Return of the Emblem Chapter Twelve: Divergent Paths

[Phoenix]

The Plaza

Greta wasn't expecting anyone to ask about her past of all things, and not just because there was a recent tragedy in the mix. Her life in general, while productive, was extremely boring when botched courting wasn't happening, or at least that's how she felt about it. Nadya's interest seemed to be elsewhere, though, so she answered, not expecting to accomplish anything more than sating her curiosity. "Well, things were goin' better for me than they are for Raquel here; didn't need massive handouts from Weyland or anyone else." Not til now anyway .... "I know how to run a business and with a few volunteers, some startin' wares, and a wagon, I could be back up and runnin' again in no time."

Amon's eyes darted back and forth between Nadya and Greta, wondering why Nadya was asking about this. Maybe she had a suggestion to help Greta out. Maybe she was going to give her the money she needed to get her business up and running again, though with how frugal she was, it seemed more likely she'd send Greta to Weyland first. It would have been a pleasant surprise if she went for an investment opportunity instead, but if Greta wasn't going to be traveling with them, that probably wouldn't amount to much. Or maybe it would; nothing seemed certain right at that moment.

The Archives

Nadine sighed. "Take advantage of the opportunity ... is what she meant, I guess. This place does have a lot of material just lying around, though it's not nearly as stocked as a normal library."

"Our mistress carefully reduces the volume while maintaining everything else," Ryder explained with a short assuring gesture. "Don't let the size of this room fool you; there's more than ten thousand years of knowledge stored here. Grab a book and find something useful to you."

Fizza looked up from her blade for a moment. "So as soon as she accepts us, that's it? We can just peruse this library and to hell with the consequences? It seems to me like the Order of Nyx is a little too easy to infiltrate."

"You may not have noticed the change, but your spirits are bound to hers now." Ryder turned away and crossed their arms. "When she said we belong to her, she meant it. You can't hide anything from her, not your thoughts, or your intentions. She knows us inside and out. If you can't remain loyal to her and her cause, then she'll release you back into the world, you'll be on your own, and you'll lose a great deal of your memories in the process, especially those pertaining to your abilities, and the archives."

"Ah, I see," Fizza nodded, satisfied with Ryder's explanation, and not the least bit intimidated by it.

"Is there anything on psychic energy in here?" Nadine asked. Ryder pointed absentmindedly toward a certain area along the bookshelf. Sitting there were a few books relevant to the topic, as well as a couple more devoted entirely to it, and only a few of them were originally from a human source. As Nadine approached, one of them caught her eye and she carefully pulled it from the shelf and examined the cover. It was old, centuries at least, but had beautiful gold trimming and a decorative cover design. The title read, 'Psyche:The Second Voice'. "Maybe this will help me figure out exactly why our synchronized casting works the way it does ...."

"Synchronized casting?" Ryder echoed quietly.

"Yeah. Reign and I trained to do that back at the academy," Nadine answered before sitting down at a nearby bench and opening the book.

Synchronized casting, I know what she's talking about, but ... with a guy? That's impressive, Ryder mused.

[Eail]

"With me? Kind of, it's a long story but if you end up seeing a woman with fox tails and an outfit that shows off her cleavage pretty well, that's the one that digs around in my head every now and then, no big deal though. I'm pretty sure this was a first for everyone else though." Zach explained with a shrug.

______

"I'll play fair so long as you do!" Al replied as he charged in

[spoiler= Numbers]http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4472583/

Andea 4/18

Alphonse 15/15

______

It seemed like the red head was pleased with what he could do, that's always a good sign. Cyrus wondered if Sergei had picked up any new skills since they'd left the village, or if he was still the same old sarge.

Edited April 18, 2014 by Eail

[-Cynthia-]

"I don't think Raquel's even tryin' to make a profit at this point so much as just tryin' to stock people up to rescue her pa. How many years have ya been runnin' a business?" Nadya asked Greta pointedly.

[Snike]

"... Sure, but I have a good idea of the outcome," Axel said, as he put down the rifle. "Let's just say I don't think it's a lack of strength that's holding you back. Anyways, where do you want to spar?"

[Ether]

"Well, s'good t'hear y'say that Axel, but... I just gotta be sure, aye? As fer where, trainin' grounds should b'fine, really." Arietta replied, getting rather pumped. Matches for honour and bragging rights rather than for life or death were always a load off her mind.

[Phoenix]

The Plaza

"I grew up in this business, Nadya," Greta confidently explained, pointing a thumb to her chest. "After Ma passed I took over, but before that, I'd been helpin' her. When I was too young to help her buy or sell I was just watchin' and learnin'. That's why I wanna teach Raquel a thing or two but you're right, she's not even tryin'. I guess I can't blame her for havin' other priorities right now, but ... ... ah forget it. I've got nothin' good to say about how she's handlin' this so I'll just stay quiet for now and hope she takes my notes seriously," she sighed.

"Is being a merchant really so difficult?" Malik asked, switching to common for no other reason than not having a choice if he wanted to communicate with Greta. "Up here in the north you don't have to contend with the desert and a very small, very scattered population."

"Up here you've got real problems," Greta countered, "like supply and demand , enough competition to make your head spin, and bandits. You want your business to survive up here, you've gotta be smart, and proactive. If I had half the volunteers Raquel did, I'd be rich by now. It was always so hard to find good help back then, but this girl gets whatever she needs without even askin' for it."

The Archives

While Nadine began thumbing through the book she'd picked out, Ryder took a long hard look at the golden dragon they'd purchased from Nadya. It was a good thing it'd found its way to them. The gestalt order wasn't the most powerful rune out there, but it was by far the most reliable. Ryder gently placed the statuette down on a bench took a seat beside it.

Fizza still hadn't muscled the mechanism back into its proper place and so looked up from her work again. "So, since we're brethren now, Ryder, tell me about yourself. I'm curious. More importantly, I'm bored trying to fix this thing."

"I could have a look at it if you wouldn't mind," Ryder offered, standing up as they did.

"Are you familiar with these kinds of toys?" Fizza cocked her head at Ryder. If they were familiar with them, that'd be telling, if not, it was at least sweet to offer to help.

Ryder shrugged. "It's my responsibility to relay the messages of our mistress' servants and a select few others throughout the continent. I've been at it for a long time and I've learned quite a bit over the years. Those assassination blades are extremely rare, but also difficult to maintain when they're in regular use. It's better to not even possess one unless you're knowledgeable enough to make another from memory."

Fizza grinned. "That's right. I started with one," she paused to hold up her right arm, which still had a blade concealed inside the wrist guard, "but once I was competent enough to make one myself, I started using two. Well then, let's see if we can't get this fixed working together."

"Right," Ryder nodded, kneeling down beside Fizza and getting to work on her blade.

[Rothene]

Already fond of the wagon roof, Itsuki merely parked himself there and started musing about warping strategies that were being employed by his unit in the closing days of his service in protecting the border from Fallen incursions.

The early events of warping was in classified missions where reckless mages would attempt to warp 'expendable' men onto Fallen backs or some of their flying demons just to buy time before the death clouds could be deployed. Itsuki wiped a tear as he started remembering the faces of those men who died for the glory of Kigen's continued existence. It took great courage to be part of such a plan, even if it was involuntary. A grunt knew his worth lay in how much time he could buy for the real killing units to deploy their full power.

***

Without much to do before the next battle, Mireille checked her notes on magic while sitting close to the driver's seat of the wagon, ready to take over at anytime if necessary. The rising curtain technique was very much doable by now and in theory it could almost make up to what her armour used to do...almost.

***

Not wanting to be left alone, Ranyin made his way to the wagon top, his favourite spot, and then he noticed it was quite crowded by this point. But it did not matter for he was small in stature anyway. Gee, I get to choose between sitting down and keeping my moldy old granduncle company or meet some new people, such a difficult choice~

Ranyin pondered for less than a moment and sat among...two strangers. One not so strange but the Kigenese mage could not remember if he had striked up much if any conversation with him. Waving at Jericho and Zach, the mage greeted, "Hey you two. I'm Ranyin Chasuka, what are you two discussing about?"

[-Cynthia-]

Nadya nodded thoughtfully at Greta's answers "I ain't managin' the payroll, but Raquel does seem to get an awful lotta free help. She must be blessed by the gods or somethin' to meet so many generous folk."

"I ain't as generous as them, but I'd be willin' to help ya get back in business Greta- provided I get a share of the profits once ya start makin' money. This is an investment, not charity," she clarified as to avoid any wrong ideas down the line.

[ReformBlade]

That was an oddly specific amount of information thrown at him, none of it making sense so he looked over the side of the vehicle. "Noted." he said, with a sigh. When Ranyin asked what they were talking about, Jericho sighed again, "Just exchanging experiences on what just happened I suppose. How're you doing...?" Jericho wasn't aware of who this person was or who anyone in the group was in general. Deep down he imagined everyone wearing name tags to make things easier for him on the go.

"Yeah yeah..." was Aneda's rebuttal, even if there wasn't necessarily a need for one.

( http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4473619/ )

[Phoenix]

The Plaza

As Amon listened to Greta's ... assessment ... of Raquel, he began to see a new side of things. He didn't fault Raquel for putting the rescue mission first, but he could see plenty of room for improvement in some areas. All areas, really. <"Maybe I should have offered to help Raquel back then too ..."> he quietly muttered to himself. <"Not sure how, though ...">

<"What are you talking about?"> Malik sent a glare his 'team leader's' way.

"Hmm," Greta crossed one arm and placed a hand on her chin, thinking about the offer. Others in her situation might have pounced on it without thinking, especially with the recent tragedy still relatively fresh in mind, but Greta wanted details. "How much of a share are we talkin' here?"

[Rothene]

Itsuki did not like the uncomfortably slow pace of the wagon. But nevertheless he was impressed by the sturdiness of the wagon roof being able to maintain his weight. Sitting like an ever vigilant sentinel, Itsuki kept one eye open and the other closed...an important skill acquired from his years of service to 'sleep' but not really fall asleep on the job as a lookout. His mind would rest while his muscle memory did the rest.

***

Scribbling down additional notes into her notebook, Mireille then kept it and took out a large tome she had commissioned the university printing press to print for her. It held quite a few tales in it, and costed a mere few trinkets of her family expenses. Money well spent indeed. Curious, the Ursian noblewoman flipped through the pages for the sections regarding pro-Ursian tinted glasses perspective of the Vasili in fictional depictions as added 'credibility'.

***

"I'm doing fine...errr, forgive me, but I don't really remember you back when I was part of Raquel's group. I remember Zach thought!" Ranyin remarked as he did a gesture with his arms before settling on pointing both his fingers at Zach, "Sorry, so, what was your name?"

Edited April 19, 2014 by Rothene

[-Cynthia-]

"Twenty five percent seems pretty reasonable. Ya would probably have to travel with Amon and company as well, I can't really get money from ya across countries," Nadya noted to Greta.

[Snike]

"Very well, then," Axel said, as he began to collect his shooting equipment. "Just give me a few minutes to put this away, and I'll be there. Full gear or just training weapons? Doesn't bother me either way."

[Phoenix]

The Plaza

Greta scowled, first at Nadya, and then at Amon. The latter leaned away a little in surprise. "If you're getting twenty-five, I'd better be gettin' more than just a wagon and a couple crates a'tonic. And isn't Amon leavin' Ursium soon? How am I 'sposed to make a profit as a merchant in Kigen? Those guys have more respect for their swords than their women."

<"She has a point,"> Malik quietly noted, remembering how little Fizza could accomplish on her own, though that might have just been because she could easily pass for a nomad rather than just being a woman. Fortunately she had very little to accomplish there, buying snacks, gunpowder, polish, and a few somewhat suspicious items likely related to her work as a killer.

"It'll take us a while to get out of Ursium," Amon reasoned. "You'll have time to deal with the kind of people you're used to and get back on your feet. On the way, maybe we can come up with a business strategy for Kigen so you won't end up ... losing as many sales." He shrugged, not sure what terms to use or exactly how being in Kigen would negatively affect her.

"I don't see how this is gonna work ..." she frowned.

[roymbrog]

Raquel was clearly agitated, and Synthia could understand why, but she was also pretty sure this wasn’t the best way to move the crowd. Aside from the guards possibly getting the wrong idea about the unfamiliar golden magic, if anyone in the area knew what emblem magic looked like it would probably tip them off. And considering that Sardis was likely in the city…

They needed an alternative method however, and the mage looked around briefly hoping to come up with something. Faatina riding over caught her eye, along with the newcomers with her, but the way Sharif parted the crowd was really what she was after. And the paladin was wanting coming to talk to Raquel, which made this easier. It took a moment to write it all out, but eventually Synthia held out a page reading, “Emblem magic is a bad idea, too flashy, guards and Sardis. Get Tina to ride in front or I can move them.”

---

“Oh, um.” Kat was surprised by Gwyn’s song and dance, but definitely more by the glowing light that surrounded her afterward. Was this some kind of light magic? It made her feel all warm and fuzzy though, so it couldn’t have been anything bad. This, along with figure out the group dynamics of the newcomers, was what she pondered the rest of the way to the wagon. Once they arrived and the others set about talking about potential hiring, she tried to decide whether to sit on the roof or just climb inside. The roof was looking pretty crowded at the moment…

[-Cynthia-]

Nadya shrugged. "I was gonna give gold for ya to spend as ya like, I don't have any wagons to give. If ya think another investor will be better then fine by me."

