coming up already since they likely would have gotten some rest already and any demons would be easy to spot in the distance. (Though ... being easy to spot never stopped that bastard rock demon from sneaking up on everyone ...)

Iso noted that Tas mentioned Kiev was the wyvern Irina would be using, which made more sense than using Nikita at the moment, but he still didn't think a random flight was the best way to spend the evening in this part of the world. The demons ambushed them almost immediately last time.

Viveka

Viveka was about to nod in agreement but something else Tristan said took precedence. "Hey, be careful. We're in the middle of nowhere and relatively close to the Lord's resting place ... this might as well be 'demon country.' I know things are calm right now but we have to stay on guard." She wanted to be completely up front and tell him not to go since she thought it was a risky idea, but wanted to see if she could talk him down without being too forceful first.

Lev

"Well if you come up with any theories, let me know. We really can't afford to let any third parties screw this up now," Lev noted.

[Mercakete]

"Well, then it'd be travel," Tas explained with a frown. As he continued, Tas steadily formed a calm smile, closing his eyes as he tried to describe flight. "Flying just for the fun of it... You don't have to worry about a destination. You separate yourself from the world and it's just you and whoever else is up there. The wind is blowing, soothingly familiar... You're surrounded by calm that only ends when you go back down. It's the most relaxing place to be and a great place to collect your thoughts. The view is beautiful, too, with the sky all around you and the ground so far below..."

[Phoenix]

Iso

Iso tried to recall his time in the air while Tas explained his point of view. It was certainly romantic, but Iso wasn't as comfortable being off of the ground as the courier or his sister were, so he couldn't empathize as much as he would have liked to. It didn't help that his more vivid memories of flight were during the battle of Kalten ...

"Well that's one way to look at it, I suppose, but ..." He slowly glanced at Iris, wondering if she was going to tag along if Tas insisted on taking Irina up for a flight.

[Balcerzak]

Iris met Isotov's glance and returned it with a nod and a knowing sigh. She was familiar enough with the prince by this point to realize there was genuine concern for his sister as the main motivation, even if getting rid of her was an unexpected bonus. That was actually one of his Highness's good points after all, a fierce desire to protect those he cared about. In fact, when he wasn't being obnoxiously stubborn, the lieutenant could understand how someone like that nomad could get attracted to the man. Still...

Pushing herself to her feet, Frederikov shrugged and finally chimed in, "I suppose if you two are intent on going for a night ride, Drake probably wouldn't mind the chance to stretch his wings too... Perhaps I'll join you for a pass? I'm of like mind that a leisure trip isn't exactly the wisest idea right now, but if you're intent on having the princess relax, I'd think that having two pairs of eyes up there keeping a look out would be for the best, wouldn't you agree? Probably not a bad idea keep things to one or two circuits, staying fairly nearby, so as not to overtire our... partners for the big day tomorrow, though."

Iris had tried to remember the phrasing the courier used when referring to wyverns, and while it was a bit unnatural and awkward for her to refer to them as such, she attempted to do so for the sake of diplomacy. She just hoped her pause didn't sound too stilted or forced.

[-Cynthia-]

Tristan

"Eh, you're probably right I suppose. Guess he'll get to fly some tomorrow- do you think we'll be able to bring mounts into the tomb? Normally tombs aren't very big, but the stories say the Lord rather large," he wondered aloud.

Morgan

"I am relatively certain that Flemeth wishes to see the Lord of Azure Flame defeated- she would not have bothered to obtain Midnight and a host otherwise I think. I do not suspect she will aid him during the battle- it is afterwards that concerns me."

[Mercakete]

"Oh, I want her to relax, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to tell her about what the Grand Marshall said," Tes quickly corrected, trying to clear up any misunderstanding. "I trust Irina to do what she thinks is right, so if she thinks it isn't a big deal to not pay particular attention to everything, I'll just make sure to keep a look out for both of us. So, two pairs of eyes or three, your help is appreciated. And I'm sure Drake will like having some time to relax, too. It must be tough being in the military all the time. I wonder how much free time people get... It sure looks regulated, judging by the uniforms, anyway."

Frowning a little, he added, "But I didn't mean to interrupt anything, either. Sorry if I did."

[Balcerzak]

Iris wasn't going to bother addressing whether or not he'd interrupted anything. While the courier was obviously telling the truth and that wasn't his intent or goal, it still didn't rightly excuse his single-minded and self-absorbed focus. What's more, if you are going to insert yourself into someone else's conversation, the apology should be the first thing out of your mouth, and some sort of appropriate segue would generally also advised. Still, what was done was done, so there was no point stewing over it either way.

Tas's comments on the military on the other hand...

"Heh, you have no idea, and that's probably for the best," the lieutenant tried to suppress a chuckle. "Something tells me you wouldn't survive a week in boot, and I'm not sure candidate training school would be much kinder to you. No particular shame in that though, not every job is for everyone."

Closing down the mental images now flying through her imagination of the young man in scenarios wholly out of his element, Frederikov returned to the business at hand. "I'm not particularly concerned either way, whether you tell her or not, it's your choice on that account, but I do think your attitude that you could easily handle alone work more suited to two is a little bit suspect. But no point belaboring the subject, as it won't really be relevant any longer. We're taking off shortly, I presume?"

Edited January 9, 2014 by Balcerzak

[Mercakete]

"I still have to talk to Lev," Tas replied to Iris, "I'll meet up with you, Drake, Irina, Namid and Kiev soon."

That said, the courier was off to seek the last person he was to inform about their departure, the details of which seemed to be transforming with each encounter. In fact, as he approached -- which had slowed as he drew nearer, partially due to this revelation and partially due to the fact that Lev was currently talking to Morgan -- he began to think that the delivery of his news wouldn't be as quick and short as he'd hoped. He lingered off to the side for a moment before somewhat cautiously approaching the two and clearing his throat. "Uh, hello."

