Return of the Emblem Chapter Twelve: Divergent Paths

[Eail]

At Gwyn's questions, Zach couldn't help but sigh, his mood visibly dropping in happy levels. "For the third time in my life I had to give my mind away to someone else, give them full access to my memories. Every time I do this, I earn another ability that strengthens my power as a magic user, but to be honest with you? This will all probably come back to bite me some day, soon most likely. For all I know there could have been another unspoken clause in it that might bind me to do something I don't want." Resting his chin on his palm. "I probably could have asked for something different, something more useful, but time was limited and this was the first thing I could think of that would be beneficial to me in the long run.

Robin approached, and Zach found this a bit strange, she really hadn't come forth to him in a while, and he'd been rather busy with the whole trying to be important and useful to the group since they were trying to save the world and all. "Afternoon Robin." He greeted her, realizing introductions were in order, he figured Gwyn wouldn't mind being introduced. "Robin, this is Gwyndolin, she and her friends might be new additions to our group once they can speak to Raquel about employment. Gywndolin, this is Robin, one of our archers."

[Ether]

It seemed about time to exit, for now... soaking any further would only do harm, rather than good, and Angelica found herself in much better shape already, after resting... she'd still need some time before any proper spell casts but that was fine, really. She could break through the fatigue enough to escape close quarters if need be, even with the remnants of strain still settled in.

But paramount to any true recovery was comfort. And thus her chosen attire was based almost entirely on comfort, a rather form-fitting, but not obstructively so, sleeveless top, and a fairly small pair of shorts, one can't cover too much skin now, don't be silly. Both pieces were in white, light splotches of water along the upper areas of the top from her still wet hair that was tied up in a messy ponytail, but nothing so dire as to be considered risqué.

With getting dressed taken care of, Angelica made her way over to the kitchens, skirting around the current conversational groups towards one of the laid out fruit bowls, and taking hold of a nice, firm peach, bit into it. Looking over the current goings on, it seemed that, at the very least, the new people had been brought this far, if not yet hired. As well, it seemed one of the young girls, the self proclaimed prodigy-genius-extraordinare if Angelica recalled correctly, scoffing a bit at the thought, was firing water projectiles at Eva's blade.

Well, deciding it was best to do something, at least, Angelica closed the distance towards Zachary and the new girl.

"So, Zach... figure anything out about that info dump of yours?" She inquired, giving the... vivid newcomer a once over.

***

Faatina wondered when Raquel would have a moment spare... the paladin would rather like to get finding and purchasing a blade over with, especially if they were to charge into more fighting, but she understood the woman was under duress at the moment... oh well, she would approach the merchant when she came out from her current dealings.

[Rothene]

Finally finished with his painting, or at least just general people being fit into it, Ranyin was about to nod at a work well done, minus most of the roof detail, the entrances, the walls, most of the servants in it(but the dishes they held were still included as eerily floating plates filled with stuff), Ranyin was about to pack up and start socialising when yet another new comer whom did not look like a servant wandered into the dining hall.

Shaking his head, the diminutive Kigenese mage sat back down and started adding this new element to the painting with slightly furious strokes of his brush.

[ReformBlade]

Assurances helped Mushirah calm down and focusing on the question itself helped further, "I'm from Tremere," she said, answering the question as concisely as she could.

"Tremere? I've been there though i guess it's not surprising. Pretty nifty place, get people from all walks of life there, what with a port and all." Jericho added, admittedly just trying to make the woman feel a little bit better and hopefully not scared of him.

"Yeah, it's... home. It's all I'm really accustomed to." Mushirah spoke further, elaborating slightly on her story ever so slightly.

[Sakusa]

"I'm... sorry. I probably shouldn't have asked," Gwyn let herself slump even further, burying her face into her arms. "I really can't imagine giving a stranger access to my mind and memories. It just seems... absurd. Well... lemme know if it works out for you." She looked up once she heard the new girl approach timidly and was about to open her mouth to give another introductory spiel, but thankfully Zach came to her rescue once again. Holding back a sigh, she straightened her posture and shook Robin's hand gently. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Robin. As Zach here has mentioned, my name is Gwyndolyn. I happen to be a mage," she stated blandly, not quite sure what to make of the situation as it was starting to get crowded again. A pretty little blonde had come over to talk to Zach, and from the way she seemed to be assessing the pinkhead, it was as if she was sizing up the competition. "Zach, would you be a dear and introduce us?" the properly-dressed mage turned back to the young man and asked, batting her long eyelashes just a bit.

[Snowy_One]

Robin smiled as she shook Gwyn's hand. Things hadn't been screwed up horribly despite the addition of a third girl into the mix. She was still alive, still talking, and finding her center. "I am glad to meet you Gwyndolin. Another mage is welcome, even though there seem to be many in the group already. I hope we will get along." she said, her voice stiff and rigid.

"Wow that was forced! Calm down girl."

"Zach is, likely, my closest friend in the group. If you are his friend, you are my friend as well and I will try to keep you safe."

[Nanami Touko]

"Huh?" Eva asked, only half paying attention, "oh, there's a trigger on the hilt." She motioned with her free hand to a small sort of button. "It, uh... Hold on, my dad told me this, before I left..." She furrowed her brows like she was digging up some long forgotten memory, though it truly hadn't been all that long ago. Unfortunately this memory was in Neviskotian, so she repeated it as such. "<The trigger turns on the rune and releases some of the magical energy stored in the sword to create the barrier... and, uh... It...>" the gears were slowly turning, "<uses the energy inside the sword to make the barrier instantly, and the energy from the magic being shot at it to make the barrier stronger. Or something.> She went back to common and sighed. "That's how it works! I've absolutely no idea of the mechanisms behind all that, though; it's just what my father told me when he was explaining it. I probably left out a bit."

She then looked around the room for a moment as Jericho spoke to Mushirah, frowning slightly as Angelica was talking to that pink woman. She stuck her tongue out at Gwyn from across the room and then turned to Mushirah. "So, forgive my ignorance, but where is Tremere, exactly? I haven't gotten around much, and I can't say I've ever heard of it... Would you believe this is my first time visiting Ursium? Eheheh..." She awkwardly scratched the back of her head. "Just a simple woman from Neviskotia, sorry to say."

[roymbrog]

Synthia simply nodded at Erica. Black tea was perfectly acceptable. She wasn’t so sure what Johnny was shrugging about, but suppressed the urge to shrug back. They didn’t need a shrugging competition all up in here.

---

Valter had spent his time half listening to the conversation at hand and half lost in thought. His full attention returned to the present as Glen announced he was going to prepare lunch. With the storm outside, his usual objections to staying had to be weighed against that… His contemplation over whether to stay or not was interrupted by Joanna asking whether they should stay or not. He glanced over to her, slightly startled. “It’s up to you. It is your visit, after all. I doubt the weather outside will let up anytime soon.”

[Eail]

Zach seemed to be quite the popular person at the moment, was he complaining though, not really, having people to talk to was always nice but it was probably going to be weird to have his attention split three different ways.

'Damn it why am I blushing because of the eyelashes, I'm terrible at dealing with women... Really shouldn't be the case after exposure to Kit but oh well.'

