Return of the Emblem Chapter Thirteen: Revelations

[scorri]

Erion had moved a bit closer to the front, enough to hear the question about who was going in. "If you don't mind Raquel, I'd like to go in with you."

Uri nodded. "Alright. I'll stop pushing but I'm not going to stop worrying, ok? You're my friend, of course I'm going to be thinking about you and how happy you are. I hope that things are going to go well for us both now."

[Nanami Touko]

Amalia smiled that same smile, and looked down at her food, continuing to pick at it. "Alright, Uriel," she said between bites. "You can worry. I couldn't stop you if I wanted to. Just, don't... Don't let worry take over, or anything. Or I'll have to start worrying back." She allowed herself a chuckle, trying to lighten her mood back to what it had been when they were discussing his dragon.

[Snike]

And after a longer than expected trip- thanks to the patrols-, they finally got to Weyland Entreprises. Axel briefly wondered .whether he should've just taken off like Gabbie, but eventually he decided that it was irrelevant. What was important now was checking in on affairs. Without waiting for the mercenaries to sort themselves, out, the red-armored man stepped down and out of the wagon and began to make his way to the entrance.

***

"I'm going in," Blake said, in response to Jethro's question. "I'd like to hear first hand any updates on the situation."

[Script]

A Man Called Gar

"I'm going in just because nobody wants me going in and this'll show'em," Gar laughed.

Xenia shook her head. "I'm gonna stay out here where there's less of a chance of a headache."

[Phoenix]

Wagon and Weyland Enterprises

"No, I don't mind," Raquel replied to Erion. It was only shortly before Gar noted that he too was going in, though for more spiteful reasons. "Who doesn't want you going in?" she asked. She knew she personally didn't mind one way or another. Gar said a lot of random crap at times but it rarely caused any real trouble, at least none that she noticed. She considered that maybe he felt others had a below average opinion of him in general and was simply handling it differently than Robin or Zach might have. Like most things, he didn't seem to care even if they didn't like him. She wished she was that tough skinned back when it could have helped her through training.

[Snowy_One]

"I do not know if you should go in or not, Gar, I barely know you. Raquel, do you think Chip can watch the wagon and Jethro on his own? Or should we give him more aid? Or will Jethro be too much for him to handle?" she asked, trying to convey a somewhat humorous tone with her 'joke' before coming forwards. She was certain that, if Raquel needed her in one place, she'd say so.

[Script]

Xenia

"I don't want him to go," Xenia revealed. "But I also don't want him to stay."

"And I doubt she's the only one," Gar grinned.

[Ether]

Stepping out of the wagon with a stretch, Arietta began moving towards the entrance of the main office of Weyland Enterprises. Stopping for a moment, she walked up to Raquel.

"Axel went on ahead, so no need for me t'head straight in. I'll go in with ya, instead." The bodyguard called out to the merchant.

***

And here they were, Weyland Enterprises HQ... it was kind of odd to think back to the massive facilites from earlier and see them not as the office, but just the owner's house... she supposed the extra space comparing Ursium to Sanctuary allowed for such things, but it was just a bit more culture shock on the pile, at this point.

Also, if she recalled correctly, this city was where the military academy that Reign would have received his training was located... after what had happened at the end of their stay in Europa, she wondered how he was holding up. Walking over to the mage, she stopped just short of him.

"How are you holding up, Reign? You must have a lot of memories in this city..."

***

So this was their working headquarters for the current mission. Turning towards Raquel when the woman asked who was going where, she simply opted to allow the merchant her own input.

"I'll allow you the decision with regards to my placement. If you'd like me to join you, I shall."

[-Cynthia-]

"Oh, here we are," Connor said, looking up from his book to see Weyland Enterprises headquarters. He began walking towards it- the group could sort out their own business while he worked on getting parts for The Paladin.

"I'll want to go inside too I think- it'll be easier to come up with a plan if I know the details of the situation," Veronika announced. A few armed people should be enough to dissaude any thugs from the wagon.

