Return of the Emblem Chapter Twelve: Divergent Paths

[Eail]

Try to remember some of the basics

Giving a nod, Alphonse slipped into a familiar stance. Feet spread evenly to the shoulders, one arm extended further than the other in front of him, but both limp at the wrist as he viewed his opponent. "Been a while since I've had to go hand to hand, it is the base of all combat though.... this will be fun." He ended with a smile.

Edited April 9, 2014 by Eail

[ReformBlade]

I've barely done any hand to hand crap, I'm gonna be so rusty! Thankfully this was just a mere sparring match or else Aneda would be in actual danger without her weapon. She could brute strength through some of, maybe most of her problems, but brute strength was only going to get her so far. She didn't think this one simple match was going to change her view on life or how to fight or any of that, but still, she could always try to figure out ways to make things work. She took the first swing, a right hook aimed at Al's chest.

Mushirah smiled "I'll try to think of it that way but I get pretty caught up in my own mood sometimes." Laughing, she took another bite, savoring the flavor some more. "It all boils down to how long I'm staying, again." It wouldn't sit well for her if she ended up staying longer than a day which is all she expected to happen.

[Eail]

Float Like A Pegasus

Alphonse could tell that while Aneda didn't seem to have much... style behind her form, the woman did have a good bit of power. This would likely end up working out in his favor since just like his normal sword style, his hand to hand techniques were based on speed. Parrying the hook off to his side with his left arm, Al clenched the other and and made a quick jab aimed at her chest.

[Toogee]

And so, the dummy in the supply room was finally knocked out. Jam stood over his corpse, her foot on his chest.

"That's what you get for trying to get one over me! HA! ...wait."

Jam's dual wielding frenzy left her staff in a dozen pieces. This was going to be a tough one to explain to Eli. The dancer recalled that the mansion had a workshop somewhere; they were doing something with a wagon. Maybe they had some glue or something so she could piece the staff back together. Jam gathered the pieces up,found a spare apron, and tied it into a makeshift bag to store the pieces in. She whistled innocently as she left the supply room in search of this workshop.

But first, a detour.

After roaming the halls, Jam passed by the training yard, where Alphonse and Aneda were sparring. The dancer entered the area, but she stayed on the sidelines to see how her friend would fair.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Several gastrointestinal issues and and an enthusiastic live demonstration of "It burns when I pee", Eli exited the makeshift clinic a broken man. His mind was weary from all the healings, his brand new clothes were soaked in vomit, and his main objective was lost. Frankly, he couldn't blame anyone from leaving this place, much less a winged cleric. Eli really didn't care at the moment. He didn't care whether all of Raquel's party sold themselves into the deity's harem. He didn't care if the emblem piece had fallen in the wrong hands and the end of the world was imminent. At that moment, all Eli wanted from the world was a hot bath and a fresh set of clothes. He made his way back to the basement where the others were gathered. If they still hadn't worked things out, he at least knew the way back from there.

[Ether]

"Alright, well..." Faatina replied, as she began to lift Shadrak, and between the suggested 'sack of potatoes' carry method and a less... brusque, princess carry, the latter won out, with the paladin picking up the druid and moving him along towards the exit, where Sharif would be waiting.

***

Well, if she had been planning on taking that chance, she had lost it now... oh well. Only time would tell if what the others had given up would measure fairly to what they had received, but for now, the deeds were done and the decisions, on either end, needed to be lived with. Amon seemed to still be gathering his thoughts, so it seemed he had gotten quite the doozy, on his end.

"If you want to just start simple, you can sort out the more crazy stuff after, Amon."

[scorri]

Hoshi

"I learned... a lot. Important things for alchemy.Giving her my memories... it was easily worth it. Those things were worthless. This... this is wonderful."

Erion

Watching everyone swarm around Shad, Erion just continued to lean against the wall. He didn't really have anything to add to the conversation and so it wasn't worth leaving his comfortable position.

[ReformBlade]

Unexpected, but really she should have all along, aneda had to catch her breath before going at him again. She wasn't gonna back down until she could feel some sweat. She decided to follow up with another right hook and a left one because, well, she didn't exactly know any better. Tenacity was always her forte, not smarts, so maybe...?

