Return of the Emblem Chapter Fourteen: Nine

[KentaEzren]

"Alright then...." Kenta sighed. "We'll go when everyone's ready."

Edited April 7, 2016 by KentaEzren

[Phoenix]

Courtyard

Were they really back? Raquel had to wonder where all the tents came from. Luckily they hadn't warped straight into one. That wouldn't have ended well. Then it hit her, they were back. The barracks was right there. That was where Blake had died. She wished Thanatos had brought them back a little further away, or somewhere else altogether. She didn't even remember what they were doing here.

Suddenly, Raquel felt a strong urge to go home. She hadn't been back since she first woke up without any memory of the past three years. She wanted to see her mother and little sister, and get brought up to speed. She wanted to have lunch, despite not feeling hungry. Most of all, she wanted to lie down and rest in her own bed, despite not feeling tired. This fortress was a fresh wound for her and she definitely wanted to be somewhere more familiar and comfortable.

Something was missing, she realized. Raquel looked around, trying to avoid gazing directly at the barracks. Sure enough, someone was missing. "Where's dad?"

Courtyard

"I'm sure you know the way, but follow me anyway, just in case," Nadine said, starting off toward the mess hall. Only the roof of the building was visible beyond all the tents that had been put up. Langley's forces certainly had renovated the place. This usually wasn't how forts were supposed to look, even when recovering from structural damage and massive casualties. Major General Belo didn't seem to care one way or the other.

So much for getting Veronika a new sword from the unlimited blade stock, Zachary thought, moving onto a new train of thought. Maybe there was an armorer outside the fortress they could visit on the way to wherever the mission would be taking place. If not, then the only other option he could think of was going back to Weyland Enterprises to get a weapon from their own wagon. That place was miles away from this part of town, though.

Stables

"Pigs too?" Olga said, feeling herself slip back into the ridiculous land of make believe. Sure enough, the pigs were exactly as she'd seen them in the real world, the slackers and biggest consumers in Niko's army ... though they seemed to earn their place, if only because the enemy loved eating them so much. Niko's tacticians placed their pig divisions with calculated precision, ensuring that the rebellion was bogged down in nasty harvest wars exactly where they wanted them. "Hmm ... suddenly I'm hungry, again."

Chip made his way up Robin's arm, being careful not to lose the apple slice he'd gotten from her, and settled in on her shoulder. He wasn't sure where Robin would be going, but as long as there was no danger, he supposed he could stick around for the time being.

Sky

She was almost back at the fortress, now, but already Gabbie could tell getting inside wouldn't be as easy as leaving had been. The walls were heavily manned and around ten pegasus knights were buzzing around the outer wall. Security was tight. At least she wouldn't be mistaken for a 'skotian soldier and shot at, at least not in the capital. That was one advantage of being a wyvern rider in Ursentius. No matter how little they trusted them, they weren't considered a genuine imperial threat.

When she heard that little voice in her head, she said, "steady, Tacito ... I've got a quick check to make." She closed her eyes and reached out, hoping she could find Samael again, as well as a reference point, before the pegasus knights intercepted her.

Okay I've got him ... he's ... She looked around, trying to find other familiar spirits to guide her. He's near Naomi. You might want to warn her to be on the lookout.

Gabbie opened her eyes and decided to land. It was easier to have conversations with guards on the ground. Tacito also looked a lot smaller and harmless with his wings tucked in.

House

Anna glanced at Gabriel. "It's not what I had in mind," she paused, her gaze shifting to Lysandra, "but if you're sure he won't just start casting immediately with you there, I might be able to use that to our advantage. Is there anything you need before we go? At least for now, we're operating out of Belo's fortress over there," she nudged her head in Fort Nature's general direction.

[KentaEzren]

"Advantage or not, it still sounds like death. But i can't back down from this now!" He thought.

[Snike]

Thank you.

Legion, be on your guard. Samael is most likely coming for Reina. I am on my way.

Unlimited, you can go ahead and enter Fort Nature.

***

"Your dad?" Lane echoed, slightly confused. He turned to Raquel's other two companions. "Would you have any idea where he'd be?"

[KentaEzren]

Kenta had gotten up and off the chair he had sat in. "Do you have any polish?" Kenta asked, "I need to polish my blade..."

Edited April 8, 2016 by KentaEzren

[-Cynthia-]

"I have a large bag to bring along, as I don't expect I will be back here for quite some time. Don't worry, it won't slow us down," Lysandra assured Anna. "I have wood polish, but from what I recall that doesn't work too well on swords..." she responded to Kenta.