[Phoenix]

The Plaza

"I meant I'm gonna need enough fundin' to cover more than just a wagon and a few crates," Greta clarified. "All seems like a moot point now, though. I really don't see how startin' up and then runnin' off to another country with you guys is gonna be anythin' other than financial suicide. I don't even know kigenese ... my positions bad enough without clingin' too some translator ..."

Raquel sighed. "Fine," she conceded after reading the note. At least she wouldn't have to waste anymore of this precious energy on herding people around. She motioned for the driver to stay put for now and hurried over to Faatina. "Hey, could you help us clear a path through the crowd so we can get out of here? The driver's scared he'll end up running people over ..." I can't say he isn't right about that with a two horse wagon, but that's why I was trying to help by clearing them in a wedge shape instead of risking someone getting caught between the horses.

[-Cynthia-]

"People do speak Common in Kigen, although there's a fair number of folks who can only speak a bit of Common. If ya would rather do business in Ursium that's your choice, but I haven't found Ursium to be a friendlier market than Kigen overall," Nadya said to Greta.

[Ether]

"Alright, sure." Faatina replied to Raquel with a light smile, and using the same basic method as before, began clearing out people in front of the wagon.

***

"Either's fine with me, really. I prefer to use standard equipment since it ain't like they make trainin' weapons like mine, but if y'prefer t'use trainers I can make do." Arietta replied to Axel.

[Mercakete]

OoC: Lolololololol -- glitch city, man.

[spoiler=Port Pals(Old retro I forgot to post a long time ago)]It was the next morning. The previous day the group had departed Ursaea and now, again, were on their way to Europa. Breakfast had been had and Gytha wasn't driving the wagon that day so she'd decided now was a good time to see about another flying session. As such, the mariner located Katrina and greeted her cheerily. "Ahoy there, Kat! How're ye doin' this mornin'?"

The last few days had been rather stressful for Katrina, with the revelation that her own countrymen had invaded the neighboring state to massacre innocents and the news of Marella’s death. The former had her conflicted. On the one hand she wanted to support Neviskotia's decisions, on the other, there was no way she could condone what they were currently doing. The slaughtering of civilians seemed much more like a twisted version of revenge than any sound war strategy.

Not to mention that dragon had killed one of her friends. If there was one thing Katrina regretted right now, it was that she hadn’t accompanied the group that had left to confront it. She had been under the assumption it would probably be killed, and hadn’t wanted to be there for what she thought would be Ursian cruelty to an innocent creature. Oh how wrong she had been. If she had gone, though, perhaps Marella would still be alive…

Sprawled out on Volga’s back, it was these thoughts the wyvern rider was contemplating when Gytha approached her. Kat’s usually cheerful demeanor was noticeably absent, but she still attempted a smile and cordial attitude. “Good morning, Gytha. I’m… alright, I guess. Just been thinking over some things. Did you need something?”

This was unexpected though it probably shouldn't have been. Gytha's own cheer was knocked down a couple pips herself as she replied, "I was hopin' that we could fly t'gether again. Ye seem right upset about somethin'. What's wrong?"

“Ah, I’m sorry. I was just thinking of how things could have gone differently, a few days ago.” Katrina said, after noticing Gytha’s minor attitude change. She felt a bit guilty; she hadn’t meant to dampen anyone else’s mood by her predicament. The wyvern rider smiled, albeit somewhat sadly. This presented itself as a welcome distraction. “You can definitely ride with us though. Would you like to learn how to steer Volga? You could sit in front this time.”

"Ahaharr, not sure I'm reada fer that yet. Still just tryin' t' get used t' flyin' at all," Gytha replied a bit nervously. That lifted, however, as she continued, "Aye, though, it realla is too bad how things happened. Good things happened, aye, but things coulda gone a lot better."

That said, Gytha climbed up onto the wyvern's back. If she wanted, Katrina could chat while they were flying. It would help the mariner, too, since it would distract from the fact that they were moving through the air. "Want t' talk about it?"

“Well there’s no better way to get more comfortable than practice~,” Katrina said, as Gytha climbed on behind her. Volga’s head perked up at the extra weight and the wyvern rose to her feet in preparation to do.. something. Were they leaving soon?

Kat went quiet for a moment, considering the mariner’s offer to talk. She usually wasn’t one to bottle things up, but for once she was at a loss at how to verbalize her feelings. “I… sure. I would like that,” she eventually replied. The others were starting to head out at this point, so she had Volga start following after. She was planning to take off once everyone was moving again. “Have you ever felt… betrayed, by society? I feel like that right now, I guess.”

Gytha nodded. "Aye. Was left b'hind at a port once. I know it was intentional, too, since there'd been a big fight o'er women bein' on ships at sea," she answered, a slight hint of bitterness in her voice.

“Heh, that sounds a bit like how I ended up with you guys. My last employer abandoned me in Tremere after Volga ate some of their cargo. Withheld my pay, too…” Ships could suck like that, apparently. “That sounds like a silly thing to kick someone off about though. At least with me it was about money,” Kat said.

While that was somewhat on point of what she had meant with her question, the wyvern rider felt the need to explain herself further. “I guess, in my case… Well I grew up in Neviskotia, you know. I held a certain respect for our military, and what they were fighting for. That they would send a force to invade and kill travelers… I just… I don’t understand why they’re targeting innocents. If that Schwartz, or whatever his name was, is what most Ursians know of dragons, no wonder they hate them.” She paused for a moment and frowned. Her brow furrowed, and tone became more morose. “I hate him. He killed Marella. I hope he goes to Ursentius, and I hope they make his ass pay for it.”

"Humans, dragons... They both kill innocents," Gytha commented grimly. Lightening more to neutral, she went on, "There're also good humans and dragons. I ne'er cared much about what ana militara was doin' unless it effected me directla. Simpler just t' focus on yer own life n' let th' far-off handle themselves. T' be honest, I rather don't like that particula dragon either -- nothin' but a winged pirate if ye ask me."

She sighed, noting thoughtfully, "Nothin' we can do about it, though. I saw how powerful he was... He's just too strong. I'd rather think about th' troubles I can face 'r am likela t' face. There's pleanta enough o' those."

“The problem, I guess, is that those in charge of my home country must’ve given the ok for this mission… I thought they were better than that,” Kat elaborated. “I’m not naïve enough to think I can take on a dragon, but… Maybe it was better that I wasn’t there to meet him. I may have tried to kill him myself.”

The group was finally starting to pick up the pace at this point, so Katrina decided it was about time to take off. Signaling Volga to speed up in preparation, she turned to let her passenger know. “Hold on, Gytha, we’re about to go up. We stayed a little low last time though. Do you want to try going higher?”

"Well, I'm not goin' t' get ana better at this by not pushin' meself. Aye, let's go higher this time," Gytha replied. She was a bit nervous about it, but she was feeling better about flying than before takeoff of the last time, so this was definitely helping.

Edited April 19, 2014 by Mercakete

[Snike]

OOC: This is Kete's post. I'm just the messenger.

[spoiler=Certification]N-Norbert? sputtered Valter upon spotting the pegasus rider, and the confirmation of his status by the cleric. To say the horseman was surprised was an understatement. The gears had begun turning, and he quickly realized that if his friend was coming to get certified, that meant he hadnt been certified Oh Mercy, that couldve been a problem had the authorities found out the weeks theyd been in Ursium. Valter wasnt completely aware of how to deal with the situation, but was pretty sure asking Bert about it directly was a bad idea at the moment. The clerics about didnt need to know that the man was essentially a criminal under Ursian law.

As it was, Bert appeared to be preparing himself for questioning and Valter was happy to oblige. Hey, Bert. How are you? he asked, walking towards him. The smile on his face was genuine, as he hadnt seen Bert last night, though he had heard he was alright from others. Im glad to see youre still alive after last night." Though it looked like he hadn't stayed out of trouble entirely. "Nice scar, by the way, the horseman stated offhandedly.

Joanna stood silently for a moment while the cleric looked over the various prayer groups. As much as she wanted to ask about Norbert's backward order of doing things, Valter was already having a much more ... appropriate conversation with him, and she didn't want to butt in, especially since Norbert was probably here now to correct his mistake. If she brought it up now, well, at best, he would get some dirty looks from some in the area. At worst, he'd probably get arrested before they could even start the ceremony ....

He was a little surprised -- though pleasantly so -- to hear Valter's reaction and he managed to calm down a bit, smiling himself. At the scar comment, he was a little surprised.Forgot I had that. "Thanks. Glad to see you two are alive, too," he answered, "And I'm fine."

Frowning, he went on, "You two weren't caught up in the fighting, too, were you?" his brow furrowed deeper into a bitter glare "It was a mess..."

Valter was silently thankful nothing incriminating had been said. Bert wasnt getting off scot free though, as the horseman was certainly asking him about the pegasus issue later. For now he was content to answer the riders questions, however. Unfortunately yes. Demons surrounded the cathedral, and we left to find help from the military. Instead we ran into Raquel and one of the beasts commanders, he replied, attempting to monitor his word choice. They werent the only ones here, and it might not be a good idea to mention that last night was a fallen attack.

Mess is an accurate description, though probably an understatement, he continued. Enough about that though. You were here for your pegasus certification, correct? Id rather take up your time afterward than before. Joanna hadnt gotten a chance to eat yet, after all.

Now Norbert was sure of it: Valter was being a good friend and trying to not get him thrown in jail, but he had some explaining to do later. He'd seen what remained of the evidence of the battle around the cathedral himself, though it was still a little shocking to actually hear. He was also surprised that they found one of the Fallen commanding the demons, but decided to drop the subject. Talking about anything in more detail was probably bad for everyone involved, and he figured Valter was thinking the same thing.

"Yeah, we should get to that," he agreed. Looking over to Joanna, he asked, "So, do you now what I'm supposed to do?"

"For the most part," Joanna answered truthfully. She'd seen group ceremonies, at least ... this would obviously be a little different. She looked to the cleric wondering if she would have to do this alone, but two acolytes had shown up in her place.

"We're here to help," one of them greeted with a smile. Then, looking to Bert, the young man said, "I'm glad you've decided to undergo this ceremony. Right now the realm needs all the able fighters it can get, and flying without the blessing or certification would have been a detriment to us all. You're doing the right thing."

Joanna coughed. "Ahem, could you get everything we need, please?"

"Of course," the other acolyte replied before jogging off to do just that.

Right, cause I'm definitely joining the military. Not fighting for your cause, thanks. were his thoughts when the acolyte mentioned that Ursium could use all the fighters it could get. Norbert cocked a brow in confusion at something else the acolyte said, though, and so asked the other as the first left, "What did he mean 'a detriment to us all'?"

"Those with the utter indecency to drag an unblessed pegasus into battle fully demonstrate the kind of blatant disregard for the gods that has landed Ursium in so many a crisis," he explained while motioning everyone away from the mouth of the hallway. He frowned partway through his explanation but reclaimed his smile by the end of it. "The path to unity may begin with the weightier matters, but I assure you that what we're about to do here today will reaffirm that there will always be people willing to do the right thing. Again, friend, we're glad you've come here today."

Joanna was trying her hardest now not to say anything, even though she wanted to at least ask the acolyte to talk about something else. Still, if she did that, she had nothing to follow up with and would just look odd or even suspicious. Hopefully the other acolyte would return soon and they could begin.

"I'm back," came the acolyte's voice from almost directly behind her, causing her to flinch. The wing flutter ended up making him flinch right back. "Whoa, sorry about that, heheh." He handed off two rather tall candle stands to the other acolyte while keeping two and a large tome for himself.

"Umm, before we begin, Norbert, I need to know what kind of temperament your pegasus has, for safety reasons," Joanna asked and quickly explained.

Norbert didn't respond much to the acolyte's answer. The first few adjectives made him wince somewhat internally, wondering what might come up next as the actual reason, but when it was all just about disregarding the gods, he relaxed. He didn't particularly care about the gods and they seemed largely indifferent about what people did or didn't do, so he doubted calamity actually resulted from taking pegasi into battle without a certificate. Sure, there was Wrath, but it sounded like he was going to do what he wanted regardless of what they did anyway, so it was more or less the same thing, just with a more violent outcome.

What with all this talk about getting Rizen blessed or whatever being the right thing, Norbert was tempted to just tell it to their faces that he'd been in battle with Rizen many times already and was only there because a judge told him to. He had that document signed by the judge protecting him, after all, and it was right in Rizen's saddlebags, so he would be safe in taunting the acolytes anyway. Still, as he followed the acolyte, he thought better of it. At first, it was just a gut reaction, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that if he had, it would reflect badly on Joanna and Valter. That was...kind of close.

There was something else, though. Something about how the acolyte finished his answer...it was just a little unsettling. He figured, at first, that the acolytes were just being friendly, but the way he spoke...it was really similar to the other acolyte. Then, the other one spoke up again, having returned...and standing right behind Joanna. The Dark Avian seemed to be a little frazzled; Norbert could relate. That was when it hit him and his face shifted some at the horror of it. They're...like Weyland's maids! Oh Mercy... And they're doing my ceremony? Well that more or less guaranteed he wouldn't be relaxed throughout the rest of these proceedings.

He did calm down a little when he was asked about Rizen, though. The acolytes seemed more or less normal again, for one, and he also was able to put his mind on arguably more important issues. He also had to wonder what the book and candles were for...and if the ceremony would be done right then and there or if there was a special hall or something for it. But first, to answer Joanna.