[Phoenix]

Decisions

Jethro knew right away that Robin's joke would go soaring over his daughter's head and sure enough ... "I'd be more worried about Chip than my father," she said, though it did remind her that Jethro's interest in this mission was slightly different from her own, and sooner or later that could become an issue. "Besides, he's the one that trained Chip in the first place, so-" "It was a joke, Honey," Jethro cut in.

The minor embarrassment was gone almost as quickly as it came, and Raquel decided to move on. She didn't have much of a choice with the usual trend starting up, the trend of people wanting her to decide who stayed and went. It just wasn't important enough for her to try her hand at picking out people, right now. With Robin it was unspoken, but somewhat obvious, but Isabella was upfront about it. "I don't think it matters who stays or who goes so it should be up to you guys."

"Anyone left who's remotely interested in W.E.'s interior decorating, just go inside; everyone else, stay put," Jethro instructed everyone within earshot. Not caring one way or the other, Raquel didn't really mind her father stepping in on her behalf. She was also used to him doing things like this in the past. If she was supposed to pick out something ... some clothes, perhaps, if she took too long, he would begin picking them for her and she would have to live with the results, or in such a case, wear them.

Somewhere in the back of Reign's mind, there were horribly proportioned representations of Raquel and Jethro. The latter was riding piggyback on the former and barking orders to the rest of the group. Hilarious, but ironically, it was likely more efficient than what they were used to. "Yeah, plenty of memories," he replied to Faatina. "Just as many are bad as good and most of it all happened at the academy. We weren't let out into the city itself much."

Reign was just close enough to the wagon for Raquel to pick up the mention of the academy. She had a sudden urge to ask him if they should visit but she had spent too long away from that place and it was all coming back to her, now. For her Horizon was a negative experience overall, and not something she wanted to rehash, even if they did find the time. With that in mind, she said nothing.

Edited December 11, 2014 by Phoenix

[Snike]

The others were still deciding, so Blake opted to disembark from the wagon in the meanwhile, stepping away from it afterwards so as to not complicate any other exits. He was slightly surprised that Jethro stepped in to help decide who wanted to go in and who wanted to stay. Raquel seemed used to this, though, so perhaps that was why she had seemed so indecisive in the past.

[Mercakete]

[spoiler=Departure][spoiler=The Three Fully Separate]Raquel had woken, but the group was still heading to Ursentius. The mage knew they returning to the manor afterward, but after the last time she had left Europa Synthia wasn’t about to leave any of her belongings behind. To that end she was currently in her allotted room packing everything away in her travel bag.

There was a knock at Synthia's door: a quick, polite, and formal couple taps, but perhaps harder than necessary. Outside Synthia's room stood Gytha, dufflebag slung over her shoulder with her free hand resting on her hip. The mariner had decided to wait on finding Maw for now. That task she saved for last, as there was no use in trying to make the cat stay in one place while she talked to the few group members she intended to speak to.

Synthia hadn’t been expecting anyone, and so was slightly startled. “I’ll be right there,” she said, and put down the skirt she was folding before walking to the door. Upon opening it to find the mariner, she smiled. “Hey, Gytha. Did you need something?”

"Aye," Gytha replied. It was nice to be greeted in such a friendly manner. She really had grown fond of Raquel's group, and perhaps especially of Synthia. She'd been a little scary at first, but she'd chosen her to be on her team for a reason. There was a twinge of regret in the mariner's heart, but she knew that she had to do this.

Her smile betrayed none of her nostalgia, though. "Mind if I come in?"

"Not at all," Synthia replied, and moved out of the way to allow Gytha to pass. There was a bit of mess around the bed with articles of clothing laid out, but she didn't mind the mariner witnessing her current disorganization. "I was just in the middle of packing. Guess I'm a bit behind you," she said, noticing the duffel bag. "What did you need?"

"Well," Gytha began after she'd headed inside, "I came t' tell ye that I've decided t' look fer me father while I still have th' time. With Wrath comin' n' after seein' Raquel reunite with 'er father, I realized that I need t' at least try. I've been ignorin' th' problem fer too long. If I can, I want t' be on good terms again."