[KentaEzren]

"Its ok. I guess i'll buy some polish when we leave." Kenta replied. "At least it can work on a few dry sticks for torches."

[Phoenix]

Courtyard

"Not really," Raquel frowned. "I thought he went to Weyland's with the others." She began to wonder if she might be able to sense Jethro, or perhaps even will him here. Even if she could, without knowing where or how to start, it was probably impossible. She'd had to dig up old memories just to use that warp spell.

Mess Hall Entrance

"Well, here we are," Nadine said, turning to face Veronika and the hires, "I doubt it's very crowded right now, but that also means they're not serving anything fresh. Don't get your hopes up if you're hungry."

"Breakfast for us former prisoners was literally garbage," James sighed with a smile, "even if I did still have an appetite, it's not like the food could get any worse."

Nadine opened the large door and said, "after you, then."

Mess Hall

The place was all but deserted, and so Reign found the time to properly check in on the precious cargo he'd been lugging around. Unfortunately for him, the infant vasilus had finally come to. Reign wasn't going to put her in the bag while she was awake ... there was no telling how that might affect her impression of him or her mentality in general. Reign sat at a table next to the central isle, about half way between the exit and the kitchen, and let the curious vasilus grapple with his fingers while he waited. He'd hidden her tail, so hopefully any random passerby wouldn't suspect she was biologically a fallen child.

[spoiler=Outside]

Gabbie landed on a side street, dismounted, and motioned for Tacito to follow her. She wasn't surprised to see a pegasus knight swoop down to intercept her before she could reach the main gate. "Hold it," the young flier ordered. "What's your business, here?"

"I'm Belo's tracker ... or maybe just Anna's now," Gabbie answered with a shrug. "Hard to tell, sometimes. Go on and confirm it with them if you want. I'll wait right here." Just as she finished the sentence, she sensed someone familiar coming up behind her.

"That should not be necessary," Morgana called over. Her long coat was folded up and held in her off hand, leaving her with just her long sleeved shirt, somewhat tight looking vest, and jeweled cravat up top.

The pegasus knight suspected she was dealing with a noble, so instead of leveling her weapon at her, she gave her an expectant look. The nobility knew good and well how to get grunts like her to back down, which was the only reason their authoritative attitudes were warranted in the first place. Sure enough, Morgana held up a vaguely familiar looking insignia in her main hand as she stopped beside Gabbie. Just to be sure, the pegasus knight asked, "and who are you, exactly?"

"Morgana Wyght," the woman sighed, "Head of House Wyght."

Test passed, though it wasn't meant to be a difficult one. The pegasus knight just wanted to confirm that the potential impersonator had their identity and origin straight. The insignia was worthless if the holder didn't know which house it belonged to. If she was an impostor, the next layer of security would sniff her out. "Just one more thing," the flier said, "why did you come here through a side street? Don't you have a carriage?"

"Not here," Morgana said, leaving her answer at that.

"No guards, either?" the flier persisted.

"Do your research," Morgana said, eyes narrowing, "I don't require escorts. Now then, please send someone out to finish identifying us. I need to speak with Athena." Morgana wasn't sure why Thanatos wanted her here, right now, but she didn't need an excuse to check up on Athena. Spending time with her friend was also a reliable way to deal with some of the stress that stalked her day and night.

"I apologize," the pegasus knight said, sounding more nervous than sincere. They were allowed to be thorough, encouraged, in fact, but she didn't want to upset a legitimate noble to the point of her superiors getting an earful for it. That would ultimately come back on her. She quickly took off and flew over the wall while one of the archers kept an eye on the two women and the wyvern.

"So," Gabbie glanced over at Morgana, "what brings you here?"

"I know you heard me say I'm here to speak with the Princess," Morgana said, clearly not interested in having a conversation. "Try ... if you can, to infer from that ... exactly what I'm doing here, Seeker."

"You are just perpetually irritable, aren't you?" Gabbie frowned.

Lysandra's House

"Alright," Anna said, sounding almost relieved. She stood up and straightened her shirt. "We'll head back as soon as you're ready. Hopefully everyone's still there." The last thing we need are people running off on random asides. I've already got to pull a miracle out of my equipment bag, here.

Caterena's House

"Yes! I've been waiting for this!" Naomi froze, realizing her outburst was entirely unwarranted as far as Caterena and Reina were concerned. Now she was just standing there, in front of her chair, fist prematurely raised in triumph high above her head. She let her arm back down and smiled an apology at Caterena. "Sorry, I just got some really good news. Um, hold on a second ..." She quickly half turned from Caterena and Reina and hunched over, slightly.

