Return of the Emblem Chapter Thirteen: Flight

[Mercakete]

"It was Lilith who broke the emblem," Norbert informed Jam, still a little annoyed at Amon's illustration. The reminder of just how much you could get away with if you had the right title was nothing short of sour. "She said she did it because Wrath was trying to take over the world and break the natural order of the four gods."

[Phoenix]

Shattering the Infinite

"Huh?" Glen cocked his head at Norbert for a moment. Had he heard that right? "Hold on--it's the other way around. Wrath is the one that shattered the emblem, not Lilith. He was trying to stop her from using it to usurp him. Same with Obelisk." Maybe history wasn't recorded perfectly, but he sincerely doubted the story could become so twisted as to become completely reversed. He also suspected Norbert might have a slight bias against Wrath at the moment due to all the group's troubles with the order.

"Maybe Lilith was lying to us," Amon chimed in, nearly shrugging, "but I doubt it. She didn't like the idea of putting the emblem back together; meanwhile the Order of Wrath is kidnapping emblem wielders like Joanna and confiscating pieces wherever they can. I'm inclined to believe she shattered it, or at least wants to keep it that way."

Joanna wasn't surprised by Glen's confusion. The avians hadn't gone out of their way to correct that historical error, not outside of their own domain, at least. She'd tried once to note the contradiction herself but her argument was swiftly crushed under a mountain of apparent historical evidence. She left well enough alone after that. The avians themselves only knew the truth due to their connection to the goddess, Mercy, so she supposed they would be defending the lie same as the humans under slightly different circumstances.

[scorri]

Lumi glanced at the store that Greta had indicated and nodded. "Seems like a good a shop as any. Do you need us to come in with you or should we stay out here and watch the city? Figure we could find out some interesting stuff by listening but if you need us, you need us." She would have to figure out something to do with Star if they did go inside, but he was well behaved enough that it shouldn't matter.

Meanwhile, Hoshi had been off away from the rest of the group, spending some time meditating. This trip was going to be hard on her, she knew, and so she was trying to spend her free time before they reached Kigen calming herself and strengthening her resolve. This was the right path for her, she was sure of that, but that didn't make it any easier. She knew that she would face a lot of trouble in Kigen, especially if it was discovered that she was in charge. But, as one of the few people who spoke the native language, she would have to be involved. Letting out a deep breath, she set those feelings aside for now, knowing that focusing on them would do no good now. Things would work out somehow and she would have to be ok with not knowing how for now.

[Phoenix]

Town

"Ya can come along if ya want, but I doubt it's gonna take long," Greta replied. She figured at least a few would need to stay outside whenever one of these indoor shops was involved, if only to look after the mounts the group brought with them.

[Mercakete]

"Yeah, I doubt she was lying," Norbert replied to Amon, nodding at the evidence the Rexian himself provided. He'd questioned Lilith himself in Purgatory, and she managed to convince him to start looking at Wrath as an enemy. True, he'd never been a Wrathite per se, but before then, if he was going to worship any of the four gods' ideals, it would've been his. He couldn't help but feel a little betrayed when he realized she was telling the truth, either. But that was back then. Now, to him, Wrath was just another threat to be dealt with somehow.

[GoD]

"Seems like you've got it all planned."- the knight remarked. "Then I'll leave the tactics to you; that way I can just conecentrate on moving and shielding your body as best I can." Ingret decided it would be best not to aggravate the little mage any further, he didn't want to be on bad terms with his employer just yet, after all.

Though he did decide to inquire as to why the group was located away from the town. "...Is there a reason why you're not staying at an inn? Don't tell me you lot like camping outside? Am I going to be dealing with hipsters or introverts?"

Edited December 29, 2014 by GoD

[Phoenix]

Town

I'm an introvert, Shadrak thought, missing the other unfamiliar term. "We're just being cautious until we get to Kigen. The wrathites are really ... perturbed with us right now and I wouldn't put it past them to try and sick the locals on us under some pretense or other." Admittedly, that wasn't the way most people would have explained it, not even many in the group itself ... but as far as Shadrak was concerned, the fight that broke out wasn't entirely their fault. There were fighters on both sides out for blood.

