Return of the Emblem Chapter Thirteen: Revelations

[roymbrog]

From what Kat heard so far, Raquel was definitely in the room and Gar had, even slightly, managed to keep the enemy at bay with his threat of explosives. The wyvern rider didn’t notice Samael noticing her, but she did notice the cracks in the wall, albeit too late. At the same time the wall behind Raquel crumbled, the talons of Volga’s wings broke through the wall, sending both her head and Kat pitching forwards through a newly formed hole. The wyvern’s jaw collided with the floor and Katrina rolled off, hastily trying to regain her footing and draw her axe while behind her Volga grabbed the floor to lift herself back up.

She could hear Blake yelling outside that they’d found Raquel, and while that solved one of their problems, there were now others to deal with. “Gar, what are you doing?!” If Raquel could warp people she touched and leave items behind, did that mean Cassandra could as well? Kat wasn’t sure, but if she removed those explosives their leverage was gone.

---

First the wall crumbled and someone who could only be Raquel fell out, then Katrina and her wyvern fell in… Synthia was much more worried about the former, however, and ran after Blake, arriving right after. The fact that she had just fallen two stories was worrying, but so was the bloodstain in the vicinity of her heart. The mage knelt down next to her to deal with the most obvious wound first. “I… I think she’s alive, but whatever struck her here nearly hit her heart. We need to get her out of here.”

[Snike]

Blake let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. That answered one question, at least. Thank Mercy she wasn't already dead.

"Can she be moved normally?" he asked Synthia, who was starting to heal a hole in Raquel's chest. If she was, they'd leave now, raid be damned.

[Script]

A Man Called Gar

"Hugging someone what does it look like!?" Gar shouted back in annoyance.

[roymbrog]

Once the hole through Raquel’s chest was sealed up, Synthia began checking for breaks or fractures in her limbs, healing as she went just in case she missed anything. It was likely the two story fall had damaged something and she didn’t want to find out later they’d caused more damage by moving her. “Give me a minute, and she can be,” the mage answered Blake.

---

“Suicide!” Kat yelled back.

[scorri]

"... Aw shit." Erion threw his bow into its holder, shoved the arrow back into the quiver at his side, and raced to the edge of the roof. Glancing around, he quickly started to scale down the side of the building, using window ledges and the stone outcroppings as grips. When he'd reached almost to the first story, he pushed himself away from the building and landed with a solid thump on the ground. Ignoring the various scrapes on his hands, he raced over to where Raquel was laying on the ground. "Ugh, I knew this was a bad idea, ugh, how bad is it? I've got my horse, if she can take the stress of riding, I can get her out of here now."

[Snike]

"Alright," Blake said, just as Erion arrived, offering to take Raquel out of here by horseback. "...I'm inclined to escort her out of here myself, especially since it will be less of an argument with the Wrathites. What I need you to do is to back up Veronika and the others. Jethro and Gar are still inside, so you'll all have to go in and see about getting them out."

[scorri]

Erion stared at Blake and shook his head. "That's insane. We should all be getting out of here. Gar's still rigged to those explosives. Any second now the entire place could blow up. And even if one of us were to stay, it'd make a whole lot more sense for it to be you for a couple reasons. One, you've actually been traveling with this group for an extended period of time. They're more likely to listen to you than to me. And two, you're about the only one here who the Wrathites respect enough to listen to who also respects the Wrathites enough to behave. If you seriously think that things will just go away once they're done dealing with the Org if you're not here... I don't think that's going to happen, lets leave it at that. If one of us should stay, it really should be you. You're the one who brought them here in the first place after all."

[-Cynthia-]

That was...not what I expected, was all Veronika could muster as the wall crumbled and Raquel fell out. Is she...no she couldn't be, she assured herself as Synthia went and healed her wounds. Erion and Blake seemed to have Raquel covered once they were finished arguing. "I'm going to find Jethro!" she announced simply, moving quickly towards what was left of the building. This plan was always in Gar's hands- I suppose my life is now as well.

[roymbrog]

Everything that Synthia could fix here was healed, and Raquel was as stable as she would be for the time being. Erion had shown up and promptly got into a discussion with Blake about who would take the merchant out of here. Really, she didn’t think it had to be a one or the other scenario. “Is your horse even over here?” Synthia asked Erion. “Look, you’re going to have to go get it if you want to carry her out. Blake, you can take her past the Wrathites, archer here can meet you on his way back. Then you come back here while you,” the mage looked pointedly at Erion, “get her a safe distance away. If you ride quickly, you could reopen her wound. So don’t.”

[scorri]

Erion nodded. "That seems best to me. Blake's needed more on the scene than me, but this way at least, he gets her out without Wrathites stopping me. I'll go get Pips."