She knew she didn't have to explain the implications of what she was saying. Synthia already knew everything about her current predicament regarding her family, and she was there when Lilith told them all about Wrath's coming.

When she realized the true reason for the duffel, Synthia’s face immediately fell. “Oh,” she said, taking the explanation in. The mage forced an understanding, albeit sad smile. “I’ll wish you safe travels, then. But… please. Keep yourself safe.” The mariner certainly knew better than her how her father would react to a reunion, but considering they were on opposite sides of the law now Synthia couldn’t help but worry.

With Gytha leaving, though… Well that pretty much left her by herself, didn’t it? Valter and Amon had left the previous day, Ranyin was gone, and now Gytha was heading off. It was selfish to view the situation this way, and she mentally chided herself for it, but she was starting to feel very much alone all the same. None of that was shared, however, beyond a sigh and admission of, “I’ll miss you.”

Gytha gave Synthia a sorry, lopsided smile. Her smile became more fond as she thought back, then widened into her usual, jolly grin. "I r'member when I asked ye t' be on me team! I was right then: yer realla good at yer magic n' healin'! N' th' more I got t' know ye, th' more I realized that yer a lot scarier than I first thought! Hahaharr!" Her grin became less amused and more friendly. "But then I got t' know ye even more. N' I found out that yer a real r'liable ally, n' a good friend. Ye don't scare me anamore, ye know. I wish I could take ye with me, actualla... But Raquel needs ye here more'n I do. Hoy, though! Like I alreada told Raquel, if I finish what I set out t' do b'fore th' end o' th' year, I'll look fer ye n' come back t' help!"

After that, Gytha asked somewhat thoughtfully, "N' Synthia... Ye e'er consider sailin'?"

Synthia appreciated the compliments, but wasn’t sure how to take that Gytha found her scary. She didn’t have long to think on it though before the mariner continued and Synthia chuckled somewhat in relief. It was good to know she didn’t actually scare her anymore. She was also happy to hear that Gytha might return. As for sailing, though..

“…No,” the mage replied. “I get seasick easily…”

"Ah, that's too bad," Gytha replied with a nod and a shrug. "If we're all still alive by th' end o' th' year, n' all this is o'er, I'll just have t' come visit ye. Where should I go t' do that, d' ye think?"

The mariner thought about her question for a moment before shaking her head. "Ah, there's not enough known fer a question like that yet." More cheerily, she informed the magic-user, "I'll just have t' ask ye again once th' year's o'er. I don't want t' lose contact with ye -- yer one o' me best friends."

If they were all still alive… It was a bit sobering to remember they might not be. “Yeah, I’m not sure where I’ll be after this,” Synthia agreed, frowning. “You could probably contact us through Weyland, and…” she trailed off, a bit taken aback by the mariner’s last statement. “I can say the same for you, Gytha,” she replied.

Gytha's grin stretched so far across her face that her eyes were forced shut. "Good! We'll definatela see each other again, then! Fair sailin', Synthia! I have some more things t' do, then I'm goin' back t' where this all started t' set sail again. Good luck in Uersentius!"

“And good luck with your journey,” Synthia replied, smiling in return. While she had her doubts, she hoped to see the mariner again, assuming they both survived the rest of the year.

[spoiler=Loyalties and Regrets]As the packing started Robin ran into one of the huge problems of her lifestyle. With how little she carried with her there was little to pack. She was just as 'packed' as the day she had first arrived in fact and most people did not seem to need the help or knew exactly what they were doing, at least as best as Robin could tell, leaving her with yet another huge glut of free time. Free time she could use to do the one thing she hadn't done in a while.

Maybe it was the wine from last night, maybe it was because she knew she wasn't being ignored by people more intent on others, maybe it was that they were finally moving on, or maybe it was the stress, but for the first time in a while, Robin was in a very unusual place. On the ground, resting up against a tree, idly striking two rocks she had found together with little care as to what she was making. The first bit of true, stress-free, happy, time she had had in a while.

