Return of the Emblem Chapter Fourteen: Fight

[Dandragon]

"Oh? You're heading to Kigen, too? Why are you headed there?" She was surprised. Mavis didn't expect to run into the people she had met earlier today, nor did she expect to run into people going to the same place she was going. Of course, she was at the docks, but all civilians were supposed to be hidden away so they weren't caught up in the crossfire. Clearly, these people didn't really care about that. The reins were cracked and Mavis looked at the driver, then at what was ahead.

"Uh...Are you planning to run those guys over? Cause they might try and skewer the horse. And that's probably not something you want." And speaking of 'those guys', a dragoon seemed to be aiming a javelin at the wagon. With quick thinking and reflexes, Mavis took out one of her small hand axes and, with her uninjured arm, threw it straight at him. It spun in the air, and before he knew what was happening, hit the dragoon directly in the face. She might not be able to swing a heavy axe, but a throw-able one was just fine.

[Snike]

"I go close to the water, and the wyrms drag us over," Pete said, tersely. "I go to the city, and we never make it. Through is the only real chance. Thanks for the assist, though."

[Phoenix]

Deck Defense

"Right then," the short mercenary aimed a blunderbuss at the sudden arrivals on the main deck, "who're you pups?" He wasn't alone, others were grabbing more close ranged weapons to help defend the deck if necessary.

Final Approach

"We've got business there," Greta said curtly. Now wasn't the time to be going over details, especially not with a stranger. Since she had the opportunity, she quickly began reloading her pistol, a surprisingly difficult task from a speeding wagon. They were coming up on the ship, now, having just passed the Emi Maru, and that was when Greta began to worry. Would the wagon be able to fit? Not on the ship; of course it would be able to. What she was worried about was the pier the Darklighter's loading ramp was connected to. It wasn't the most narrow of piers, but they didn't have much room to maneuver. This loading job would require more time than they really had unless they come up with something good. Fast.

Another, less pressing issue was the name that was coming into view as they came closer to the ship. 'Deadly Dandelion.' The ship had a unique look to it thanks to its golden decor, but Greta was still unsure what to make of the new name. "Is that even ...?" Lumi and Thales had landed on the deck and had gotten the last dragoon in the wagon's way killed by dividing his attention, but was that really the right ship? Greta's eyes searched the main deck, desperately looking for Lexi, but she couldn't find the captain anywhere.

Arigato, Sensei

<"Thank you, Teacher,"> Canaan said, hoping the days of having to constantly hide behind a blindfold would be coming to an end, soon. He didn't know how dangerous things were outside right now, but he didn't mind Haruhi staying aboard the Emi Maru on its way back to Kigen, even though she clearly did.

[spoiler=Regrouping]

The escape from the royal palace could hardly be called an escape. With no one willing to attack and subdue Prince Yamato, they were near a stalemate, and to an outside observer, his group was simply being escorted to the eastern courtyard, where Jirou waited patiently for news. Over one hundred soldiers, either supporting the Emperor's position or the Prince's, followed the fleeing group, and when they finally reached the Thunder dragon, the courtyard was sealed off, and they were surrounded.

<"How'd it go?"> Jirou asked casually. He already knew there had been a battle, or something resembling one. The bitterness on everyone's faces wasn't lost on him, either. Freyya's missing bodyguards certainly weren't a good sign.

<"I won't complain,"> Freyya shook her head, <"I only wish I'd had the foresight to leave my escorts here with you. Nori, as well."> The boy was still unconscious, but she'd checked him over as they left and he would at least survive his injuries. Whatever unseen damage he'd suffered, she could fully reverse given some time and breathing room.

<"Just what were you trying to accomplish here?!"> Ryuudou snapped at her, <"you of all p--demons ... should have realized how this was going to end ...">

Jirou looked unamused, but also seemed accepting of the outcome. <"So it was that bad, was it?">

Shiba forced a faint smile. <"Father has always had a short temper. I'm afraid I may have overstepped by entertaining our guest. It was such a prime opportunity, though. I couldn't help myself."> He glanced down at Mei, who was staring blankly at him. <"Can you move on your own?"> She nodded up to him, and he set her on her own feet. Ryuudou followed suit with Sora when he realized she was fine, as well. <"Still ... he may yet calm down. I know I have now that we're relatively safe.">

<"What had you upset, Princeling?"> Jirou cocked a scaled brow at Shiba.