[GoD]

"The wrathites? Well, I can think of a dozen reasons why the wrathites would exert their, heh, wrath on anyone. I'm almost certain that if this group is just as rambunctious as the last group Chelsea was in, then they could have aggravated the wrathites... though maybe the demonic attack Shadrak spoke of was apart of.... no that's enough speculation Ing; I need to focus on the task at hand."- Ingret mused in his head as possibilities swirled inside him, regarding why the young dark mage's group would camp outside. However he needed to ascertain this group's individuals for himself.

"I understand. Then shall we go and meet with the rest of the group, so I may introduce myself? Or would you rather stay here?"- the knight asked of Shadrak. He wasn't about to leave his side to go and frolick with others, he had a job to do and he would stay if the bookworm did not want to leave... it was a nice spot after all.

[Phoenix]

Town

"I'm finished looking around here for now," Shadrak began, "so we can head back, now. It's a bit of a walk, but we'll get there soon enough." Then a thought occurred to him ... "Would you mind leading the way for now? At least until we get to the gate? That should give me some time to look into one of these books. I'll get us back to the camp once we reach the north gate, of course."

[roymbrog]

Elliot pulled himself to the back of the wagon and sat next to Jamilla. There was a lot of arguing going on... Jam was right, that had escalated quickly. "Yeah..." the avian agreed. "I don't like arguing," he added. He had taken out the golden amulet from his pocket again and started flipping it back and forth in his hands. It was a bit of a nervous habit, but the charm helped him be less anxious.

---

Kimiko was a bit out of breath by time she'd caught up with the others, but had followed them through the gate with no problems. Now they were stopping and Greta was heading into a store for directions. "Erm, I wish to come in as well," the alchemist stated. She was still carrying a crate though, and didn't really want to bring it in as well. "Would someone mind holding this for me?" she asked, looking between Haythem and Lumi mostly.

OoC: Valter will come later I guess >_> Every time I start writing people interrupt me, I have to go to a place or something

[GoD]

Well that was good news to the lilac-haired merc, so he quickly adjusted his backpack and made for the exit nearest to where Shadrak told him to go.

"Understood. In that case, let's be off."- Ingret told the dark mage, and then both set off to meet or in Shadrak's case return to the main group. As they traveled Ingret lead the way, however he always spared a glance at his charge. He was supposed to be protecting him after all.

[roymbrog]

In all honestly, Valter was surprised his little errand was going off without a hitch. He'd made it most of the way back across the city and was soon to be approaching the northern gate when he spotted a familiar cloaked druid up ahead. It appeared Shadrak was trying to read and walk at the same time. Normally that wouldn't be cause for concern, but ahead of the mage was an unfamiliar man who periodically looked back at him. Had Shadrak noticed that, or was he distracted...?

Valter made sure his hood obscured most of his face before picking up his pace to catch up to and walk next to the druid. "So, how did your errand go?" he asked, then added more quietly, "Did you notice the man ahead is watching you?"

[Toogee]

Elliot pulled himself to the back of the wagon and sat next to Jamilla. There was a lot of arguing going on... Jam was right, that had escalated quickly. "Yeah..." the avian agreed. "I don't like arguing," he added. He had taken out the golden amulet from his pocket again and started flipping it back and forth in his hands. It was a bit of a nervous habit, but the charm helped him be less anxious.

Though there was debate as to which deity broke the emblem, it was clear that their power broke the emblem previously. Jam wished that, instead of tearing the emblem to pieces, they turned it to dust and scattered it across the desert or ocean. Maybe there wouldn't be as many problems in the world. The pondering of such "what ifs" would have to wait. Elliot revealed something shiny.

"Hey, whatcha got there?" Jam asked Elliot. Mysterious gold pieces were starting to become a recurring theme in conversations lately.

