Return of the Emblem Chapter Thirteen: Flight

[Toogee]

Much as she wanted to come along, Jam saw that there were plenty of people going already. At least something was being done; that was enough for her. Besides, after the events with the wrathites, the dancer wasn't looking forward to another fight so soon.

"If you guys need that backup, I'll be here," Jam followed up Norbert's suggestion. She hoped she could see some of the proceedings from the wagon; it would be tortuous to not know what was going on.

[Nanami Touko]

Tia stood by as well, as everyone spoke. She didn't exactly have anything she could do to help out, in terms of cheering or fighting, so she shrunk back as everyone else began to leave the wagon. "I hope they don't get hurt," she mumbled. And she hoped it didn't take too long. They were still on the run, after all...

Edited October 11, 2014 by I have opinions

[Eail]

"Rigth then, let's move out and get this taken care of." Al replied to Valter with a nod, rather pleased that several others had elected to come as well. Patting Jamilla on the shoulder, he gave the girl a grin "Take care of everyone while I'm busy with this all right? Be back in a bit." Leaping off the wagon once he'd finished speaking, assuming Valter would stop to allow him to get a ride.

[Phoenix]

Into the Incline

Alphonse was riding with Valter from the looks of things, so Greta quickly approached Norbert. "I need a ride," she said, almost immediately after he offered to come back for reinforcements. She wasn't sure how things would turn out, but with her along, they had a better chance of putting down at least one of the potential threats. The bullet was meant for one of a handful of familiar faces from the recent incident on the road, but she would gladly use it on another threat if the situation called for it. She had extra shots stored that she could load in the space of about ten seconds if she was covered, so it was entirely possible that she could down two threats instead of just one if things got violent, though not likely. In either case, she doubted Norbert would make it back to ask for help in time if the need suddenly became apparent.

Once the riders were ready to move out, Glen focused his attention back on the imaginary path ahead of him, trying not to run the horses right into any rocks. They were heading down the incline now, and trying to move around the confrontation just down the road. Unfortunately, he wasn't willing to steer far enough away from the minor conflict to avoid coming significantly closer to it. He figured it was only a matter of time before Angelica's rifle passed over his head again as she took aim at someone over at the damaged wagon. Still, it was better than trying to drive in a wide circle around the whole mess and waste anywhere from fifteen minutes to half an hour just to keep to an absolute safe distance. They were likely being hunted by a far worse threat, or at least Joanna was, and that was enough to risk it, he'd decided.

Luca smelled gunpowder, seared wood, and blood in the air. His looting face appeared a moment later and he began jutting his nose outward, trying to pick up anything else that might hint at the usual golden prizes he and Nadya found around such places. All he could tell for now was that they would have to move closer to the source before they were likely to find anything. That was a little dangerous; he could tell that whatever was going on wasn't quite finished yet, but at this distance, he couldn't make out much. Wary, but undaunted, he followed Nadya's directions while sifting through the various scents.

[Mercakete]

[spoiler=Misfortune in Ursaea]Norbert nodded. "Yeah. I'm glad she's okay, though. Rizen was worried, too. She's afraid of wyverns, so that she was willing to fight to protect Phyllis proves that." Come to think of it... Norbert looked around. Valter had said that they'd stopped so the animals could rest. "Speaking of those things, where're the wyverns?" Actually... "I don't see Lumi's pegasus either..."

“Oh? Is Rizen that fond of Phyllis now?” Valter asked. It was true the horse had mostly gotten over her anxiety around pegasi, but to be honest the horseman hadn’t paid much attention to the pegasus’s behavior on the matter.

Then Bert glanced around, and Valter had the distinct impression he was about to ask something. He was right. “Haythem, Eva, Hoshi, and Lumi flew ahead to Ursaea. They’re going to scout conditions in the city and pick up provisions. They weren’t sure how to feed the wyverns out here, if they stuck with us,” he explained.

Norbert's brow furrowed at the mention of Ursaea. He didn't exactly have fond memories of the place. "About how far away is Ursaea? Do you know?" Dispite how distracting this new information was, he realized that sounded more urgent than he'd meant it, so he tagged on, "If we get the chance, there's someone I want to fight there."