[Eail]

Before any more planning could be discussed, Veronika announced her intentions and ran towards the building that likely still held whatever had done this to Raquel. Without hesitation Zach turned to the rest of the group "If you're coming along then follow us, if not grab Raquel and get the hell out of here!" He yelled to whoever would listen before sprinting after Veronika, giving her a nod as he caught up and matched her pace.

[Ether]

"All I can say, for now, is to safety. Too many variables right now to say much else." Isabella replied, before cursing under her breath at what was occuring around them.

"Uniter, the ones entering now, friend or foe? If foe, I'll need to exit from this floor... should be fine but I'm concerned by Jethro's condition." Isabella noted to the other Disciple, as she moved to scoop up Jethro, opting to carry him in the way that least relied on his own strength at the moment.

"We don't have time to talk about it right now. We're either taking the long way or the exciting way... depends on who is barging in."

[Snike]

"That won't work. I explicitly have to stay near her, because of the link, so if I go, I can't come back without her," Blake said, pointing to his head. "This is wrapping up anyways. Look, I don't have time to argue. You can go with me, or go back up the second in command, which you're being paid for. But hurry up and decide."

***

Mix of Wrathites and Valcyn's group. They're coming in from the other side of the building, so your choice on which floor to leave from but get to the side streets immediately.

[scorri]

"... Fine. I'm coming with you. Two people protecting her is better than one, and we need to get out of here now, which means arguing is dumb. Lets go." Erion turned, and headed towards Pips, assuming that Blake wouldn't take kindly to him trying to carry Raquel.

[Phoenix]

Observations

Yeah, Reign had been right to let the other thoughts go; the plan hadn't gone off without a hitch, and it seemed that Hayato was only 'rescued' by sheer luck at this point. Raquel herself fell through the wall as it collapsed and it took every ounce of focus training Reign could call on not to rush over to his friend with complete abandon. She was already being tended to, and he felt he needed to use his current vantage point to try and figure out what had happened. He could make out a lot of what was going on on the second floor with the wall missing, at least from his current position, but it didn't make a whole lot of sense, so he instead focused on matters outside. Raquel was crowded within seconds, with Blake, Synthia, and Erion working out who would move her to safety, and Veronika was seemingly heading into the building to try and find Jethro. The guy wasn't worth the risk of others getting killed, so he didn't agree with rushing off into the building now of all times, but with Gar in relatively plain sight now, he wasn't sure stopping her would make a difference. With him at the edge of the building, an no walls to absorb any of the blast, they were all in danger.

Compliance

"I don't really care about my safety right now ... but if you people are going to save them, too ... then fine." Jethro used the wall for support as he stood up, being very careful not to use his right hand for anything; the pain was just too great, and it seemed as though only thing that kept his fingers from being outright blown off by his pistol's destruction was what was left of his glove. He reached out with his left hand looking for support once he was able to lean on the wall.

Quick Decisions

"Gah!" Cassandra was more than a little startled being embraced by a walking bomb all of a sudden, but about all she could think to do that wouldn't risk setting off the explosives was keeping a firm grip on Gar's hair and dispersing the golden blunderbuss she'd brought into the room. There was no use for it now and it would be stupid to risk Gar getting his hands on it after they went through the trouble of disarming him.

"Your Raquel just fell outside," Samael noted. "You, green haired one. Take that wyvern with you and get out of here. Cassandra, I want you to hold him steady and then lean your head a little to the right," he said, beginning to focus his energies again. That was an odd instruction but soon enough she realized what he was getting at. If she held him, and could support his weight, and not allow him to get jostled to much, Samael could take him out without setting off the explosives. Soon enough, Samael confirmed her suspicions. "If you can keep him like that and then gently set him down after I'm finished with him, I think that should be enough."

Silvia meanwhile finished applying what little was left of her vulnerary to Colin's wound. About all it did was allow him to breathe again, but for the swordsman, that was enough. She helped him onto his feet and helped him over to Sardis' bed/table.

"I have a less risky idea," Cassandra said, trying to wriggle free from Gar without opening herself up to any real locking maneuvers. Just as she said this, the remaining grunts fled the room, not wanting to stick around for the impending explosion, and not realizing that the wrathites had the whole area surrounded. Outside the room, they were surprised to find the others scrambling away down the hallway, trying to get away from the dark menace about to bowl them over.

Glancing over his shoulder at the commotion out in the hallway, Samael scowled. So we're surrounded. Your plan's poses less risk, does it, Cassandra? Let's hear it, then.