Packing was largely underway as far as she could tell, but Gytha had already handled that particular task and now carried her duffel bag over her shoulder. Robin hadn't been in her room when she'd looked for her, and was fortunate enough to have run into someone who'd said she'd seen her outside. After getting directions, Gytha had thanked the woman and gone on her way. Lo and behold, there was the archer woman, right where the lady had said she'd be.

"Ahoy, Robin!" Gytha greeted as she walked over. She'd noted the smile on Robin's face and that made her own grin broaden some. Usually, Robin looked upset. It was nice to see her happy for once.

The mention of her name almost cause Robin to jerk upright and bash her head against the tree. Did someone need her? Really? Looking up she saw Gytha approaching. "Hello Gytha. Do you need something? Help finding Maw while you pack? Someone to hold your bullets for you?"

Gytha laughed at Robin's last guess. It was such a ridiculous notion that she figured the archer was joking around. "No, no, I just wanted t' come n' twll ye somethin'," she informed. Her amusement settled down as she informed her, "See, I figured since we're friends I should tell ye. I won't be goin' to Ursentius with th' rest o' ye. I'm goin' off t' sea again instead. Raquel's met up with 'er father again, so me job's done here, n' I have me own business t' get to now."

Robin looked at Gytha as a dark churn formed in her stomach. Gytha was... leaving? Was she really abandoning everyone for her own needs?

"Gytha. Leaving behind something like this is not funny. You are leaving behind people that you should be caring about because you want to do your own thing. I should have left last night if that was acceptable. That is a very selfish thing to do."

Gytha frowned at Robin's unexpected response. She thought what she'd said would've been enough, but maybe Robin needed a little more information than she'd realized. So, she explained, "I joined up t' help Raquel find 'er father, n' she's found 'im. N' when I saw 'em t'gether, I realized that I needed t' go look fer me own father. I haven't spoken t' 'im in years, but I think I'm finalla reada t' try. That's why I'm leavin'. See, I don't know how much longer I have t' make amends. B'sides th' sea bein' a dangerous place, Wrath's comin', n' I don't want ana r'grets in case somethin' happens."

A smile returned to her face as she added, "N' I'm just one mariner. Raquel has all th' rest o' ye t' look after 'er! She'll be fine! Ye've all proven yer perfectla capable o' protectin' th' captain while I'm gone! N' if I can, I plan on comin' back b'fore th' year's o'er. I just have t' make sure I've no r'grets fer now r'gardin' me famila."

Robin shook her head in dismay. Was this... just like Zach again? While Gytha and her had only know each other for a short time, and Robin admitted they were, in no way, 'friends' to the degree others in the group had become, Gytha was one of the few whom had tried to be her friend.

"There will always be regrets Gytha. I... am sorry but... I do not know. Why does this sort of thing always seem to happen? I become friends with someone, then they leave." she said as she clenched her teeth in frustration. "I do not know if I can protect Raquel Gytha. I do not see myself as capable and... and I wish I could leave. I feel so confused and messed up."

"Oh. Well, that would make a lot o' sense," Gytha commented, struck by the revelation some, "Ye ne'er do seem t' know what ye want t' do 'r be, 'r how t' act." She smiled again. "Personalla, I just act how I feel. Maybe that'd help ye. Just say whate'er comes t' mind, n' if yer happy, be happy! N' if yer not, then don't be. Not sure if that helps at all, but I guess it just comes naturalla t' me, so I don't know how t' explain it."

"You do not have to explain it Gytha. I am the one who has to explain why I struggle with something like that, and having something like this..." she gave her head a small shake. "What do I do? Pin you to the ground and tie you up until you promise to stay? Hug you goodbye? Just offer a light sentiment? A trinket and good luck? I do not know."

Gytha shrugged with a light grimace. "Well, I wouldn't appreciate ye tryin' t' make me stay." She grinned again. "But goodbyes don't have t' be sad. It just means we're goin' in different directions fer now. I know ye'll keep doin' yer best at what ye need t' do, n' I'll do th' same! I'm happy yer followin' th' road ye feel like ye need ta, just like I am!"