<"Father tried to kill all of us, my servants included,"> Shiba explained, sounding casual, but everyone present could detect the edge growing ever sharper as he continued, <"I'm fine with people trying to kill me. I'm my father's son, royal blood ... the one chosen to rule this country when the time comes. My decisions are going to get thousands, possibly tens or even hundreds of thousands of people killed in my lifetime. I don't mind having a target on my back ... but when someone threatens my servants, especially those I fought so hard for ... I won't tolerate it. I won't tolerate it even from my father.">

Freyya watched the two girls, wondering what made them so important to Shiba. Her first guess was that they were part of a harem. Corvian princes tended to do the same, not even considering a wife ... an empress, until they became Sovereign. Shiba was clearly protective of them, and they him. There was something raw and visceral about it. Her curiosity soon had her honing in on the Prince's thoughts. She saw an older woman, proud and undaunted by the precarious situation she was in. She was dripping with blood, covered in sword cuts, held up in chains that seemed to merge with the darkness surrounding her. Shiba stood in front of her in the dark room, furious, yelling at her, and receiving little in the way of a response.

<"So, Princess,"> Jirou snapped Freyya out of her thought gazing, <"are you satisfied? Want to go somewhere else?"> His debt to her was more or less paid, but he wasn't stupid enough to leave her in the capital by herself.

<"I'd prefer it if you stayed here for the time being,"> Shiba said, looking Freyya in the eyes, <"I know the situation looks dire, and you have my humblest apologies for what happened to your escorts ... but if you stay, we could continue our discussion from earlier.">

Freyya smiled, taken aback. <"My trade offer is still on the table ...?">

<"Milord,"> Ryuudou winced, <"if this is to get back at your father-"> <"Absolutely not,"> Shiba silenced Ryuudou with a raised palm, <"I'm not sure if I have enough power to make any of this happen, but it's worth looking into.">

<"Is there some wing of the palace or other safe haven available?"> Freyya asked, wondering where in the capital, if anywhere, she could stay and not be openly attacked now that Emperor Yamato had reestablished that precedent.

<"We'll just stay at that old inn I used the last time,"> Shiba answered.

<"Last time?"> Jirou moved his head closer to the discussion, <"This happened before?">

<"Oh yes,"> Shiba nodded, trying not to laugh, <"This is the third time I've been chased out of house and home. The first time was when I publicly challenged one of Father's policy decisions. The second time was when I interrogated and subsequently executed one of his favorite agents."> He shrugged. <"That old inn has been something of a home away from home. I've held the deed indirectly for a little over three years now, but we never bothered to renovate it. Considering how enraged Father is, now may be the time to look into that."> His eyes began to wander over to the guards cutting off all of their escape routes. <"We could be there a while ... I'm off track, though. Princess Devlinos, I would like you to take up temporary residence at the inn. We can talk there as much as we want ... assuming Jirou is willing to provide one last favor.">

<"I'm listening,"> Jirou waved a paw for the Prince to continue.

<"I would like for you to stay here at the palace. Speak with my Father whenever you get the chance. Remind him what civility is ... and if at all possible, dissuade him from doing anything nefarious like calling in assassins. Ryuudou and my servants can only do so much to ensure Princess Devlinos' safety here in the capital.">

<"Candidly, milord,"> Ryuudou interjected, <"I'm more worried about the locals finding out about her presence there and attempting to burn down the inn.">

<"Impossible,"> came a girl's voice. Sora stepped closer and placed a hand over her chest as she addressed Shiba. <"We completely warded the building. Fires can only be started in the proper places, and they won't spread.">

<"Excellent thinking,"> Shiba praised her.

Freyya was already liking the sound of this inn. It was still obviously a far cry from her workshop, but she might still be able to get some work done on her side projects there. She could see Jirou looking down at her, waiting to hear her answer. If she wasn't planning on staying in the capital, then his part in this was clear, since he would be the one delivering the princess and Nori away from this place. <"Very well, Prince Yamato. If you're certain, I'll remain in the capital for the time being ... with some conditions. It's nothing too dangerous, but I do need to leave the area at certain times, to run some tests.">

<"We can go over the details later,"> Shiba agreed. <"So then, Jirou?">

The thunder dragon nodded, <"I'll see if I can't talk some sense into your old man. I'll even do one better ..."> He paused, raising his head high to address the two hundred or so guards watching from what they hoped was a safe distance. <"The Princess of Corvus is leaving the palace. You lot are staying here ... alive or dead, I don't care which.">

<"Heh,"> Shiba smirked, <"and here I thought we'd need a separate plan for dealing with this crowd.">

<"Milord, we still need to reach Kurosaki's inn unseen,"> Ryuudou noted. Shiba scowled at the name, but let Ryuudou continue. <"You and I may be able to get by with some cloaks, but even that might not be enough for the Princess.">

<"We will bring the princess to the hideout,"> Mei chimed in this time, <"no one will see us.">

<"Make it so,"> Shiba gave his approval.

<"Yes, milord.">

Edited October 31, 2016 by Phoenix

[Snike]

The last dragoon blocking their path was killed by Lumi and her passenger Thales, which meant that Pete was free to pull back on the reins and slow the wagon's approach. The ship wasn't named Darklighter Idolus, but it was golden.