"Ah, right. Angelica this is Gwyndolyn, she and her friends showed up right after you left with Eva. Gwyndolyn this is Angelica, she's another of our wind mages." Turning his attention to the rather... slightly clothed mage.

"Haven't had a chance to work on anything else so far because of the weather, I'd certainly be willing to get some practice in if there's an indoor training area around here."

_______

Glen was waking up from the little nap he'd been having on his side, recognizing that Cyrus was the one that had come up on he and Helena, the big scaly puppy dog leaned into the patting he was receiving, spiky tail of death slowly wagging as he did so.

Cyrus on the other hand was trying to get a better look at what Helena had been working on, both the girls made stuff for him quite a bit, and he was even wearing Helena's scarf at the moment. He certainly wasn't able to tell what it was she'd been making with it down on the ground like this, crouching down to help her pick everything up, causing their hands to brush up against each other a few times with him muttering an apology.

'Why am I more clumsy than the blind girl...'

With everything finally gathered up into Helena's bag, he was checking everything on Glen's back, making sure the saddle was strapped down properly, and was just about to offer his help to get Helena up on the giant lizard. Naturally nothing was ever that easy because he's an eail character

Mid step his brain actually registered what Helena had just said about her state of affairs, and the time he'd been gone. Three years ago it would have gone right over his head, but after spending this much time with the former prostitute he caught on... sadly his reflexes were another matter entirely. Somehow missing the ground and tripping on himself which resulted into an impact with the not so yet muddy ground.

"....Ow.... I'm okay."

Dragging himself up with a bit of groaning, and swearing he could practically hear his wyvern snickering at him from behind, Cyrus wiped himself off. "Anyways.... We actually ran into an old friend of mine and Gwyn's, one thing led to another and we were in a conversation with someone that offered us a job. Gwyn is probably already back at the estate and so are our new allies. Naturally I couldn't leave you two behind."

Actually getting into position on the ground and cupping his hands together to give Helena he asked "Wanna ride in front or in back this time?"

Edited April 22, 2014 by Eail

[Ether]

"Gwyndolyn, huh? Well, a pleasure meeting you, in that case." Angelica replied with a chipper tone... the girl seemed pretty enough, and was fairly decent at putting on an act, it would seem, as she got Zachary blushing... not that it was an overly difficult feat.

"Though I do recall seeing her in the crowd, if I do recall... not that she's very difficult to miss." Angelica noted, her voice laced with sugar... fake sugar that is... her voice was laced with splenda.

"Perhaps at a later time, I might join you... after hauling Eva back here and unloading some magic at her for an endurance test, I think I'm done with magic for the day."

Edited April 22, 2014 by Ether

[Sakusa]

"That's good to know. I'll keep that in mind, so if you're ever injured, please don't hesitate to find me," the ever-so-popular virtuoso replied to Robin with a pleasant smile, perfectly hiding how off-put she was by how forced the archer's dialogue sounded. Her fellow wind mage on the other hand... well, her act, on the other hand could be seen through quite clearly. Upbeat, saccharine, and trying to act like she's cuter than everyone else... the slight character overlap was enough to get on Gwyn's nerves. However, a real lady wouldn't let some hussy get to her, so she played her game... minus the gratuitous amounts of overblown friendliness. If this blonde was going to play at being some cutesy little girl, Gwyn would have rise to the challenge and present herself as a refined lady. "Oh no, Angelica, the pleasure's all mine. Really," she insisted, flashing her brilliant pearly-whites, "I'm just honored that you find me so memorable~"

Edited April 22, 2014 by Sakusa

[ReformBlade]

"It's uh... way south of here if my mental map is correct." Going through her limited memory of the places she had traveled since leaving her hometown, Mushirah could remember it quite clearly all things considered. "It's right by water, hence the port. I remember eating lots of fish there, I could never get tired of it." Smiling at the nostalgia, she could still taste the meal she ate previously. "And please, don't apologize for being you. You're being beyond considerate."

"Yeah, riiight up until she knees you in the rib cage." Jericho added because he could and to lighten the mood, figuring this'd get a reaction out of her somehow. Did it need lightening? No. Did Jericho particularly give a hoot? Nope.

[Ether]

Man, this one was rich. Angelica wondered for a moment if anyone failed to see through her ruse, but then... people can be blinded by many things, most of them involving various parts of the female anatomy.

"Well as I said, you're fairly hard to miss with such a... vibrant aura." Angelica replied, shooting a smile back at Gwyndolyn, as if that girl's teeth were any whiter than her own.

"I do have to say though, I adore your outfit... it's so frilly~ It reminds me of a prettied up little doll~" The adept continued... was she really trying to act like some classy lady... a class act, that was.

[Nanami Touko]

South, great, still no idea where that is, Eva thought to herself with a bit of an internal giggle. She didn't feel like asking Mushirah to get a map or give a better explanation because just hearing her talk about this place was entertaining enough. Fish was also something she wasn't used to eating, wondering what it was like. Living mainland in the mountains limited the types of meat you could eat. "Hey, don't worry about it. I'm not exactly sure what you mean by being considerate, anyway, I'm just listening to you talk..." Eva said with an embarrassed smile. This smile turned into a small pout when Jericho brought up her tree jump. "Well, you should just get better at catching people. I kissed your cheek; that was more than enough to make up for a few bruises, no?"

She sighed. This small talk of home got her thinking of her own. "I was, uh... Raised in Makarov, over in Neviskotia. It was a pretty big city and there was plenty to see there. Plenty of..." no, not mentioning the brothels, "...trade, and a few arenas in the city for fighting and tournaments. That kinda thing. Even had something we call sky racing, though I haven't had the chance to participate... Yet. It seems like a such a rush, I definitely want to give it a go when I get back." Now she was really thinking of home. "And Ma always cooked the best lamb chops dinner. Didn't have a lot of cattle up in the mountains; plenty of goat and sheep, though... I'm really regretting all that fruit, it's making me want meat something fierce." And she'd completed the emotional circle, leaning her head into her hand, elbow on the table, a slightly small smile hanging on her face.

[Rothene]

With his polishing done, Itsuki got out of the room, wondering where his grand nephew went. Calling to one of the servants, the Kigenese knight asked, "Where Ranyin?"

The servant blinked, unfamiliar with that name because the wind mage had failed to declare his name out boldly to every servant in the mansion. Itsuki guessed she had no idea who he was, so he decided to describe his grand nephew.

"Shooort," leveling his large hands somewhere in the middle of his chest, "Beh...beeh...behluck har," pulling his white hair, then pointing at the bit of black on his clothes, "Kigen!" Tapping his chest proudly. The servant shrank away slightly, clearly finding the situation both confusing and awkward.

Itsuki let out an exasperated sigh and said, "Kigen! Peepol! Shooort! Behluck har!" The servant's eyes widened in recognition as understanding dawned and a surge of insight crossed her mind. Clearly this old geezer was looking for a short Kigenese person, and there was one the household knew very well. Directing the old man carefully less he got lost and waylaid another unfortunate servant with perhaps less intellectual capacity to decipher cryptic words, she presented Itsuki with Hoshi's room's door and politely excused herself.

Somewhat pleased at his success in communicating in Common, Itsuki knocked on the door, a custom his grand nephew said was extremely important in these northern lands and their not-paper-thin walls and doors.