[Script]

A Man Called Gar

If I could surpass the darkness across the distance dyed in sorrow before the dawn breaks♪ "It's only suicide if I didn't have a really good plan!" Gar shouted back at whoever that was. Because even if I were to lose sight of my footprints on this endless road, the memories that have accumulated one by one are in my heart♪ "Hey, you said hug Vaclyn, be clear next time," Gar lectured the fool. Because these firm emotions that began to run will surely continue into tomorrow I’ll continue to engrave them into my chest♪ "And speaking of clear, don't forget my good old friend 'grenade in my hand.''" Until the time when the dawn breaks the night darkened by tears, these hands will…♪

[Mercakete]

Gytha stuck by Synthia, just as she promised, and she'd go where Synthia did...but Veronika's proclamation made her indecisive. She wanted to help rescue Raquel's father -- that was the whole reason she'd joined up in the first place -- but she also thought running into the building was a bad idea, and that everyone should get out of there. In the end, though... "So, what're we doin', Synthia?"

Gytha was a huge mix of indecisiveness, nervously eyeing the building, looking back with concern to Raquel, and looking up to where Kat fell into the giant hole in the wall. She also looked back to Synthia, eyes pleading with the mage to make a decision. There was just too much going on at once.

[Snike]

Blake didn't respond, but instead waited for Synthia to finish clearing Raquel to be moved.

***

A handful of grunts just ran out of the room Uniter was heading towards, further indicating that it was to be the room he was looking for. After pushing aside one of them, he entered the room to see just how much of a mess the situation had become.

There was a hole in the wall, occupied by the green-haired wyvern rider and her mount. That was not good as that meant the bombs had one less surface to absorb their blast. Elsewhere, a couple of apparently injured Organization members sat beside their former leader, as Samael scowled in the general direction of Cassandra. Who was being hugged by the white-haired nut wearing a bomb vest and holding a grenade in his hand. Great.

No sign of Valcyn, though, which meant she likely fell through the wall, or otherwise escaped.

"Look, bomb-guy, why don't you save us all a little time and leave with the rider here?," the Disciple asked, not even bothering with the other people in the room. "You blow your vest and everyone in here dies, thanks to the hole in the wall. Then the Wrathites turn around and wipe out any survivors of your little group of mercenaries."

[Ether]

"Uniter will not fail. So long as they can hold out until his arrival, he will take care of the rest." Isabella replied, before moving over to the window, which was thankfully large enough to exit through easily. and smashing it, sending glass plummeting to the ground below... no one should be there, regardless. With the way cleared, Isabella moved over to Jethro, and grabbed him up in something resembling a bridal carry... it was the easiest way to keep him in check without worrying about his waning strength, which would be more than enough to cull any attempts at a struggle on his end. She hadn't seen Seeker from her vantage point, so she'd have to pinpoint her location. But for now...

With passenger in tow, Isabella leapt out the now open second story window... normally this would have been a fairly terrible idea, but she was used to the prospect enough that it wouldn't be an issue. Supporting Jethro against her chest with one hand, she used the other to grab onto the window sill, altering her trajectory so that, when she kicked off again with her legs now braced against the outer wall, she was pushed upwards, a burst of dark magic from within empowering the limbs, which sent both her and cargo up towards the roof, where Isabella landed without issue.

'Still no visual... damn...' Isabella noted, she'd need to inquire further.

"Uniter, where is Seeker awaiting extraction?"

[Phoenix]

Desperation

"I'm not going to let you do this," Cassandra glared at Gar. "I'm not going to let you kill these people just because you're too scared to fight!" She released his hair and switfly, but carefully took hold of him around the shoulders, and as her body began to give off a golden glow, a thick gold metallic substance sprang into existence, quickly beginning to cocoon them from waist up, and waist down, hardening as it took shape. "Send us both away from here," she yelled over to Samael, knowing he'd brought a small warp staff with him just in case things went south. "To the plains or something! Somewhere where these explosives won't kill anyone but us!" She knew he wouldn't like having one of his hands revealed, but to her it was necessary at this point.

Samael was shocked by her bravery, but also insulted by the thought of her having to die to save everyone else. She was the most valuable thing in this place as far as he was concerned. "I don't approve of this, Cassandra."

"Please, just do it!"

[Script]

A Man Called Gar

Because even though the light is wandering in a far away sky, I’ll begin to find it after just one second, one step♪ "But I prefer to leave with this one!" Gar tighten his hug just a bit. Because my hand will reach until tomorrow if the moon shines down on my firm emotions♪ "You weren't here for when I told these lot, but really these explosives here were to protect the lot of you from just attacking us and getting into another big brawl! We all could have walked away," Gar would have shook his head if he was able. Because fragments of the rainbow across the distance will become a single beam of light to guide me in the twinkling sky♪ "But hey, I will totally approve this we go somewhere else plan!" Because the emotions I’ve begun to weave will shine until tomorrow, they’ll continue to shine down on my path♪

[roymbrog]

Synthia had done all she could, and the other two had apparently sorted out the Raquel carrying arrangements on their own. The mage stood up and backed off to give Blake room to lift the merchant. “You can take her now,” she told him.

