Fire Emblem: Wretched Whispers, Act 2: Warpath

[Nanami Touko]

Melanie got the tap, and took the hint, taking in the situation and remaining quiet over it. She hadn't expected Calden to do what he did, though she didn't quite get why people were so enraged over it... She wouldn't have done the same, but, these people had been trying to kill them, what did their lives matter? It was the same way for her, she felt. If she ever did die, it would be to someone trying to protect themselves from her. She kept quiet about all of this, though, not wanting to keep the matter going.

[eclipse]

"Can you guys spare a healer? Looks like Ivan's alive, but kinda beat up," Peter replied to Artemis. He turned to Ivan and shook his head. "Glad to see that you're okay. As soon as a healer shows up, you can loot the fort. The bandits left!"

[charlie_]

"Stay away from me, then." Calden spat at Orpheus, turning back towards his wagon. Contrary to what Celestia suggested, he wasn't in the mood to fight at all - as long as the rider kept his distance. All he'd done is speak his mind, and he'd decided to assault him for it? Fucking unbelievable...

It was at this time that Norman reached the northern fighters, confused by the tense atmosphere. "Uh, hi." He wasn't sure what he'd walked into, but he kind of needed to make his presence known. "The bandits ran off, but Ivan's in a pretty bad state. Can we get a healer down there or something?" He looked around for one, and then spotted that Taima was knocked out too. "Is she alright?" he asked. ...In hindsight, it was kind of a stupid question, considering the state of her, but he had no idea how serious it was.

[Nanami Touko]

Calden didn't seem like a very pleasant fellow. While Mel had thought what he'd done wasn't wrong, if it was against the boss' wishes, he should've just apologized and moved on. But it wasn't really her place to keep that fight going, so she didn't. Instead, she perked up at the asking for a healer, turning herself towards Norman and hopping over. "Oui! 'Allo, I am 'ere. I can do ze 'ealing. You said eet was Ivan, oui? Juste take me zere." She'd have to get the talk about that tome from Celestia later. It seemed that their other group had run into some trouble. About Taima... "Ben, well, I 'ave 'ealed 'er, donc I do not know eef she will be fine, but she ees as fine as I can make 'er."

Edited August 23, 2015 by Snake Mom

[Xinnidy]

Magali had turned her face and closed her eyes to the ensuing argument, she wanted no part in that. "Goodness..." Sighing, Taima's predicament took her attention for a moment, wishing a quick recovery to the unconscious knight until the moment Norman came to request aid. "I will go too, you had no healers with you. I can check on the others as well as be a helping hand." Whilst her words held truth, part of Magali's decision was to remove herself from the tense atmosphere. Quickening her pace to catch up Melanie's hopping, Magali stood by her side, waiting to be led to the other group.

[charlie_]

"Well, she's made of some tough stuff. She'll manage." Hopefully... There wasn't really much he could do for her though, so he turned back to the volunteers and nodded. "Alright, let's get going." They should try and get back to Ivan quickly, in case his condition worsened - and he didn't really want to stick around very much either when the mood was as sour as it was. After they were out of earshot of the rest of the group, he spoke up. "So uh, what happened back there?" It was possible that they were just worried about Taima, but maybe there was more to it than that.

[Nanami Touko]

"Oui, allons-y." Melanie walked after Norman, letting him lead the three off towards Ivan's half of the group. She didn't think there'd be much to talk about, but Norman had asked about what was going on. Well. "Erm... Calden, 'e killed one of ze soldiers zat surrendered. Sheikah and, ehm... Zat, Orrrrfee-us?" his name was hard for her to say, "did not like zat, donc, zere was a fight." That was that, as far as Melanie was concerned. "I do not sink zat Calden should 'ave argued wis ze boss."