[Phoenix]

Store

Haythem reached out to accept the crate from Kimiko. Meanwhile, Greta made her way into the store. Despite all the chemical based products strewn about, the smell of this place was inviting, and both subtle, and consistent throughout. She realized why when she looked over at the counter, and then scanned the whole store, again. There was incense in use, and the products for sale all seemed to be carefully sealed. She wondered what method the store clerk would use to let her sample the perfume if she asked. Perhaps there was a backroom somewhere she would lead her to in order to preserve the atmosphere of the rest of the store. She supposed it didn't much matter considering she interested, neither in perfume, nor makeup. Greta wasn't sure who she inherited this preference from, however; her mother wouldn't think twice about using these if they were to her advantage, and her father didn't mind it, especially if it was used to entice.

She glanced down at the list she'd gotten from Angelica, trying to decide whether to give the list to the shopkeeper and let her check things off for her, or be more of a hawk in this situation and seek out the products, herself. The advantage of letting the other woman handle this was that she was more likely to get exactly what Angelica was looking for. The downside was that she might end up paying for the most expensive versions of these goods as a result, and though it wasn't even her coin she was purchasing with, she didn't want to run the risk of running out before getting everything on the list, which could very well happen if she didn't do her own calculations as she went along. The clerk was only just now beginning to notice her, so she had a few more seconds to mull it over from the store's entrance.

Somewhere

"Shadrak nearly flinched, but his brain caught up with him the instant before it happened, resulting in just a quickened glance up from the book he had been rapidly perusing. "That's what I'm trying to find out," he began. To the other question, he simply said, "his name is Ingret. Chelsea hired him to give me a hand, which I desperately need if I'm going to get anywhere while on this mission." He tried to explain in such a way as to not imply he didn't trust most of the other defenders in the group with his safety, painting Ingret as more of a research assistant. He didn't much look the part, but maybe .... He wasn't sure if Valter would see through this or not, but either way, he felt he should continue.

"Since you're here, though ... Ingret, this is Valter, one of the people from our group," he nudged his head at each man in turn as they walked, "Valter, Ingret. Like I said, he's here to give me a hand." Again he was as vague as he could be with regard to Ingret's exact role, here.

[GoD]

"Why yes I am staring at him, thank you for noticing. I was afraid I wasn't doing my job properly."- he replied to new man, with a tone of mirth apparent in the knight's voice.

"Greeting Valter, as you heard from my employer, my name is Ingret. I'm his assistant of sorts, and I'll be joining the group starting today. I hope we get along."- Ingret extended his hand outwards to Valter with a blank stare that betrayed his previous tone of amusement.

[roymbrog]

So this man was an assistant? Valter glanced briefly at Ingret before looking back at Shadrak. When the druid repeated the same wording, that he was 'here to give him a hand', the horseman grew pretty suspicious that there was more to it than that.

"Heh." So the man had overheard him too? Due to the hood, Valter had to tilt his head to get a good view of Ingret and proceeded to shake his offered hand. "Good to meet you," he replied. Now what are you really here for? It probably wasn't anything nefarious anyway.

---

"Thank you," Kimiko said, nodding to Haythem as he took her crate. She hurried into the store after Greta. The place smelled pleasant, and not nearly as overbearing as she expected. "Greta," she called, approaching the woman who seemed to be considering something. "I had offered to help gather Angelica's things, if you would like the help."

---

"Oh, um..." Elliot held the amulet out flat for Jam to get a good look at it. It was about the size of a gold coin with a complex design engraved across the top. A blue crystal was set in the center and there was a hole in one end for if one wished to wear it as a necklace.

"Mom gave me this," the avian explained. "She told me it would keep me safe if I kept it with me."

[Phoenix]

Store

"Huh? Err, sure," Greta stammered ever so slightly. That was when she noticed the storekeeper rising up from the counter. She looked almost elated for some reason. Even Greta wouldn't lay it on that thick for a pair of potential customers. Maybe the shop was falling on hard times. That would only surprise her a little given how useless makeup and perfume were in these current crises. Or ... maybe it had more to do with the shopkeeper herself. The woman reminded her of Nadya, warm caramel complexion, dark flowing hair, a bust slightly too large to be downplayed by a mere blouse.