“We’re about two days away,” Valter replied. That would be his last time in his home city too, if he risked entering. The anxious frown returned, though this time it was joined by a wary stare as Bert explained his intentions. “We might not have time for that. With whom were you wanting to fight? And why?”

Two days? If it was a two days' flight, then it just wasn't worth it to go rushing off, especially if he was going to be in a relatively small group that included Eva, Hoshi and Lumi. Not to mention two wyverns, one of which was gargantuan. True, he might be able to stand being around Lumi or Hoshi -- they were a bit pushy, but at least they had some redeeming qualities -- but Eva? Haythem wasn't even a concern. Plus, he'd have to push Rizen to catch up, or fly alone. The latter may have been his preference, but it was just dangerous to be away from allies for that long after what they'd just come from. Valter had a point, too: they likely wouldn't have time to deal with that particular issue. As much as Norbert hated letting the man get away with his mistreatment, there didn't seem to be another option that wouldn't put everyone else at risk.

When the horseman asked his two questions, though, Norbert realized that he probably hadn't actually told Valter about his experience in Ursaea. Part of him actually didn't want to talk about it, if only because he'd already decided to leave the experience in the past for now and he didn't want to rile himself up about it. He also didn't want to make a fuss over something like this to someone who couldn't do anything about it. Still, it was a little late to pull back now; Valter deserved an explanation.

"There's a man named Doran who lives in that city. Or at least he was stationed there the last time we were in Ursaea." That was the easy part of his explanation. Norbert shifted his gaze off to the side as he went on with the story, somewhere between bitter and embarrassed. "Do you remember when we helped that group Amon was with? When that dragon attacked? I tried to fly off to find a patrol or something to warn them about his going to the capitol. I found a patrol, but they were way too close to where that dragon was. I tried to warn them... Anyway, the dragon attacked and killed most of them. I'd tried to at least delay the dragon by fighting him where I thought he couldn't get me: his back. Riz flew back to you all in the meantime. I guess my plan worked to a degree, but only one was alive by the time we reached Ursaea."

This was when the story began to irritate Norbert, but this time he caught it before he could start slipping into a rage. The rider took a deep breath and slowly let it out before continuing. "If you remember, that dragon made a deal with us: he'd spare us if we chose some other Ursian city to be destroyed instead. There were some tries at tricking him, but none of them worked. Then, that merchant lady named the capitol. Anyway, when we got to Ursaea, the dragon mentioned that deal before throwing me into one of the merchant stands. That knocked me out. When I woke up, I was tied down to a chair and there were some soldiers there. I was interrogated."

Again, Norbert's anger threatened to add its heat to his storytelling. It was more difficult for him to keep that under control this time. His distant glare intensified and his tone got a bit sharper. "Even though I told the truth, they didn't believe me, even from the very beginning when they asked me for my full name. Doran was the one who attacked me when he didn't like my answers. I couldn't defend myself. They'd taken my forehead guard, and my arms and legs were tied down." His hands balled into tight fists at the memory. He knew he had to wrap this up before he lost it. "When they were done with me, they shackled my hands behind my back and put me in a cell. Doran came back later...with my maces."

Finally, Norbert returned his burning gaze to Valter. "He gave me a choice: either I had to stand by and let him beat me down with my maces, or he'd melt Splinter and Crunch down for scrap metal. Injuries heal, so I chose to stand by. He did what he said he would, except that he only broke one of my legs. That is why I want to face him again -- in a fair fight this time. I can't let him get away with what he did to me!"

Clenching his jaw, he lowered his gaze and added, "But...I can't put everyone at risk, either. ...So I'll just have to let it go...at least for now..."

By the time Norbert had finished speaking, Valter’s face donned one of the iciest glowers to date. His ire was not directed at the pegasus rider, but at the actions of Ursaean officials and whoever this Doran was. This was one of the few times he wanted to throw his weight as a noble around. “No…No he’s not going to get away with that,” Valter said, “but you’re not going to fight him either. If we have time, we’re going to talk to his superiors. Was there anyone else who witnessed his treatment of you?”