"Goodbyes are always a sad thing. Each time they happen it is because of tragedy and bad fortune. Just... When you leave, promise me you will not do anything stupid, like get shot or make friends with someone like me again."

Gytha frowned in confusion at Robin. "Why would I promise anathin' like that? I'll do me best t' keep alive out there, a'course, but whoe'er I make friends with is up t' me."

She smiled again. "Anaway, good luck yerself! If all goes well, I'll see ye b'fore th' end o' th' year!"

"Wait... Before you go..." Robin looked down, giving a small and nervious kick to the ground, before rushing forwards to grab Gytha in as big a bear-hug as she could manage!

Gytha was a little surprised by the hug, though in retrospect, she supposed it had been one of the things the archer had listed. The mariner smiled and hugged right back, though she was gentle with her own hug. Then, she stepped away, giving the woman one of her large grins. "Keep yerself safe, Robin! I expect t' hear how much better ye've gotten when I see ye again!"

"I hope I can tell you that I... Well... That I have at least done something more than sit around and mope. I still see what you are doing as wrong, and I do not think I can forgive it, but I do think I can forget it if you return here."

Robin had a strange sense of right and wrong -- at least when it came to other people -- but Gytha still wished the best for the unusual archer girl. "I'll see ye when I see ye, then."

With that last sentiment, the mariner turned about, bag over shoulder, and headed off.

[spoiler=Best Wishes]Just about everything was taken care of now. After this, all that would remain to do would be to find Maw. Gytha had asked around a little and so, bag slung over her shoulder, she had made her way back to the dining hall. Not many people remained here now, as most everyone was off packing their belongings for their trip to Ursentius. The one she'd been looking for, however, was in plain view.

Smiling, Gytha walked over and cheerily greeted Veronika, "Ahoy!"

Veronika was busy trying to organize everyone and their belongings to travel to Ursentius- quite the feat. She was glad to see the steadfast mariner was still in good spirits. "Hello Gytha- something you need?" she asked.

Gytha nodded. "Aye, in a way. I wanted t' thank ye fer bein' a good second mate t' Raquel, n' fer givin' me a place here."

Her smile saddened somewhat as she continued, "Th' last time I was officialla part o' a crew, I was sent out n' left b'hind. N' I know I caused trouble fer ye n' ev'ry one, so fer a while, I was afraid I'd be turned on again." Her smile brightened again, coming into her full grin. "But ye said ye were glad I was around n' that I was a helpful part o' th' crew! Ye don't know how r'leaved I was! So I wasn't afraid anamore! Heheharr!"

Her grin toned down again, but it was still happy and her eyes were filled with a confidant determination. "So don't think it's b'cause o' ana o' that, but I needed t' say it. That, n' that since Raquel's reunited with 'er father, me work here is done. Seein' 'em t'gether n' all I've experienced with Raquel n' 'er crew made me realize that I have t' go out n' find me own father. I've th' confidence n' courage t' do that now, n' with th' world endin' soon, I figure I'd better get to it."

Veronika smiled a little as well at how something she did made Gytha feel better, although the news that Gytha was leaving changed her mood rather quickly. "What's wrong with your father? I'm glad that we found Jethro as well, but there's a lot more we have to do," she said, frowning.

Gytha frowned uncertainly. Sure, she appreciated what Veronika had done for her and she figured the red-haired woman was trustworthy, but specifically talking about the subject aloud still made Gytha exceptionally uneasy. Though she didn't mean to show it so much, her worry was rather easy to pick up on. In fact, that was probably why: the mariner didn't make it a habit to hide how she was feeling.

"I...haven't spoken with 'im in about six years," Gytha answered. She figured she could at least say that much, "If th' world ends at th' end o' th' year like Lilith's been talkin' about, then this is me last chance t' patch up old bonds again. It's complicated, but I realla do love me father. Some o' me best memories're about 'im."

I wonder if I'll ever see my parents again before all this is through- though we were not so estranged as Gytha and her father it seems. "I can understand the feeling, but isn't trying to prevent the end of the world more important in the long run? Just because Lilith says it will happen doesn't mean that we shouldn't try to stop it," Veronika pointed out.