Edited April 22, 2014 by Rothene

[Mercakete]

[spoiler=Plains]<"YES! Thank you so much!"> cheered the Dark Avian before replying to Ragna, <"Oh, I'm aware of the Corvian-Kigenese conflict; I understand that it would probably be difficult to come and go as one pleases. The border must be quite dangerous, after all. That's one of the reasons I chose a sea route when leaving Neviskotia.">

[spoiler=Foes of a Feather]Rizen was again safely stabled at Weyland's estate and Norbert was onto his next priority: having a little chat with Steinn. He'd already questioned a fellow employee about the damages and he'd seen for himself a part of what the city had suffered. As far as he was concerned, breakfast beyond the apple he'd consumed could wait a little longer. Also learned from the employee was Steinn's location and directions on how to get there. He didn't pause even for a moment before the doors. Instead, he just continued his march, pushing said doors open and walking right into the study, red eyes blazing in anger. This blaze subsided some, giving way to surprise when he saw that not only was Steinn in the study, but so, too, was Professor Seth Weyland himself. Less surprising was that the woman Fallen from the previous day was also present.

This only gave him pause because Weyland was his new boss, so his presence carried a lot more weight than it had previously, and because he hadn't expected to actually have any personal dealings with him so soon. From Anna's explanation, due to the chain of command, he would be dealing with Ernesta the most. True, this was a self-inflicted meeting, accidental as it was, but it had still taken him off-guard and with his attention somewhat split, it was enough to momentarily silence him so he could get his thoughts in order again.

"What is it? Has something happened?" Weyland asked, expecting some kind of trouble. Usually people just barging in meant something very urgent needed tending to. Steinn knew a little better in this case, if only due to just who had barged in.

It would seem they had a visitor, an angry one, at that... still, from what she could recall this one was working for Sir Weyland... it would likely be best to wait and see for now, as at the very least, he seemed to have bee given pause by the revelation that said Sir Weyland was among them.

The vague thought that perhaps Weyland didn't know about himself and Suzume being new employees crossed his mind, if only due to how busy everyone had been since the actual recruitment, but that was largely overshadowed by Weyland's question. Of course it would be Weyland who asked it, too, which only made this more annoying. To his credit, Norbert did attempt to be at least somewhat respectful to the professor, if only because he was obligated to. Being outright rude would get him in hot water fast, he figured.

"No," grouchily huffed the pegasus rider as he crossed his arms before shooting Steinn a pointed glare, though he was still answering his boss sharply, "Not besides the estate and the rest of Europa being ravaged last night."

"Well what is it, then?" Weyland asked again, becoming a little more impatient now.

"Nothing to do with you," Norbert assured, though he was still angry. And, to be honest, it wasn't entirely true. He still didn't agree with Weyland's choice to help Steinn, for one. He just didn't want to outright say it now that he had that metaphorical collar around his neck. Plus, it wasn't as though Weyland was suffering any less than he was from the previous night's attack. Then again, Norbert wasn't sure who all died from the attack. It was very possible that he'd lost some sisters and just didn't know it yet. That wasn't something he particularly wanted to think about at the moment, however.

In the end, he decided to clarify to Weyland a little. "It's personal."

"Personal?" Weyland's head tilted away from Norbert in surprise. What the hell was going on now?

"I'm fairly certain this is about my people and the damage they caused," Steinn explained for Weyland, cluing him in that Norbert was probably more interested in Steinn at the moment.

Weyland rolled his eyes. "Make this quick," Weyland replied to Steinn, "we've a lot of work to do if we're going to prepare for the real attack." With that, Weyland made his way past Norbert, planning to go check on other things and then return afterward.

When Steinn spoke up, Norbert's glare rested on him as his anger flared up some again. The Fallen prince was spot on, and that always made him wonder if the black-feathered bird-man was reading his mind again, which did nothing good for the rider's temper. He felt a bit of relief when Weyland left, though. It was flawed thinking as anything he said or did could easily be reported, but with Weyland gone, Norbert felt a lot more free to say what was really on his mind. So, he did.

"Just what was that last night?!" Norbert angrily demanded. He'd been at the morning briefing, at least for a little while, so he knew about Valdimarr's emblem piece, ability to replicate himself, and that he was responsible for leading the attack. He also knew about the impending siege gates, but that didn't mean Steinn was free of blame -- not by a long shot, at least in Norbert's mind, especially since he still planned that eternal war against humans that Norbert was still against.

Steinn took a moment to walk over to one of the chairs in the study and took a seat, allowing his tail to smoothly and gently curve around his left side and across his lap. Once it came to a rest, he crossed his right leg over the left and rested his head against his right fist, eyeing Norbert curiously.

"That," Steinn put plenty of emphasis on the word, "was a test, to see how you Ursians handle aggression. It was also a distraction. I don't know how my brother or the architects have 'graded' you people, but I do know that they'll be moving forward with their plans regardless."

"That's stupid," Norbert huffed, "Of course people who aren't trained to fight aren't going to fight well!" In spite of his wording, (Norbert wasn't actually formally trained himself) what he meant by "people who aren't trained to fight" was people who hadn't put effort into learning how to defend themselves. If there was one good thing that came from the test, though, it was that the Fallen were likely to underestimate Ursium's actual forces.

Half a second later, he realized his anger had been shifted to a different target than he'd intended, not that he hated Valdimarr any less than he hated Steinn. "And I'm still not convinced that you're not our enemy, even with all your help against these gates. You were the one that drew those Fallen here in the first place! And how do I know you're not just some inside part of a bigger plan? You and your brother survived, right? You could be trying to weaken Ursium under some guise for all we know!"

"Your aggression and suspicion are entertaining, Norbert," Steinn smirked for a moment, but all too suddenly, his smirk was replaced by something more serious, "but I don't really care what you think. I'd sooner vindicate myself to a dog. Think what you will, but don't waste my time ranting about it."

No good. It was fairly impossible to tell by Steinn's reaction if Norbert had guessed right or not. In fact, the goad had somewhat been turned on him. He was a little surprised at how much easier it was to take than the last time they'd talked, though.

"Fine," he stated, "I'll stop talking. I've never been much for it anyway."

No surprise attacks this time. Instead, Norbert readied his maces plainly. You said to beat you by fighting back and winning. I know you meant during that war you have planned, but it'd be stupid to wait until then, when you have a whole army backing you up. And if you're gone, your brother doesn't have a reason to strike here again, especially not when those gates are being destroyed. "Now the question is...are you going to hide behind that stone gaze of yours or are you going to actually fight me this time?"

Did he really believe he could win? Not really, but he was mad and this was his preferred method of dealing with it. Aside form that, if he did somehow succeed, that was one less Fallen emperor to deal with. He didn't believe Steinn would kill him, either. As annoying as it was, he knew he wasn't worth killing -- not to this guy anyway.

And that was about all Annelise would sit around for. Readying her scythe, she stepped in between Steinn and Norbert, looking the man over somewhat curiously.

"Milord, is there anything specific you would like done with this one?"