[Phoenix]

The Crowd

Amon frowned. "I'm not sure if any of this isn't crazy," he explained to Angelica. It made sense to him, but he had a good idea of how he might have reacted hearing it rather than having it placed into his very being like that. Still, it was coming together, and he was finding plenty of shorthand terms and explanations to use. Raquel seemed distracted though, and this was perhaps more relevant to her than anyone else. He wondered if he should wait until he at least had some of her attention before explaining or not.

By the time they reached the outside again, the scene had changed dramatically; Raquel had to wonder how they were even going to get out of the area now. The Grand Cathedral Plaza was overflowing with civilian traffic, and the ground was completely obscured in most places. Heavily armed soldiers were scattered loosely throughout, barely containing the mess, and only a few paths on each side were kept clear for vehicles. The problem with these clearings is that they weren't anywhere near the wagon the group had arrived with. That poor wagon and its driver were thoroughly blocked off and couldn't go anywhere.

"I hate being right some days," Reign muttered to himself. The King's address really was taking place at the Grand Cathedral after all.

During their trip to the entrance, Raquel had grown increasingly impatient, because she knew that with her ability she could race off ahead of everyone, get back to the estate, get Gabbie to locate Sardis, and then track him down, all before the rest of them ever made it back. She'd assumed her father was as far from her as the east was from the west until Sardis was found, and now that he was, she was feeling desperate. That's why when she saw the endless crowds, instead of becoming dismayed, she became almost furious. "Get out of the way," she demanded, starting toward the crowd on her own and shoving through people as necessary.

"R-Raquel," Amon called back pleadingly, and got nothing but a beckoning wave from her. What was she thinking? Of course ... every delay was like some kind of taunt to her and she was having none of it. This was going to be a very bad day if the guards got involved in this ...

"What's gotten inta her?" Greta winced at the borderline savagery.

Somehow or other, Raquel managed to reach the wagon. The driver, stranded in a sea of heads, smiled weakly at her. He hadn't exactly been rescued but this was certainly a start. "Hello again, Miss Raquel. Afraid we can't leave just yet. Not until these people clear out, at least."

"Get the wagon moving," Raquel instructed. "Just a little. They'll move out of the way if you don't give them a choice."

"W-what? But if someone gets hurt, I could be arrested! Weyland Enterprises could be sued," he threw up any excuse that came to mind in the moment but Raquel's expression didn't change. "Please reconsider, Miss Raquel," he pleaded one last time.

As much as she wanted to, Raquel wasn't going to push him any further than that. There were other options ... it was just that they were more dangerous than moving the wagon with a bunch of people around it, because they all involved magic and potentially drawing the guards to them. Nothing was inherently wrong with that, but if they suspected they were threatening people with magic ... well, it was going to be a very short rescue mission, she felt.

The Archives

Nadine glanced over her shoulder, once more at the sealed archive doors and wondered how the hell she was getting out of here. And when for that matter. Nyx seemed to be somewhere else for the moment, sliding the bench back into place with unseen magic before floating back up to her makeshift throne atop the mountain of books. "So ... is there anything to eat around here or is that not important anymore?" She wasn't hungry, but it was a good probing question, she felt.

"Food for thought," Nyx smirked, but just like that the teasing demeanor vanished and she donned her more serious expression. "Today's going to be a busy day for all of us, I think, so there's little time to waste. Simon, you're over thirty years old, aren't you?"

"Umm ... yes, milady," Simon sheepishly answered.

"Really? You don't look a day over twenty-five," Ryder teased.

"If at some point you become tired of the age you live in, or just tired of living, I'll allow your body to die, but until then, it will need to be made to last. I'll take care of that shortly. For now, feel free to peruse the archives. Most things are labeled, and everything on the shelves is in alphabetical order. You shouldn't have any trouble finding what you're looking for."

Simon silently bowed and hopped to it. Almost literally.

Nadine squinted at her new boss. "Am I too young for this 'made to last' thing?"

"Yes. Let your body mature a little more before painting that everlasting portrait," Nyx suggested, waving her arm in what to Nadine was a strange motion.

"And what about Reign's eye? It can't possibly take you this long to make up your mind about something, so it just seems like you're stalling for some reason."

"I may in fact be 'stalling', but there's nothing wrong with that. Timing is everything, after all ... and you don't really need my answer right now. I've got other things for you to muse about."

"Alright, fair enough," Nadine conceded, her shoulders dropping slightly. She didn't like being potentially kept in the dark, especially about this of all things, but it was no worse than being in the army. She was still waiting to see if the benefits far outweighed the army's though.