"Welcome," she greeted them both. Her enthusiasm was greater than her wide grin had initially implied. At this point, Greta was simply assuming she'd seen the shopping list in her left hand, and the small bag of gold she was carrying in her right, put two and two together, and got a much higher number than most people did. She probably had good eyes and that made Greta wonder if this was going to be an easy transaction, or a difficult one.

"Hi ..." She forced a smile.

Somewhere

That was one introduction down ... possibly a dozen more to go, Shadrak thought. He quickly returned to reading, rather, rapidly skimming the book he'd chosen to start with. He'd happened upon a certain legend that caught his interest. He had rarely seen the term 'elemental' used for anything other than an exceptional yet highly specialized mage. In this legend, the term was being used to refer to a race of mysterious entities in the northern Ursian wilds. These entities were said to be able to transform into the elements they commanded, making them nearly impossible to kill. Needless to say, the ability would come in handy for a group like theirs.

Shadrak wasn't getting his hopes up just yet, however ... there was plenty of evidence to debunk these elementals. They had been written off as especially savvy bandits thousands of years ago and now served as one of many lessons regarding the handling and distribution of magic among the populace. Shadrak could just imagine them becoming infamous through some clever trick involving conventional spells. It was unlikely to be the true high level sorcery he was seeking ... but still, even if the elementals weren't real ... there might still be a way to develop the very spells originally credited to them.

It was back to quickly thumbing through pages once Shadrak was done internalizing the important pieces of information. After a moment, he paused, again. He hadn't found another legend of interest, not yet, at least; this time he decided to buy himself a little more time to peruse. "I was going to lead the way back to the camp once we reached the gate, but Valter, since you're here, do you might leading from there? That should let me focus on this." If Valter agreed, Shadrak could continue to scan for and make mental note of any myths of interest while narrowing down the areas of the books he would focus on. That would hopefully save him time later when coming back to them for more intensive study during the long road to Kigen.

[Toogee]

"Oh, um..." Elliot held the amulet out flat for Jam to get a good look at it. It was about the size of a gold coin with a complex design engraved across the top. A blue crystal was set in the center and there was a hole in one end for if one wished to wear it as a necklace.

"Mom gave me this," the avian explained. "She told me it would keep me safe if I kept it with me."

"It's very nice," Jam commented. "So I take it your parents aren't anywhere near here? Where were you headed before you came across our group?"

The dancer didn't mind the change of topics; talk of the emblem tended to get pretty heavy at times. Elliot's anxious fidgeting of the amulet did not escape her. Perhaps he would be calm talking about himself.

[roymbrog]

"Thank you," Elliot said before replacing the amulet in his pocket. "Yeah, my parents are in Neviskotia... Um, Miss June and I were headed to Kigen. Our cart got broken when the monsters attacked in Europa though. Miss Greta helped us move it and let us come with her."

---

Shadrak seemed pretty absorbed in his book as their small group continued walking, at least until he spoke up to ask a favor. "Uh, sure," Valter replied. Was the druid staying behind or just following behind? Either way the horseman sped up to walk next to Ingret.

[GoD]

Ingret nodded to Shadrak and Valter as the horseman sped up to walk beside the knight. Then Ingret gave the red-haired man a small smile and nodded again. "Thank you for escorting us. If you do not mind me asking, what is it exactly that you do?... Ah, but before you answer, I should probably tell you my role. I am a mercenary... actually a bodyguard for hire, so I can't really hurt people all that well, but I am apt at defending people like him-"- the lilac-haired man pointed at the mage who was currently reading a book. "-from harm...well from physical harm at the very least."

[Toogee]

"Thank you," Elliot said before replacing the amulet in his pocket. "Yeah, my parents are in Neviskotia... Um, Miss June and I were headed to Kigen. Our cart got broken when the monsters attacked in Europa though. Miss Greta helped us move it and let us come with her."