"This is the one, right?" Pete asked, as he directed the wagon to begin to turn into the pier. It looked like it would take a while to load the wagon onto the ships' loading ramp though...

[Toogee]

Jam began to relax once whatever danger they were headed towards had passed, though not enough to let go of Eva's hand. Her attention was drawn to the new passenger, who kind of just let herself on. Naturally, Greta was prepared to blow her brains out, fearing an enemy. The fear seemed unfounded: the passenger was wounded and not exactly threatening. In fact, she seemed rather calm given they were traveling through an active warzone.

Since the passenger was helping out a bit, Jam focused her attention on the back of the wagon. She could see the battle they were leaving behind. She didn't want to admit it, but she was glad she didn't have to fight in this one. Jam had only just recovered from the last battle. All she wanted was to get out to sea, where they wouldn't have to worry about running into bounty hunters, barbarians, or dragon armies.

Hopefully.

[Nanami Touko]

Eva ended up squeezing Jam's hand tight, and Angelica with her other, as Greta fired, turning to see it had been at someone not on the wagon. "Wrath dammit, Greta, don't give us more attention!" If they were going to fight, it had to be when all of them could, not when Greta could fire one shot at a time and take forever to reload. "Dammit... Ahhhh, where's Isis and Sasha at a time like this? It'd make us a bigger target, but a Wyvern's a far more intimidating moving target than a fucking wagon..."

----------

"Tch..." Haruhi sat back down, sighing, and folded her arms. "<Least someone's happy about me... Guess you were, too, Canaan. Sorry.>" <Pft, teacher... It'd be nice, but they're headed to Kigen... And hearing another story just like mine isn't very appealing. I left there to get away from all those memories, come back once I was strong enough to face them... Not run into them as soon as I stepped foot on shore-- Wrath dammit, I didn't even make it to shore. Fate's cruel, and stupid. I hope some God hasn't found their fancy messing with my life.>

She looked up, as if to scowl at an invisible menace, receiving nothing, of course. Hoshi was smiling, and being far too polite. As much as it pained her to think about things, why was Haruhi being mean to the mage? She didn't do it on purpose. If anything, Hoshi just cared. Maybe too much, obviously, but she cared, nonetheless. "<Hey... I'll... I'll think about it, okay? You, being my teacher... Just no more, talking about the past. I wanna look at the future.>" She gave the smallest of smiles back, pulling her knees up some.

"<So... If I'm stuck on here, back to Kigen, do I get... Er, got anything to eat? I kinda... Wasn't planning on a return trip. And I don't wanna take any of Canaan's food.>"

[-Cynthia-]

Nadya raised an eyebrow at Canaan being so eager to be Hoshi's student. Teachin' a demon magic sounds like a terrible idea. I mean I did help pour magic into him already or whatever, but that doesn't make it smart to keep goin'.

Haruhi seemed to lighten up a bit which was probably good for Hoshi's sake at least. She mentioned something about food. "<Hungry? Food in wagon. Other ship,>" Nadya said, pointing off in the distance. Nadya kept some treats in Luca's saddlebags...but Luca wasn't here. If they leave Luca behind in this mess, I'm gonna wait until they need healin' and stab 'em right in the heart, she decided right then and there.

[Dandragon]

The gun slinging woman had directed her attention to a slightly gold decorated boat that a pegasus and their rider had just landed on. She raised an eyebrow at its name. She also had to wonder how they planned to get past the blockade with a decorated boat like this.

"So...if you don't mind...Can I come along with you? Ya seem to be taking a much faster route than I was gonna use. And I'd much rather get there the fastest way possible. I'm...looking for somebody, and if I take too long, I might miss em."

[Phoenix]

Deadly Dandelion

"This is our stop, yeah," Greta nodded. She was off the wagon as soon as it stopped, intent on letting the crew know that they were going to need help loading up the wagon. This was one of the worst piers for loading vehicles imaginable, but they would have to make due. She was stopped in her tracks when the axe throwing free loader--whom Greta suddenly felt the urge to put a name to--asked if she could accompany them to Kigen.

"That's between you and the captain," Greta said, stopping short again as she half turned to run toward and up the loading ramp. "Probably shouldn't call ya axe girl, so what's your name? I'm Greta."

Outskirts

Liam was definitely fast on his feet, but the army of wyvern riders had nearly arrived above Urquium, and they would have to take off soon to have any hope of reaching the docks ahead of the swarm. Joanna wasn't sure if they would be attacked or ignored by the foreign invaders, but they couldn't afford to find out. "Liam, I think we should go by air from here," she said worriedly.