Norbert was somewhat surprised at Valter's reaction, though he didn't show it. The surprise was accompanied by something akin to relief, too, but he didn't show that either. Not directly, at least. Instead, this showed in his calming a fair degree. Instead of being tense with rage, his body relaxed and he looked up at Valter again. He was still very dour-looking, but he wasn't notably restraining himself anymore. To be perfectly honest, he was touched by Valter's concern, though he didn't recognize it, as the gesture was still largely unfamiliar to the pegasus rider.

He nodded. "The two other interrogators saw what he did during the interrogation, two other guards saw what he did when I was in the cell, and the pegasus knight who survived the dragon attack saw a bit of the interrogation. She vouched for the authenticity of my story. I don't know any of their names, though."

Well, that was good. A shame he didn’t catch any names but that wasn’t surprising given the circumstances. “Even if we can’t visit in person, I’ll write a formal letter of complaint, and they’ll have to look into it. If we manage to get there I can have them find out what guards were in charge of you, and-“ A sudden realization, and in a moment the horseman’s glare lost most of its intensity. “Right, I’m technically a criminal now. My words won’t hold much weight in Ursaea anymore…”

At first, Norbert doubted they would read the letter at all, given his lack of faith in the governing powers. He was a little confused when Valter finished speaking, though. Thus, his earlier comment was forgotten. "Why would your words hold any weight in Ursaea in particular?" the prgasus rider asked. Then, he recalled something the horseman had told him back on one of the islands. "Oh right; I forgot you're a noble. So...you're from Ursaea?"

Part of Norbert was glad Valter was from that particular town. It was strange having a friend in such a high position. Or at least, from the sound of it, Valter would have been effective before this incident with Joanna and the Wrathites. It was a strange reminder that not all nobles were pompous bigots, and that caused Norbert to give a bit of a smile in spite of himself. "Don't worry about it. It'll be nice when Doran pays for what he did, but I'm not in a hurry to make it happen. Not if it endangers any of us at least."

He frowned thoughtfully as he added, "Actually...this sort of thing happened all the time. I grew up getting the snot kicked out of me and then being blamed for it all. There was never any justice, so I learned that if anyone was going to defend me, it'd have to be me, myself."

A light smile returned to his hardened face. "Hearing a noble take something like this seriously makes me feel a lot better about it. Maybe there's hope for the justice system after all. That, and...no one's really stood up for me before in a situation like this. So, thank you. It means a lot."

“Yeah, and Synthia and I both are from Ursaea,” Valter replied, rubbing his neck a bit awkwardly. Had he mentioned his hometown to Bert before? Probably not, now that he thought about it. It wasn’t as if he actively broadcast where he was from and his family status.

The topic quickly went back to Doran again though, and the horseman re-crossed his arms. “I’m just sorry I can’t help,” he said, frowning again. “Though it’s a far cry from your situation, I do know what it’s like to have been bullied. And, erm. You’re welcome, I guess?”

It sounded like Valter was having a hard time grasping just how significant his stance was to Norbert, but that was okay. It wasn't really important. What mattered was that someone hadn't just brushed off his problems, and wanted to do something about it. And, he could tell that if it wasn't for the danger it'd put them all in, Valter would have. He surprised to hear one thing Valter had said, though. Raising an eyebrow a bit, with a slight chuckle in his throat, Norbert asked, "You were bullied? Someone thought it was a good idea to pick on a noble kid?"

“Other noble’s kids mostly, spoiled brats,” Valter said, sounding annoyed. “They used to tease me about my eyes, that I spent time with a ‘commoner’, that I looked like a girl… I did, to be fair. Then I cut my hair and they made fun of that instead. The worst thing any of them ever did, though, was break my glasses.” That had been difficult to explain at home, especially since he hadn’t supposed to be out in the first place.

“Like I said, a far cry from your situation,” he repeated. “But if it bothered me as much as it did back then, I can only imagine how it was for you.”