The Abyss

"Gods ..." Shadrak didn't know where he was or how much time had passed, but what he had learned from his episodic nightmares had done something terrible to him. They had crippled him spiritually, and he couldn't justify anything anymore. There was so much wrong with what he knew of the gods, the vasili, and of mankind, and now that he could see it, if only through these torturous visions, he felt completely lost. "Gods ..."

"Whose slave are you going to be, Shadrak? Mine? My father's? Raquel's? Or perhaps you'll be a slave to your own ambitions. There's no escaping it really, but I am curious."

"Shu ... shut ... shut up. I'm not a slave, to anyone or anything." Shadrak swung out with his arm to knock back the voice that was taunting him, but there was nothing there to strike. He was still floating alone in an otherwise quiet abyss. "Let me out of here," he demanded, his voice weak from countless hours of struggling. "You made your point, now LET ME OUT OF HEREEEEE!!!" Shadrak gave up the last of his strength to let loose that cry and his body failed him afterward, arms and legs relaxing in exhaustion. How many days have I been trapped in here? I can't ... I can't tell how much time's gone by.

"Let yourself out," Nyx's voice retorted.

Mushirah's Room

"I'd say it would be okay for you to travel--not on foot, mind you--in another day or so, but not without fully regaining your sense of balance and strength," Damiana explained thoughtfully. "It would be best to stay for at least a few more days, though, that way we can monitor your condition in a relatively safe place and you can practice walking again without being exposed to the elements."

[Nanami Touko]

Eva followed along with the group but was taken quite aback when she saw all of the people there. "That's...a bit different from when we got here." It took considerable effort to shift through the crowd without knocking anyone over, but, despite crashing into a few, she managed it. When she heard they weren't leaving yet, from the driver, she frowned. Wonder if walking would get me there faster... Probably not, but... She sighed. "Well, whatever," she said to no one, throwing herself into the back of the wagon to wait. It'd move eventually.

[roymbrog]

With Shadrak taken from her, and the group moving out, Katrina followed behind Faatina. Her eyes widened upon arrival at the plaza. “There weren’t this many people when we came in!” How were they supposed to leave with a group this size and the wagon immobilized? Raquel rushed off ahead and shoved through the crowd, but Kat was hesitant to follow on her own.

---

Synthia wasn’t pleased at the delay either, but wasn’t about to chase after her employer just yet. If something was going on here, shouldn’t they wait to see what it was? She had a feeling it was going to be important.

---

After traversing the cathedral for a time, Kimiko and Elliot neared one of the entrances to find a large number of the civilians heading outside. The alchemist assumed the clear to leave had been given while they were away, but on walking outside she was met with a huge crowd outside. She was somewhat confused about why there were so many people milling about, but intended to make her way through the throng regardless. “Elliot, stay close to me so you don’t get lost,” she said, though she doubted it would help much, and began making her way through the mass of people. The avian nodded and followed.

Predictably, it didn’t take long for him to them to become separated. They were both short and not particularly built for shoving people out of the way. Elliot knew his teacher would make her way to the edge of the crowd, and he needed to do the same if he wanted to take off to find her. However, it was becoming increasingly difficult to squeeze his way back towards the cathedral steps. Maybe climbing this wagon would work…?

[Ether]

"Okay well, relatively less crazy." Angelica corrected with a light smirk.

***

Well there was a certainly a crowd now, though with any luck, Faatina was able to shove her way through, even with Shadrak in tow... she hadn't noticed it too much since most of the people they had been about and around were fighters as well, but by this point, she seemed to be notably stronger than these civilians, who would have given her trouble in the past. How easy it was to shove them back and away when they pushed at her compared to before made that evidently clear.

Not that being able to beat the stuffing out of common civilians was all that useful a skill, but it was an interesting introspective on how far she had come, even if it didn't sometimes feel that way. In the midst of all of this reflection and wading through the forming mosh pit, Faatina eventually made it to Sharif, who had a convenient empty circle about him... seems even mass crowds weren't stupid enough to risk pissing off a stallion that large.

<"I'm back, buddy."> She noted with a smile, giving Sharif a pat on the muzzle before hoisting herself up along with Shadrak, and securing the still unconscious magic user... he seemed to be having a bit of a fit in his sleep, hopefully he would wake up soon.

Now all that was left was t get back to Raquel... atleast she had enough of a vantage point to see over the crowd now.