Taking off from a run would be quite easy. Even with Joanna riding on his back, the two could work together to get airborne quickly. Whether they flew separately from there or remained linked would probably come down to preference, but she didn't feel either would slow them down much.

Emi Maru

<"Have to ask Jun for food,"> Canaan warned with a frown, <"would have to stop hiding."> He didn't mind Haruhi getting her own meals, but having spent a whole week keeping her a secret, and knowing how adamant she was about remaining hidden up to this point, it was definitely worth pointing out.

[Dandragon]

"The name's Mavis. Nice to meet ya." She hopped off the Wagon, landing on her two feet. For a moment, she looked back at the town. If she left with them now, she would lose any pay she would receive, as well as any chance of getting that rare axe. However, Mavis shook her head. She'd have to rely on her own prowess, then, assuming her arm got healed soon. Of course, this was also assuming the captain let her on board.

"Well," She said, turning to face the woman she now knew as Greta, "Why don't we go see the captain, then." With a smile on her face, Mavis jogged over to where Greta was standing, intending to follow her on the boat.

[scorri]

Hoshi smiled slightly. <"No more past then. Ah... I don't have any food, no. But... Perhaps we can say you joined with us? That way you don't need to hide?">

Lumi grinned as the wagon arrived at their ship. "Awesome! I guessed the right one! Backup is here finally. Let's see if we can help out anymore while they get their butts up here." Assuming again with a new set of ice spears, Lumi sent them flying at the nearest enemy rider, aiming again for the back and neck areas. Now that the combat was less time dependent, she had more freedom to take slightly riskier shots than the spray of needles she'd used to blind the enemy earlierm

[Phoenix]

Deckers

A thunderous gunshot rang out as the short mercenary discharged the left barrel of his blunderbuss almost directly overhead. "OI!!!" He leveled the weapon back on Lumi and Thales as the crew finished forming a semi circle around them. "I asked you a wrathdamn question! The blazes are you doin' on this ship?!"

Greta had just made it up the loading ramp and flinched at the gunshot. On top of dwarfing her measly pistol, she feared that either Lumi or Thales had been unceremoniously shot for boarding unannounced. She was thankful to see that neither of them was hurt. "Hey wait," she waved her arms frantically to get the crew's attention as she ran toward them, "they're with us! Ya remember me, right?!"

The short mercenary shot Greta a disapproving look in lieu of a live volley, and lowered his weapon.

[Dandragon]

Mavis blinked. Already, things were getting pretty heated, and she had barely even stepped onto the boat. There had been the sound of a gunshot, but Greta yelled at the man who fired it enough to make him lower his weapon. At least, that's what she thought happened.

As she walked, she kept her right hand within her coat pocket, letting her arm move with her jacket so as not to upset it too much. It felt weird. Throughout her life, she'd always had the use of both her arms, but for now she had to work with only one. Granted, it wasn't like she couldn't move it, but she didn't want to, as it hurt when she did so. And as much as she could ignore pain, she would much rather prefer to not have to deal with pain. So, she kept her right arm still... Well, as still as she could. And hey, she could throw her hand axes just fine with her left arm, so it shouldn't be too difficult to adjust to swinging her axe with her left as well, right? And she had other parts of her body to fight with. Namely, her legs. Armor can't stop kicks forever. Not with THESE muscles.

"So...Ms Greta? How we getting that big ol' wagon up on board? Do you need someone to push, cause I think I can do that."

[Nanami Touko]

"Looks like this is where we get off, Jam... Angelica, you're good on your own, right?" As fun as carrying the mage would be, Eva was more concerned about getting anyone that needed the help onto the ship. Hopping out of the wagon with her meat in tow, wishing Sasha would return, she headed up the ramp as the gunshot fired off, flinching and hurrying her pace. The smoking barrel had been lowered by the time she got up there, but things still felt tense. She overheard the new girl asking about the wagon-- was she even the 'new girl'? Who was she?

"With the way you're holding your arm, don't think so-- weren't you just asking for a healer? If anything needs moving, I'll do it. Both arms still work fine. I guess no one knows the situation on Haythem and our wyverns? Or our birds?" She sighed, why did the fight have the break out right now?

---------

"<No point in hiding down here if these two know, already... I doubt they're going to keep quiet about it; I'm not supposed to be here. Might as well grin and bear it, and see if I can't get something proper to eat, right?>" Haruhi's stomach had luckily kept itself quiet so far, it would have been far too embarrassing to hop off her boxes and have it grumble. "<Let's go meet your crew, then...>"

[Phoenix]

Time to Move

They really needed to hurry if they were going to mix themselves in with the rest of the Ursian fleet. The last of their docked ships had pulled up their anchors and began moving away from the docks in preparation for the imperial fleet's arrival, and not a moment too soon, as Lexi could feel more powerful magic in the area to the southeast. It was approaching in large separate bulges, and not from a single source, like the dragoon ambush had been. Unsurprisingly, one of those blobs of water magic was coming straight toward the docks at incredibly high speed.