Norbert frowned uncomfortably as he looked away for a moment before returning his gaze to the horseman. Sincerely, he informed him, "You know, if I'd been there, I would've sent those kids crying home to their mothers. I don't let people pick on my friends. I hate unfairness. And so what if you're friends with a commoner? That's how things should be, if you ask me: people being treated fairly no matter what his or her station in life is. If you're in the upper class, then it's your job to support those in the lower classes. If you're a soldier, it's your job to make sure the people of your country are protected. No special rights or privileges and no excuses -- each person is dealt with according to his or her needs and by his or her actions. If you break the law, it doesn't matter if you're a commoner or a king -- you get the same punishment without hesitation. So yeah, your experience may have been less harsh than mine, but you deserve justice just as much as anyone else. I'm not going to excuse what they did to you just because it wasn't what I lived through and I'm not going to compare those experiences to each other as though one discredits another."

He shifted his gaze away again as he uncomfortably added, "You wouldn't want to hear about my childhood anyway. It'd just sound like complaining, so I'm not going to put you through that." True, he had brought it up in the past, but right now he really didn't see how it wouldn't turn into some sort of pity party, and those were absolutely useless.

Valter smiled faintly. Loyalty was certainly one of Bert’s better qualities. To hear that at least one other person would’ve stuck up for him didn’t quite cheer him up, but it was getting there. “I wouldn’t mind hearing about it,” he replied to the pegasus rider’s last statement, “But perhaps another time. I should probably start gathering up the horses…” They’d been here talking for a while and it was about time for the group to get moving again. Before he got started, however, he nodded to the other man and said, “Thank you, Bert. That meant a lot.”

Norbert was slightly surprised to hear that Valter really did want to hear about his childhood despite his disclaimer. He did have a point about the horses, and if it wasn't for that, Norbert might've written off Valter's saying he didn't want to hear about it right now as the horseman just trying to be polite. Then, Valter said something else that was unexpected. Still, he supposed he could understand it. The pegasus rider shrugged with a light smile, not really sure how to reply to the thanks in words. Then, he added, "I guess just let me know when you want to hear it. It'd kind of pathetic, though, so don't say I didn't warn you. And you won't offend me or anything if you decide never to bring it up. I'll go ahead and leave you to the horses."

Norbert landed the pegasus and reached out to Greta to help pull her up behind him onto Rizen's back. "If you're sure you want to ride with me instead of Nadya, then hurry up and get on; there's not a lot of time. If you'd rather not try to shoot from a moving pegasus, then ask the woman on a horse for a ride," he instructed.

Besides his concerns with Rizen reacting to a firearm being fired from behind her head, he also wondered how effective said firearm would be from the air. He wasn't about to try to hold Rizen's flight even and steady for the sake of a single shot. Rizen flew around in irregular patterns for a reason: so that people would have a harder time hitting them. Plus, sometimes a sudden shift in direction was necessary, whether that be to dodge a projectile, or to move in for an attack or rescue. Besides the tactical reason, however, there was a more personal reason the rider was uncomfortable with ferrying this particular individual around, and this was the reason that set the guarded look in Norbert's face: this was the woman who had made that deal with the dark dragon. As soon as she'd gotten his attention, in fact, his eyes hardened and his mouth set in a line. His mind had been on Ursaea too much recently for him not to remember that detail. Because of her, the dragon had gone to attack the Ursian capital, and he'd risked lying to the guards at Ursaea to protect her from getting in trouble with them. Her involvement had created the suspicion against him that led to his capture, interrogation, incarceration, and mistreatment, thanks to Schwartz's jeering.

But for right now, there wasn't time for any of that. The woman would have to quickly make her choice. If she still chose to ride with him, he wouldn't argue. He'd just help her up and fly on. He wasn't too inclined to strike up any sort of unnecessary talk anyway.

Edited October 13, 2014 by Mercakete

[Phoenix]

"Just help me up," Greta said, not really interested in changing the seating arrangements that had been in her head now. Time was of the essence.

[Mercakete]

Once she'd taken his hand, Norbert hauled her up behind him, just as he'd said he would. After that, the trio launched into the air. Norbert had already decided to keep pace with Valter and Nadya, so that's just what he did.