"Weyland wouldn't appreciate one of his guests being harmed, not even in self defense," Steinn noted simply. He then met Norbert's gaze with his own. "I'll 'hide' behind my tools for as long as you hide behind yours," he pointed at Norbert's maces and nodded. After that, he stood up. "Still ... you seem quite determined to leap into the fire ... if you must be struck down here and now ... all to satisfy your hatred ... then by all means," he nudged his head instructing Annelise to step aside for a moment ... and that was the invitation. He indeed didn't plan on killing Norbert, but he would let the pegasus rider know that there were things far worse than being partly petrified if he made a move on him now.

When Annelise stepped in the way, Norbert vaguely wondered if he'd have to earn the right to challenge Steinn by beating this bird-woman. Two sides of his mind were in a small war as to whether he cared about that or not. He didn't know how good she actually was in combat, and though he still wished the whole species extinct, he preferred not to be tired out when fighting Steinn if he did beat her. As it turned out, however, her involvement wasn't necessary. At least not right away, as Steinn seemed to more or less dismiss her.

He had a fair point regarding his magic and his maces, but Norbert only vaguely acknowledged that. To him, they weren't the same at all. Then came the assessment regarding his abilities and reasons for combat. According to Steinn, Norbert would lose this fight if he chose to engage in it, and his motive was simply hatred. "Tch." It's not even about that. That's just a bonus. But in the end, Steinn accepted his challenge.

The major difference from this time and last time, Norbert supposed, was that last time he was charging in, entirely blinded by anger. This time, there was more thought behind his actions. After all, what he was trying to prevent last time had already come to pass. This time, the threat was further away. Even if I can't stop you Fallen alone, I'm not just going to let you get past me without even lifting a finger. You have to earn the right to step by me! Oddly enough, he vaguely recalled his dream training with Hypnos. This was somewhat similar to it, in a way... But the time for reflection was over.

The rider charged forward, one mace ready to strike, the other to defend, as Norbert watched Steinn for more than just aim. He was looking for tells. He wasn't going to play this purely offensively this time -- he had a point to prove, and not only to those with wings in the room.

Steinn parted his feet enough to have good footing and kept his arms to his sides. Right before Norbert's first strike could hit, Steinn's barrier began to flare up, becoming partially visible as a disturbance in the air, and then as a violet oily cloud surrounding him. He couldn't exactly move around much with his barrier this concentrated, but even a physical attack could be stopped cold in this state. It was the same augmented barrier he'd used when fighting Valdimarr, only now that he only had to guard himself, it was even stronger.

Urgh, weird magic. Norbert frowned as he stopped his charge short, wary of...whatever that cloud was. Why do they always have to have weird magic? "You have some weird tricks," he muttered in irritation. The rider glanced around to try to find something no one would miss just in case that stuff was dangerous. He wound up belting a mace for the time being (keeping the other in a defensive position) and picking up a coaster, then throwing it at the violet cloud as hard as he could.

"Really? Heh," Steinn chuckled as the object bounced harmlessly off his barrier and hit the floor. "If you care for your maces so much, stop using them as bludgeons," he offered some mocking advice.

"That's what they are, stupid," Norbert retorted in irritation. He had half a mind to whack at his misty wall for that, but then he wondered if the thing would actually damage his maces. A quick glance to the coaster said otherwise, though. Hmm. I wonder if it's weaker above him... I can't get up there anyway, though. How do I hit him? He only puzzled over it for a couple moments before the delay began annoying him to the point of wanting to just strike at it until it broke, even if that meant just getting into Steinn's range. Just as long as that shield dropped...

Well, there didn't seem to be another way around it within his capabilities. It wasn't the first time he'd just thrown himself at enemies to get their guards down, either, though he'd hoped to get away with as little damage as possible this time. I'll just try to keep aware of any attacks he throws at me...not that it'll be easy to dodge at that range. Well, standing there thinking about it wasn't getting anything done, so he simply ran at the prince again, getting his other mace ready again, and struck at the barrier. He didn't want to tire himself out with that, but maybe if he kept hitting the thing, it'd give him an opening.

"Is that your plan?" Steinn asked with a look of pity on his face after the first strike. "... and here I thought you wanted to win ...."

"WELL, WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?!" Norbert yelled at the prince, as he backed off for a second, altogether irritated by this point, "I'M A MELEE FIGHTER, NOT SOME MAGIC-CASTING PUZZLE-TONGUE!"

"Pick your battles more wisely ... that's what I would do," Steinn replied. "Even if you somehow breached my barrier--which you couldn't--Annelise here would have a clean shot at you and could cleave you in two before you could finish me off. You would die and gain nothing for it," Steinn made a slight sweeping motion with his hand. "As it stands now, all you can do is waste my--and Weyland's--time ... and doing so only helps my brother."

"I don't just give up," Norbert returned, though realistically, there wasn't any way through that barrier that he was finding. But in this case, is it really the best move to pursue this right now? Thinking back on it, Steinn had already implied that he wasn't going to hurt him, back when he said Weyland wouldn't want one of his guests hurt. That was when the realization hit and it was more insulting than anything else. "ARE YOU JUST TOYING WITH ME?!"

"In a manner of speaking. After all, how do you expect me to take you seriously in this situation? You've no viable plan of attack, no means of protecting yourself from either of us, and no real long term goal in attempting this. I've seen petulant children with more purpose in their outbursts than you," Steinn replied coolly.

Well, that was insulting. It was almost enough to send Norbert into a loud-mouthed fit, but he bit his tongue at the last second. Gritting his teeth, he growled, "I have long-term goals."

There were plenty connected to this particular encounter, but he thought better of ranting about them, especially since none of them were going anywhere. There was something he thought to try to get past the barrier, though it seemed like normally, this would be a very dumb thing to try. Belting a mace again, he simply tried to slip his hand through it, along with its current. If fast, hard hits wouldn't get through, maybe slower, gentler motions would. If this didn't work, he could at least rule it out, but until he was wholly out of ideas, he wasn't going to stop trying.

"A shame survival doesn't seem to be one of those long term goals," Steinn retorted. His barrier resisted Bert's hand, stopping him from penetrating it, but not slapping it aside so readily as his maces or the coaster. "Most enemies wouldn't give you the chance to experiment like this, and yet you still insist on this pointless battle. What is Weyland going to make of all this, you think?"

The rider spared the prince a glare at his last statement. Stop digging around in my head. "You're not being aggressive right now," Norbert replied, having calmed down some to just being on an annoyed level, "This is for the long-term."

He pulled away with a sigh. "I don't think I can get through that, no matter how hard I try." With that, he belted his remaining mace, and rested his hands on his hips, glaring at Steinn. The most damage he took this time had been to his pride, but that was something he could endure.

"The most annoying part is I can't tell if I've gotten any better since the last time we fought. It doesn't really matter much, though, I guess, if I can't even bruise you...but it looks like every time we fight I do learn something, as despicable as you are. Make no mistake: I still think you're a threat to humans on the whole and I'm still not going to let you enslave or kill everyone if you get your dumb war...but I'm about the business of getting stronger. I'll keep trying to stop you...but I can appreciate what I learn." His irritated mind added, And what I've learned is strike before that stupid cloud wall comes up.