Lexi stood by the wheel, foot tapping as she waited for her crew to ready the ship and load up the wagon, which had only just arrived. "Come on, you can move faster than this," she murmured. Her impatience was fueled by excitement rather than fear; she was thoroughly convinced this would all pan out well for them, but she wanted to get on with it, already. She couldn't imagine how nervous Nong and his people must have been feeling right about now.

A gunshot, one too close by for comfort, snapped Lexi out of her thoughts and brought her attention from the wagon, to the main deck. The puff of white smoke marked the origin of the shot about as well as the sound had, and she frowned at her crew. She couldn't imagine how nervous they were, either. They were blessed with neither her intuition nor her enthusiasm. It was time to see what was going on.

Wagon & Woes

Greta wasn't sure what to do about the wagon just yet. While the loading ramp was sturdy enough, it was a little too thin. On top of that, even if it were the right width for the wagon's wheels, the pier didn't off enough room for the vehicle to turn onto it. With the inclusion of the horses it was far too long to simply turn onto the loading ramp. That left them with two general approaches; detach the horses and carefully push and pull the thing onto the deck, or find a few more sturdy planks to extend the ramp diagonally, and give the horses a suitable vector for hauling the wagon up and aboard. Being perfectly honest with herself, she was wary of loading up the wagon at all given that the Deadly Dandelion was about to sail right off into the battle.

"Look, no one's movin' that wagon by themselves," Greta began at Eva and Mavis, "so don't worry about who's doin' what just yet. I've gotta see if Lexi doesn't have a solution for us, first." Hopefully no one would have to do any pushing, but the pier wasn't meant for vehicles. Greta supposed that they did have a third option, though she didn't like it. They could offload the wagon's cargo onto the ship by hand and leave it here. They would be stuck on foot once they reached Kigen but with the current battle going on, escaping to Kigen at all was no sure thing.

Shadrak stopped just shy of the loading ramp, trying to take in all the area details regarding the wagon and the obstacles keeping it on land. He was coming to similar conclusions as Greta and figured that their best bet was either to extend the loading ramp so that the wagon could drive on it without making an impossible turn first, or transfer their supplies by hand onto the ship and hope they could buy a new wagon as soon as they reached Kigen. "Great. I hope Bert didn't lose the mon-" He flinched, the last word half said. He felt another presence coming, much like the first wave of dragoons that had attacked the docks. "Please not us," he quietly bit out. They weren't in a position to defend themselves before, but they were really vulnerable, now.

Plop

There wouldn't be any further argument from Canaan, though he had no intention of leaving the cargo hold, either. He made that much clear when he sat back down near the staircase. <"I will be here if needed.">

Closing In

Why? Amon kept asking himself the question over and over again as the swarm of wyvern riders on one side, and the swarm of pegasus knights on the other, both closed in on them. Why on earth did they take to the skies? It felt like the higher they flew, the higher the opposing groups flew to stay level with them. It could have simply been his mind playing tricks on him, but this pincer seemed almost inescapable, now.

<"What do we do?!"> Haythem pleaded. He kept Isis on a steep ascent, but they weren't gaining much height over either group. He couldn't help but wonder if both sides were following them. <"Amon we need a plan ... I don't think this is working.">

Go down, maybe? No, then they wouldn't have any room to maneuver whatsoever, and the ships would be a problem once they arrived, too. Amon looked over his shoulder to make sure Sasha was still with them. <"If they keep following us then ... go to the 'skotian side. At least they might not attack us right away.">

Malik nodded his approval. <"That's all we have if they keep us in the middle like this.">

Higher

"Higher," Edith called out as she guided her pegasus into position for her attack on the imperial forces. It was almost time. She didn't like disobeying orders like this, but the Basilisk was almost certainly still with the rest of the imperial fleet, mixed in and miles away from the city. She should have time for two all out attacks if she acted right now. That would give Ursium the advantage, and reduce their casualties exponentially. It was worth the risk, but she sincerely hoped the others could cover her for the second attack. After the first, the Neviskotians would probably make her a priority target.

Edited November 16, 2016 by Phoenix

[Xinnidy]

It was a fairly quick realization, a blunderbuss was pointed at Thales and he quickly held his arms up, bow still in hand. "Uh." The why of being pointed a gun didn't come immediately, but a moment was enough to parse the man's question. Wait, is this the right ship? Thales just trusted Lumi, she'd know, right?

Wait. Nobody knew. The ship was yet to be picked when they were loading. "Uhhhhhh." Nope, he wasn't going to deal with that. "Lumi...?" He called out weakly, hoping she would have caught their predicament and had a more argumentative mind than him at the moment.