[roymbrog]

OoC: I'm sorry this took so long, haven't been feeling so hot the last few days @__@

If there are spellcheck issues please let me know later I'm really late for class and didn't proofread

Heading out

Valter did indeed stop, before turning Phyllis around and offering the swordsman a hand up before they left.

That hill tho

After laying down his bow Gregory unholstered his axe and took a balanced stance as Charles applied a ward to him with his staff.

“The man in the green armor is the one we need alive,” he explained as he finished up. “I’m sending you in right behind him.”

“And the pegasus?” Gregory asked as the warp glyph appeared beneath his feet.

“I’ll handle it,” Charles replied, before sending the larger man off in a flash of light. A few seconds later and he disappeared similarly.

Worst day of his life

Back at the damaged wagon, Lagar had seen the third of his men to crumple to the ground that day. When he glanced back on the hill the archer wasn’t readying another shot, and had actually discarded his bow altogether. Why, Lagar didn’t know, but he didn’t much care as he hightailed it for his own horse.

The horseman had made it to his own steed and was pulling two of the others over for Lagar and the remaining mage. He released the boss’s when he reached him before continuing towards the mage, who had elected to hide behind the wagon. Chancing a glance up the hill, however, revealed that the sniper and the other man were missing… their horses were still there, however. “Hey, boss, they disappeared-!” Oh.

“I can see that,” Lagar ground out. Gregory had appeared behind him and grabbed him before he’d made it on his horse, and was currently holding him in a blood choke. Try as he might, the other man was just too large to displace, and it was near impossible to reach the sword on his back now. If he was held in this position much longer, he was going to pass out. “What do you want with me?!” He clearly could’ve been killed already.

“The Ursaean garrison has put quite the bounty on your head,” Gregory replied, tightening his grip. “Technically, you’re under arrest.”

---

Meanwhile Charles had appeared a few feet away from the startled pegasus. The animal shied away, but he had been prepared for this eventuality, mostly because of his own horse. He pulled a few sugar cubes from a pouch and offered one while walking slowly towards her and calling her over softly.

Worst job ever

Once they were closer, Kamal was sure he or the wagon were going to run into each other if one of them didn’t move or change pace. He would’ve veered off to the side, if he hadn’t seen Charles and Gregory’s horses on the side of the hill after he’d made it over the incline. The size of one of the men down by the ruined wagon could only have been Gregory, but how had they made it down there so quickly with their horses left up here?

Rather than turn to ride behind the wagon, he turned to ride more parallel to it as he rode over to the two horses. By this point he was just a glorified things-watcher, so he may as well watch all of their things. By the time he made it down the hill himself everything would probably be taken care of, especially with the riders split off from the wagon going down there now.

And that blasted dog was still following him too.

Headed out

The situation grew clearer the closer Valter and the others rode/flew to the scene. There were four men to one side of the wagon in something of a standoff, with the largest holding a now unconscious Lagar and the other two trying to decide whether to fight or flee. Farther away from the wagon, and closer to them at the moment, Charles was trying to coax Roger’s pegasus to come with him, and closest to them was Roger, face down on the ground with an arrow sticking from his back. Valter wasn’t sure if the man was alive, but wasn’t too inclined to stop and check either.

Once the horseman and mage down by the wagon spotted their little group heading down the hill, they had decided that fleeing was probably the best option, and while the mage struggled to climb on his horse the horseman circled round to try to grab the sack of gold one of the dead bandits had dropped before taking off.

Edited October 21, 2014 by roymbrog

[-Cynthia-]

Nadya took stock of the situation- seemed like things might become violent pretty soon. I still don't wanna get involved, but if we wanted to stay outta this why did we come here?

"So. what's the plan?" she asked. She wasn't sure who was in charge here exactly, so it was an open invitation of sorts.

[Eail]

"I'm going in for a closer look when we're actually there, I trust Valter and Greta can cover me, the rest of you can stay a bit further back if you like." Alphonse responded to Nadya's question.

The smell of death was in the air... and it should have probably been disturbing to the swordsman that he was so used to it by now.