"Your tenacity is useful ... to us both, but misplaced. It doesn't matter if you can hit me once or twice if you'll just die for the effort," Steinn coldly noted, his glance shifting to Annelise for a split second. "Pick your battles wisely, Bert, or you won't live long enough to protect anything, least of all yourself."

"Yeah, yeah," he grumbled. He was breaking that habit already, and even caught himself facing thoughts of another old habit: exactly what he promised Raquel he'd work on.He knows I hate how my own path happens to help him out... And there he goes talking about it again, the jerk.

His eyes had gone to glaring off to the side, but they returned to Steinn now. "Someday, I'll be more than this. Then these fights will stop being so one-sided -- you'll see. This won't be the last time I challenge you, you weird magic-using featherduster."

"I doubt it," Steinn shrugged, "but anything's possible. Now ... if there's nothing else ...?"

"Well, obviously only if there's an opportunity," Norbert muttered before answering, "I can't exactly give you a piece of my mind like this, so there's nothing I actually can do right now. If I come looking for you again in the relatively near future, it'll probably be for information I can't get from anyone else." Or to yell at you but that's just futile at this point -- I'm better off training. "But for now, no, there's nothing else."

He hated being swept under the rug like that -- so easily brushed off as nothing more than a nuisance -- but there really wasn't anything he could do about it...which only added to his frustration. He hated being unable to do anything, whether that meant in a fight like this, or being in circumstances like his debt to Weyland. His opinion didn't matter, his threats held no weight -- it was miserable, but it was what it was.

"You'd better manage to get rid of those gates and kill that dumb brother of yours," he found himself saying as he turned to leave. He didn't actually want to leave, not until he'd done something, but it was just so futile at this point that... It was beginning to get hard to fight back an enemy he hadn't been expecting: his own negative thinking. But the study was to be left behind.

"We only have the capacity to deal with one of the siege gates in any reasonable amount of time. If the other two remain standing, either through neglect or outright failure, then the immense destruction that follows will be a great lesson to your kind."

He was on his way out, but Norbert stopped to listen to what Steinn had to say. For a moment, he didn't move, pondering what the prince just said coupled with the rest of the events that had just transpired. Raquel and the others were planning on destroying the gate in Neviskotia, or at least getting someone else in Neviskotia to do it. Steinn and Weyland were going to focus on the one in Ursium. He never did find out who was going to deal with the one in Kigen, or if anyone was even going to try. It seemed stupid not to at least send a message. Up until this point, he had assumed the gates were being taken care of and that other than if the plans to destroy them failed, it didn't involve him. Heck, he didn't even know what his job working for Weyland was going to be yet.

Normally, that alone would be food enough for thought, but this pitiful display of his cast it in a different light. Part of him wanted to ask more questions, but another part just wanted to get out of there while he could still save face. If I can't even get past Steinn's barrier -- if I'm not even worth fighting -- then what does this have to do with me? What's the difference between my getting involved here and...I can't even call it a fight. He wants me to pick my battles more carefully, huh? So why bring this up? He was probably just correcting me, but... Tch. This is dumb. What good is pain -- whatever form it takes -- if it doesn't drive me to fight harder? The odds are against us. This foe seems too strong. So what? How is that any different from how I've always lived my life? "Maybe you're right. Maybe you're not our enemy right now...but you said it yourself: you intend to be, someday. Sure, you'll be stronger if you become the ruler of your country, so killing you before that happens doesn't seem like a bad idea."

The rider paused before adding, "But it's true that the real threat right now is the one who is in power. He's the one we need to focus on crushing. The gates need to be destroyed, too. As soon as I heard about them, I knew that." What good is a life that has no purpose -- that only lives for its self? I'll never stop fighting for my ideals...and not just for my own benefit. Embarrassment, pain... I'll make those who afflict me wish they hadn't. For revenge? Yeah. But also so that this world changes someday, even if I have to beat the lesson into it. Then people might start to treat each other better, too. Wouldn't that be nice? Like it'd happen, though.

"What lesson are you talking about, though? The consequences to their prideful, lazy ignorance?" If it wasn't for just how many innocent people would die or be enslaved, I'd almost rather they have to deal with the consequences, just for that lesson. His anger burned against quite a few humans, too, after all. He'd suffered mistreatment at their hands quite a few times over the course of his life -- including from those who were supposed to be protecting the peace, like the law enforcers at Ursaea. The memory brought about a fresh wave of anger, but he controlled it. He didn't expect to stay long, and he didn't bother to turn around. Even if it was ineffectual, it helped him feel more comfortable hiding his face. He was in a contemplative mood, and he generally liked being alone for those...this was important, though.

"The consequences of focusing on the wrong enemy at the wrong time," Steinn clarified, his expression changing slightly as his barrier began to disperse. There wasn't much threat as far as he was concerned. "At least you seem to have learned that lesson without losing much for it."

Norbert hadn't thought of that, so, naturally, Steinn's answer came as a bit of a surprise. It was almost like this was one, big metaphor to prove a point. I see. It's not that I shouldn't stand up and fight when the enemy's stronger than me. It's targetting the biggest threat at any given moment to survive. If it wasn't Steinn he was learning from, to be quite honest, the rider would have thanked him by now. In all honesty, the prince had been more than merciful, even when Norbert had been at his most hostile. He'd helped servants of Steinn's enemy in their endeavors to recapture leverage that Weyland had managed to smuggle out of Kigen, just now he'd openly insulted and attacked him... And beyond that, he was practically getting pointers, almost as though Steinn was actually training him.

This is...too strange. Norbert shook his head in frustration, not sure what to think of this peculiar predicament. Steinn wanted an eternal war against humanity -- a war that Norbert's own family and friends could die fighting in -- and yet he was being downright courteous toward him. Normally, Norbert appreciated gestures like this, but coming from someone who wanted to send their future into uncertainty, injury, and death? It was so conflicting that he really wasn't sure what to think of it all. Gratitude and animosity, all directed toward the same individual. Finally, shaking his head, Norbert turned to send a glare at Steinn and asked, "Why are you helping me?"

"Because you're still young enough to learn and grow into a threat, something worth our time. Something that can serve to spur our people onward, as we do yours," Steinn explained with a serious look on his face. "Conflict is a way of life; there's no stopping it, so ... better we use this inevitable slaughter to our benefit and achieve balance rather than justify and push for genocide in the name of such flawed and infeasible ideals as 'peace'."

Steinn's first sentence surprised Norbert so much that his glare broke and his eyebrows raised. At the end of his second sentence, he wondered briefly what Steinn meant by "as we do yours." Did he think they were actually helping the humans by going to war with them, or did he just mean that they provoked humans to violence with acts of violence? That question was quickly forgotten, however. The shock from the first sentence still caused Norbert to simply pay close attention to what the prince was saying, though its effect was fading. By the end of it, Norbert was still a bit dumbfounded, but he wasn't so shocked that he couldn't think.

It's just like when we met. Steinn had talked about the importance of both sides fighting each other as hard as they could, then, too. He remembered the lesson from right after he was partially petrified, too: when he was weak enough that all he could do was listen. "You may not like the idea of an eternal warfare or the lives lost due to it, and I can understand that. If you really want to put a stop to it, though, I suggest doing so by fighting back and winning. Playing right into my hands? Yes, but that doesn't make victory impossible."