Her back was turned. What.

A gunshot rang loud and too close for comfort, a supressed yelp and a flinch from Thales, his hands still up. "U-uhhh, look we--" He was cut off by a woman boarding the ship, her face was unfamiliar but the wagon stopped before the ramp wasn't. Thales placed his free hand over his chest, letting out a quick sigh. "Yeah... yeah, we're with her, that's what I was going to say." He lied, hoping the doubled assurance would calm the crewmen. "No need to pull your guns out, big guy." He nearly cringed after he'd finished the sentence, reevaluating their inquisitor's stature. That wasn't intentional. "Just... thought to land first and help them get through that mess, my bad."

[Dandragon]

"Hm?" Mavis turned to face another woman walking up the ramp, speaking at her. This was the woman she had been looking for, but that really didn't matter now. What DID matter was that she had offered to push it instead, mentioning how she was holding her arm. It was clear to see she was just as muscular as Mavis, and with two working arms compared to her one, she seemed to be a bit more qualified for the job. Still, that wasn't gonna stop her, the daughter of the strongest general around.

"Nah, it's no problem. I just need to put my back into it, is all-" Greta cut her off, however, stating nobody would push it on their own. As much as she wanted to prove them wrong, Mavis decided it was best for her to abide with the supposed leader of this group. At least, she assumed Greta was the leader, she could be wrong. She turned her attention back to the large Brunette. "So...The name's Mavis, and if things go well, I'll probably be traveling with ya! What's yours?" In the back of her mind, Mavis couldn't help but imagine how a fight between the two of them would turn out. After all, it just wouldn't do if someone were stronger than her. It would sully her fathers name!

[Nanami Touko]

"Yeah, we don't need two people acting like they can handle more than they can chew. No lifting until your arm isn't hurting." What's this cruel joke? Competition? I already didn't like myself very much, I really hope she's not more like me than just this... Eva sighed, and walked past them, nodding at Greta. "Eva," she handed over to their apparent newbie, heading straight on board. Greta hadn't answered, so she could only assume they had nothing on their missing allies. She huffed. "Then we're waiting... And fighting off any Neviskotians that try to get on board. Man, I wish I had Sasha..."

[Ether]

Well, it had happened rather perilously, between gun shots, people literally leaping on board the wagon, and various degrees of clinging, shouting, and other such things, but they had made it to the boat in relatively good shape. Not entirely though, with the wagon being too large to board the ship via the ramp on hand, and what was quickly becoming almost a showboating contest between Eva and this new woman, who seemed mighty inclined to want to follow them around for... some reason, over which of them would heroically shove and lift the wagon onto the ship.

Luckily Greta shut that line of thought down rather swiftly, before moving to presumably ask the Captain of the ship for assistance. But, as they say, misfortune arrives in droves, and the latest drove of this day was the presence of more magic on the water, incoming fast. From Shadrak's flinching, it was clear he had felt them as well.

"Leave the arguing for later, ladies. I feel company incoming, and I doubt they're friendly."

[scorri]

"Ah Err..." Lumi grinned somewhat sheepishly as the whole thing played out. Yet another thing for Pete to get upset about. Ah well. It had all worked out in the end! "Yeah, we've come to help! And from the magic I'm sensing, you're gonna need all the help you can get..." Lumi quickly turned back to the railing, focusing on the water. She considered her options before calling out, "Hey, let me know when we need to get this ship moving and I'll undo this then." Concentrating hard, she slowly started to form chunks of ice on the surface of the water. Looking like harmless islands of ice on top, underneath they were a series of wicked looking spikes, pointed in several directions. Hopefully whoever was incoming would be moving too fast to notice them before they ran into the spikes.

<"Well they aren't our crew exactly, but we're working with them for now."> Hoshi waved for Haruhi to follow before starting to head upstairs. "Let's get her something to eat Nadya. Then maybe we can find out some more about her."

[Phoenix]

Deadly Dandelion

"Okay, what's goin' on?" Lexi asked. To the short mercenary's surprise, she didn't sound alarmed or on guard, just ... curious. It figured with this woman, he reminded himself.

"Minor misunderstanding," the short mercenary said, avoiding eye contact with his employer. He found something more interesting to look at farther down the docks. Aside from the dragoons that had leaped clear over the docks and onto the nearby buildings, they were all gone. Now the Ursians were holding the line right by the water, weapons drawn and ready. He couldn't help but wonder what they expected to leap out of the water next. His money was on another wave of dragoons.

"Okay we can't get the wagon on the ship with such a skinny pier," Greta interjected, "not with a turn that sharp. Do ya have any ideas? I don't wanna lose another wagon this week."