Gytha shrugged. "Th' world endin' sounds like somethin' that'd be hard t' stop, n' me stayin' 'r goin's not goin' t' make much o' a difference. Ye n' Raquel have a lot o' good, strong people helpin' ye out. N' b'sides, if I can find me father n' mend our r'lationship b'fore th' end o' th' year, I plan on findin' ye all again n' helpin' ye out. Yer me friends, so a'course I'm goin' t' help when ye need me! N' who knows? Maybe I'll be able t' bring in some help meself! Hahaharr!"

Gytha's grin subsided some as she finished, "I don't want ana r'grets, no matter what happens. If I ne'er managed t' patch things up with me father...well, I wouldn't be able t' face death well, whene'er that comes. If I've at least been tryin', I'd be able t' have peace. N' if 'e dies b'fore I can patch things up, well, there's th' same problem. Me onla goal was t' help Raquel find 'er father. N' now I see that b'fore I can do anathin' else, I have t' make amends somehow with me own. After that, me goal will be t' help out me friends. But first, I need t' get me own self steada. Make sense? Hope it does. I'm just sort o' explainin' as I go; heharr."

Keeping people together is becoming more and more difficult, but I don't think I can stop her and perhaps I shouldn't even be trying... "I think I understand how much this means to you- it would not be fair to have you face death with this unresolved. I hope you find your father," Veronika said, forcing a smile.

"Thank ye fer understandin', n' thank ye fer acceptin' n' supportin' me. It was probabla difficult at times, especialla when me lack o' understandin' got ev'ryone else inta trouble. Means more than ye know," Gytha sincerely concluded, "N' I'm sure ye n' th' others'll be fine! Yer a solid bunch, n' yer not bad at bringin' along good help. Well... I guess that's all. Goodbye, Veronika. I know ye'll keep on carvin' yer way! Hahaharr!"

With that last sentiment, the mariner headed out. All that remained was to find Maw and then set out for her next destination: where this all began, Sergio Port.

Maw sat on Weyland's doorstep, washing her face next to the mariner. Hers was a relatively quiet goodbye over all. She'd farewelled those who stuck around who mattered most to her and left a bit of coin for Weyland's kitchen staff for their help in taking care of Maw. Now, she looked out upon the road before her, a fearless smile on her face and a spark of adventure in her hard-set eyes, duffel slung over her shoulder. The others were still preparing for their own journey inside the manse.

Gytha slowly sucked in a deep breath through the nose, then let it gust out of her mouth. "This is it, Maw: we're settin' out again." Though the cat didn't respond, Gytha went on. "N' this time, we're goin' t' have t' travel th' land alone. Just like walkin' around a port, onla longer. N' thanks t' all I learned from travellin' with Raquel n' th' others, I know how t' set up a camp! We've still got each other, Maw, but I still wonder if it'll feel lonela..."

Gytha couldn't help but reminisce about the various adventures she'd shared with Raquel's group: the fights they got into against land-pirates, the places she'd seen, the people she'd met, the dances she'd learned... Even the simple, quiet things, like when she drove the land-ship with wyverns overhead. She thought of the sea of sand, Purgatory, the floating boulders, the princess' ball... Amon, Synthia, the rocky start she had with Robin and how that had turned into a quirky friendship... Faatina, Blake, and her uneven relationship with them... Veronika's ascent to first mate... Riding a wyvern in the air with Kat... Experiencing battles at sea with Raquel and the rest... It was as though part of her childhood dream had come true.

She couldn't think about it any longer without getting emotional, so Gytha quickly shifted her thinking from things gone by to things ahead. "A'right! No more o' that! C'mon, Maw! We've got a pirate t' find!" she cheerily informed the cat. The silver, one-eyed tabby knew the cue. Gytha began heading down Weyland's steps onward to the road ahead and the feline padded beside her, hastening her own steps to match the mariner's jaunty stride.

As she began her journey, Gytha quietly began singing cheerily to herself, a fond memory playing in her head. "We'll ro~ll the old...chariot along, we'll ro~ll the old...chariot along, we'll ro~ll the old...chariot along, and we'll all hang on behiiiind...!"