[Mercakete]

Is he stupid? Norbert wondered, somewhat baffled by Alphonse's suggested plan. "Right -- trust a merchant lady to cover you better than a mercenary... Besides, how do you expect Riz and me to just 'stand back' if she's my passenger?" Norbert pointed out nigh sarcastically. He shook his head. "Personally, Valter, I think you should be the one to decide on a plan. You were the one who started this fragment group up in the first place."

[Phoenix]

The D- Team

"I've never fired this from a pegasus before ... don't think I can hit anything," Greta warned. She figured Alphonse already knew full well that she would be lucky to get off a shot every fifteen seconds, so she didn't see much need to bring up that particular downside to her pistol. She was also a bit worried that the pegasus couldn't handle having a gun fire so close to her head. Most didn't ...

Greta had only really come along in order to make sure that the bandits were stopped and wasn't expecting she'd have to get into a fight while riding as a passenger, otherwise, she might have asked to borrow Angelica's rifle. At least with that, she could attack from a great enough distance to not need a ride all the way to the scene.

The Wagon

"You can keep a bit more distance, Glen," Amon reminded the driver. In the direction they were going, they would venture well into the range of bows and firearms, which didn't seem to have any upside at the moment.

"Okay, sure," Glen nodded nervously. He'd been losing focus every so often during their little maneuver, fearing what could happen if they were targeted next. With that fear in mind, he nearly recoiled when he noticed another vehicle a short distance to the side. "Amon, there's someone else right over there, way too close," he warned. Amon had to lean forward, out from under the shelter of the canvass, and over Glen's shoulder to see what he was talking about. "Right there," Glen said, pointing, though they were far too close for Amon to need the help.

"Slow down a little, see if they'll pass us," he instructed. If they didn't start pulling ahead, or they moved to block them off, that would be all the sign Amon needed to confirm the man as hostile. Otherwise ...

Edited October 18, 2014 by Phoenix

[Nanami Touko]

Tia poked her head into the conversation between Glen and Amon, turning to look at both of them, before also noticing the other wagon. "M-More people?" she asked, sounding incredibly worried. They'd slowed down, so perhaps Amon was also worried.

[Toogee]

Jam was keeping a view of Alphonse and the others until others started talking about a cart riding alongside them. She left her post to get a better look. It was traveling just a bit too close for comfort. Seeing Tia was noticeably nervous, the dancer came up behind her and patted her shoulder.

"Probably just another traveler trying to get to the next city."

Jam watched to see if the wagon would pass by. Would their luck hold out?

Edited October 20, 2014 by Toogee

[roymbrog]

Fucks Given

“Er…” Valter wouldn’t say he started this group, so much as he didn’t mind tagalongs. Granted there were some holes in Alphonse’s plan but that didn’t automatically put the horseman in charge. Really no one here was. “I don’t see the point of sending someone in on foot when we have a better chance of escaping them – if they turn out to be hostile – the way we are. In fact, it would make more sense for Al and Greta to stay behind while the rest of us approached,” he said eventually. “However, I don’t think either of them would approve of that. You can stay back if you’d like, though, Nadya,” That said, he had taken his bow off his quiver and was loosely holding an arrow on it as they approached. Best to be prepared.

No Fucks Given

Oh, so now that wagon decided to slow down? Too late! Kamal had already decided he was doing absolutely nothing to help down by the ruined wagon and continued on his merry way, giving those in the wagon an overly cheery smile and mock salute as he rode by.

[Nanami Touko]

Tia nodded at Jam, watching the cart drive by... And the odd man driving it? "Uhm... Is he smiling at us?" Tia was incredibly confused by the man on the horse, wondering what the salute was about, as well. She looked to the other people in their wagon, wondering if they had an explanation. It was still better than hostility, but... "Oh. He has a dog." Tia smiled a bit, and waved back.

Edited October 20, 2014 by I have opinions

[-Cynthia-]

Wagon

"He may be mentally unstable- it would be wise to be cautious," Liam warned the people in the wagon. Even humans usually are not so cheerful in such a precarious situation...

Not Wagon

"Yeah, I think I'll stay back for now. I'll ride in if I see ya start bleedin' all over the place," Nadya offered helpfully.