"Clear the way, coming through!" She announced, before urging Sharif onward... slowly, of course.

[-Cynthia-]

Nadya kept a close eye on Reign, Amon, and Malik- with a crowd this size, dropping one of the sacks would be a total disaster...

Well, this is crowded, Veronika thought to herself. Some of their group was already gone, which was perhaps not a good idea in this situation. "Let's try to stay together and make our way towards the wagon," she suggested loudly.

[Eail]

Standing Here

"...So when Raquel gets arrested for doing something she probably shouldn't, we aren't going to try to fight the guards right?" Zach asked in a rather exasperated tone as their boss ran off into the crowd for the wagon. This probably wasn't going to go well, it never did.

Crash Like A Wyvern

Alphonse still wasn't going on the true offensive, there wasn't a need to in a spar like this when he could just react to blows and use his speed and skill in ways that saved energy. Keeping his footing, the redhead quickly crouched under the first swing that Aneda threw his way. Grabbing onto the wrist of her left arm as she was still moving forward, he used her momentum against her. Forcing the woman over his shoulder and onto her back, impacting the ground of the training field.

Before she could recover he'd already moved away, keeping a bit of distance between the two so he could continue to read her moves. Out of the corner of his eye Al spotted a familiar head of blonde hair, maybe this would be a good way to show the girl the merits of skill over power.

Edited April 11, 2014 by Eail

[Script]

A Man Called Gar

Gar shrugged, flipped up his hood and drifted his way through the ground like it was second-nature. He sorely wished he was a better pickpocket because nothing screamed giant asshole like robbing people after their city was attacked, but alas he was pretty mediocre at it. Plus he was suspicious enough as it was.

[ReformBlade]

Being told to sit around again didn't do much for her mood. It didn't make her angry or anything, but it didn't really make her feel better. Still, maybe relaxing would be nice for Mushirah... "I know... thank you." she ceded, not wanting to continue her childishness from a while ago. With nothing else to really add, she continued eating her meal. "Well, hopefully someone can help me acclimate myself to walking again later today. I don't think it'd be too much trouble but I can be patient... hopefully."

Wind knocked out of her, Aneda was dazed for a moment. "Whoa..." she said, admittedly too excited sounding, though not for her anyway. She took her time getting up, making sure to catch her breath and plan her next assault carefully. He seems quicker and more skilled at this than I am... Can I actually overpower him? I know this is just a practice match but grrrrrrrrrrr! Stupid rules, I'd kick the shit out of him otherwise! Yet another case of Aneda not thinking things out all the way through on her part. "Ok ok, clearly I'm pretty bad at this... so how's about you show me how it's done, eh tough guy?"

[Eail]

The Wind By My Side

"Force is meaningless without Skill... not to imply you lack any sort of skill however." Alphonse explained, dropping out of his stance but not believing that the woman was entirely done just yet. "Someone could have enough power to end a fight with a single blow, but if they aren't able to lay a hand on their opponent, what's the point of such power?"

[Sakusa]

Rolling Around at the Speed of Sound (I mean, what?)

"What in the name of Mercy...? UGH!" an agitated, rose-haired maiden groused as she was rudely shoved aside for the umpteenth time. "Come on, MOVE!" Though she was no newcomer to Europa, the streets were even more crowded than she remembered. She took a deep breath, quickly ran her manicured fingers through her fringe, and redoubled her efforts to make her way through the masses. "All I'd wanted was to make a quick stop at the College, read up on the latest in magic theory, restock our supplies, and then get our latest assignment but nooooooo, that was too much to ask for!" the girl fumed, painted lips set into a scowl, grip on her weapon tightening. "The one day we come to Europa, and it just so happens that some freak accident occurs and the king has to placate the people or whatever with some dumb speech!" Just as she was about to finally inch her way past a couple of lugs, some other dimwit behind her gave the poor thing a significant push forward, rocketing her into yet another person, which left her with a throbbing nose and a cut lip. "For the love of..." she muttered angrily, weaving incomprehensible insults and curses into a quiet tirade before apologizing. "I beg your pardon!" the girl nearly spat, nursing her injury. Try as she must to look apologetic, it was clear that she was irritable. "This day just keeps getting worse and worse... please let it be over soon!"