[charlie_]

After ensuring that Ivan was alright and clearing the inside of the fortress for any valuables, the Hollows decided to retreat from the battlefield in case any Angalan reinforcements arrived, with Calden begrudgingly letting Taima and Ivan rest in the back of his wagon - as long as both of them agreed not to touch anything. A few, short hours after they had left, they were found by an Irskan scout, who seemed satisfied with their work and told them to return to the capital for both their payment, and orders from the general.

After a tense return journey, the mercenaries arrived at the capital to find it much quieter than it had been a few days before. Apparently most of the shopkeepers had moved closer to the battlefront in order to supply troops more quickly, to help with the war effort. Even the forge and the enchanter's were closed, due to lack of material to do their work.

That didn't mean that there was nobody who was willing to sell the Hollows weapons however. A red headed merchant took notice of them as they walked past the closed up vendors, and hurried over to greet them. "Hi there! By the looks of things, you're mercenaries, yes?" She clapped her hands together, with almost childish enthusiasm. "As you can see, most of these shops are shut! But don't worry, my name's Anna and if you're in need of weaponry, I have some rare and valuable items to sell you! For a reasonable price, of course."

Calden didn't seem particularly happy with Anna's introduction, letting out an audible sigh and making sure to announce that: "They already have a merchant. We don't need your wares, go bother someone else." He wasn't in the mood for any of her peppy crap - he just wanted to get paid and get the next job.

Sadly, she was far from done, and a mischievous grin began to form on her face. "Is that so, mister merchant?" Without breaking eye contact with Calden, she produced a strange staff from her bag, and held it out in front of her. "If you're such an amazing salesman, how about you tell me what this staff is?" Calden didn't seem worried by her challenge, however. What kind of a fool does she take me for? Of course Calden had no reason to worry - he'd come across hundreds of them during his field of work, so identifying the type of staff Anna displayed shouldn't be an issue for him. It shouldn't be. He bit his lip, tweaked his head slightly and racked his brain for the answer, but nothing came to mind.

His reaction seemed to amuse Anna, who's grin grew wider and wider as it became clear that the jerk had been stumped. "This," she said, twirling the staff between her fingers. "Is a Sentinel staff. Very rare, and hard to acquire, which is probably why you've never heard of it." She stuck her tongue out at him, before turning back to the rest of the mercenaries. "So, now that I've proven I know my stuff, are you still going to write me off without at least taking a peek?"

"You haven't proven anything!" Calden spat, clearly not happy that his knowledge had been bested. "You haven't even told us what the staff does - how do we know it isn't a fake?" When it became clear that Calden wasn't going to concede, Anna simply shrugged her shoulders lightly, seemingly unfazed by his temper flaring up.

"I suppose that's fair." she admitted. "How about I give you a demonstration, then?" This was a rhetorical question of course, she didn't wait for a response from him before giving the staff a wave - and appearing to simply vanish. A confused frown formed on Calden's face, looking around for a sign of the peddler, until he felt a breath on his ear.

"Boo~" It appeared that somehow, the staff had transported Anna behind Calden. Although her tone was playful, he jumped away from her immediately, stumbling and almost losing his balance in the process. "So." The grin was back on her face, hands rubbing together as she looked around at the rest of the Hollows. "Who do you think knows their stuff more, that clown, or me?"

There was a glint in her eyes as she spoke, almost daring another challenger to come forward, but Norman stayed where he was for now. It was kind of amusing to see Calden so easily messed with, and she'd convinced him that her wares were probably worth taking a look at as they passed.

Sheikah couldn't help but smirk at the red-haired merchant and Calden's antics. "Hmm, some of those could be promising... I'll have to come back later, though. I'll be headed to the barracks to speak with the General. Anyone is free to accompany me if they like. I'm sure there's other options if you want to look around- not everything is closed. Until I figure out our assignment, I can't really send you anywhere, so report to the barracks in the evening, alright? That should be plenty of time." With her words said, she started to head off, faltering briefly. "I... think it's this way, right?" Hesitantly she followed through with her guess and was out of sight.