After he'd taken a moment to digest all this, his gaze having gone to glaring at the floor, Norbert found a grin growing on his face, and even some light, quiet laughter bubbling up. Then, he lifted his gaze to Steinn again. "I guess if we agreed on everything, then neither of us would make any progress toward out goals. I still think that the human population would be better off without you Fallen around -- or at least a lot less of you -- and I do think that peace is possible. Sure, humans create wars between each other, too, but ultimately, it isn't for war's sake. The goal is peace. But you're right: in the end, my choice is to either learn what I can, keep getting stronger, and keep fighting back and ultimately help with your goal, or to just give up and let your people attack us humans." The pegasus rider shrugged almost good-naturedly. "Obviously, the second choice isn't an option."

Steinn gave a slow grinning nod to Norbert's decision, satisfied with it. Young enough to learn and grow, indeed ....

With a parting nod of his own, Norbert left the room and started walking down the halls. Though he certainly didn't agree with Steinn's solution to things, he did understand it a little better and it was a lot easier to accept their difference of opinion this time than last time. And though it was true that he believed that peace for humanity was possible, he by no means thought it was probable. Of course, the odds had been against him for most of his life -- if not all of it -- so it wasn't something he gave much thought. He'd just deal with problems as they came.

He wasn't thinking about that, though. No, he was getting himself used to the idea that Steinn was both an enemy and an aid. The pegasus rider typically tried to avoid mysterious or otherwise questionable sources of help in his training, but after that conversation, he was pretty sure whatever lessons he received would be to his benefit. He'd still be careful around the prince, of course, but he was fairly convinced just the same that this was okay. What had thrown him for a loop, though, was what Steinn had said: "Because you're still young enough to learn and grow into a threat, something worth our time. Something that can serve to spur our people onward, as we do yours."

It had come from Steinn and he hated being used, especially by his enemies. However, that statement was sincere. It was something new and strange: someone had undeniably expressed that they saw potential in Norbert. Someone was so confident that he would become something someday. Not only that, but Steinn was investing in him. He was so sure that Norbert would one day not only manage to get by with a normal life, but exceed that to something greater -- to the point of being a reason for an entire people of bloodthirsty fighters to want to improve and keep fighting! Steinn was absolutely confident that Norbert would become a hated enemy of the Fallen Empire in this war he was trying to concoct... No one had ever expressed that much confidence in him before. No one. He'd heard time and again about things that he couldn't do -- about potential he could never acquire -- about how little he was worth... When Steinn said those words and backed it up with his actions, it did something to Norbert. It wasn't anything he understood or could put into words himself -- at least, not for the time being -- but for the first time, he felt really and truly...encouraged. Appreciated. Worthwhile... True, he had friends -- something he never thought he'd have before he came into contact with Raquel's group -- and he appreciated them and knew that he was cared for, but this... This was something different. It was like he was beginning to sense that there was a piece of his life that he'd been missing...and that was enough to bolster his confidence and, for now, obliterate his problem with negative thinking.

After his talk with Steinn, Norbert had wound up somewhat accidentally skipping breakfast. He enjoyed training some before breakfast anyway, but he was so pumped that he just kept conditioning himself until he was so tired that he couldn't move. After that, it was time for a water break, then right back at it, this time training with his maces and pondering what he'd do if he came across a barrier like the prince's again. He was so focused on his training (his technical skills, improving what he knew, expounding upon what he knew, and running various combat scenarios in his head) that he, again, didn't stop until he found that his body wasn't responding the way he was trying to make it. It was time for another water break.

During this second break, as he calmed down some, Norbert realized that he'd lost track of time. There were no windows, and no one was coming or going (there really was no one else in there,) but according to the clock mounted on the wall, it had been about two and a half hours since he'd started training. That was fairly fine by him, though. He could train all day like this and be content, but it was getting close to lunch time and as he realized that, he frowned, remembering that he never actually had much of a breakfast. Well, that was that for now. He'd get something to eat and then decide what to do from there. Briefly, he considered getting a quick bath first. He'd been working pretty hard for a fair amount of time, after all, and though he'd removed his armor and maces for it, he wasn't at his driest.

After pondering it for a bit, the mace-wielder finally decided that he could just bathe when the day was done. With this much free time, after all, he'd probably wind up training and working out again after he was refreshed. It was the best use of his time while his status as a new Weyland employee was still uncertain, he felt. But for now, he reequipped his gear (it was the easiest, most familiar, and safest way to carry it) and headed for the dining hall to see what was happening there. By the time he arrived, the place was busy with all sorts of people. Some he recognized, some he didn't, but most everyone seemed busy with something. There was one who stood out, though, busily working on...something involving paper.

So, Norbert walked right up to Ranyin and sat across from him. "So, what're you working on?" It was good to see the little mage again and Norbert was already in a good mood. He frowned, though, as he recalled a little detail about the wind mage's departure. "And why did you just leave like that back at that port? If Synthia didn't tell me you left, do you know how worried I would've been?" Short mages are easily lost in crowds.

[Rothene]

"BERT!" Ranyin exclaimed happily...because where there's Bert, there's bound to be Rizen and potentially more flight trips. "Heh, well, the reason I'm travelling in the first place was to look up stuff on dark magic for my mentors. Suffice to say, I found some interesting stuff the school was not particularly specialised in and had to go back and report. But, well, I'm here mostly because I got sidetracked, had to help my grand uncle with his travel plans," Hmm...now that I think about it, using Raquel as a elder day care person and tour guide might not have been the wisest thing but oh well, anything to get the old man off me,"so here I am!"

Then in drastically more somber tones, "Oh, and no, I completely didn't consider how worried anyone would have been. Sorry about that Bert...so how have you been?"

[Mercakete]

Norbert smiled again as Ranyin was apparently glad to see him. The enthusiasm at one point may have confused him, but now he accepted it as a sign of actually being liked. And that was a nice feeling. He then went into an explanation as to just what he was doing on the road again. Apparently, he'd gone back to Kigen while Raquel and co. returned to Ursium, and then was sent off on an assignment by his school. The enthusiasm was a nice, but equally nice was that he seemed to realize what he'd done. Maybe the next time he took off, he'd at least leave a note if not actually say goodbye. Then came a question of the mage's own. He had some new scars -- one being right across his face -- but Norbert himself wasn't used to them yet and had actually forgotten about them. So, where to begin?

"I've been alright," Norbert replied with a shrug, "I'm still trying to get stronger." His mouth set into a neutral frown as he realized he should probably clarify something, though. "I'm not under Raquel anymore, though. I work for Weyland now."

[Phoenix]

Hallway

Amon frowned at the mention of Mansur. "He's spent years protecting civilians from all sorts of attacks. It's not an excuse, but after awhile, men in the patrols just stop trusting outsiders."

"They've seen too many innocent people butchered by faces like yours," Malik muttered, though he sounded quite pissed when he said it, almost like Nadya had actually been involved somehow.

"You guys need to get some avians on board or update your security standards," Reign shook his head. Distrust was fine and good, but only to a point. You had to trust your instincts, and to him, full blown paranoia was something both different and detrimental to a person. "So, should I just set this down over here?" he asked once they arrived at Nadya's room.