"This girl ..." Caterena winced.

Wait, leave this to me. I've been making preparations and I'm absolutely positive I can beat him.

"Who's been waiting for what now?" came an older male voice from the kitchen. Rodrigo stepped out into view with three drinks, two balanced in one hand. He followed Caterena's jerking gaze toward Naomi. "Ah. That, again."

[Thany]

"as long as its actually edible i wont mind eating here."

[-Cynthia-]

"We need to eat to keep our strength up- if anyone went into this expecting gourmet meals then they're in the wrong place," Veronika stated. Hard to have an appetite right now, but I suppose not eating would make me a hypocrite...

--

Lysandra got up from her seat and the large leather bag began floating behind her. "Let's go then, time is of the essence it seems."

[KentaEzren]

"Alright. After you." Kenta said.

[scorri]

Erion frowned. "I think Thanatos said something about him staying behind for a while. I'm not sure why though." Glancing around he shook his head. "We should find the others, make sure that we're not going to miss the attack that Anna was planning."

[Nanami Touko]

Warping was odd. Very odd. It probably wasn't something that Amalia was ever going to get used to. "Do you mind if I go with you, Erion? My head's a bit heavy, so... If I collapse, I want someone around." She smiled, hoping perhaps the drugs would get easier to handle over time.

[scorri]

Erion grinned slightly at Amalia. "Well, I know how to help with that." He moved closer to her and slid his arm around her waist. "Here, put your arm around me too and I can help support you. That way we know you'll be safe." He waited for her response before starting to move to go find someone who knew what was going on.

[Snowy_One]

Robin smiled and laughed as she looked up at Chip.

"Olga. You have Nico, now I have Chip it looks like! Glad he finally came down, but keep your staff at hand." she said before, slowly, raising her hand up to try and shake Chip's.

"If he's not here though, where is Nico? I mean, it's not like he is some sort of master thief."

[Snike]

"Is that so..." Lane said, frowning. "Well, in that case, it might be better to follow you instead of looking for Thanatos."

***

Interesting. Very well, I will stand by for the moment.

[Nanami Touko]

"How? O-Oh! Uhm... Well, then." That was... Close. She forgot about the dull feeling in her head for a moment, Erion's closeness and hand giving her something else to think about. "I suppose... As long as you're just helping me along." She extended an arm around his neck, holding back onto him. "Th-Thank you."

[Phoenix]

Courtyard

Raquel just wanted to go home, now, but she supposed she should tough this out a while longer. Besides, she was going to need her father's help to explain the situation to her mother and Reina, and she couldn't very well have that help until Jethro was back. "Okay ..." she nodded, ready to follow along until they found the others. There wasn't much point trying to track Thanatos down to ask about her father right now.

Mess Hall

Nadine kept the door open while the vigilantes and mercenaries made their way into the mess hall, the whole time keeping an eye on Reign. At this distance, she couldn't tell what he was doing with the infant on the table, but he looked a lot more docile than usual, and that was saying something.

"Okay," James began, "so which table are we going to be using?"

"It's a buyer's market," the Boss said wryly as he looked over the abundant, empty tables.

"Is that Phee?" Zachary's face lit up; he nearly smiled. "She's grown." The thunder mage started off toward Reign's table.

Stables

Chip sniffed the offered hand, trying to see if there were anymore apple slices she had hidden around her fingers. It sure didn't seem like it, so he carefully cradled the slice he still had in one arm and used the other, along with his tail, to try and keep himself securely on Robin's shoulder. his tail hung loosely halfway around her neck, a precaution against falling, while he lightly gripped her hair to keep his balance.

"We'll just have to check somewhere else, I guess," Olga said, starting back toward the entrance. "He might be in the barracks," she mused aloud. "Hey, yeah he sometimes finds his way in there and pesters the boys. Let's check there, next." There was no way the body of the noble would still be there, Olga thought.

Weyland's Estate: Main Hall

Cassandra said she would be in the dining hall, so Jethro decided he would head back there and have a word with her. Maybe a drink, too. He could use one after this stressful day.

Caterena's House

"Can you all do me a big favor and stay in here for a little while?" Naomi asked, her smile suspiciously pleading. "I've got to go put the finishing touches on something. Also there might be a bit of noise ..."

Caterena stood up and crossed her arms, looking more than a little annoyed. "If something's going on, you had best tell us." Maybe they should have left town, after all. She'd flipped back and forth on the issue, trying to weigh the health risks against the financial cost of staying on the move. Jethro and Raquel had been moving from place to place for months and look at all the trouble they had wound up in. To be fair, it didn't seem to matter whether they stayed put or traveled, these days, her family in general was getting more than their fair share of troubles.