[Toogee]

"Yeah...he has ... ELREY?!"

Jam could not believe her eyes. She thought he perished in the encounter with the dragon. After all the battles and losses since, the dancer was so happy that a long lost face finally appeared. So happy in fact, she couldn't help but lean out of the wagon. Jam found herself next to Glenn as she attempted to get Elrey's attention.

"Elrey! Is that you boy?!"

[Mercakete]

"Thanks," Norbert replied to Nadya, deadpan. Her wording was a bit graceless, but he really wasn't one to talk. There wasn't much else for it, so he simply rode after Valter.

[Eail]

"Damn skippy I wouldn't approve of it, let's keep moving if we're going." Alphonse replied, it seemed only Nadya had elected to hold back, which meant they had a pretty even shot numbers wise if it came down to a fight.

[roymbrog]

Dogs are Great

In the back of the wagon Elliot’s ears perked up when Tia mentioned a dog. “There’s a dog? Where?”

“Stay here, Elliot. This is not a good time,” Kimiko said.

“Aww. I just wanna see the dog…”

Dogs Are Still Great

Kamal waved back at Tia, but after Jamila called over his wide grin melted into a blank look. Had that girl mistaken him for someone else? It wasn’t till the dog barked and ran off to jump around the front of the wagon that he realized what probably should’ve been obvious.

He wasn’t really in a rush anymore, so slowed down to keep pace in front of the wagon as he called back, “Is that your dog?”

Nearly On Scene

“Of course,” Valter replied. He hadn’t expected Nadya to say any different.

As they drew closer to the scene, Charles took notice of them. He had finally gotten hold of the pegasus’s bridle, though it was refusing to move, so he wasn’t quite able to meet them partway. Instead he called over, “Halt! What’s your business here?” The second pegasus rider they’d seen earlier was with them, so he wasn’t sure if they were hostile. Bert could’ve been with the bandits, after all.

Hearing Charles, Gregory looked over from where he was currently binding Lagar’s arms. “They’re probably just curious,” he said from the other side of the wagon.

Valter didn’t answer immediately, but he did slow Phyllis down. “We heard a wagon had been attacked and came to see what happened,” he answered simply.

Meanwhile the mage had clambered on his horse and he and the remaining horseman were trying to make a break for it. Gregory glanced at them disinterestedly, but Valter had half a mind to send several arrows their way before they got out of range.

[Nanami Touko]

"Doggy!" Tia exclaimed, as the dog hopped out of the cart and ran over. He was probably going to see Jam; she'd called his name, but Tia didn't exactly care as long as she got to pet him. "It's okay Miss June, I don't think this guy is a part of the fighting... Besides, it's just a dog. He's so cute. Elliot, you should come and see!" She gave him a small wave to come over, as the dog hopped about the wagon.

Edited October 21, 2014 by I have opinions

[-Cynthia-]

Tia claimed that the man wasn't part of the fighting, but there seemed to be little way of knowing that. He's armed, which means he's likely not a farmer or craftsman... Liam thought to himself.

"Why are you here?" he asked the man brusquely, ignoring the irrelevant dog.

[Ether]

"You can't be serious." Angelica mouthed to herself in disbelief... first the pegasus knight and now the dog they had lost when the dragon attacked? What kind of day was this turning out to be.

"There's no way in hell this is a coincidence..."

[Phoenix]

Offroad Parking

Glen didn't want to be responsible for running over a dog of all things, and so even though the little canine was managing to keep pace, he brought the wagon to a complete halt. Just as well, Amon thought, as he would have asked him to stop in a few more seconds, anyway. He didn't know who the man with the cart was, but there were definitely some connections to Greta's group, here. It was also rare to see another Rexian up this far north. On second thought, he was probably of the nomadic peoples rather than a Rexian.

Fizza had been sitting quietly atop a crate, and leaning back against another the whole time, and couldn't see anything not going on directly in front or behind the wagon. As a result, she hadn't thought much of a single other person until he spoke up. She opened one eye just slightly and glanced in his direction through the canvas.