[Eail]

For once the green haired mercenary hadn't been forced into the lead in front of his pink, and yes it was pink damn it, haired companion. He'd been to Europa before of course, almost every fighter for hire had been, but naturally there'd never really been a reason to head towards the College. Metal and scales were his weapons of choice, not the magic that was taught at that place. To be honest Cyrus wasn't entirely sure where it actually was, most of the people that would have bothered to hire him weren't the type that would be known to be a regular scholar.

'One night of attacks by a couple of creatures that should not be and the city sure does get riled up and about. The King is probably the best explanation for why so many people are out and about though, even for this city it's a little extreme.'

Letting out a sigh as his companion got into a quarrel after bumping into someone, it was bound to happen sooner or later, with a crowd like this Gwyn could only go so long before blowing up. He'd stay out of the way unless it actually turned out to be a problem, no need to cause trouble when you didn't have your armor, a weapon, or a big fat lizard around to watch your back.

[Anti-Social Meta Knight]

Got Places to Go, Gotta FOLLOW MY RAINBOW (is there a cat in here?)

Europa wasn't a city Sergei had ever been fond of.

To start, he found it loud. Very loud. Maybe it was a symptom of his upbringing, or just not what he was used to, but it seemed that everyone was either aggressively peddling junk, squawking about the junk they had just bought, or generally being inconsiderate and moving like a wyvern was snapping at their arses. It was like this most times Sergei had come in contact with Ursians, he found - they were just fairly loud people. Focus, man. You're only here a day, and then you can grab Clopin and you're gone. It was the only thing keeping him from telling quite a few people off right now.

A fat man tore from the crowd-blob and nearly barreled into the knight's shoulder. Being a big fellow himself, Sergei wasn't knocked off his feet by this, but it was enough to make him flinch. He snorted (it was something he had picked up from Clopin, and appeared more constructive than shouting at people), brushed off his armor, and kept weaving through the crowd. His business here was simple enough - ask about the two kids, see if anyone in town matches their description. Given how crowded Europa was, Sergei prayed - not to any god in particular, as he couldn't remember any by name - that the two were somewhere else. Somewhere quiet. Small-town. Where he could spot them and hear himself think at the same time. That would be the ideal scenario...

Whump. A young girl slammed headfirst into his chestplate. The sound alone let Sergei know it was a nasty hit; anyone would be reeling or worse after that sort of spill. Sure enough, the girl was bleeding from the lip, and it seemed that her nose was worse for wear as well. "I beg your pardon!" she said quickly, trying to collect herself. She looked about as fed up as any reasonable person ought to be in this crowd.

Sergei wasn't an honorable man, really. But that tore it.

"Alright, alright! Clear out, you sods! Make room!" he barked without thinking, his voice carrying more aggression than he thought he felt. It was enough to create some space, though not much, and for a single, euphoric moment the din of the crowd's yapping settled a bit. Trying to contain his frustration with the circumstances, he addressed her, his arms folded in front of him - they were somewhat softer, in case she decided to charge again. "You alright? Your face didn't seem to agree with my armor there."

Something about her seemed off. Maybe it was that blinding shade of pink...

Edited April 12, 2014 by Anti-Social Meta Knight

[Snowy_One]

A cold, hard, claw clamped down on Robin's heart as thoughts of her homeland and family filled her head. She wasn't there. She was here. She had one task and one goal to complete. Shoot anyone who threatens Raquel. Home could wait. Being on the hunt again could wait. Being... human... Again could wait. She was alone in this land after all. She needed to be a hunter. Taking the moment off to nap and talk to others wasn't what she was.

After all, she was alone. Readying her bow, she didn't even bother to say bye to others as she started to walk outside to head to the training field, her arms clenched close to her body, trying to push her recent talk with Jam out of mind.

[Sakusa]

The Armor is TOO Shiny

Gwyn cowered slightly, flinching at the sudden spike in volume and regained her composure as the din faded. Her gaze slowly shifted to the giant mass of man and armor before her. "Y-Yes, I'm quite alright..." she started and tasted iron. Immediately, her face fell and contorted into a murderous scowl. In response to the blood that was pouring out of the wound, she wiped at her mouth with a handkerchief, taking care not to soil her fingerless gloves. Though it matted her rouge, she pretended not to notice as there were more pressing matters at hand. The girl steadied herself and self-consciously brushed herself off, since she was becoming the focus of an ever-stifling crowd.