When Gytha spoke up, Synthia stared at her blankly for a moment. Then it hit that the mariner was actually asking her to make the decision, not tell her what the others were doing. (Frankly she had no idea on the latter, she had been focused on getting Raquel stable.) Blake had told Erion that he should back up the others inside earlier, however, so that’s where she guessed everyone else had gone. “I’d like to wait out here, but… “

---

Meanwhile, inside, Kat scowled at Samael. “I’m not leaving without Gar,” she stated, despite his quip about this suicide plan. When she realized what it was Samael was attempting to achieve with his orders though, her eyes widened and she pointed her axe towards him. “Wait, you can’t do that! If you fuck that up, we’re all gonna-!” And then Gar announced he had a grenade in his hand, which just made things worse. They might not have known how many people were just outside, but she did, and this situation had every chance to go to hell.

And then a hooded man entered the room, giving some very good advice to Gar. Kat had no idea who he was, but she liked the way he thought. “I like his plan!” she piped in again. Then Cassandra started whatever her plan was, and it was not like the hooded man’s idea at all. “…I don’t like her plan. They’re going to warp Gar out!” she shouted over her shoulder and out the hole in the wall.

---

“They’re what?!” Well that was unexpected. But that also meant the building wouldn’t be under threat of explosion anymore. “We follow the others inside,” Synthia decided, and started to hurry off towards the entrance.

[Snike]

"Thanks," Blake said, as he picked Raquel up, and began to head back, carrying her like a bride for the time being. The news that Gar was to be warped was alarming, but the others could handle it.

***

Seeker, can you see Bella? If so just go signal to her. I'm a bit busy.

"Hey, get that cocoon... thing off of you. It won't help things," Uniter said, not even raising his voice. "He said he was willing to walk away, and besides, if you don't trust him, couldn't you just encase him in that material? That could solve it."

He was ignoring the wyvern rider for the time being. Odds were the mercenaries were already pouring on. What difference would it make if they came in a little faster?

[scorri]

Erion had grabbed Pips and also the horse he recognized as Blake's. Leading them over to the man, he held out his arms. "Here, let me hold her while you mount up. Then we can head out."

[Phoenix]

Directions to the Rendezvous

"Not getting up and flailing my arms around," Gabbie muttered back, not really having any equipment with her for getting someone's attention at a distance. "Tell her to get past the wrathoites at the roight edge of the complex, then head straight up the main road. Look for a building on the roight soide of the road that's shorter than the others. I'm on the roof here. Should be easy enough to spot ... all the others are three floors or more from what I saw."

Meanwhile in the Wrath Zone

"What are you people doing?" Desmond demanded as Blake made off with Raquel.

"I'm guessing they're still trying to take captives," Clover said, keeping her voice down. "That said, shouldn't you inspect the first one? Valcyn doesn't seem to be a problem for now, at least."

"I suppose so, yes."

The Danger Zone

"If you want to leave with the dud then take him and go," Samael replied to Katrina irritably.

"You're lying," Cassandra hissed at Gar, "You're trying to kill them all, Silvia, Colin, Sardis, everyone! If Samael hadn't stopped Raquel from helping you, you two would have found some way to kill us all in the explosion. I've seen her powers, so I know that she could have found a way to do it" It was a good first guess on their methods, but right now all that mattered was resolution and escape. Raquel's faction might not have intent to fight, but the wrathites had no such reservations.

Samael realized as much. "If you people have no intention of taking this seriously then get out of my way. These wrathites aren't going to slaughter themselves, despite my wishes to the contrary," he said, stepping around to the side of the bomb situation and trying to get a clearer view of the outside. "Sardis is going to have to be moved at this point. I'll clear a path through their pathetic excuse for a blockade and then it will be up to the rest of you to slip through it and escape."

"If we move Sardis now, he might ..." It wasn't really a thought Silvia wanted to finish aloud. Not to mention Sardis wasn't the only one that was injured. Escape was easier said than done.

"Either you move Sardis or I kill him. There's no sense in allowing him to be captured along with Hayato. You've got until the path is cleared to decide." It was odd that they even bothered with Hayato, though he did notice only one person down there seemed to be interested in the swordsman ... that was until two more figures began approaching. Is that the Head Wrathite himself? Samael mused as he caught sight of the teal haired man and his purple haired companion. She was almost more of a tell than he was, being Bradford's daughter, but the sheer confidence in Desmond's steps and posture, and the need for little more than a barrier specialist for a bodyguard ... it was definitely him. Excellent. The only way this could be better is if I got to dispose of him and Raquel at same time.