Naomi's smile faded into a faint grimace as she looked at Reina. The aspiring earth mage was curious, too. Naomi took a deep breath and let it go, along with whatever was left of her ability to keep more sensitive information to herself. "That Samael guy is close by. I need to make sure my coffins have enough power for my trap. I've also got to make sure my dolls are ready. I want you to stay inside so you'll be safe. When the authorities come here, you won't get hauled off somewhere and drowned in questions about either of us or the fight, either, which is also good."

"It sounds like you're going to make an unnecessary large mess outside," Caterena's eyes narrowed, "Don't you have some other way to fight than throwing around those massive coffins? And what's this about dolls? Are you going to be pelting him with those, too?"

"Maybe I could help you out," Rodrigo offered, setting the drinks on the living room table and coming a little closer to Naomi. He placed a hand on her shoulder, pulling her attention onto himself. "Not with the dolls, of course, just as backup. The more help you have, the better, right? Cat can keep Reina safe in here while you and I chase this nutjob off. Come on, what do you say?"

Naomi blinked. "I'm not trying to chase him off," she murmured, "I'm trying to kill him ..." Her voice had nearly vanished and she shied away from Rodrigo. His hand slipped from her shoulder. "... I can't hold back this time so I can't keep you safe. I have to focus on the target ..."

Lysandra's House

"It sure is," Anna said, mulling over what pace she could reasonably set for the group on the way back to the fortress.

"You should save your strength for that barrier of yours," Gabriel said, gesturing at the floating bag, "I can carry that for you. It won't slow me down that much." He didn't fully expect her to let him take that load off for the trip, but it didn't hurt to check.

An earth mage? Anna noted to herself, Anima is strong against light magic.

[-Cynthia-]

Veronika decided to join Reign's table as well, taking a brief look at Phee. Well, at least someone's not bothered by all this.

"You seem pretty good at taking care of her Reign. Never really thought of you as the fatherly type- did you have younger siblings?" she asked him.

--

"Thank you for the offer dear, but this is like lifting a feather for me at this point. Besides, you'll want your hands free," Lysandra noted to Gabriel, taking a long look around the cottage. I wonder if I'll ever return here...so much knowledge gained, so many happy memories. It would be easy just to stay here, but this is something I have to do.

[KentaEzren]

"Well then... Shall we hit the road?" Kenta asked. "Gotta get there as soon as possible..."

[Snowy_One]

Robin winced a bit as Chip tugged at her hair for support. It hurt to be certain but, if it meant having Chip back and on the ground, it was worth it.

"You sure he is not trying to find weapons and armor to take over the nation, right? Maybe draft some troops?" she said with a small laugh as she started to head towards the stable exit, waiting at the door for Olga.

"And thanks Chip for trusting me. Even if I did need apple slice bribes."

[Thany]

"Well the less crowded it is the less id have to worry about to much people talking." :she stated, just trying to get a nice clear look around the room:

Edited April 10, 2016 by Thany

[Phoenix]

Mess Hall

Reign shook his head. "The old man's still at it, so I'll have a younger sibling likely late in the year." And there was Zachary, hovering a little too close for comfort. Reign tried to keep his attention on Veronika for the moment. "Most people wouldn't see me as a good caretaker since she's been hidden in this bag, sleeping with my things all day. Her being cheerful and well rested is a good sell, though. Also the immortality probably helps ..."

"You'll probably need a lot of help," Zachary said, stepping closer and placing his hand on Sirius' head, "I was actually helping to look after her before, so you don't have to worry about doing this alone." Zach picked Sirius up and quickly noticed that her tail was well hidden. "Heh, good job on the tail, Reign. That's really the only way to spot a fallen at a glance. We won't need to keep her cooped up in that bag, anymore."

"Yes, dear," Reign said sardonically.

Zach almost glared at him, but then laughed. "I'm not trying to take her from you or anything. Relax."

Stables

"Pretty sure, yeah," Olga sighed. She was starting to wish she had a more effective way of tracking him down. Maybe she would come up with one. Her musings were cut short when she saw Chip on Robin's shoulder. "What's that thing he's wearing?" Olga pointed right at Chip. She couldn't recognize what Chip's harness was from a distance, and with Robin facing her, she couldn't see if there was anything on his back or not.

Weyland's Estate: Dining Hall

Jethro entered the dining hall, caught sight of Cassandra sitting at the large table, but didn't catch Dominik returning from behind him. As he stopped near the table, Dominik passed him, making a beeline for the kitchen. Jethro watched him go in, only now noticing how quiet the man's footsteps actually were. He'd make a good hitman, that was for sure.