Study

Only a few things were going through Weyland's mind while he waited to see what Gabbie's results were. If Sardis actually was in the city again, that could pose a problem for them. Another thing he found curious was Gabbie's power itself. She'd done a bit of explaining the previous night, but he'd been too busy dealing with the aftermath of the carnage and setting up new security measures to really focus on it. Then there was Nyx; Raquel and her friends had gone to see that dark goddess it seemed. Much as he wanted to ask about that too, it would have to wait. Lastly, there was Steinn and his bodyguard, who were still present, but practically blending into the background. They still had planning to do and not a lot of time left in which to do it ....

Steinn focused in on Gabbie, trying to figure out what was going on with her senses again, but like each and every other time before, it was a garbled mess of sensory information, as if her mind was little more than a mass of rapidly shifting pictures and sounds. "Hmm ...."

Gabbie eventually winced. After several minutes of unbearable silence, Raquel saw her wince. "... I just wanted to be damn sure of what I found," Gabbie muttered as she opened her eyes and stood up from the chair. "Looks like the whole gang's here: Sardis, Jethro, that ... girl ... and even the guy who shot a hole clean through the Dauntless. They're all there, down in the south soide of town. I know where to go but I don't recall the area," she explained, glancing at Weyland for a moment.

"South side?" he echoed, his mind already at work piecing together the information. "Were there are lot of civilians around?"

Gabbie shook her head. "No ... it's not completely abandoned but they definitely have the place to themselves. At least if Raquel's going there to pick a foight, she'll have a window before the guards catch on."

Shadrak's Room

"Gods ..." Shadrak twitched as he lay there on his bed. The maid watching over him came closer to see if he was waking up. To her surprise, he twitched again, violently as he regained control of his body. "Gods ..." he said again, this time with a growl to his voice.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "Are you alright?" She gently shook him, but before long she felt something quite painful against her hands. She pulled away from Shadrak as his aura began to come to life, a hideous, violet, malevolent mass of energy began eating away at the very bed he was laying on. "Augh," the maid stumbled away.

Tears ran over the sides of Shadrak's face as he struggled to break free. "I always win my arguments ..." the condescending words echoed in his mind a thousand times, and then a thousand more. Shadrak had no idea where or when he was, or how many weeks had passed since this nightmare had begun, but he would do anything to escape. He didn't care what happened or if he harmed his body with his own magic, as long as he could get out and return to the world he knew, he would pay any price for it. "I told you ... I always win my arguments ..." "Damn them ..." Shadrak cursed as his fists clinched the sheets beneath him.

"Please, tell me what's wrong," the maid pleaded.

"DAMN YOU ALL!!! AAAAAAAAA-" Shadrak cried louder than he ever had in his entire life and finally broke free. As his consciousness returned, chaos was unleashed. The bed collapsed and Shadrak's body sank into the disintegrating mattress, the window nearby shattered as if it'd been struck by something, several thick lacerations laced with violet embers appeared on the wallpaper covering the walls, and a gust of air rushed over the whole room from the bed, rocking or knocking over anything not nailed down.

"My Gods," the maid uttered, trying to get back to her feet without alarming Shadrak any further. "What's going on? What happened to him?"

Shadrak's whole body stopped moving for a moment, and for a few seconds, he appeared serene, but then, his eyes opened, quickly, as if something had shocked him awake. "Where?" The ivory white color his sclera normally possessed was replaced by red. As Shadrak began to pull himself up out of the ruined and utterly destroyed bed, he blinked and tears of blood began to run down his cheeks. As he looked around the room, he caught sight of the maid and when he did, whatever was left of his calm vanished. "You!" He reached out toward her.

"W-what? What is it?"

"Where am I?! How much time's gone by?! TELL ME!!!" As his voice suddenly leaped, so did the maid, curling up and guarding her face. She had plenty of self defense training, but she'd never thought she would be caught alone with an enraged shaman, and her hands were already a little burned by his magic.

"Y-y-you're at Master Weyland's estate! I-I-I d-don't know how long you've been like this but no one was brought here in your condition before today, I-I swe-ar," she quickly explained, hoping to avoid whatever harsh response he seemingly had ready for her. This guy was the most unstable person she'd ever come across, but she had no training in magic and no way to defend herself from him. If only she'd moved that tome somewhere else ...

"What ...?" Shadrak smiled in a mixture of utter confusion and disbelief. Turning halfway and pointing to the bed as his aura flared up again, he angrily yelled, "I have been tormented by that woman's voice, her ramblings, and a million other things for as far back as I can fucking remember anymore! Are you saying I've only been out for a few hours?! Where is everyone?! When did the fallen attack?! Answer me!"

"The attack only happened last night. You have to believe me. You probably haven't been unconscious for all that long ..."

"But ... but I ..." Shadrak's aura vanished and he dropped his tome before his legs gave out. He landed on his knees and snorted. "It's the same day ..."

"Y-yes ..." The maid saw the tome sitting there right beside him. She could get rid of it and then he would be severely limited in his destructive potential ... but she thought better of it. He didn't seem like much of a threat anymore, and even if he was, she was beginning to see more of a tormented young man than a malicious psychopath. "I'm only here to look after you." She carefully crawled closer to him before getting onto her knees and placing her hands on his shoulders. "Do you understand me? I'm ... I'm here to help you." All she could see in his eyes now were bloody tears and intense pain.

"I'm ... I'm ... s-sorry. I don't ... I don't ..." "Shhhh," the maid gently silenced him before cradling his head. "I don't know what happened to you but I promise you it's over now and you're safe." He was safe, but she was beginning to feel like she was gambling with her life a little here. It might be best to let someone else know what was going on here.

Glen's Place

"Well, Glen's making lunch and now I just feel like we're overstaying our welcome. I also have to see if there's anyway I can help out back at the Cathedral and ... well I ... ... I suppose I've already made up my mind, haven't I? There isn't one reason not to leave that I could come up with."

Glen came back into the living room and sat down a bowl of soup and a cup of water before having a seat. "You're not leaving already, are you, Joanna? I really enjoy your company, even if there isn't much to do or talk about ..."

"I should," Joanna replied, guilt ridden as always. "I'm just glad you're alright. I'll come visit again, once things have calmed down a bit," she assured him, though she wasn't sure if she would actually find the time. Today was a miracle because most of the injured were already being tended to ... or had died of their injuries. Perhaps not a miracle really, but the situation was such that she had one of those rare opportunities to spend an hour or two for a social visit.

"Well, alright, then. Honestly it might be awhile before we can do this again. Tragedies like this cause enlistment rates to rise like crazy. They're going to need all the new tomes they can get and that means a ton of work for me in the coming weeks, you know?"

"Mhm."

The Archives

"Urgh ..." Nadine groaned as she turned to the second hundred page of the book she was reading and found another topic she wasn't looking for, but plenty of attractive and distracting information. "I'm going to be here for the rest of my life ..."

"Not likely," Ryder shook their head with a casual sounding remark.

A small puff of air marked Nyx's return, but so did an odd smell. "Is that gunpowder?" Nadine asked, wondering exactly where Nyx had gone off to. It must have been a wrathdamn battlefield or storehouse or something, she figured.