Still, the boss wasn't wrong- the library was still open, and there were plenty of people to find in the streets of Bonvale- even now a white haired girl seemed to be staring at a sign close by. Sierra and Nora's residences were not far off, either. The sun was just reaching its peak, so there was plenty of time for activity.

[Nanami Touko]

Hey, they were back in town! How nice~ And speaking of nice, the show between this Anna and Calden was plenty nice. Perhaps they could replace merchants, who knew? Calden was a bit of a jerk. This Anna seemed mischevious, but that wasn't a bad thing, not necessarily. It really depended on what she did with it. Unfortunately, Mel didn't have any gold left to peruse wares, so she didn't start asking about things. Instead, she wandered back over to Celestia, hoping to find out more about that tome. "'Allo, Celestia? I am back! And I would like to know more about zat tome, eef you can share." Learning light magic started at the source, and even if she'd read a bunch about said magic at the library, hearing how a spell worked would help her understand better. "Ben, I mean.. E-Eef eet ees trouble, I can juste leave you alone about eet."

[scorri]

Taima headed away from the group, not really wanting to be around any of them right now. Really what she wanted to do was work out her frustration somehow. Maybe the boxing ring was open. She headed that way to check, hoping to find some way to vent her anger at how poorly she'd been doing lately.

[MRDRHAWK]

Back in Bonvale, was it? Declan grumbled something to himself as he shuffled down the streets, noticing that the once-bustling streets he used to call home were now devoid of the life that made this place so noteworthy. It actually worried the swordsman a bit, thinking about it. After all, this was a new thing for him, and he wasn't exactly in the most ideal mindset these days.

Wasn't hard not to be, after all, with all that had been going on in his life of late.

Strolling over to a sign not far from where Calden, Sheikah and the others had apparently situated themselves, he glanced over at the girl beside him and decided to try and make small talk. "The sign's not very interesting, but the town's a lot moreso. When there's actually people here, that is."

A chuckle slipped out from the swordsman's lips, but it was a hollow one, meant more for his own personal comfort than anything. He had an image to maintain, after all.

[riariadne]

Song of the Specter

"Hmm?" The white-haired woman turned to face Declan, seemingly snapped out of a daze, staring with bright green eyes. Her features became more clear when seen from up-close; her pale skin gave her the look of a specter, not helped by a grim black dress with gray and white patterns. Tattoos on her arms and legs pulsed dark and light violet, radiating mystic power. "Who... are you?"

Don't trust them! Treachery is everywhere!

They aren't worth your time. Greatness awaits.

Careless- imagine if they were hostile!

She shut her eyes, frowning. "Sorry if I'm a bit... off." Let me be! "I was just admiring the city- I've never been here before. Not that I mind it being quiet... really, I'm surprised you wanted to talk with me. Lots of people shun me, avoid me, because I look... well, different. I guess I am different... power flows through me. So, I'd like to ask again- who are you? Oh, but I suppose that's rude to ask without giving my own introduction, isn't it? My name is Shylah."

Nobody Home

Taima made her way to the boxing ring quickly, but a sign was posted right on the door that would put an end to a prize run- "Ring closed due to war. For any and all inquiries, contact Captain Douglas at the Irskan National Barracks."

Edited August 27, 2015 by Reinfleche

[MRDRHAWK]

Shylah, huh? While she certainly seemed off, Declan stood his ground and remained, even as she rambled on about power flowing through her and all that. Sounded like a dark mage, which wasn't helped by the tattoos on her body seeming to glow and pulse with a dark radiance. But then again, Declan had to cull his distrust of dark mages to some degree, and this seemed like a decent way to start that.

"Eh, I've dealt with worse people. Sure, you look different, but I bet that inside you're a lot like everyone else. Nothing to be ashamed of, I'd say." Declan supposed niceties were a good start, just to make sure she responded well to them. "Th' name's Declan Blackmoor. Dunno if the name rings a bell, and for what reason if it does." He was still armed with the Clarent just in case, but something in Declan's head told him that he wouldn't need to worry about this girl.