"Welcome back," Cassandra greeted him, with a smile that was partly forced. Jethro could tell she didn't quite have it in her to be upbeat or cheerful at the moment.

"What's wrong?" He asked, taking the seat directly across from her.

"I've spent a long time thinking that she and I were completely different people," Cassandra began, the last remnants of her smile making way for that almost depressed look Jethro was so used to seeing on Raquel's face. "We're the same, though. One person, in two different bodies, and two unique experiences. There's no denying it, now. When Raquel changed, I did, too."

"Don't tell me you're an emblem piece, now too?" Jethro winced, leaning toward her.

Cassandra shook her head. "No, but what happened to Raquel has a lot to do with it, I think. I don't just make weapons, anymore. I can make soldiers to use them, too. I don't know what my limits are, anymore. Cassandra felt her eyes instinctively move toward Dominik, who'd just emerged from the kitchen with a few glasses and some kind of alcohol. "Is that for us?" she asked him.

"That's right," he grinned. "It's not hard to tell when someone could use a drink. Finding the people that will accept the offer ... now that can be surprisingly difficult."

"You just spend too much time hitting on Morgana," Cassandra pointed an accusing finger his way.

"Read me like an open book," Jethro said, "I really could use a drink. Today's been hell."

"Oh, do tell," Dominik began filling pouring what Cassandra could only guess was some kind of liquor.

"Where do I even start ..."

Nature's Fortress: Northern Gate

"Morgana Wyght," Miguel greeted the western noblewoman, "a pleasure," he said, a big grin plastered on his face as he eyed the two women standing almost shoulder to shoulder. "And if I recall correctly," he locked eyes with Gabbie, "you're with Raquel's group. You're that tracking mage, right?"

"Close enough," Gabbie shrugged. There was no 'tracking mage' in the world that could do what she could do, but it was about the closest comparison there was to being a spirit seeker. Until her one of a kind occupation was better understood, the misnomer would be the simplest and most easily accepted explanation.

Morgana questioned Gabbie with a look, wondering about that 'tracking mage' bit. Had the Seeker been casually using her abilities in the public, to the point that they had a label for her? Ridiculous. Gabbie replied with a knowing, dismissive scowl that told Morgana that, true or not, she wasn't going to talk about it, at least not out in the open. That suited Morgana just fine, really.

"That's us," Gabbie answered after a brief delay.

"I'm sure you already know this," Miguel said, "but the royals are here, right now."

"As it so happens, I'm here to check on Athena," Morgana nodded. "Can we enter?"

"Of course," Miguel nodded back, "follow me."

Caterena's House

Caterena let her arms fall to her sides, sighing as she glanced down at her daughter. "Reina go to your room and wait there. You can bring your juice with you, but don't spill any of it. I'll be along shortly."

"Okay," Reina nodded. She paused after picking up the glass, her eyes leaping to Naomi. "Be careful, okay?"

Naomi was taken aback for a second, then smiled. She waved her hand at the young mage. "Oh don't worry, Reina. I'm not going to die or anything, even if he does kill me."

"I am not even going to try to figure out what that means," Caterena scowled.

Lysandra's House

"Alright then." Well he'd offered, at least. Nothing else to worry about, Gabriel decided as they left the house. Anna was in the lead this time and guiding them back the way they came. "We might have a bit of trouble getting inside again," Anna said, glancing back at the group of four slightly behind her, "but once that's taken care of, I'm going to find Gabbie and see if she has an update on Samael. With any luck, they won't be in the same place right now and we can take them one at a time."

"Assuming they're separate," Gabriel said, "and assuming you decide to go after Samael, first, what's our approach going to be like? Lysandra won't get the chance to talk with him if we just ambush him."

"Not a civil talk," Anna almost nodded, "I'll decide our approach once we figure out where he is."

Edited April 13, 2016 by Phoenix

[-Cynthia-]

Mess Hall

"As long as she's not crying, I think we're doing a fine job. That's pretty much all of parenting I remember from when Maks was born," Veronika said with a shrug, looking down at the child more closely and managing a small smile. She is pretty cute...this would be a good opportunity to practice my mothering skills if there weren't so much else going on. I hope my child wouldn't have a tail though....

Lysandra's House

"This Gabbie must be quite the tracker to depend on her so much. I hope she isn't in too much danger," Lysandra said with concern as she followed along.

[Snike]

"She'll be fine," Axel reassured, "On the note of going back inside, I'll be waiting outside for the host, so that will minimize the hassle."