"Rizen's protective," he began, more or less of casual temperament again, "She's also basically a wild pegasus. I never tamed her. But she knows Valter and me, so things should be okay, especially if she doesn't think I'm being hurt or someone's trying to take our stuff. I'll try to make it clear I'm not under attack and as long as no one makes like they're going to take anything," he let himself smile broadly and cheerfully, shifting from trying to be helpful and informative to fighting the creepiness of the acolytes the best way he knew how second to physical brawling: intimidation "then we should be able to get through this without any casualties!"

The irony of the acolytes words was not lost on Valter, and he had to try very hard not to laugh at the situation. Oh, if only they knew what Bert had done. Of course it would probably get him thrown in jail too, which was a very good reason to not dwell on their reactions.

After Norberts explanation of his pegasuss temperament, the horseman figured he could chuckle without it seeming completely out of place. If you were trying to abate peoples fears, you really couldve done without that last line, he said, looking amused, then added more seriously, However, if his pegasus does become anxious, I can help calm her down.

"Hmm, doesn't sound like this will be easy," the first acolyte frowned. "Perhaps we should stick with the group ceremony style even though it's for a single pegasus."

Joanna frowned too, wishing Bert wasn't so cheerful about this; if anything happened to any of them due to Rizen's behavior, he'd be held responsible, after all. "It's absolutely essential that she stays calm. The ceremony isn't meant for pegasi that haven't undergone training ..." she warned, not sure if this was such a good idea now.

"True ... it can get quite flashy," the second acolyte said as he placed down one of the candle stands off to Rizen's two and four o'clock. He then waited to see if they were going to go any further with this before bothering to light them.

That backfired a little, but Norbert just wound up shrugging and reassuring, "Like I said, she'll be fine as long as she doesn't think you're trying to steal anything or attack either of us...unless wyverns are a part of this ceremony or something."

"Norbert, are you absolutely certain she won't try anything?" Joanna worriedly inquired. As far as she was concerned, this was a life and death (or jail time) situation.

"If you're that worried, Valter or I can keep a hold of her reins," he replied, seeming primarily disinterested and unconcerned at this point, though he was ever so slightly annoyed, too. "She won't be so on-edge that way. ... Still, don't take my stuff. Using weapons against me will probably garner a bad reaction from both of us, too." Yeah, the irritation became more clear with that last bit.

"Easy there, you'll be able to direct that aggression toward Ursium's enemies in due time," the first acolyte assured him while placing down his candlesticks at Rizen's eight and ten o'clock. Since the first was still preparing, the second acolyte figured it was okay to continue and easily lit all four candles in rapid succession with his light magic.

Joanna was handed the tome but was reluctant to begin, still. "Mmph ..."

"It's okay, Joanna, we're right here with you," said the first acolyte. He nodded in unison with the second.

Correction: I'll direct that aggression towards my enemies...once my debt's paid... Norbert thought, a little frustrated at the self-inflicted reminder that he wasn't his own master at the moment. When the candles suddenly lit, Rizen's ears swiveled about and she glanced around curiously, but that was the extent of her reaction. Norbert, likewise, was mildly startled, but to such a minuscule effect that it hardly registered outwardly.

It looked like the ceremony would be performed right there and he wouldn't have to let go of Rizen's reins or anything, so Norbert mentioned, "If I can keep a hold of Rizen's reins and stay by her like it looks like I can, then we're good to go, I guess." He was a little unsure, though, since he really didn't know what to expect.

Joanna was still worried; there were other parts of the ceremony that required a laying on of hands which Rizen might not be cooperative for. "I suppose I'll begi-" "Oh wait, I nearly forgot," the first acolyte interrupted. "Hm?"

"The ceremony does require a small fee, but we almost never do single pairings so a unit commander typically handles that," the acolyte explained with a slightly nervous smile and an outstretched hand. "Ten gold ought to cover it. A mere drop in the bucket compared to the lifetime blessing of the goddess, no?"

There's a...fee...? I thought this was supposed to be the Hall of Mercy! You know, the charity order?! Norbert sighed irritably before, grumbling, he walked over to Rizen's side and rummaged through a saddlebag. He had a little bit of money...that he counted a couple times. Then, with it in-hand, he looked through another saddlebag. Then he rechecked the first one. Urgh, blast it, Anna...! Stupid Zero-One forcing me to open that dumb bank account that I'll never actually use and taking my money and...

"Er...I only have four..." Norbert admitted. He also did have that sun coin, but he was planning on selling that to a collector or something so he could get more for it than the ten gold he'd spent on it. "You're Mercites, right? Can't you do this for four gold?"

Valter remained silent as the conversation about Rizen continued on. That pegasus really needed to be trained, but he doubted Bert would be particularly receptive to that idea. The horseman didnt see a need to get involved again until a fee was mentioned and it appeared Norbert didnt have the coin. Valter wasnt surprised about either, really. He dug around in a pouch for a moment before counting out ten gold and walking over to place it in the acolytes hand. That should cover it, he said simply.

That did indeed cover it. "Oh giving random discounts is hardly 'merciful'," the acolyte noted, clearly amused by Bert's question. "Fortunately for you this fellow was willing to cover the expense, otherwise we'd have set all this up for nothing, heheh. Imagine that," he said to Bert as he accepted the gold. "Thank you."

Looking around, Joanna didn't see much going into it. A few candle stands and a tome plus everyone involved, but that was it. Not that she didn't understand the fee issue even if Bert didn't. After all, the various Orders didn't tax their followers to stay afloat like the government did. Every important service had to have some sort of profit.

When Valter paid for the ceremony, Norbert's first impulse was to insist that he didn't have to -- that everything was fine and that he could handle it. The issue there was that, indeed, he did need the help. There was nothing for it but to wrestle with his own discomfort, though, and so he put what little money he had back into Rizen's saddlebags.

The acolyte's reply, though, ignited the Crusher's ire. How is giving discounts when someone seriously can't afford something not merciful? And what's he implying by "imagine that?" He still held his tongue, though, regarding that, though it didn't help that he was embarrassed that he had to rely on someone else for the payment. Still, there was nothing for it, so he just went back to standing where he had been, Rizen's reins in hand, and told Valter, "Thanks."

"I'll begin, then," Joanna spoke up, with worry and doubt in her tone and expression. The acolytes meanwhile took their places, one between each of the candle stands flanking Bert and Rizen. They put their hands together and bowed their heads. Joanna looked expectantly at Bert, though she doubted he would go so far as to actually join in the prayer. She'd heard some mercenaries weren't big on the prayer aspect of the ceremony, either, but most of these ceremonies were for military pegasus riders, anyway, and most of them were religious.

Because of that, one of the acolytes spoke up next, saying, "Bow your head too, please~"

The ceremony seemed about to begin. Still not entirely certain of what -- if anything -- he was supposed to do, Norbert figured he'd just be instructed as they went along. The first instruction came a little sooner than expected. I guess we're praying or something now. Mercy, it's been a long time... As Norbert bowed his head, he thought back to when Father Nigel would lead group prayers. A bit more close to him, he also remembered those humbling times when Norbert would be complaining about this or that and Nigel would start to pray for him aloud and invite him to join in. He'd always felt pretty awkward when he had to pray aloud as a child. It was easier when he just had to take up the posture and choose whether he wanted to listen to the whole thing or just for when the prayer ended.

Valter nodded in response to Berts expression of gratitude. He knew the rider didnt like having to rely on others, but the ceremony being postponed due to lack of payment would not have been an ideal outcome. Especially since he now knew his friend had broken Ursian law several times over.

The ceremony was about to begin, so the horseman moved out of the way to not be a bother. Joanna was looking a bit worried, he noticed, though if it was due to Rizen or her own doubts about performing the rites, he couldnt tell. Regardless, he figured it would be acceptable to follow the acolytes example, and also bowed his head for the prayer.

Joanna slowly opened the tome and began carefully turning pages to find the passage she was looking for. This was one big prayer book, but finding the right prayer for the occasion wasn't always easy. She had a few memorized but not the one they needed. Throwing her a bone, one of the acolytes quietly said, "Page ninety."

"Oh-t-thank you," she replied, hurrying up to that page. She didn't need anymore instruction after that, as the very start of that page was the beginning of blessing ceremony's ritual prayer. Now to hope that the two things she was most worried about going wrong didn't. "Ahem," she bowed her head but kept her eyes on the lines in front of her, "Lady of Mercy, Bestower of light, and Patroness of life, once again, we offer our deepest gratitude. Your healing light has saved countless lives, and your counsel has guided many toward the path of peace. Today, we now beseech you for the sake of those who-" Joanna cut herself off for a moment, realizing she would have to tailor some of this as she went along. "Today, we beseech you for the sake of one whom must go to war, whom must see battle, and whom must do so at the side of a strong and loyal pegasus ..."

The first acolyte nodded his head slightly here and there as they went along, pleased with Joanna's handling of the ceremony thus far.

"Today, we beseech you for the sake of one whom must go to war, whom must see battle, and whom must do so for the sake of a brave and noble warrior. Together, let them fight as one, and offer them your blessing so that they never lose their way. Life ... and Peace." That was how most special prayers ended ... 'life and peace', but exactly how it applied here, she wasn't sure. Bert obviously wasn't getting this blessing to go off and become a pacifist, hardly anyone not going to battle ever bothered with this ceremony since it wasn't a legal issue for them. Perhaps there was more to this than what she understood at the moment.

And now for the part she was worried about, or at least the lead-in ... "Norbert?" she tried to gently get his attention. "Pray with your pegasus. Pray for the Goddess' aid and guidance in every battle to come." It wasn't strictly necessary that one be a follower of Mercy for this to work, in fact, a great deal of pegasus knights were minor wrathites, however, the ceremony did require the goddess' approval to become valid, so regardless of their preferred deity--if any--this part was necessary for the ceremony to proceed.

From the sounds of things, either Joanna was nervous -- probably due to her knowledge of his fighting with Rizen in the past -- or wasn't used to this particular ceremony. Regardless, she did well with the actual prayer, so far as Norbert could tell. As he pondered the war bit, he remembered that even though he wasn't joining the war effort against Neviskotia, he was entering a war of sorts. Just what sort of war he wasn't sure yet. Wrath's coming and Lilith's planning on fighting him, the Fallen are planning on attacking us even more than they did last night and then there's whatever the organization's up to... Not to mention whoever Weyland sends me after. And that's all just what's going on right now... I guess, looking at it like that, we're all off to some sort of messed up war.

It was weird; thinking about it that way made him feel a little less like this was just some empty or mismatched ceremony. That was a thought he pushed aside, though, as he pondered why Joanna seemed to repeat what she'd just said in the prayer. It took a bit of puzzling and at first he thought that maybe she'd made a mistake, but then he realized that she was talking about Rizen. She was the one who "must do so for the sake of a brave and noble warrior." Though Norbert recognized Rizen as a loyal companion and indeed, a good and faithful friend, it was a little strange hearing her talked about as though she was a human...or an Avian, he supposed.

So, naturally, when Joanna asked him to "pray with his pegasus," he grimaced. He'd raised his head and opened his eyes when she'd said his name, but now he was a little frozen. He had no idea what he was supposed to say. It'd been a long time since he'd been asked to send up a prayer to Mercy and he'd never prayed with Rizen before...let alone any other animal. The rider was just glad that Joanna had at least specified a topic. So, awkwardly, he turned to frown at the pegasus. Rizen herself was vaguely wondering why everyone was acting so strangely, but then again, humans did weird things all the time.

He glanced back over his shoulder with an uncomfortable frown at Joanna, wondering if what steps he was taking was at all correct, but he quickly returned his attention to Rizen. The pegasus was looking at him expectantly, but that was because he usually had something to say or give when he looked at her face-on like this. Norbert himself just felt silly. Mer-- He stopped, figuring that using that particular term just before sending up a prayer might be in poor form. Urgh, gods, this is embarrassing... Somehow, that term seemed less offensive.

With the stretch of silence just making the situation even more awkward, he bowed his head and closed his eyes. Facing the pegasus while still holding tightly to her reins while his face began to take on a bit of extra color, he began. "Mother Mercy..." Well, it was a start. "I...know it's been a while." Oh Mer-- blast it -- sheesh, I must be making a fool of myself! His blush increased somewhat as his eyebrows came closer together and lowered in irritation. "I guess I should start off by thanking you... So...thanks for looking out for us, I guess." Not sure if it was Mercy or just dumb luck.

Suddenly, he paused. Well, for a bit longer than he had been already. Something that Nigel had told him a long time ago returned to his memory. "According to Nigel, you give special protection to orphans. I don't know if that's true, but...I guess it wouldn't...not make sense with what we've been through." Realizing he was wandering a little aimlessly in his prayer, Norbert hurried up to finish it off. "So, we'd appreciate it if you looked out for us in the future. And even if I don't come out of a fight alive, that you'd at least protect Rizen. She's been a great friend, so...she really deserves it. Not that I wouldn't like to survive our fights, too, though."

He wasn't entirely sure how to finish the prayer, so he just concluded it with "I...guess that's it." raised his head, opened his eyes and turned around to face Joanna again, though his gaze was on the floor. He looked and felt extremely awkward and uncomfortable.

The moment of truth--or rather the moment of Mercy in this case--turned out to be a long one, but soon they would see whether or not Norbert and Rizen received the goddess' blessing. It was hardly a few prayers followed by a certificate handout. Legitimate blessings were always established and confirmed by a holy, inexplicable light, which is what Joanna was waiting for and worrying about. She doubted Rizen would spook and attack just anyone, but if the light came and it did spook her, things could get dangerous just the same. She'd never heard of any pegasi being spooked during these ceremonies, but this was ... special pair.