As her eyes locked with those of her savior, she was hit with an overwhelming feeling of deja-vu. His voice and figure were familiar, and she could've sworn he'd irritated the pink off of her once or twice before. "Um... please excuse my impudence, but were we acquainted? You look dreadfully familiar." She stared at the towering figure wide-eyed, unsure of what to make of the situation. Not only did he look like the grumpy old officer from her natal village, he sounded a lot like him, too. "Oh silly Gwyn, of course it can't be Sarge! What business would he have here? Besides, he's never had anything better to do than yell at the village kids for being rowdy whippersnappers."

[Eail]

When a man had raised his voice in such a manner, Cyrus was already on the defensive, generally someone yelling like that was military. While they hadn't done anything wrong per say, he was a bit distrusting of authority figures considering the whole Wyvern thing, getting blamed for just about everything back home made you a bit distrustful after all. Moving a bit closer to Gwyn, Cyrus whipped out a unused kerchief that he handed over to the girl to help with the blood, her own had already turned a decent crimson. He'd rather not have to listen to her complain about her clothes later on... she'd find something else to yell at him for.

When he got a good look at the man that had forced aside a good portion of the crowd he had to bite back his tongue. An intimidating build like that was one that you didn't just forget, nor that set of armor. It was Sarge... and that wasn't good.

Sure he was sort of on friendly terms with the man when they left the village but... some people might have assumed he'd kidnapped Gwyn and wasn't going to bring her back. For all he knew Sergei might have been sent out to track them down.

"It's... possible we may have met before Sir. We're mercenaries that travel a lot." Turning his head to look down at his companion. "You all right? Wanna continue onto the College or just head back for today?"

Edited April 12, 2014 by Eail

[Anti-Social Meta Knight]

"Good. Lucky it was me you hit. Most of these folks might just let you bleed, you know?" Gods, she looked garish. That sort of loud coloration in a person only shows up every so often, Sergei figured. She reminded him of...

Wait a minute.

Before he could think it over significantly, as if she were clairvoyant, the girl asked him if they knew each other. That had to be it - this was Gwyndolyn. He could have kicked himself for not immediately associating the pink hair with the kid he remembered, but now it didn't matter. Of course, now he had to stay here a while longer. "You know, now that you mention it..." Before he could drop her name, though, another familiar face presented itself to him. Green hair in a ponytail, scarf, and staring daggers at him was all the positive identification he needed. Cyrus. The boy was clever, that much Sergei knew; no doubt they recognized each other immediately. It seemed he was antsy to get Gwyndolyn away. Sergei really couldn't blame the boy, but until he at least got some answers, he knew he couldn't let that happen.

"Just a minute," he ventured after Cyrus turned away from him. "I think your friend's right. You two do seem familiar." It was mean of him to play dumb; for all he knew, he was stringing them along. "If you don't mind, could I get your names? Just to be certain I've not gone mad. You understand." He made it a point to keep his arms folded, so as to avoid moving his hands towards his weapon; if he spooked them now, he'd be searching for another month at least.

[Eail]

'Well, so much for hoping it'd be easy to just slip away... can't run either. Would have to carry Gwyn and push my way through the crowd.'

He knew that Gwyn would tell their real names, and that would be no good. Sergei probably already knew but... trying just to be sure couldn't hurt.

"I'm Liam, and she's Rose, can't say I can recall your name if we have met before sir."

[Sakusa]

Roses are Pink

Gwyn nonchalantly accepted Cyrus' handkerchief, and the bleeding lessened considerably with all the time that passed. However, she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at Cyrus, incredulous at the response he gave to not-Sergei. "Hold on a tick wh--" she began to interject, but one look from her partner was all it took for her to shut her yap. "Rosalind Luxanna Jernigan, sir," she caught herself and replied to the armor-clad man calmly, and with an elaborate flourish, curtsied. "Though if you're to ask for a lady's name, it's only common courtesy for a man to introduce himself first," she chided playfully as she straightened herself up, leaning slightly on her staff. Gwyn was more than willing to take some heat off of the situation for the minion's sake, and took the chance to evaluate their current predicament. "His body language is concerning: why would he fold his arms if he had nothing to hide? Normally one would act in a more hospitable manner after rescuing a damsel in distress. No matter, in a crowd this large, even if he was after Cyrus for whatever reason, he won't be able to act without the city guards jumping down his throat." In case the situation went awry, however, she still had some tricks up her sleeves, and she wasn't afraid to use them.

Edited April 12, 2014 by Sakusa