"Mmm," Lexi put a hand on her chin, "I think so, but I gotta move the ship, first. I'll put it right at the edge of the pier, broadside facing inland. Then you can just roll that wagon straight up and aboard. How's that sound?"

Time consuming, Greta thought. "How long will that take?" she asked.

"Two minutes," Lexi answered, having seemingly anticipated the question. The actual time given didn't really make sense, not to Greta's ears. "Anything else? If not, I'll get started."

Greta was silent for a moment. She wanted to ask how on Earth Lexi could get this ship into position in just two minutes, but if she could, the merchant didn't want to waste time questioning her. The mercenaries and sailors seemed slightly alarmed by the conversation. The time apparently seemed off for them too. They were probably wondering if they were expected to have the anchors up and the sails deployed a while ago, despite not getting an explicit order. At least the ship was more or less ready to depart, and could do so in just a few minutes.

Edited November 23, 2016 by Phoenix

[Xinnidy]

A woman had shown up to speak to the same short tempered mercenary. From the way he behaved around her, that was their leader, or employer, or second-in-command, whatever. What mattered was Thales was no longer at risk of being tossed off the ship.

"Two minutes...?" He spoke under his breath, listening in to their conversation. "How's that going to work?"

"That your boss?" He asked the short mercenary. Didn't hurt to try to know who'd sail them out of that mess, right?

Edited November 26, 2016 by Xinnidy

[-Cynthia-]

Outskirts

"All right, fly close to me. Once we're at the docks, just look for Greta's wagon and land since we don't know what ship it is," Liam instructed Joanna before taking off back towards the city, scanning the sky for any potential roadblocks.

Emi Maru

"I guess there's not much we can do to help 'em from here so...all right," Nadya agreed to Hoshi's sugeestion before heading upstairs.

[Dandragon]

"Company, eh? Could use the practice with my left arm. So, can ya tell how many are coming?" Mavis looked toward the new mage girl, who was the other person she had gone to look for to begin with, along with getting other people to safety. She had a tan completion, much like the tall brunette who she now knew as Eva, and very dark black hair. Her clothes were also dark, a brownish color, though not the usual robes a mage would wear. No, these seemed a bit...tight and form fitting, though she wasn't in any place to criticize. Mavis's long jacket was not the regular attire that someone of her style would wear. It was long and flowing, and a very dark black. If one could put a word to it, it would be Gothic, and that certainly wasn't the style of this bright and cheerful girl. However, it had served her purposes well in covering and protecting her, and she didn't mind the heat that the dark colors brought to her. It was at this point Mavis caught herself staring in their directions, and, not wanting to seem rude, quickly turned her head out to the sea where she thought the enemy might come.

On the matter of fighting with her left hand, it would be weird to say the least. The handle of her axe always pointed out to the right, making it simple for her right hand to grab onto it and lift it off her back and ready for action, but with her right arm in the state that it was, she had to awkwardly move her left arm either in front of her face, or behind her head in order to draw it. Beyond that, she couldn't grab the weapon with both hands in order to increase the power of her strikes. She had to rely on one-handed attacks this next fight. An interesting challenge. Of course, if they have a healer on board, then I won't have to worry about that. ...Though I might just do it for funsies~!

Edited November 28, 2016 by Dandragon

[Phoenix]

Lexi's Move

"Yeah, it's her ship," the short mercenary answered Thales. "Things are about to get rough. If you want off this rig, now's your best chance," he warned.

"Anchors up, loading ramp up, ice traps up" Lexi ordered before turning and sprinting toward the aft of the ship, her destination, the helm.

Greta decided she should get off the ship until it docked itself, again, so she quickly headed down onto the pier before the crew hauled it up and moved over to the wagon. The anchors came out of the water just as she arrived. "Okay, she's gonna move the ship so we're lined up with it, that way we can just drive straight up onto the deck. I can drive it up there if ya need me to, just get ready," she informed the rest of the group.

"What about the sails?!" one of the sailors called up to Lexi as she reached the wheel.

"Leave'em," she called back, "don't want the wind gettin' in my way and makin' us overshoot," she murmured to herself. As her sense of the incoming water magic shifted slightly, she realized it wasn't heading directly for the Deadly Dandelion but was close enough to make a last second course correction if it changed its mind. The last time she'd sensed this 'mass' of power, it had been a bunch of water mages swimming very close together. Naturally, one would expect a similar mass to be yet another wave of dragoons, but Lexi suspected that first wave had been a faint of some kind. Looking at it that way, the Ursians did seem too close to the water, with no defensive structures to aid them if the second wave was anything more dangerous than the dragoons.

"They got tricked, didn't they? This is gonna be nasty," she winced as the waters began to stir. The Deadly Dandelion began to drift forward as Lexi tightened her grip on the wheel and closed her eyes. "Forward," she said. "Forward," she repeated the word, as if chanting. "Forward ..." Each time the words left her lips, the ship gained a little more speed. It cleared the pier in just a few seconds, with no help from the wind or any other natural force.