Edited December 11, 2014 by Mercakete

[Phoenix]

Reception

Chip was situated, Jethro was minding the wagon, and some were already heading inside, and so Raquel decided to get a move on, herself. Inside the main lobby, there was a lot of ivory colored ceramic. Most notably on the floor. There was some wooden paneling here and there, but for the most part, the surface leading all the way up to the receptionist's desk was a slick, white, rockhard surface. It reminded her of the two main hallways leading down the left and right wings of Weyland's estate; they were pretty lacking in color, just like this place, and full of ceramic as well, and it all had her wondering where the idea was first tested, in the estate, or here in this building. The receptionist was already speaking with Axel (the Red), so she probably wouldn't have to do anything else for the time being.

"I don't think Anna's here right now, but I can have someone check for you," the woman at the desk offered. Last she'd heard, Anna was off meeting with some officials from the army and trying to make sure neither group wound up stepping on the other's toes. It was a delicate enough situation already. "Craig and Raphael are still out searching for leads on Invictus but it's been hours. I'm sure they'll be back, soon."

[Snike]

"I see," Axel said, evenly enough. "I'd appreciate it if someone did check for her. In the meanwhile, is there a room available to bring the mercenaries to wait? They probably don't want to stand around in the entrance hall in the meantime."

Blake entered the meeting hall to see Axel at the receptionist desk, apparently already dealing with business. Well, that left little to do for now, aside from musing how similar the company and the estate were to each other.

[Phoenix]

Useful Information

The receptionist nodded. "I believe Anna's set aside the conference room for the Invictus issue. You are the group being assigned to that case, correct? If Anna is here and I missed her, you'll probably find her in there," she explained.

Raquel wondered if they would need to go up an additional floor or two to reach this conference room or if it was conveniently on the first floor. Part of her wanted to get a better look around, and part of her wanted to get straight to the matter at hand.

[Script]

A Man Called Gar

"Conference room, right, that's... clear..." Gar grumbled.

[Ether]

Stepping inside, Arietta heard the news that the others should be returning soon, which left a smile on her face. Axel seemed to be setting everything up already, the man was certainly efficient, that much was certain.

***

"Really? Was it some sort of learning discipline or something else?" Faatina asked, somewhat curious why students would be kept bottled up inside the academy.

***

Well. for the time being, Isabella had stationed herself outside, scanning the area for any sort of suspicious persons or activity. There wasn't much else to be doing at the moment.

[Phoenix]

Lobby

The receptionist frowned in Gar's direction. "Anna said you'd know where that is ... I'd be happy to point you in the right direction if you're not sure. It's on this floor, just down the hall over there ..." she explained, standing from her chair, leaning as far to the right as she could without falling over, and trying to point them to the hallway on the far right side of the lobby. With the large separator-like wall to the back of the reception desk, it was difficult to direct people to places, herself without standing up, at least places other than the main entrance. She had the 'pleasure' of directing quite a few people back the way they came when it was necessary.

"If we're going to be here for awhile, maybe we should have the others come in here, too," Raquel mused aloud, though she would welcome any input on the matter. If it turned out Anna was actually here right now, that might not be necessary, though.

Wagon

"I can think of a few reasons," Reign began as he squinted at a building in the distance. Even if there was something peculiar about the ten story colossus, the thoughts coming into Reign's mind stole his attention away from it. "For one, a lot of the mages at the academy were nobles. Not even half, mind you, but enough to warrant some extra caution, especially since the academy is in the city itself, and not out in the suburbs. Discipline's also a good reason, since it would have been way too easy for some serious shenanigans to get started if half trained mages snuck off campus one night and started messing around outside. The last thing I can think of, also the one reason they specifically gave us, was for 'the protection of both the students and government property'," Reign explained, shifting to a more pretentious tone for the quote. "It seemed legitimate enough but who's idea was it to build an academy in an area that would force them to wall everything off in the first place?"