"Moon dust," Nyx answered as she swiftly but smoothly sweeped a bit of it off of her opposing palm. "Ryder, shouldn't you be getting back to it, now? I know you're curious about the new arrivals but you're putting a few deliveries on delay for it and that's not good your reputation, now is it?"

"You're right about that, mistress," Ryder nodded in agreement, "but I'm also curious about the statue. Should I leave it with you in the archives for now, or should I take it back to one of my storehouses?"

"Leave it here with me for now. It's nice to have a reference to use for my experiments." With that, Ryder bowed and made for the doors, which began to open to let them out.

The opening archive doors reminded Nadine once again that she really needed to get a move on, and she closed the book in frustration. "Can I borrow this?" she asked, holding it up for Nyx to see.

"Sit down and get back to studying, Nadine. I could make you a general in six months if it served my purposes, or I could have you court martialed and then keep you here all to myself. It's all within my control, so stop worrying," Nyx insisted, half irritated, half amused, and both expressions sharing room on her face.

[spoiler=Ursian Plains]<"Heh,"> Valdimarr smirked, <"Maybe you'll actually enjoy it there after all ...">

<"Of course he will,"> Ragna gave her lord a feigned scowl, <"Make the right impressions on the right people and Corvus can be a paradise~">

<"Hmph,"> Fury huffed in mild amusement. She was right, but in order to truly enjoy the things Corvus had to offer, you had to turn a blind eye to the suffering those things were built on, and Fury doubted any former avian could accomplish such a thing without falling quite far from the light.

Edited May 22, 2014 by Phoenix

[-Cynthia-]

Hallway

"Yeah, that'll be fine," Nadya said to Reign before turning to Malik. "Whattya mean about butcherin' people with my face?" she asked, perplexed. Maybe that phrase don't translate to Common very easily- did he just call me ugly or somethin'?

Study

This might be difficult- even Sardis alone seemed a challenge for us. "Do you have any idea of their overall numbers?' Veronika asked Gabbie. We need to think of a better plan than just charging in I think...

Edited April 22, 2014 by -Cynthia-

[Toogee]

Giving a chuckle, Alphonse patted Jamilla on the head as she gave her conformation. "Maybe next time my young apprentice, no sense in any of us catching a cold from standing out in the rain right? Besides, once we get back inside I need to start working on a special project for you, my trip in to town this morning wasn't just to get another sword for myself." He finished with a wink, hopefully letting the girl in on what he'd picked up for her. "A bath might be in order first though, I'm not too big on the idea of sitting around in my sweat when I've got the option to get rid of it."

Jam's eyes widened as Alphonse greatly hinted that she was about to get her own sword. It was a sign that she was ready to master another technique. Her magic was fairly weak compared to the mages, appropriate for stage performance. Her staff training was going badly, as evidenced by the bag of staff pieces she was holding. But a sword opened up a new skill, another chance to prove her worth. Swords, staff, and magic: Jam was on her way to becoming a triple threat.

"Well, go on then!" Jam replied, pushing Alphy inside. "Get cleaned up so I can see my new sword!"

Once Alphonse had gone inside, Jam spotted another familiar face entering the training yard: Erion. The dancer waited for Alphy to head inside before turning around to meet Erion.

"Hey, you're back," Jam greeted Erion. "Anything exciting happen?"

Edited April 23, 2014 by Toogee

[ReformBlade]

"Why did you never get a chance to participate?" for someone so interested in it it seemed odd that they haven't tried it out in Mushirah's eyes. All in all it sounded like a place that, aside from needing to visit anyway, she's enjoy it perhaps.

"Well excuse me for not being a professional human catcher, I studied being a massive jackass in school instead." As long as he was here he may as well do his thing. Maybe they'd like a song? "Anyone mind if I start playing a song here?"

"A song? Do you sing?" Mushirah asked, a confused look on her face. She didn't think his voice would work for singing so she assumed at this point, after saying it out loud, that he had some instrument on hand.

"No I do not and be happy that's the case." he said pointing at both the ladies, pulling out his harmonica, "Tadaaa, nah it's just my harmonica."

Mushirah was admittedly less than enthused by the presence of the harmonica, never really liking the sounds it'd make but she would give the benefit of the doubt that maybe the people she heard it played from were bad at it, as much as she hated to say about her dad. "I... can't say I would mind if you wanted to. Any objection, Eva?"

Edited April 22, 2014 by ReformBlade

[Anti-Social Meta Knight]

Inwardly, Sergei heaved a sigh of relief - the namedropping seemed to do the trick. Outwardly, he simply nodded and urged his horse onward, offering them a thank-you wave as he passed; hopefully they took it for what it meant. The rain, though, was starting to keep him from caring. <"Almost there,"> he coaxed Clopin, who didn't seem to share his urgency; the weather had dropped his trot to a dejected trudge, his head lowered somewhat as he lumbered towards the side road into the stables. If you want to be dry, you dope, you'll get a move on, Sergei had wanted to spit at the horse, but he scarce had the heart to do it. All Clopin needed was to dry off, and the temper tantrum would pass, he figured.

When they reached the stables, Sergei dismounted expectantly; surely Weyland had some people manning the house proper, rather than just the gate. He glanced around for any sort of help before turning back to his mount. <"You think there's anyone around?"> he idly asked. Maybe this time Clopin would give him something beyond a snort...

He didn't.

[Nanami Touko]

"Eh... It's, kinda embarrassing..." Not that it would stop her from saying what it was, just that it wouldn't be the most pleasant to retell. But first there was Jericho. "Should've gone to the person catching school instead; if being a jackass is your major, I'd say my kiss is the most you'll ever get from a girl," she said with a very confident smirk. Story at hand in her head, she decided it would be fine, for the most part. "Well, I...really suck at flying. The first time I tried riding Sasha, we both crashed into a forest and I ended up breaking my right arm. It's fine now, of course; got it healed and it's been at least three years, but... Well, my parents wouldn't have allowed something like that, and I might be cocky, but I'm not... Well, I am; it was really my parents that stopped me," she concluded with an awkward bit of laughter. "But I've gotten better at riding; we rarely ever crash anymore, and it's only take offs and landings that are a problem now. I can't wait to give it a shot when we go to Neviskotia-- well, if we've got the time."

Jericho popped his harmonica out, and Eva didn't have a problem with it-- did he play it around her earlier? She knew he'd mentioned it, that she remembered, but the dulcet tones a harmonica produced weren't being remembered. Maybe she'd gotten hit harder than she thought by those knights, or he really hadn't played it yet. Either way, she waved a hand. "Sure. Nothing wrong with a harmonica. There are more...satisfying, instruments, but nothing bad ever came from listening to one."

[Snowy_One]

"Ummm... I'm sorry but... What? I don't speak Skotian. What on Earth did you just say? Do I need to fetch Robin or someone else who speaks it to translate?"

---

"It is not a question of 'if' sadly, but rather 'when'. I have already been injured to the point of being incapable of fighting multiple times, once even by my own ally. That is why I am here, in fact. Zach and I have been friends since we were young, yet I have not seen him for a long time and, of late, he has been very busy. I wish to spend some time with my friend, even if just a few moments alone with him. If that is fine with you two. I... have things that need to be discussed. Do not worry, I will not infringe upon your relationship with him."