Joanna's fear of something going wrong was also keeping her at bay even though she had another job to perform next. Once she remembered, and once Norbert's prayer was actually finished, she slowly approached them, carefully and gently placing a hand on Norbert's shoulder and Rizen's snout despite the former's reluctance. This was it ... Please ... Finally, it happened. She slowly tensed as a faint glow began to engulf Norbert and Rizen individually and soon let go of them and stepped away. The acolytes raised their heads and smiled as the glow became brighter and brighter.

When Joanna approached, it confused Norbert for a moment and when she reached her hands out, he leaned away uncertainly at first, wondering what this was about. That was when he recalled that there was a laying-on of hands and so he relaxed. He was a lot more comfortable with Joanna being the one to do this than someone he didn't know, after all. Rizen was a little uncertain as her snout was touched, but Norbert was right there and letting it happen, so she made no move against it.

Oddly enough, it wasn't the pegasus who spooked when the glowing started, though Norbert was more just unsure of just what was happening to him. Urgh, weird magic again... Why does it always have to be weird magic? I hope this isn't permanent. Sure would be inconvenient... Then, he noticed Rizen, too, was glowing brighter and brighter. The pegasus herself looked a little confused, but that was the extent of any negative reaction from her. She did partially unfurl her wings and fan them a little, though. She was enjoying this light, though fanning wings that were less than half spread looked a little silly. At least any effect the weird magic was having on her, it was a positive one, from what he could tell.

The light slowly began to fade, but the ceremony had gone off perfectly. Joanna was relieved, both that the goddess had seen fit to bless the pair, and that the blessing itself didn't scare them. In hindsight, she supposed she could have just warned them about the light instead of quietly fretting over it, but what was done was done, and what wasn't done was of little consequence now. "Congratulations," she said, the relief she felt weakening her voice.

"The ceremony is now complete," the first acolyte nodded.

The second acolyte held out his hand urging Norbert to stay put for a moment, though he didn't mind him moving as long as he didn't leave the area. The ceremony meant nothing in the Ursian legal system without documentation. "I'll return shortly with your certificate. You'll just have to sign a couple of things with us and then you can be on your way."

Joanna frowned. She knew what he was off to do was her job during this ceremony, not an acolyte's, but she supposed she wasn't going to complain about him taking over from there. She likely wouldn't be doing this again.

When the light began to fade, Norbert was somewhat relieved but still a little skeptical about it. He'd been through too much weird magic not to wonder if there was something it did to him and/or Rizen. The pegasus at least seemed to be normal as ever and he didn't feel any pressure in his chest or suddenly forgot his first language and he wasn't looking at a sleeping, larger version of himself. He was also still in Sardius, which was nice, especially since this part of Sardius was the same part he started off in. So no warping to purgatory or the desert or some other unhospitable wasteland.

Joanna congratulated them and one of the acolytes announced that the ceremony was done. Joanna sounded kind of tired to him. What exactly did she do to us? Was it just making us glow? Does that really take that much energy? He supposed it did. The other acolyte motioned for him not to move -- it seemed like people around there did that a lot -- and told him he'd be back with the certificate. He was just a couple signatures away from finally being out of legal trouble...or at least legal trouble the authorities actually knew about. Joanna frowned about something, but Bert decided not to ask about it. It could have just been that she was tired or it could have had to do with his fighting uncertified before.

Both Joanna and Bert had been nervous during the proceedings, but Valter thought they both did fine. Granted, he hadnt seen another ceremony to compare it to but that was besides the point. He was grateful it had gone well. After all the troubles of the last day, it was good to have a positive event for once. And now that the ceremony was over, he felt he could speak without interrupting anything. You did well, Joanna, he said, smiling. His expression softened a bit as he added, Dont doubt yourself so much.

He then turned to Bert to congratulate him, though Valter had a better grasp on the significance of what had just transpired. He hadnt expected Mercy herself to take part in the ceremony. To have the deitys blessing in that way was an honor hed probably never experience. He was slightly jealous of Bert at the moment, for more than one reason. Congratulations, he told the pair of pegasus and rider. So, how does it feel to be touched by a goddess?

While the acolyte was off retrieving the certificate, Valter came over and encouraged Joanna before congratulating him. What he said next, however, was...strange, to say the least. Norbert's face contorted in confusion, with a furrowed brow, tilted head, squinting eyes and a slightly up-curled lip. He...really wasn't sure how to reply to that. He didn't want to embarrass Joanna, especially if Valter was trying to reassure her with his question. Er... Joanna's a nice lady, but I wouldn't call her a "goddess." Besides, she's a priestess, so isn't that a little blasphemous?

Just in case it was blasphemous, he couldn't call Valter out on this, especially after the horseman had refrained from mentioning his lawbreaking. Then again, he'd more or less just kind of...put it out there. Joanna was kind of delicate so he had to choose his words carefully here, no matter how he was going to respond. That was something he was never entirely good at. "Uh... Wow, Valter. I didn't know you felt that strongly about Joanna. I mean, not that there's anything wrong with that -- you could do a lot worse." Well, this was rapidly falling apart. "Not to say you're undesirable yourself or anything -- not that I'd know, I guess -- but she doesn't seem to be the kind who'd take advantage of you or anything. Cause, you know, she's a kind and gentle sort -- not that I'm interested. So...go for it, I guess?" Urgh, this is why I don't talk about things like this.

He was aware that at this point he'd completely ignored Joanna and how she might feel about all this, but he just didn't have the patience to deal with that just then. He couldn't just leave it like that, though, so, slightly irritated, he added to Joanna, "Your feelings on this matter too, of course."

Joanna swiftly turned around as the realization sank in. She wasn't blushing nearly as much as she thought she was, but she honestly couldn't face either of them after that, not until she got her bearings. "H-he was talking about 'the goddess', not me," she clarified, her voice shaking. Deciding to ride the momentum and try to compose along the way, she turned around, keeping her head down, and continued. "All I did was lead the prayer and mark the two of you."

"The divine light," the remaining acolyte spoke up, looking serene, inspired even, "it has only one source, friend, the Lady of Mercy herself." He kept a gently closed fist to his chest as he spoke.

Valters face was quickly turning scarlet. Somewhere in the back of his mind he was pretty sure he should tell Bert to stop speaking, but his mouth apparently stopped working because nothing he wanted to say was coming out. So for the duration of it he stood there looking increasingly uncomfortable and quite obviously embarrassed. Having given up on trying to speak, the horseman covered his face with a hand, silently wishing he could melt into the floor or some such thing that would excuse him from having to deal with this situation.

Joanna seemed to have taken the whole thing slightly better, though he wasn't looking to check. At least someone had corrected Bert's misunderstanding... The blame for it in the first place, Valter was attributing to his own lack of thought. The first thing he managed to say was, "Curse my wording," muttered at himself.

"'Mark?'" Norbert echoed, a little less awkward and embarrassed and a little more confused now. Is that what the light was about? Apparently not. The rider looked over to the acolyte when the man spoke up. "The divine light," huh? They're saying that light came from Mercy herself, but...how is that possible?

Norbert was a little skeptical. Sure he believed Mercy existed, but he believed she existed somewhere far-off and largely uninvolved in the lives of mortals like him. He wanted to ask how they knew it was Mercy and not something Joanna maybe accidentally did, but seeing as he was talking to Mercy devouts, he figured that was a stupid question that would garner a stupid answer. Still, Joanna sure didn't seem the sort who'd lie, even about something like this. He didn't understand much how magic worked, but he was pretty sure that you had to be trying to do something with it in order to accidentally cast a spell. Maybe Joanna's marking had to do with magic? If nothing else, this was definitely food for thought.

"Right, the marking--rather the laying on of hands is the lead's role in the ceremony that must take place before the goddess will offer her blessing. Only a few individuals are qualified to perform such a role," the acolyte explained to Norbert, taking a second at the end to smile at Joanna. He was talking about her, alright. "Naturally, our own 'Mercy in the flesh' would be worthy of such a role."

"I'm not sure why some people say such things about me," Joanna sheepishly noted.

Before he could give any sort of answer to that, the other acolyte got his attention by waving to their group. He had what looked like more than one certificate in hand, as well as a thick tome and writing utensils. As he returned to the group, he explained the next step of the procedure. "This next part is simple; we'll all sign these two forms. One is for you to keep, and the other is for our records." Looking to Valter, he added, "You can sign as well. Staff signatures aren't just for keeping track of who was involved but who witnessed the ceremony in person." Then, he after a short pause and handing off his load to the other acolyte, he finished by holding up a small metal insignia, an easily misplaced, yet elegant wing shape. "You also get this."

"That's for showing to anyone who doubts you had this blessing ceremony, but obviously, due to the occasionally stolen ones, or those taken from the battlefield, you may still need your certificate. Best not to lose either, honestly," the second acolyte chimed in.

Norbert didn't have a whole lot of time to mull over what was being said between the acolyte and Joanna before the other acolyte returned. He hadn't known about the little emblem before now and was a little worried about losing it. It had a little ring at the top, so he could potentially turn it into a necklace if he wanted to, but he decided he'd figure out what to do with it after he'd signed what he needed to. The talk about people stealing the symbols on and off the field of battle was a little grim and unfortunately brought to mind what had possibly become of some of his sisters. He nodded at the advice not to lose either certificate or insignia, but he was a little worried about losing both.

These were strange times they lived in and he was thinking about all the ways a piece of paper with important information could become illegible: getting torn up in some wind attack, getting soaked, incinerated, punctured... Even just getting ink spilled on it. Good thing there's another copy... Even in Rizen's saddlebags, you never know what could happen. It was strange that travelling with Raquel was becoming so normal. So much so that he forgot that he wouldn't be on the road so much anymore. Oh, right. Well, I guess if I just keep it in my room at Weyland's it'll be a lot safer than...who knows what Raquel'll be doing? The thought was almost amusing in a sort of familiar, endearing way -- like a warm memory.

Unfortunately, with that came the reminder of why he was even doing this in the first place. The minor amusement was completely evaporated with the reminder of his debt and so, having returned to a sort of neutral with irritated undertones, the rider took up a copy of the certificate and began reading it over. He wasn't about to sign until he knew what he was signing, after all, required by law or no. This form verifies that...blessing of the Goddess of Mercy...approval... Hm. There wasn't much to it and there didn't seem to be any harm in signing it, so Norbert picked up the pen and wrote his name in the first blank and Rizen's in the second one. He then handed that off so he could sign the other copy with their names.

Joanna took the first form and waited for Norbert to sign the other. In the meantime, she wondered about how the acolytes might have reacted if they learned of his past battles now that he received the blessing. In her mind, they weren't as 'bad' as she first expected, since despite all those previous battles, the goddess still saw fit to bless him. If she hadn't, he wouldn't have ever been allowed to bring his pegasus into fights ... not that this would have stopped him initially, she realized. Thankfully, Norbert was doing the right thing going forward. Perhaps handling things in a better way going forward was why the goddess saw fit to bless him and Rizen, though she still had to wonder what essentially changed his mind.

When he was done with the second form he handed that one off to Joanna, too. At this point, there wasn't much else to do besides wait for the signing to be done.

It wasn't long before Joanna and the acolytes had signed both certificates themselves. That just left Valter's if he so chose and then it was all over. Still, there wasn't much of a reason to wait until then to say what he wanted to say, thought the first acolyte. "Congratulations. We're all happy that you chose to seek out the Goddess' favor in this matter. Like we explained before, that certificate is for you, and we'll be keeping this copy. Be sure not to lose it."

Valter had remained silent during the rest of the discussion, only taking the certificates to sign after the others were through with them. He didnt have anything to add, as anything he wanted to ask Bert would be better done once the acolytes were gone (and after earlier he couldnt bring himself to speak to Joanna.)

With everything signed, the first acolyte gave both certificates a good once over to make sure everything was in order and then nodded when he was satisfied. He then handed off Norbert's copy of the certificate to him along with the insignia. "I'm sure you already saw but my name is Jeremiah," he said, bowing slightly. "It's been a pleasure meeting you, Norbert. It was also good to see you more heavily involved in a ceremony, Joanna."

"Mm," she barely managed that much of a reply.

"And I'm Michel," the second acolyte followed suit. "I suppose we should return to our duties now ..." He quickly set about putting out the candles and gathering up the stands they sat on. Once he was done with that, the two acolytes were on their way, leaving the trio and pegasus to their own devices.

Joanna gave Norbert a long glance, not saying anything, just wondering what was going on. Like always though, she tuned out people's thoughts, not feeling she had any right to interpret them.

Norbert only flippantly sighed "yeah, yeah" when the acolyte reminded him of how important it was not to lose the certificate. Soon, though, the ceremony was entirely and completely finished and he was given a certificate and insignia. Then the acolyte who handed those off to him introduced himself as Jeremiah. The rider actually wasn't expecting to learn the two's names and hadn't really thought to look at the certificate for them. This was primarily because he didn't particularly care what their names were. It was also apparently a pleasure meeting him. Norbert chalked that one up to just something the guy was expected to say.

The other's name was apparently Michel. After that introduction, the two cleaned up and left. Feeling like he owed some sort of farewell, Norbert just sent them a small wave. Then, he walked over to Rizen's saddlebag and put the certificate into it. The insignia he was still trying to figure out what to do with, so he kept that in his hand. It was so small, he could easily lose it and he wasn't about to mix it with what few coin he had. It was roughly the same size, after all, and that was just too much hassle to bother with if he needed it quickly. As he looked at it, turning it around in his hand, his eyes caught Joanna looking at him. That prompted a grimace. Right, they probably want answers now that it's over. His gaze went back down to the little metal wing. I still need to figure out what to do with this, though.