[scorri]

Taima frowned in frustration, stalking off through the streets of Bonvale, not really paying attention to where she was going. The arena was closed and even though the man she'd fought was around, she didn't really want to deal with going to the barracks right now. Maybe later in the evening she would go talk to him. So instead she paced through the streets, looking around at the few people who walked the streets.

[eclipse]

Peter arched an eyebrow at Anna's antics. She seemed genuine enough, but he was short on cash!

"You know of anyone that's looking for a quick side job? I'd love to browse your wares, but I have a feeling that everything's out of my price range."

[Ether]

After being treated to an... interesting show, which involved Calden and another merchant, Celestia herself was pulled aside by Melanie, who appeared to be back to pursue her earlier question.

"Oh, right, that. It's a thani tome... essentially it works by heavily condensing light energy, and using it to super-heat the air. When it gets hot enough, it gets kind of... it's hard to explain, and I don't recall the term for it, but essentially it's discharged using light energy. Because of the heat and energy behind it, it doesn't have a lot of trouble bypassing armour, or even taking out a horse and it's rider outright... it's been adapted as an anti-cavalry and heavy infantry spell ever since." Celestia rattled off, recalling the workings of the thani spell.

"I suppose the simpler way to put it is that it works best against armoured enemies. People with a natural resistance to magic, or who are fast enough to evade during the short startup time aren't the best people to use it against."

[charlie_]

"Hmm..." Anna considered Peter's question for a moment, trying to remember if she'd seen anything. "Well, I suppose that there's probably some kind of manual labour job you could do around here. A lot of the stronger men here have already left to fight, so there might be a shortage. That shouldn't be a problem for a big, strong mercenary like you, huh?"

[riariadne]

Spirits

"Just like everyone else... mm." Shylah blinked, her eyes flickering a shade of violet, then a crimson briefly before returning to green. "I hear voices that question my every move and mock me at every turn. It's haunting... maddening, sometimes. So I don't always mind others being quiet, too... Declan Blackmoore, you said?" She closed her eyes, thinking.

Do not doubt us any longer!

A distant memory, one that shouldn't be...

The clash of grim blades echoes...

Shadows of a false past.

Spirits are not to be trifled with!

"... No, I can't say I recognize it," she concluded after some thought. She raised her hands to her head, rubbing her temples. "Sorry again... so, you've been here often before? Like I said, I haven't been here. Unfortunately, it seems my timing was poor to make the most of my visit... just more misfortune. A shame, for what's supposed to be the most exciting city on Treiban. What brings you here? Oh, but..." She opened her eyes again, looking at the mercenaries behind him. "You must have came here with them. Are you a fighter, then? You seem strong, and well-equipped for battle."

Meetings

Not many people passed by Taima in her walk, but one young man stopped as she passed him. "Hey- you're Taima, right?" The man was short with black hair, but despite his size he had a strong build. "Name's Malcom- you might know me as Mac. You fought me at the ring- funny seeing you around. You got me good in there. Sucks to see the ring closed, huh? That's how it is in these times. Douglas went back to help with the Irskan army. Still an ace at the bow is what they're saying. How've you been?"

[scorri]

Taima blinked and looked at the man. "Oh, uh, yeah. It's Taima, you were right. Hey Mac. Yeah, I was hoping to get some frustration out at the arena, to be honest. So that guy I fought at the end is back with the army, huh? Wouldn't have picked him for a bow user, but I guess you never know. So what have you been doing with yourself?" She didn't really feel like talking, but she wanted to be polite.

[eclipse]

Peter chuckled at Anna's suggestion, not because it was a bad one, but because it made too much sense. "Hah, you got a point there! Perhaps I'll see if someone needs a hand building a wall or something. If I do get enough money, an' my commander doesn't drag me out of town too soon, I WILL be back!" He left the stall, and walked down the street. Perhaps the guys at the barracks would know more, Peter thought to himself, as he walked there.