Edited January 9, 2014 by Mercakete

[Phoenix]

Iso

That matter seemed to be settled, so Iso went back to gazing at the fire. Talking with Irina about all of this stuff could probably wait until after the battle. If he brought it up before then, both of them would end up being distracted, and that could cost them dearly.

Viveka

Viveka was sure that the mounts would fit in at first, but then just as quickly became unsure the more she thought about it. Even if there was some big chasm somewhere in the tomb, that didn't necessarily mean the walkways were accessible to mounts. "I really don't want to have to fight on foot, but now that you mention it ..."

Lev

"Well at least we don't have to worry about losing it all before actually winning, thanks to her." That was when a thought occurred. "Say, Morgan, you ever look into disguises? I mean magic ... Flemeth took your appearance in Zaftra and I was wondering if maybe we couldn't add that card to the arsena-" And that was when Tas arrived. "Hello," Lev echoed. Then he squinted at Tas and said, "You look nervous."

[Mercakete]

"I do?" Tas asked in return. He hadn't really been paying attention to what emotion he was displaying and the blatant observation caught him a bit off-guard. Figuring that was probably the least important line of discussion he could start on, Tas went on to deliver the message he'd been asked to in the first place. "Irina wanted you to know that she, Kiev, Namid and I will be heading up for a flight. I've already talked to the Grand Marshall, Isotov and Iris about it and the Grand Marshall said we could head up as long as we also kept an eye out for danger. Iris decided that she and Drake could use some time to relax and reconnect, too, so they'll be coming along and helping with that."

What was originally meant to just be informative shifted as Tas frowned. "I understand how dangerous this place is, but that's exactly why I need this time to relax. And Irina looked like she could use it, too. We were talking and...well, she liked the idea and said that she hadn't had a lot of time to just relax with Kiev recently. I think she was looking forward to it. I hope all these changes doesn't disappoint her... A-anyway, that's what I needed to say. So... Is there anything you have to say about it, too?"

[-Cynthia-]

Morgan

Morgan was about to get into an explanation on the difficulties of shapechanging magic when Tas arrived. "Stay near the perimeter of the camp. If we lose anyone before the battle even starts, we lower our already questionable chances," she instructed him.

[Phoenix]

Lev

"And make sure Irina keeps her armor and weapon with her. Even if you're trying to relax, you should at least be prepared for the worst." Lev left it at that, since Irina was used to this and wouldn't fuss over it much.

[Mercakete]

Tas nodded, making sure to note the newest edits to the plan before heading back to explain to Irina what each said.

[Balcerzak]

"Alright prince charming, you look like you could use a little some of this," Iris caught Isotov's attention before tossing him her flask. "I shouldn't drink and fly anyway, though I expect there to be some left when I get back," she finished with a grin before heading to meet with Irina.

"Alright, I hear we're going for a little night ride here, sounds like it'll be fun. You got a flight plan in mind yet, or we just gonna wing it?" Frederikov didn't exactly leave the princess any room to veto her accompaniment, nor did the lieutenant intend on letting her try. Hopefully the slight attempt at humor would play into things nicely enough that it never became an issue.

[Phoenix]

Iso

"Okay, sure," Iso replied, just sort of rolling with things. He appreciated her offer but he hadn't done much drinking before and doubted he could handle all that much. Maybe one swig; he wouldn't get too drunk to see straight and there'd still be plenty left for her.

Irina

Other than deciding whether or not to ditch the heavier parts of her armor to make things slightly easier on both herself and Kiev, Irina was ready to go, and Kiev was lying down beside her, waiting for things to happen. When Iris showed up, Irina suspected she'd decided to tag along for safety reasons. After all, Iso was safe enough for the time being, especially with Shanice and Petros gone. With a nervous smile she answered, "I have no idea, really. I was just going to follow Tas' lead and try to relax while we fly around."

[Balcerzak]

"Heh, so this was something he whipped together then? I'll be honest here, I'd never really pegged Tas for a planner and an initiator, with how he always seems so nervous and unsure of himself when a fight crops up. Now, I'm not trying to bad-mouth your friend here or anything, but I guess people can really have all kinds of sides to them, huh." Iris wasn't exactly sure where she was going with this train of thought though, and paused, a little embarrassed. She noted the fact that the princess seemed a bit ill-at-ease herself though, so at least they were like company in a manner of speaking.

Shrugging her shoulders, Frederikov decided to try something else. "Say, after our flight is over with and you're all good and relaxed, I'd have a small favor I'd ask if you don't mind. Your brother's been looking pretty low, and recent events must be weighing heavily on him and I'd hoped maybe you, I dunno, could have a few words with him? Seems like he could use a conversation with someone who understands him, close friends or family'd probably have the best shot. Lady knows I tried, but pretty sure I didn't do a lick of good. 'Course neither of you are apt to see me as anything of the sort, rather the polar opposite..." After heaving a small sigh, she continued, "Though I suppose that might actually undo any sort of calm or tranquility we'd manage to have gotten you from the ride, wouldn't it? Nevermind, forget I asked. Maybe he just needs to work through it on his own."

Bleh, was that really the best she could think of for conversation? The lieutenant was kind of disappointed with herself, chalking it up to... well, she didn't actually have a convenient scapegoat. Feeling like she could really go for another drink right about now, she found herself regretting having passed off her flask to the prince after all. Ah well, probably wouldn't be too much time left for awkward, as Iris thought she saw the courier making his way over this direction, liable to arrive almost any moment now, probably.

Edited January 24, 2014 by Balcerzak