Good, the acolytes were gone. That meant the interrogation could begin. Or, it wouldve, if Valter hadnt remembered the reason hed still been at the Cathedral in the first place. The horseman had mostly regained his composure after his earlier embarrassment, but was still feeling quite uncomfortable when he turned to address the winged cleric. Joanna, do you mind if I meet up with you after youve eaten? I need to discuss something with Norbert, he said, and stared pointedly at the rider for a moment before looking back for her answer.

"Oh ... um, alright," Joanna reluctantly agreed. Valter had already eaten as she recalled, and she really didn't need to be here for what she suspected was an interrogation, but she hoped the two of them would be alright without a mediator. She left them there with a quiet, "I'll meet you just outside the dining area if that's alright."

Thank you, Valter replied. Once Joanna had left, he turned to face Bert. Im going to cut straight to the point, here. How long have you been fighting with Rizen unblessed, and why did you decide to rectify that now? He was attempting not to sound angry, but pegasus certifications were a pretty big deal in Ursium. Fighting uncertified not only reflected poorly on Bert, but on those who associated with him. Valter cursed himself for not thinking to ask about it earlier.

Yep, knew this was coming. Norbert thought as Valter asked Joanna if he could meet up with her later. He was a little bothered that she wasn't getting answers right away -- she knew about his illegal activity, too -- and though normally he would've been suspicious of someone asking a healer to leave himself and him alone, not even an inkling of worry entered into the pegasus rider's mind. It took a moment for him to notice this, but by then Joanna was on her way, so Bert just uttered after her, "See you later, Joanna."

Then, Valter jumped right to the point. Really, Norbert wouldn't have had it any other way and though he didn't show it, it was one thing he did appreciate about the horseman. Instead of answering Valter's question right away, Norbert wordlessly slipped the insignia into his saddlebag -- figuring he could just fish it out later -- and pulled out the judge's notice. He then walked the couple paces over to Valter and handed it over, crossing his arms disinterestedly once the bowman held it. Calm and serious, he answered, "I didn't even know it was a law until one of my sisters hauled me off to Fort Dailey. I've been relying on Rizen's help since I left the orphanage about three years ago. That includes combat."

Valter received the paper from Bert and began looking it over. He was rather alarmed at what hed pieced together of the situation. This is You were arrested, Bert? It certainly seemed so. There was no other reason to be carried off to the fort. Sighing, the horseman offered back the judges notice. You really didnt know, did you? he asked, pinching the bridge of his nose. For my part, Im sorry for not thinking to inform you of it. I just assumed Well, we can be thankful they exercised leniency in this case I suppose. That assumption was based entirely on the fact that Bert was here rather than in prison somewhere.

Norbert took back the document and put it back into his saddlebag as he listened to Valter's reply. He couldn't help but give a short, bitter laugh at Valter's talk about the judge's "leniency." "'Leniency?' If Anna hadn't been there when I faced the judge," his contemptuous grin rapidly fell "I..." a frown set in and his glare intensified at Rizen's tack "They would've sold off Rizen. Even if I was ever released, I probably wouldn't have seen her again. They took my maces, my pegasus, my money, and my freedom, Valter."

He sighed, the gravity leaving his voice as he turned and leaned against Rizen's side. He was still a bit bitter, though. "Anna thought I was still working for Raquel when she came to help get me out of that mess. Sure, I may not be in prison and yeah, Riz and I are still together, but I have a twenty-thousand gold debt to pay off to Weyland now. I already paid the five-thousand with what I'd earned while working for Raquel."

Oh. Well then. The situation had been much more serious than Valter had speculated. He wasnt sure how to deal with this information, but acknowledged that his previous response had been inappropriate. I apologize. I didnt realize the gravity of the situation.

The horseman grimaced before continuing. That is a rather large fine. Exorbitant, actually, for lack of pegasus certification. Was that the only infraction? And how on Sardius does Weyland expect you to pay that off? He had a pretty good guess for the answers to both questions, but assuming hadnt gotten him very far earlier so he was loathe to do so now.

Norbert shook his head, glaring at the ground. "I was going to deposit what I'd earned from Raquel into a bank and I ran into Cecelia of all people. She's the sister I mentioned earlier. Of course she'd find a way to get me in trouble... Accused me of stealing the gold I'd rightfully earned and got me to admit to fighting with a pegasus without certification before letting me know that was a crime. Then she goaded me into attacking her. There were witnesses and she's a captain in the military. Just by reputation and bias alone, I didn't have a chance at escaping whatever punishment was coming for me...on my own, that is, I guess. I'm still indentured, but at least I don't have to worry about someone trying to break Rizen's spirit."

Truth be told, Valter had no idea how to deal with the situation, and it showed on his face. I Im glad youre alright, at least. Rizen as well. The horseman sighed. He was frustrated that he couldnt have been there, but also that if he were he probably wouldnt have been able to help regardless. What was done was done, though, and there wasnt any use worrying about it after the fact. So what are you planning to do now?

Norbert sighed and shrugged, settling into a mix between indifference and annoyance. "I'm an unwilling Weyland employee now. So I guess I'll be following whatever orders come my way until that debt's paid off. Honestly, I haven't even been assigned a specific station yet. I just hope I can go off on missions or something. Maybe if it's dangerous, I'll pay off that debt before I'm too old to do anything else with my life."

Well, this topic was getting pretty glum pretty fast. So, Norbert changed the conversation. "What about you? Back to church work?"

It sounded like Bert would be busy for a while. A long while. Valter honored the topic change though, and replied with an uncertain, Probably. He hadnt decided yet if he was going to return home or continue traveling with Raquels group, but was leaning towards the former. I was going to find out the details of the current situation before deciding whether or not to leave. To be honest, I dont have much reason to follow that group around anymore.

That was an interesting answer and begged a particular question that Norbert hadn't thought of until now. "Why were you sticking with Raquel in the first place, anyway?" I guess I just assumed he was being paid like most everyone else.

Valter mulled over the question a moment, pondering how to best answer that. Well originally I was following Synthia. That didnt sound nearly as weird in his head, but he pressed on regardless. I wasnt needed back home, and had nothing better to do with my time. After spending some time around the group I learned about what had happened to Raquels father and I thought I could help. Once we ended up in Sanctuary I really had no choice, but none of those reasons apply now. Everything weve been dealing with the last few weeks is far beyond my scope. When talking to vasili and fighting Fallen became normal occurrences, he was pretty sure he was in over his head. Best to find some room to breathe.

The horseman sight briefly, remembering his current errand. He was pretty sure hed be able to speak with Bert later in the day, especially since the man was bound to Weyland Enterprises. Do you mind if I cut this short? I should probably catch up with Joanna. I should return to the estate by afternoon if you would like to resume our conversation then?

Norbert nodded. "Yeah, there's no urgency. And you should probably tell Jo about what happened to me if she asks. She knows I fought uncertified, too, after all. No reason to worry her -- she seems the sort to get worked up over nothing." Well, that was handled. "See you later."

With that, the two men went their separate ways.

[spoiler=A Brief Reunition]Gytha and Synthia left the dining hall and began their search for Amon. At first, they didn't have much luck, but thanks to some asking around, the pair was directed in the general direction the Rexian had gone in. Somewhere between where the Sancturan had gotten lost and the dining hall, they happened across him. He was being led in their direction by a maid. Though in the back of her mind, Gytha figured Amon had gotten lost, her focus wasn't on that bit of musing. She just grinned at him and approached, glad that they found him relatively quickly.

"Ahoy!" she greeted, "Glad we found ye." Her grin faded as she asked, "Ye feelin' ana better? Ye looked pretta upset..." Bringing it up probably wasn't the best move, but she wanted to make sure he was okay and asking was the only way she really could.

"Mmph, not really, no," Amon shook his head after a short delay. He wasn't sure if he needed the maid's help from here but wasn't going to shoo her away, either. If she wanted to leave now, she could.

Carola stood by silently for the moment. It was true, Amon likely didn't need her help anymore if these two weren't lost, but he'd asked her to take him to the dining hall, so that was the plan until he said otherwise. For now, there was a conversation to idle through.

Did you want to talk about it? Synthia offered. It struck her that he might be more comfortable talking to Gytha than to the both of them, since the two were closer. She amended her statement, I think you should, even if not with me.

"Maybe later," Amon quietly replied. "Hmm ... is something going on right now? Are you just wandering around like I was?"

Gytha gave the Rexian a sorry smile. "Raquel n' th' others're gettin' reada t' go t' th' cathedral. N', well, didn't want t' miss th' chance t' talk t' ye b'fore we had t' part ways again."

Casual as she was trying to be about it, the mariner was legitimately sad to have to separate from Amon again. They'd only just started traveling together again and she'd gotten her hopes up that they would travel together again. She was also beginning to wonder if something like what happened at the fort would happen again, but her primary sorrow was having to say goodbye to her friend so soon.

"Oh ..." Amon looked a little less distracted and downtrodden for the moment. "I guess I should meet them once they're ready to go. Even if the emblem piece is for Raquel, we can still get a lot of information from those archives," he reasoned once again. "That aside, though, was there something specific you wanted to talk about?" Frankly, he was at a loss for subjects with such important matters plaguing him.

"Well," Gytha began. The important thing was talking to him while she had the chance; the subject didn't matter much. But Synthia and he were right there, so she figured she could go into her tale about the ball. "There's somethin' I left in me room I wanted t' show the both o' ye as part o' me tale, so if we could walk o'er there while I tell it, that'd be th' best use o' th' time, I think. Don't want t' cut anathin' short, harr." She was less exuberant than normal, but that was just because she couldn't fully shake the glumness she felt knowing that they'd be splitting off, soon.

"Alright then, lead the way," Amon shrugged and smiled. He then looked to Carola, who was still standing there and likely to follow if they started off. Of course, he wouldn't have to bring it up himself since she noticed him looking at her.

"If you'll be fine on your own, I'll be going now, otherwise, I still intend to show you back to the dining hall," she explained with a wide smile.

"Maybe next time," Amon respectfully and nervously declined.

"Very well then."

"What he said," Synthia said to Gytha.

"A'right," she agreed before starting off in that direction. "So, as ye both know, Raquel n' those with'er were invited t' go t' the ball. I decided t' go since I'd never been t' one b'fore n' didn't know when th' opportunita t' go t' one'd come up again."

She frowned thoughtfully. "Ye know, I had no idea just how much work it was gettin' reada fer a ball. Not quite sure why it's called a 'ball' anaway. There's no ball games 'r anathin' there -- that 'r we ne'er got t' it. Anaway, it's so hard t' get properla reada fer a ball that I had t' have help from two o' Weyland's servant girls! I realla don't know just what all they did, either, past washin' up. Lotions, powder, some other weird stuff they smeared all o'er me face... Not sure what was makeup n' what wasn't n' what th' stuff that wasn't was for! Right confusin', that. There was also some perfume they used on me n' maybe some other scented things -- I don't know; it's all sorta one, big blur... N' then there was th' clothes! Just plain strange, that. Lot more layersn' normal, that's fer sure. Some squeezin' tight, some pushin' 'r pullin' -- don't know just what most o' it was fer. Same with me hair. It was pulled n' twisted n' pinned... By th' end o' it, though, I apparentla looked like th' ladies at th' ball, so I guess th' maids did a good job. Didn't want t' accidentalla offend anaone 'r somethin'. They also told me t' talk without me accent. Did me best; hope I did a'right."

The prep work for the ball had been an interesting experience in and of its self, but it was far from the meat of the story. She smiled again as she continued. "So, anaway, I rode t' th' ball with Haythem n' Nadya in one o' Weyland's land ships. We actualla got t' the ball b'fore we were let out, though. There was a lot o' backed-up ships. N' then, there was a line we had t' wait in b'fore we were let inta th' buildin'." She lit up a little. "But once we were inside... Sure were a lot o' people! They were all dressed up fanca like us, n' there was an artist paintin' pictures o' people. That's what I wanted t' go get: me picture. Th' painter was paintin' portraits fer free, so I got one done as a souvenir -- I love souvenirs, ye see. Ye wouldn't guess how it turned out either!"

She was downright excited at this point. "He actualla guessed I use a sword n' a pistol n' that I fight pirates fer a livin'! Hehaharr, isn't that somethin'?! Ye know, th' painter was weird, though. I think somethin' hit 'im hard in th' head 'r somethin'. He talked realla strangela, n' even Nadya couldn't heal 'im. Oh, and then th' princess showed up in a dress that changed color on its own. I didn't know somethin' like that was possible. Can ye imagine what a ship would look like if its sails did that? Wouldn't know what t' make o' it mseself. Anaway, this was actualla a ball fer th' princess n' th' man she's goin' t' marry. No actual weddin' happened, though. Oh, n' th' music there... Can't realla call it music. More like...just a lot o' overlappin', long sounds. Well, some were short, too, but that wasn't music... Still, th' princess n' 'er boyfriend danced slowla t' it n' everaone was watchin'. Even if it was a little borin', it was pretty n' kinda silla. Knew someone who danced like that once. Sang while 'e did it, too, heheharr!"

As they walked, she did a couple rough steps from it and giggled some before continuing with her story. "Kind o' hard t' dance that way by yerself. Tried. Anaway, ev'ryone started dancin' like that once those two were done. Got bored with it, so I talked t' th' shantymen about it. Th' one I talked to doesn't like jigs, I think. Anaway, turns out I was supposed t' ask the princess about th' music, not th' shantymen, so I asked her."