"They probably wanted the academy closer to the palace so it would be easier to protect in the event of a siege," Jethro offered. Before the dragon attacks started, that would have seemed like a flimsy excuse, but not so much, anymore. After all, the suburbs had gotten hit rather hard. "Besides, whether or not you're in the big city, there's a lot that can befall a young mage who isn't familiar with the streets or the people there."

Faatina in one of the academy's mage outfits, being suckered into buying far too much alcohol, was the first thing that popped into Reign's mind. "Heh ... yeah."

"Any mage being trained at Horizon is also under a nondisclosure agreement, one I'm sure you've broken at least a dozen times by now, Riegn," Jethro added. "Magic's still too important here to let just any random person study the more advanced techniques."

"I stopped caring after the whole 'running for my life' thing," Reign muttered.

[Snowy_One]

"Raquel." said Robin. She had kept herself quiet despite having come in with Raquel for somewhat obvious reasons. This was the realm of the wealthy and, frankly, Raquel's business. "If we are going to be staying here for a while, may I have the leave to go get new clothes? Maybe have you or someone else accompany me so I do not end up buying something horrid?"

[Ether]

"I suppose that makes sense... it seems a bit excessive, but I suppose they take it rather seriously... even cities this size and this far into the line of defence get attacked, huh?" Faatina replied with a bit of a frown.

[-Cynthia-]

"Feel free to go clothes shopping if you need to Robin. I'm going to be busy here, but I'm sure someone would be willing to help you if you needed it," Veronika stepped in. Is she really so concerned about looking fashionable? Not what I would have expected...

"Excuse me, do you know if the parts for The Paladin are ready yet?" Connor asked the receptionist. He didn't bother introducing himself, most Weyland employees knew he was unless they were quite new.

[Snike]

"... Right, sorry. I spaced out there," Axel said, once the receptionist stepped in to direct the group to the conference room. "I can bring them there. Follow me," he said, to Raquel and the others, before heading towards the hallway to the conference room.

"Either way, we should probably let them know we might be here for a while," Blake said to Raquel's question about the others. "Gives them the choice to come in or not."

[Phoenix]

Reception

"The whole group was waiting for me to wake up so I should really be here for this," Raquel said, assuming, and hoping Anna would actually be there in the conference room. "You can go shopping if you need to," she shrugged, agreeing with Veronika on the matter, "but could you let the others know that this might take a little longer than expected before you go?" She had to send someone, and Robin seemed to be on her way out, anyway. Now there was the matter of staying close enough to not lose sight of Axel once he rounded that corner ...

The receptionist sat back down and pondered Connor's question for a moment, the look on her face suggesting that either she didn't know anything about the Paladin project, or just didn't remember at the moment. "Is that one of the new tank models, or one of the transports?" she asked, hoping to narrow it down. Weyland's vehicles always seemed to get fancy names, none of which clicked easily for her. The Paladin was awfully close to being a hybrid, however; while not having the self propelling technology that was in place on the initial tank models and all succeeding generations, it was nearly as heavily armored, more than adequately protected its locomotive parts, and could easily be upgraded to carry a variety of weapons, including something as powerful as a small cannon.

Wagon

"Most people around here are worried about thugs and the larger gangs," Reign noted. Until recently few among the citizenry would have even considered the possibility of Ursentius being attacked during this war.

"Invictus used to be one of those 'larger gangs'," Jethro noted with a slight grimace. "We were getting too complacent and now we're paying for it one limb at a time," he added with a scowl.

[-Cynthia-]

"It's a transport- the armor and weapons on it might make it seem like a tank, but it's not intended primarily for combat," Connor tried to explain in as simple terms as possible.

[Phoenix]

Reception

Nothing was coming to mind just yet, but at least Connor had narrowed things down for her. Deciding to look through the notes, those left for her as well as those she made herself, she gestured for Connor to wait a moment while she checked. "Paladin ... Paladin ..." She didn't find a mention of it after going through her own notebook, but upon close examination of the second, the one someone like Anna might sneak a reminder into, she did find mention of the Paladin, though it wasn't all that specific. "... it says here that the engineers are 'working on it' .... That's probably related to the parts, right?"