[Nanami Touko]

"Sssay-knee..." she said, in some aggravation, over being unable to pronounce the name properly. The rolled her tongue about her mouth, a bit, and tried her best to mouth it out, but the poor french girl wasn't saying that tome's name the right way any time soon. Name aside, it sounded incredibly interesting and important. There was nothing in dark magic that had that effect on armored foes, or cavalry. There was that twinkle of yearning in her eyes once again as Celestia finished talking about the spell, smiling wide. "Ben, do you sink zat I could-- eh, non, I should not try eet... Ehrm, ben, eet sounds amazing. I saw what you did wis eet een ze battle, and I was quite impressed~" Melanie giggled, swaying from side to side a bit.

"Did you 'ave anywhere you wanted to go while we are 'ere? I was 'oping I could go to ze library again, ben... I do not know eef zat ees your idea of, 'ow zey say, a 'good time', you know?" She nodded, stopping her swaying. "Donc, I can leave you alone, eef you wanted to do somesing else, Celestia... Zough, I... Ben, well..." Her smile, shrunk, but she was still giddy, holding her hands behind her back and looking down. "Eet would be nice, to spend more time, wis you."

[Bluedoom]

Wolfgang smirked as Anna teased Calden and proved she was the merchant with superior goods. Was about time! He was getting overconfident of himself! Maybe that'll teach him to be less grumpy!

As Wolfgang looked through Anna's wares, he found something of interest- a Luna tome. It was a tome of great power that Wolfgang had studied extensively on, but could never get his hands on, and now the opportunity had presented itself!

"Pardon me for interrupting, but how much does this tome cost? Its a very powerful tome, and definitely one I'd like to have in my arsenal!" Wolfgang asked Anna.

Edited August 28, 2015 by Magnificence Incarnate

[Shin]

The journey back had been rather unremarkable, or at least Orpheus hadn't attempted to assault Calden again. Bonvale seemed very much the same, although pretty much everyone had closed shop for the night. There was one guy he knew still had stock though, although the chances for a friendly discount were rather low.

Much to Orpheus' surprise, Calden seemed to be conversing with a friend of his. Although it quickly became rather apparent that friends was probably a poor word to describe their dynamic. The ginger girl seemed to have put him in his place, something Calden very much deserved. Approaching Calden, Orpheus patted the mage on the back. He only hoped that an audience would prevent him from hiking prices up too much.

"Don't worry, little buddy." Orpheus laughed, his charade of camaraderie not terribly believable. "I'm sure you've got some stuff that isn't junk. I'd be rather keen to buy that axe of yours."

[charlie_]

Calden jumped again, after the giant (well, compared to him) approached. His first thought was that Anna had decided to repeat her antics from earlier, until he noticed she was still in front of him, giggling at his reaction before turning to Wolfgang. So who was behind him, then? "Oh. It's you." Another person he despised, wonderful. This is the greatest day EVER. He had half a mind to raise the prices to spite the hoodlum for what he did to him the other day, but now he had competition, he couldn't exactly raise them much higher... "600 gold." he said, flatly. He would just take what he could get, with the harpy around stealing his customers.

This wasn't the only sale going on, however. "Well," Calden's other favourite person tapped her finger to her chin for a moment, trying to estimate how much she could charge for the tome. "950 gold should be agreeable, yes?" He sounded pretty eager to get his hands on it, so it seemed like a good price to her.

Edited August 31, 2015 by SB.

[Shin]

Truth be told, Orpheus had no idea if he were being ripped off or not, he wouldn't put it past Calden to hike up the price. However, his price was just about as good as the weapon he bought from the armory, and it certainly looked the part.

"Doesn't sound too bad, must be a friends rate." he replied, giving him another firm pat on the back. There was something else he needed to ask Calden too, he'd have to spend a little more time talking to the punk. "I picked up a lance in battle, mind holding on to it for me? Someone like Taima could probably put it to better use than me."

Edited August 28, 2015 by Shin