Remembering a detail, she added, "Ah, n' apparentla, th' shantyman I was talkin' to is called a 'conductor.' Anaway, I talked t' th' princess n' she decided we should have a dancin' competition! Haythem n' Nadya were alreada dancin' somethin I haven't seen b'fore when she decided that. I love dancin'. Jigs're what I'm used to, but I like learnin' different kinds o' dances, too, so I asked 'em if they'd show me how. They did, but it wasn't until we all signed up fer th' competition. I signed up separatela, too. Oh, turns out there was someone at th' signup table who owned a ship -- The Savantia. The captain n' crew o' th' ship works fer 'im since he doesn't want t' sail 'er 'imself."

"Anaway, Zach n' Faatina wound up joinin' Haythem, Nadya n' me group fer th' competition. It wasn't hard t' learn, but it was a little strange movin' me hips like that. Haythem said th' dance was called th' 'Buzzed Bachelors' in Common. Anaway, I was th' third t' dance. Just a sailor's jig, but I tried t' make it fun fer ev'ryone. Got th' whole room clappin' at least, heharr! That was so much fun!" She took a moment to bask in the memory. "Right after that was th' group dance. I was a little tired from me own jig, but I've had t' endure a lot more tirein' tasks b'fore. It was fun dancin' somethin' new like that. Shadrak was a jusge fer th' competition, by th' way -- so was Steinn. There were a few other dances -- a group o' women, a couple doin' th' same dances e'reyone else was doin' b'fore, a sword dance -- that was done by th' prince n' a girl -- a lively dance by a man who looked like he was tryin' t' impress one o' th' judges, n' some other form o' jiggin' performed by th' princess n' another woman. While we were waitin' fer th' judges t' give their answer, I asked th' princess if she'd teach me how t' do that dance later. She agreed, but we never got th' time fer it. Turns out hers was th' winnin' act. When it came t' judgin', it was Shadrak who commented on me dance. He actually had some nice things t' say. Guess he's not as bad as I thought 'e was. Called me clever, which I can't say I hear too often, especialla not on land, heheharr!"

She blushed some as she went on, becoming a strange blend of bashful and exuberant, still hearing the crowd's applause. "Th' whole room got t' clappin' fer me. That dance is an old, familiar one, so I'm so happy ev'ryone liked it so much! Nothin' makes me happier n' ev'ryone just havin' a good, merry time t'gether!"

Gathering her thoughts, she continued, "Steinn commented on th' group dance. Says he liked it, n' I think th' crowd did, too."

She frowned, finishing, "Th' prince's dance was bein' judged when th' king showed up n' told ev'ryone about th' attack on th' city. Ne'er got t' try ana o' th' food at th' ball, ne'er got t' learn th' dance from th' princess n' th' ball just sort o' fell away from there. We got back t' th' estate after that. N' I think ye know th' rest o' th' story."

By that time, they'd reached Gytha's room and the mariner found her smile again. She opened the door and walked inside, leaving the door open so the two could follow her in. It only took a moment for her to bring out the portrait and show it to Synthia and Amon. "This is what th' painter made."

Well, as long as she found it an interesting experience, Amon supposed the dressing up part wasn't the worst of it. As he continued to listen Gytha went over more details that he already knew about, so it became easy for him to get distracted by the issues currently bothering him, like his duty to Aisha and his semblance of a friendship with Raquel and the emblem piece that was complicating both.

This didn't last long, however, as Gytha soon got around to the ball itself, their trip to it and wait in a line of carriages from the sound of things. He wasn't sure who this painter was she was going on about, but if Nadya couldn't heal him, he must have had one hell of an injury ... or maybe that was another way of saying he was beyond help or something. The latter definitely seemed more likely at any rate. At least he could paint well, apparently. Maybe that was the price for whatever his other shortcomings were.

A dress that changed colors ... that wasn't something he hadn't heard of before, though he'd seen something similar when Lilith first appeared. She certainly had a flashy way of changing outfits. He figured that with royalty, something like this shouldn't be terribly surprising, though it was still quite impressive for magic that didn't involve the emblem. In that way, it surpassed Lilith's wardrobe change.

Amon made a mental note that Gytha didn't like slow music ... and didn't even consider it music, really. That brought a frown to his face for a moment; he felt as though that was a bit harsh even though he didn't have a taste for waltzing music either. Still, she managed to solve the issue without causing a scene from the sound of it ... well, without causing a negative or destructive scene, at least. A dancing competition certainly wasn't what Amon was expecting to hear about after they returned.

She soon went into the parts about the dances and the judges. The sword dance sounded the most interesting to him and almost like something Amon would want to try. He didn't have a sword, but he was getting rather good with wielding his knife. With another one he could probably pull off some impressive dance of his own. He wasn't sure about this partner of the prince's, though, or what her role in the performance was.

Apparently Gytha's dance, though a bit standard fare in some parts of the world, managed to get a good reaction from the crowd. Amon wasn't sure how that was even possible at first, but perhaps there was something more to it. He was also surprised that Shadrak was giving it a positive review. That guy was full of surprises. Being a dance competition judge with nice things to say one hour, draining allies of their life force the next. Soon though, the fun times were over and Gytha's story took a bit of a dive toward last night's main event, the Fallen attack on Europa. Fortunately, that was where Gytha concluded the story. There wasn't really any need to rehash anything else, he agreed with a nod.

Once they reached her room, about the time her story ended, she ventured into her room to retrieve what turned out to be the painting she'd mentioned before. It was a lot better than he expected and certainly refreshed his memory of Gytha in her ball attire. Frankly he was surprised anyone would do this for free ... which he said aloud. "He did this for free? That's ... wow." 'Crazy' is what Amon wanted to say but figured it best not to spoil the moment.

Listening to the beginning of Gythas story, there was much Synthia could relate to. The horrors of preparing for such an event were much of the reason the mage hadnt gone in the first place, but she was glad to hear that Gytha managed to enjoy herself anyway. It was a bit sad to hear that the maids tried to alter the mariners accent. It felt like suppressing part of who she was. The mariner continued, mentioning a painter doing free portraits and how a painting was what she wanted to show them. Apparently the man was either psychic or really good at guessing, as hed managed to portray Gythas line of work with surprising accuracy. At that Synthia raised an eyebrow. The artist sounded like a creep, either way.

The story continued with Gythas descriptions of the princesss gown, ballroom music, and dances. Considering that Synthia knew most of the things the mariner was talking about, it was amusing to hear the way she portrayed them. The mage nearly tripped over herself, however, when Gytha said she asked the princess to change the music, and the princess started a dance competition. She knew the other woman wasnt joking, but it certainly wasnt something she expected to hear. Wrathdammit, that competition was something she wouldve liked to see. She could kick herself for not going. Assuming the ball to be the usual stuffy, stuck up affair had apparently backfired.

The end of the ball was to be expected, considering what happened last night, but the mage thought it unfortunate all the same. At least Gytha had been able to enjoy it up till then, she reasoned. When they reached the mariners room and she brought out the portrait, Synthia was surprised by the quality of the work. It wasnt what she expected from such a short time to work on it, but the artist mustve had considerable talent to pull that off. Thats actually really good. Makes me wish I had gotten one done, she said, smiling. Was that the dress you wore last night, too? It looks nice. She hadnt seen the group off, so Synthia had missed out on seeing any of their outfits. A shame.

"Aye," Gytha cheerily answered both Amon and Synthia. Then, more specifically to the latter, she added, "Ye know, th' painter came back with us. I don't know if he's still around -- his name's Alex, as I r'call -- but if 'e is, ye could probabla get yer own portrait."

She then put the painting away. Before returning to her friends, though, the mariner paused, then heaved a sigh. Then, she turned back around and returned, a bit of a sorry smile on her face. "I don't like thinkin' about havin' t' part ways again," she commented to the two, "Yer th' best friends I've had, n' I trust ye both with me life. Heheharr, that's not realla vera common, ye know."

For a beat, she pondered something, then with a nod, she walked over to the door to her room and closed it before turning to face her friends again. "So, I'm willin' t' tell th' two o' ye me biggest secret. I'd like t' know about how ye both grew up, too, though, if ye don't mind it. I'm sure it's realla different from me own stora, heheharr!"

"How we grew up?" Amon partly echoed. From the sound of things, her biggest secret was at least closely related to how she grew up. Amon didn't have such secrets, he felt, only questions of his own that even Aisha couldn't answer for him.

"Aye," Gytha affirmed lightheartedly, "A'course, I'm curious about how yer travels've been since we parted ways last time, too. Meetin' interestin' people, seein' new things... N' a'course, talkin' about what ye've both thought about our time with Raquel. So mana strange things've happened travellin' with 'er -- no mistake. But first, I'm curious about what it was like fer ye two growin' up. Fair trade, unless ye don't want t' hear me secret."

Synthia blanched slightly after hearing the painters name; she remembered seeing him around and remembered how odd he was. There was no reason to pursue that topic further. Gytha put the painting away and came back, though she looked less cheery than she had been. It was understandable, though, once she told what was on her mind. The mage returned a sad smile. She hadnt known the mariner valued them so highly.

Gythas request, however, was a bit unexpected. Appearing slightly bemused, Synthia replied, I dont mind, but Im afraid my story will be dreadfully dull. You sure you want to hear about something boring like that?

Gytha gave Synthia a happy nod. "I'm always curious about what things're like fer people from places I've ne'er been to. I don't know what it was like t' grow up where ye grew up, so it'd be fun t' hear."

Synthia glanced briefly at Amon, then turned back to Gytha and shrugged. If she wanted to hear about this, then so be it. Well, you two have been through Ursaea twice with Raquel. I was born and spent most of my life there. Im the oldest of five siblings, my fathers former military, and my mom stayed home to raise us. We were pretty well off, wealth wise. I didnt know what it was like to worry about money until I was on my own. I... wouldn't say I had the worst relationship with my family, but I haven't been home in years. She looked thoughtful for a moment, deciding what else to share.

I had a fairly standard education; reading, math, religion. When my grandmother was still living she taught me the basics of anima, but I never had formal training. My parents didnt find it appropriate. That wasnt a decision that particularly pleased her, and it showed in her expression. I began learning staves when I was fourteen. Later on I trained with the Order of Mercy as a healer, but they, ah... dismissed me. It was never what I wanted to do with my life anyway. Her tone was unaffected, but by this point she wasnt maintaining eye contact with Amon or Gytha anymore. There were a few things she purposefully did not cover, but rather out of not wanting to bring it up herself than unwillingness to share.

If theres anything else you want to know youre going to have to ask, specifically, Synthia stated.

"Wow, ye sure had a lot o' siblin's! I'm sorra I ne'er asked ye for a tour o' yer home either! We're goin' t' have t' go back t' Ursaea sometime! Heharr! N' I'm surprised ye didn't have formal trainin' in magic. Yer so good at it!" Gytha laughed, grinning widely. She was really enjoying learning more about her friends, and they'd only just begun talking! Eyes shining, Gytha asked, "What's it like growin' up with other kids?"

Gythas cheerful response pulled Synthia out of some of her less cheerful reminiscing. She wasnt expecting the praise regarding her magic, but it did cause her to relax a bit before answering the next question. Infuriating, she answered, though with a smile. They were always getting in my things and ratting me out. And if we ever fought, I was always the one in trouble. Being eldest comes with that right, apparently. On the other hand, I never had to worry about being alone or forgotten. I dont know how they feel towards me now, but I definitely do miss them

Gytha gave Synthia a sympathetic smile. That shifted to a cheerier one. "Well, I'd love t' meet 'em. Ne'er had ana brothers 'r sisters o' me own." Then, to Amon, she asked, "What about ye? Did ye ever have ana siblin's?"

She knew a little about his life already and he knew some about hers. They'd talked about it before, but she had cut the story short and really, she only had a vague idea of what things had been like for Amon.

"Mm ... not quite," Amon answered thoughtfully. "I spent some years in the low quarters and had some neighbors around my age, but I was an orphan so ..." So no true siblings as far as he was concerned. Shaking his head to get rid of the thought, he continued on.

"Everyone was a little surprised when I was brought into the city itself. I never thought for a second I would ever be living in the palace. It never even my crossed my mind. I guess I was just content up until then. I had been running messages around for people along with some others. We weren't as fast as messenger birds but the people in our area still preferred us. I guess we were better for conversation than the birds," he shrugged. "I'm still not sure why I was singled out to do the same thing around the palace, but I never complained before and I'm not going to start now." There was more ... life in the palace, but his life in the low quarters wasn't something he'd touched on before, so he figured there might be a question or two about it before he moved on. Either way ....

It was odd, but Gytha hadn't known Amon was an orphan until now. It sounded like he still had a pretty good life, even before the palace, though. "D' ye know what happened t' yer parents?"

If she was picturing things right, he was talking about that area right outside of the city proper. It was still supposedly protected by Aisha, so it was a little strange to her that there would be orphans around there.

Amon shook his head negatively. "All I can even guess about them is that they wanted me to have a good life. That's the only way I could have wound up in a place like Sanctuary while I was still a baby," he frowned. Going on a journey through the desert with the burden of an infant ... that had to be a nightmare. "I don't even know who exactly brought me to the city. By the time I was old enough to ask about it, no one I knew could even remember."

Well, Amon's story certainly had an interesting beginning. He arrived in Sanctuary as a baby and no one knew who his parents were. "Maybe someday ye'll find 'em," Gytha offered with a shrug. Really, though, she doubted it. There wasn't much to go on. His parents might not even be alive anymore.