"Heh, Greta is cool like that," Jam smiled. "I remember traveling on my own when I passed her wagon. She let me join her crew in exchange for helping out. I probably wouldn't have gotten very far without her. She's really great to have as a friend." Stories like Elliot's made the dancer glad that she crossed paths with the merchant.

"So, what's in Kigen that has you traveling so far? Art, cuisine...ladies?" The last word was a but a tease, Jam having fun at the shy avian's expense.

[roymbrog]

Valter wasn't really someone to be friendly unnecessarily, but considering the man had just answered his unspoken questions about his true role for Shadrak, the horseman felt he at least owed Ingret an answer. That didn't mean he needed to explain everything, though. After a pause, Valter replied. "I'm also something of a bodyguard, I suppose." Granted, at the moment that was only according to himself. He had plently of memories of gettiing the snot kicked out of him. "I'm better at dispatching threats than taking hits. Mercenary, though... that makes sense. You didn't look much like a researcher." And Shadrak isn't the best at deflecting suspicion...

---

OoC: So sorry! Forgot Kimiko in the last post

Kimiko was actaully pretty glad she'd been allowed to help. She enjoyed making herself useful. Before she could ask for a look at Angelica's list, however, the shopkeeper stood to greet them. "Hello," Kimiko replied with what was certainly a more sincere smile that Greta's.

---

"Yes, Greta is nice," Elliot said with a small smile. He was sufficiently distracted from the earlier argument by this point that he'd stopped fidgeting entirely. At least, until Jam's teasing question. "Um, I'm a bit young for that," he muttered, though a faint blush had spread across his cheeks. "Miss June is going to see where her grandparents used to live. She's never been to Kigen before and wants to meet the rest of her family. Mom let me come so I can learn alchemy and because 'it's good to see the world'."

[Phoenix]

The Store

To Greta's surprise, the shopkeeper managed to look slightly more elated after she and Kimiko had returned her greeting. "Doing a little shopping while you're in town?" the woman asked. She was assuming they were from out of town or at least just passing through, which was true, but Greta couldn't help but wonder what made her come to that conclusion. "I see you have a note there ... shopping list, perhaps?"

Greta snapped out of her thoughts and reluctantly said, "Yeah ... somethin' like that." She still hadn't decided whether or not to let the shopkeeper take care of everything on the list or have a look around, herself.

The Walk

Shadrak tried not to mutter as his attention was torn between the book he was reading and the exchange between Valter and Ingret. Hopefully he'll keep that to himself. I still don't like the idea of winding up in a situation where my own bodyguard is too busy to help me because someone else can't hold out for a few seconds, he mused irritably to himself. The next entry he noticed in the book was a mention of 'demons' that took after animals and seemed to be of Kigenese origin. There were several things that prompted Shadrak to quickly skim over it, one being that it was far too easy to credit the Fallen with any strange creature sightings, and another being that even those that may have had nothing to do with the fallen still had perfectly reasonable and underwhelming explanations. The most important reason for skimming the entire section was that he just couldn't think of a use for this sort of information when the demons were being mystified.

[Toogee]

"Yes, Greta is nice," Elliot said with a small smile. He was sufficiently distracted from the earlier argument by this point that he'd stopped fidgeting entirely. At least, until Jam's teasing question. "Um, I'm a bit young for that," he muttered, though a faint blush had spread across his cheeks. "Miss June is going to see where her grandparents used to live. She's never been to Kigen before and wants to meet the rest of her family. Mom let me come so I can learn alchemy and because 'it's good to see the world'."

Jam snickered silently as Elliot revealed that he wasn't too old for that, as he muttered. She didn't pursue the matter once the subject turned to alchemy.

"Ooh, alchemy? Like turning lead into gold? Do you know any spells or tricks or...experiments? I don't know what you call them."

[GoD]

"Hmm... then you're more useful than I am. I'll be counting on you to do your role, as I shall do mine. Though I wouldn't know why you would peg me as a researcher. I don't read as much as I used to."- Ingret told the horseman, as the lilac-haired man ran a hand through his head and sighed.

"Seriously, I'm not reading as much? I must be approaching old age at an alarming rate."