Well, she felt that she'd asked enough questions. It was her turn to give some backstory. "Amon, ye alreada know some o' this, but as fer me, I grew up in an inn me mother runs called Th' Salty Brine Inn in Stubbsgrit. Since neither o' ye're seafarers, ye probabla don't know th' significance o' that name. Ye see, Stubbsgrit's a pirate port city. It gets pretta dangerous there, so me mother taught me how t' shoot when I was old enough t' hold a pistol. Wasn't allowed t' go help buy supplies n' groceries until I was proficient, n' ne'er alone. Brawls, theft, murder... All sorts o' things happened there. But not at ol' Salt. If anaone was causin' trouble, me mother 'r th' staff'd stop it, guns blazin' if it came t' it. N' though she's stern, me mother's fair. Protects 'er own, she does. S'long as ye don't threaten anaone n' yer a friend 'r a payin' guest, yer safer n' anawhere else in port. It's a nice inn too -- o'erlooks th' docks."

Gytha smiled as she reminisced about her childhood. "Used t' watch th' docks nearla all day when I wasn't workin'. Me father's th' captain o' a ship called th' Saltstraumen. Fine vessel, fine crew. Me father's name is Captain Reese Thirdgem. Kind n' jolly, one fer a good tale, too, though he likes t' sleep, too. Mother doesn't let 'im laze about, though, heheharr. Always planned on joinin' th' Saltstraumen crew when I was old enough. Sailin' th' seas with me father, goin' on adventure after adventure... That was me dream."

Eh, you may not want to meet some of them Synthia said with a half-hearted laugh. The story telling shifted to Amon, and the mage listened curiously. She hadnt heard much about his life in Sanctuary. Though he was an orphan, his story was heartwarming, in a way. Someone had cared enough about him to brave the desert to bring him somewhere with a better life.

Synthia had heard about Gythas mother before, but never anything so in depth about her background. Quite a few things made more sense, now. There was one thing she caught that was worth asking about, though. Was your dream? Did something happen to him? she asked. Stubbsgrit sounded like a pretty dangerous place to begin with

"Oh, he's still out there sailin' th' seas," Gytha replied with a sort of distant, distracted smile, "Most feared pirate o' our age. It's why I don't go around tellin' ev'ryone me full name." He smile disappeared. "I'd be more likela t' hang than t' land a job if people heard me name was 'Thirdgem.'"

Wait, so Youre the daughter of a pirate? Synthia asked. She didnt bother trying to hide her surprise. Gytha had always reacted rather strongly to mention of or insinuation of herself being a pirate, but here she appeared to respect her father despite his profession. Was there a story here? I can understand why you wouldnt want prospective employers to know that, but Why did you decide to become a mariner in the first place?

Indeed, there was a story there. Gytha grimaced at Synthia's first question, but didn't answer until she was finished talking. "Aye... That I am." She sighed before her gaze went distant and she began the tale. "As I told ye, I'd always dreamed o' sailin' at me father's side. I helped me mother with 'er business most o' me life, but when I was old enough, I finalla got th' chance t' b'come a pirate meself. It wasn't aboard th' Saltstraumen, though... Me father arranged fer me t' start out smaller. Called in a favor with an old crewman -- a pirate named Miles Grater who'd been given a ship th' Saltstraumen had captured. That ship's name is th' Deadlock, n' it was th' first ship I'd ever sailed on. I didn't realize it at th' time, but th' rest o' th' crew was leery o' me from th' beginnin'. I was th' onla woman aboard, too."

Gytha's expression darkened and she paused a moment. Then, the continued gravely. "We were out at sea. I'd been learnin' me seamanship n' practicin' what I alreada knew o' fightin'. We hadn't come across anathin' 'r anaone yet. Th' wind suddenla died. Stayed dead fer quite a while, too. That coupled with not seein' sail fer s'long... Well, I found out that th' crew was superstitious. There's an old myth that women're bad luck aboard a ship -- that Lord Leviathan won't grant favor t' those who carra women on their vessels. A'course, it's a ridiculous myth -- me father has women crewmen aboard th' Saltstraumen n' he's th' most successful pirate o' this age! Th' pirates o' th' Deadlock took th' weather n' lack o' ships as reason enough t' start a shipwide battle, though. Th' captain n' about half th' crew defended that I shouldn't be tossed overboard. Th' others were sure gettin' rid o' me would turn th' Deadlock's luck around. We won th' battle, but we lost a lot o' men in th' infightin'. Th' wind eventualla r'turned."

She paused again, then shook her head sorrily. "We needed n' restock on supplies. Still no sail. So, we harbored in a safe, little cove near Fairgale Port. I was among those sent off t' gather supplies." Again, Gytha paused. This stretch was a little longer than last time. Her sorry look turned into a glare that bored into the floor. "When I r'turned t' ship, they were gone. I'd been abandoned, likela b'cause o' that dumb ol' myth. I was so angry that I b'gan lookin' fer work in Fairgale Port as a mariner..."

Her expression suddenly softened. "...But I stayed a mariner b'cause I finalla saw what piracy did t' people. Th' people who worked hard n' had it all stolen from 'em... Sometimes, people couldn't r'cover their businesses b'cause o' pirate attacks. Not t' mention th' deaths..."

Gytha raised her eyes to look at her freinds again, expression full of solemn strength. "That's why I hate pirates. Though me father n' mana old friends're pirates, who's goin' t' d'fend those people who can't fight fer themselves? N' though I was technicalla a pirate fer a time, I ne'er actualla committed ana acts o' piracy -- somethin' I'm vera grateful fer. So I don't tolerate bein' called a pirate. Just as offensive e' me as it is t' ana other mariner."

She glanced away, a worried look coming into her eyes. "But...I can't let anaone know all that. Not onla would I ne'er be hired again, I could be hanged 'r used t' get me father t' turn himself in. I...realla don't want ana o' that t' happen..."

The explanation started out simple enough, but by midstory Synthia was rather angry on Gythas behalf. Seriously? The crew fights to keep her alive, and then abandons her anyway? What a bunch of recreants. Well, they were pirates, after all, she reasoned. The story continued, and Synthia was a little surprised to hear Gythas work as a mariner began as something of a revenge plot. Though that was certainly not the reason she continued to work as one later on.

The mage smiled slightly, now that she understood her friend a little better. I promise I wont tell anyone, though thank you for sharing it with me.

Gytha smiled at Synthia's reply. "I know ye won't. I may be friendla t' people easila enough, but me trust?" She chuckled lightly as she shook her head. "That's not an easy thing t' earn. N' I wouldn't tell ye these things unless I trusted ye 'r if it was absolutela necessara."

Amon had indeed heard some of this before, but he still listened intently, as if it were only the first time. He hoped they had left her behind for her sake more than their own, but that seemed doubtful, and even if by some miracle they had been thinking of her in that way, there was no convincing her from the sound of things. It was obviously for the best, though. She didn't have to atone for a pirate's past and lifestyle.

"Well you know my lips are sealed," he shrugged helplessly with a weak smile on his face.

Gytha gave a sincerely grateful smile to her Rexian friend and nodded. "Aye. Like I said back in Sanctuara, I trust ye. N' ye've no idea how grateful I am fer ye. After bein' left b'hind my be crew, I ne'er trusted anaone 'r considered 'em me friends. Not until you."

The somewhat serious topic was dropped, however, as Gytha let loose a hearty laugh. "N' what a voyage it's been! Can't count how mana scrapes we've gotten ourselves outa! I know I can always r'ly on ye two! Goin' t' be sad when we have t' part ways."

She nodded to herself at that before continuing on. "R'member that scurvy dog we took down when all this b'gan? Heheharr, what a thrillin' fight! At th' time, I was just angry at 'im fer attackin' me friends, but thinkin' back on it, there was some good teamwork r'gardin' it. Grayish-blue-haired fella, as I r'call... 'Course, doesn't matter what color hair ye have when yer head's rollin' away from yer neck..." She winced at that. "Hmm. Guess I got a little carried away..."

Amon couldn't remember the poor guy's name either. When people fell by the sword, though, the end result was always the same, so it didn't seem to matter much whether or not he was decapitated. Gytha's response might have been a little harsh, but that was what battle did to people sometimes. "It can be really tough to stay calm in a fight, especially without any formal training," Amon shrugged slightly. He'd had some formal training himself, but nothing that would keep him calm if one of his friends was seriously hurt in battle. Or worse.

Their talk continued, reflecting on the times when they had fought alongside one another among other, good memories until the time finally came for Synthia and Amon go go with the others to the cathedral. After she had farewelled her trusted friends and allies, Gytha went off about her own business.

[spoiler=An Interrupted Break]<Wait... Do they...?> A Dark Avian was flying over the plains of Ursium when he thought he saw a group of fellow Dark Avians resting nearby. As he got closer, though, he could hardly believe his eyes: these winged beings had tails. <Could... Could it be?!> He could hardly believe it. In his excitement, the Dark Avian rushed over to the group, eyes shining in fascination.

"Hello!" he cheerily greeted. He was talking about a mile a minute. "This may be abrupt of me, but I couldn't help but notice your tails! Are you Fallen Ones? Oh, you might call yourselves by a different name, actually... Really, though, I wasn't expecting to meet Fallen Ones, especially not out here on the plains of Ursiu--"

[Phoenix]

The Plaza

Greta had been almost optimistic at first, with Nadya's offer suddenly giving her a way out of being little more than a girl with a gun, but with the arrangement came danger and an unexpected challenge that she wasn't sure she could adequately prepare for. She continued to speak with Nadya and Amon about the matter as the wagon inched its way past the crowd and away from the plaza, but some more opinions might be needed.

Raquel's thoughts dwelt on her father whom, for all she knew, could be anywhere. She'd considered it already, that he might not be with Sardis right now, but even if he wasn't, Sardis was the key to finding him, and either way, the murderous criminal had to go down at some point. Of course, with no guarantee that her father was in Europa, she was entertaining the idea of capturing Sardis for the first time in a long while instead of letting the others do what they did best. It was an uncomfortable thought to consider, especially since deep down, she knew she wanted him dead for putting her through all of this. There were times when she spoke of leaving him in jail to rot, but she wasn't that forgiving, was she? She certainly didn't feel like it anymore. It probably wasn't going to be by her own hands, but she suspected that in the end, he was going to fall by one of her many swords.

Reign eventually got into the wagon and began thinking about the situation with his eye. Maybe Nyx would fix it for him without using it as a way of dragging him into her service ... or maybe she wouldn't even bother with him otherwise. He couldn't blame her for doing the latter, really, but he wished she would focus on more than just gaining servants at any opportunity. Until he knew she was a dead end though, he'd wait for word from Nadine or the more likely of the two, Ryder. If Nyx wouldn't help him then he'd just go back to his original plan. Nothing gained or lost, really.

Soon, though ... the rain came from the east. Before too long, the city was resting under a light shower.

The Archives

"Heh, for a second there I thought we'd be able to fix this before she got back, but with the casing bent this badly, that's not likely," Fizza shrugged. She was a little amused by the turn of events.

"We can still get it back into shape, but it is going to take longer than expected, yeah," Ryder agreed.

Nadine meanwhile, was still thumbing through the book she'd taken with her legs crossed and her foot bobbing around. It was taking awhile to get to the information she wanted, though she knew it was all extremely relevant. Right now though, she wanted answers to very specific questions, and wading through the detailed information was beginning to frustrate her. She wanted to stop and absorb more of it, but she'd be reading the book for the rest of the day if she tried. "Maybe I should ask her directly," she muttered. "I'll be at this for days otherwise."

"Be sure to put in some real effort before asking," Ryder warned. "The lazy tend to wind up with what they deserve."

"Yeah, yeah." It's not about laziness, it's about timing. If I can't take this book with me then I seriously need to hurry up and find what I'm looking for here ... "Where did she go anyway? You said there were only a few places she would bother with?"

"Yeah ..." Ryder nodded.

[spoiler=The Lunar Surface: Memento Terra]Her feet came gently down onto the scorching hot dust of the ground, a thick and web-like aura covering her entire body. She was like an illusion, something the relentless heat and vacuum of space simply couldn't faze. A short ways in front of her stood a small throne chair, formed out of the very ground she was standing on.

I can see the Earth from here, Hypnos excitedly called out inside of his mother's mind.

Nyx made her way to the throne and sat down. It's a nice view, she mused. It's been almost an entire cycle since I set foot here ....

I wish Discovery could see this.

She'll see something vaguely similar once Wrath comes. Whether or not she remembers or even survives comes down to how this cycle ends, She explained. I think I'm just going to enjoy this for a few minutes ... ... Pergemia ... Sardius ... and Laodicia ... those are the only continents visible from this side.

I wonder if the people living elsewhere are aware of the cycles or if ... they've been kept in the dark ...

If they do know what's going on, they're probably making a mess of things ... scurrying around trying to fix something that isn't broken. No ... I suppose it is broken ... but it's not a problem they can fix. It all comes down to the emblem this time. I have to admit ... what Lord Wrath is planning is a threat to my own plans, but I have precious minds to protect. For their sake, I cannot be directly involved in this battle.

Well ... I could. I'm not a vasilus anymore, so the worst anyone can do is destroy my body. As long as you're here, I'll never truly die, mother.

And what makes you think I'll even consider letting you put yourself in harm's way?

It was worth offering, Hypnos conceded.

You'll be more helpful after all this is over and done with. Assuming Lord Wrath doesn't get his way, I'll be moving forward with my plans.

You have plans? Hypnos was a little excited to hear that, but was also curious. His mother was once the 'Maiden of Aspiration'. She never shied away from the grandiose.

Nyx smirked in amusement. Of course I have plans, Hypy. When Lord Wrath is placated or outwitted, we will leave all of this misery and madness behind us. To think that nearly all of the suffering in this universe is contained to a single spot is profound, but we're the beneficiaries of my father's work, and like him, I know the path to peace. Unlike him, I'm willing to act on this knowledge. There is a lot of fighting still to come, but when the dust finally settles, my family will be the last one standing.

The City: Holy Huntress

Lyra felt more comfortable 'resting' when she wasn't in the presence of a bunch of people that needed help, and so it wasn't long before she left the tavern and went for a short walk. To her surprise, Miguel was speaking with another officer she didn't recognize, a blonde of average height. She shrugged it off, figuring she was just reporting some thing or other and went on her way. As she made her way up the street, a carriage appeared, traveling quite fast. Lyra thought about trying to make them stop and lecturing the driver, but thought twice when she considered what would happen to her if they failed to stop in time.

Still ... that didn't mean she should just stand back and hope no one got ran over. "STOP," she called out. She wasn't the only one. A couple of other soldiers dropped what they were doing to stop the carriage. The carriage did stop, but for some reason, Lyra felt it had little or even nothing to do with her and the others. The driver bowed apologetically at her as she stepped out in front of the vehicle and then rushed to the side to open the door for his passenger. "What do you think you're doing?" Lyra asked impatiently. From what she could tell, it wasn't all the driver's fault, his thoughts repeated over and over that he was essentially under orders. Orders from the Wrathites?

Clover Bradford emerged from the carriage. Some of the soldiers were pacified by that, but not Lyra. She was from the big city, and not even religious bigshots got their way all the time there. "I'm looking for Blake Frode. Could one of you take me to him?"

"What?" Lyra shook off the surprise and approached Clover with fire in her eyes. "You could have gotten someone killed with that little stunt of yours. You could get fined for reckless endangerment."

"And your life could be snuffed out for delaying a servant of our Lord Wrath in an important matter. I must find Frode immediately. If you insist on a fine, then report this to the Order, but do not waste my time, officer," Clover snapped.

"What's going on here?" Miguel asked as he approached the scene.

"She's looking for a guy named Frode," Lyra shook her head and shrugged, having no idea who that was.

"He was at the engagement party last night," Clover explained, hoping to jog Miguel's memory since he was actually there, "... with a woman ... Raquel Valcyn."

"Oh!" Now Miguel knew ... "Umm ... hmm. Well what makes you think he's around here? I haven't seen him."

"Then please allow me to search on my own," she demanded.

As Clover's gaze darted between them expectantly, Miguel and Lyra exchanged a few knowing, worried looks. Eventually, Miguel said, "Lieutenant, go with her and make sure there isn't anymore trouble."

"Sir," Lyra nodded.

The City: Glen

Joanna had been hoping to reach Glen's place before it rained, and she did, but she knew by the gods she wouldn't be able to make it back before it started. Worse yet, Valter was along for the ride and would have to suffer the downpour as well. At the very least, she was relieved to see Glen unharmed as he opened the door to greet her.

"Oh, thank the gods you're alright," he rushed right out the door and hugged her.

"I-I was ... coming to ... check on you, actually ..."

Glen slowly released her and that was when he finally noticed Valter. He spared the man a curious glance and not much else. He was a little worried about another man bringing her here but figured the church still wasn't risking letting her do or go anywhere alone. It was better to assume that than get off on the wrong foot with the man, at least. "I'm alright," Glen smiled sadly. "A lot of people I knew died, though. Friends, a few of their neighbors I was on good terms with. I'm really starting to hate the stupidity of our leaders, Joanna. How could they not see this coming? And why were those bastards tying up one of those monstrous creatures instead of destroying it? It doesn't make any sense."

"... what?" Joanna's eyes widened in surprise. What was the army up to, here? As she began to recall some things from the previous night, the first drops of rain struck her cheek.

The Plaza: The King's Address

By the time the crowds were properly herded and the King was able to begin his public address, it had begun to rain. Nathon held out his armored hand and looked at his palm as the rain drops struck it. "Tears of the gods ... or merely of the people?" As he looked over his shoulder, he saw his daughter and soon to be son in law, the latter holding an umbrella for the former. It was a kind gesture if nothing else, especially with plenty of willing and able servants nearby, but the look on Athena's face told him that no act of kindness would be noticed by her at the moment, not with her best friend still missing.

Looking out at the crowd, he could see a few dozen extra criers, people who would help relay his words throughout the plaza. With the noise of the rain present, there wasn't much choice, really. He nodded to the mage woman who would be helping to carry his voice as far as it could go in this damnable rain and prepared to begin.

"My people, listen to me ... Ursium has come under attack by the Fallen." Already, he could hear the murmuring. He'd have to wait a moment or a good number of them would miss what he had to say next. "This is clearly a declaration of war ... one that we will not turn a blind eye too." Of course, they had to be wondering how Ursium would stand up to such unimaginable monsters and the Neviskotians at the same time. "Fear not. We have the backing of Ursium's most powerful citizens. Weyland Enterprises, Hammer Industries, even houses Reuter and-"

Athena gasped and covered her mouth. Father, you didn't. Athena already knew that there had been no meetings between the King and these families or commercial entities he had just gotten to listing. He was setting them all up, forcing them to make an effort the public could recognize, or risk having them turn against them in the long run. She carefully looked to Terrel to see if he had come to the same conclusion as her. Before she could, she felt rain drops hit her head, as he'd dropped the umbrella in shock.

You ... unbelievably cunning bastard. We just lost our entire bid for power and with the people on your side ... urgh damn it all. All this attack has done is given him a rallying point for the people. Now we can do nothing .... Terrel quickly regained his composure and picked up the umbrella. "I'm sorry, Athena, I shouldn't have loosened my grip so much there." Your fool father is dragging us all into this madness with him and there's nothing we can do to stop it. I just hope we can actually win against both the empire and the fallen.

"I-it's alright ..." she struggled to reply. She was just as shocked as he was, after all.

Terrel took a moment to study Athena while her eyes were on her father. He smiled sadly. His family wanted more power, more control, and so did he, but he quickly remembered that he did care for her. Just as well, because if Nathon's gambit actually worked, he would be lucky to get out of this with just her hand in marriage.

"Together, the army, the nobility, and the 'corporate giants' who have for too long been vying for power, will stand together against this threat. And not just this threat; the Neviskotian Empire will know that Ursium will never fall, not to them, and not to these abominations the Fallen have foolishly sent against us. Mourn our dead, but then steel yourselves for battle ... because from here on out, Ursium stands united as one!"

The Estate: Arrival

The wagon made it back to the estate a little ahead of the rain clouds, but they didn't have long before the whole place would be under a downpour. Some workers came outside shortly after the wagon came to a stop and took the vehicle off of the driver's hands. Amon, Malik, and Reign took the sacks of gold out and waited for Nadya to direct them while Raquel ran straight inside to try and find Weyland. She needed to tell him about the situation with Sardis as soon as possible.

The prospect of rain wasn't doing much for Greta's mood, but at least she would be inside before it became an issue. She went inside and took a seat at the bottom of the large staircase, waiting for Nadya and Amon to catch up.

[spoiler=Plain Crazy]Valdimarr's eyes slowly opened as the most peculiar voice began rambling on in another language. His curiosity won out so fast, he realized his body was moving all on its own and he rose off of Ragna's lap to see a dark avian speaking to them. <"What the hell is going on, now?">

"SILENCE!" Fury cut the mysterious newcomer off and held out his restored hand at him. "State your business here, or we will assume you have only come to die, avian."

<"Why kill him? We'll need materials for new experiments as the plan progresses, and a living specimen's much better for that,"> Ragna protested.

[spoiler=Outer Sanctum: Righteous Fire]<"He said we could do this if we just stay coordinated, so let's do it,"> came the impatient and angered voice of a wyvern rider. <"There's only three of them. Focus on one at a time, and we can take them. There's twelve of us.">

<"They've taken down entire battalions, so I don't think our twelve heads are going to amount to much,"> the other rider noted.

<"We still have a trump card," he assured him. "Now let's move in.">

The plan was simple enough, take a relatively small group of expert fliers, skirt around avian controlled territory, provoke an attack by the Cloud Legion, and capture one of their fighters in the chaos. The man behind this bold plan was a Separatist Warlord, Petia Markov. He waited patiently atop his own wyvern on the deck of his ship, just off the coast. His men scrambled around the deck, making preparations for battle while he kept his keen eyes on the sky.

On the battlefield, the wyverns stayed far apart so that avian magic wouldn't take out more than a single person at a time, but it made communication difficult. Fortunately, they had planned for every possible situation Petia could think of, and just needed to single out one of the three avians in the area.

<"Attack,"> the leader called out. Just as he did, an intense golden ray flew past his head. It came from the avian at the center of the trio they were trying to defeat. <"Hrg ... what the ..."> <Did he miss or was that a warning shot?>

<"Aureola! It's an aureola spell,"> one of the others warned.

The next one came all too quickly and pierced his wyvern's skull before obliterating its insides and tail. The rider could feel what was left of his wyvern's body catch fire before the gunpowder in his saddlebags ignited and blew them both away.

The center avian moved forward at incredible speed, leaving a trail of blue flames in his wake. He came flying through the formation like an arrow and unleashed another golden ray that led to another small explosion, killing the rider and wyvern both in one pass.

<"Dammit! We have to get close or he'll just pick us all off!"> A lightning bolt quickly silenced that wyvern rider, striking him right on the forehead. His wyvern flew back toward the coast as his dead rider plummeted to the earth.

<"We're gonna die ... we're all gonna die!">

<"Calm down and stick to the plan. This isn't over yet,"> a more level headed rider called out.

<Noah, it seems they're hoping to capture at least one of us alive. I picked up on that much when I got close. Be sure to avoid any obvious traps. Noah, you just keep hitting them from afar. I'll be doing the same. I'm sorry your training has to be as risky as all this, Liam, but we can't ignore this ...>

Edited April 20, 2014 by Phoenix

[Mercakete]

[spoiler=Plains]Startled by the sudden command, the Dark Avian's voice let loose a little call of alarm before he shut his mouth, jolting back some. <My, they are ruthless, aren't they? Or at least the one who speaks Common is... Well, at least he was to the point. That's respectable. Hmm...> Before he could reply, though, a very, very odd-looking one asked something of her ally. He could understand most of what she was saying, though the wording was rather confusing. <Is this their language? I didn't expect it to me so similar after all these years!> The actual gist of what she was saying, though, was rather frightening.

Somewhere between respectful, fearful, and fascinated, the Dark Avian attempted to act as politely as he could. He renewed a kindly (though somewhat sheepish) smile, for starters. He also bowed his head a little, folded his wings back a bit further, and kept his hands in front of him in an attempt to show he meant no harm. Body language was important, after all, especially when not everyone had a firm grasp on the spoken language being used. Humbly, and more slowly than earlier, he informed, "I will gladly answer your questions, but first, I would like to know which language you would prefer me to answer you in. As you can already tell, I speak Common, but I can also speak in Kigenese, Neviskotian, Rexian, or Quilesh, if one of those would be more to your preference."

[Toogee]

Eli finally made it back to the mansion…only to find that everyone else had beat him there. How did that happen? Evidently, the amount of ridicule he suffered had slowed him down enough for the others to pass him by. The seemingly long trip back had soured his mood, so he thought it better not to engage in conversation and headed straight for the baths.

“May I take your coat sir?” one of the maids asked.

“I wouldn’t.” Eli quickly replied. In fact, when he passed by a fireplace, he took his coat and threw it into the fire.

The rider was relieved to finally be able to wash the gross feeling off. He felt quite happy. In fact…he felt a song coming on…

“One pegasus in flight, one pegasus.

Sound the horn, come one more,

Two pegasi in flight!”

“Two pegasi in fight, two pegasi.

Sound the horn, come one more,

Three pegasi in flight!”

Eli’s rendition of the Pegasus Counting Song echoed through the bathroom chambers, possibly through the thin walls of the mansion.

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

Being on the training grounds, Jam hadn’t realized that everyone had arrived. She was a bit busy watching the duel between Alphonse and Aneda. The dancer did note the threatening skies above them.

“Hope you guys can handle a little water!” she said to the duelists.

Edited April 19, 2014 by Toogee

[roymbrog]

Katrina had eventually decided to ride on the wagon’s roof, which gave her a great view of the incoming rainclouds. When they reached the estate she hopped off and stretched before beginning to make her way towards the stables. She wanted to check in on Volga before the downpour started.

---

When the wagon rolled to a stop, Synthia climbed out and headed towards the manor, intending to find something to help her throat or at least something more convenient to write on than her tome.

---

Ah, so this was Joanna’s friend. Maybe a bit more than that, based on his reaction, but who was Valter to judge? (He was judging. Silently.) The horseman mentally chastised himself for that. Glen had lost friends last night, and did not deserve to have things though about him by someone who was clearly not jealous. The rest of the conversation was filled with sentiments Valter shared, though he would probably place the blame more on Weyland and Steinn than royalty.

While the two were speaking Valter looked away to the sky, partly because he felt a bit uncomfortable here and partly because of the storm clouds gathered overhead. There was no way he was going to escape that rainstorm between now and returning to Weyland’s. And seemingly on cue, he could feel the first drops beginning to fall. He wanted to interrupt their conversation, but this probably warranted notice. “It’s starting to rain. Do you mind if we come inside?”