"And turn!" Lexi threw the wheel to her left as hard as she could, causing it to spin counterclockwise. "Drop anchors!" She gave the order in advance, knowing she would have to compensate for her crew's shock, as well as the actual time it would take to carry out the order. Just as the Deadly Dandelion began to turn, Lexi felt her aura flee from her. The magic around her was all gone, whisked up into the sky, as if a magic seal had suddenly appeared. Something bigger and more terrible than a simple 'skotian trick was about to befall Urquium.

The Swarm Arrives

<"In case I don't get to say this later,"> Haythem began fearfully, <"it's been an honor.">

<"Oh shut up,"> Malik barked from the back, <"just try to get clear of this mess!">

<"it's not working,"> Haythem called back, <"It's like they're both trying to smash us in the middle!">

<"It can't be us,"> Amon winced, just thinking out loud at this point. <"It can't be,"> he tried to assure himself. <"This can't be about pinning us."> The confused Sancturan looked to his right, where the imperial wyvern riders were closing in from. He could make out individuals easily, now. He looked to his left, where the Ursian pegasus knights were closing in from ... and he could see a single knight at the front, bathed in an unmistakable crimson aura.

<"Who is that?!"> Malik saw the rider, too.

<"I have no idea,"> Amon replied. The emblem apparently did, though, as Amon suddenly saw the pegasus rider as an intensely bright light in his mind's eye. She was the brightest thing he'd come across since the Raquel from his dream had given him this strange power.

Amon suddenly felt his entire body pleading for him to move, to avoid the death that seemed almost inevitable, now. What could he possibly do, though? They were about to be caught up in a massive clash of blades, magic, claws, hooves, teeth, and horns. There was really only one way out of this, now. <"D-dive,"> he barely managed at first. <"Dive! Haythem dive, now!">

<"Dive?"> Haythem looked back at Amon, hoping for some kind of explanation.

<"Haythem, dive right now or we're all going to die!">

Maas Destruction

Edith's allies gave her a wide berth as she arrived just ahead of the oncoming swarm of imperial riders. She raised her family's runic lance high overhead as righteous fury gripped her. She wasn't sure how many of them she could kill, but she planned to punch a hole straight through their ranks and scatter them. Knocking the survivors clear out of formation would give the more maneuverable and much less weighed down pegasus knights an overwhelming advantage, and that was all they needed to repel even a force of this size. The confusion might even give her enough room to prepare for an attack on the Basilisk next.

There was one thing that was off here, however. An odd looking trio, just ahead of the pack. All three of them rode a massive wyvern while another, normal sized wyvern trailed awkwardly behind, riderless. Neither Edith nor anyone else knew what to make of that. She supposed they were just there to confuse the Ursians, which admittedly, they were doing a fine job of. Edith wasn't having any of it, though. "I'm not letting any imperials leave here alive," she declared, "I don't know how much damage I can do with just one attack, but if the Gods are with me, I'll be the one to destroy all of you!"

She poured all of her ferocious intent into the lance and held it high above her head as all three of its cylindrical blocks began to spin clockwise. The smaller the block, the faster it span. The sheer force behind the countless rotations made it nearly impossible for Edith to keep her arm steady. That was when she felt it, an emptiness that seemed to stop the entire battle in her mind. It's all gone, she realized. The magic she felt around her. It had all plunged into the lance. She gazed up at her weapon as its crimson glow intensified. "It's using my power, too?"

It was now or never. Bewildered but unwilling to change course, Edith shut her eyes. "Tear apart the cosmos ..." She opened her eyes and leveled the Maas' most treasured weapon at the Neviskotian Empire and its forces. "Destroy ... their whole world!" Edith thought she was about to lose her arm right then and there, but just before the lance could fly back at her, it locked itself to her. She had to wrap her arm around her pegasus' neck as tightly as she could to avoid being thrown as it began to panic, sensing the uncontrollable power raging right near its head. The tip of the lance shined so brightly that no one could look directly at it from so close, and a powerful gale began to form around her. The other pegasus knights began to fan out, hoping to not be caught up in the violent storm that was forming. Fear began to take hold as Edith realized that the lance was now committed to this attack, and despite appearances, she no longer had any control whatsoever. All she could do was hold on for dear life.

A Maas has finally decided to wield it? One of them finally accepted the consequences of inflicting so much death? Then it's time to shore up the ranks of my army. Use that power, disgraced royal. Use it until you finally fall. ... the more you kill, the more power is yielded to me.

The tip of the spear released all of the energy it had gathered. The energy that had previously been held in check erupted from a single point, attempting to destroy everything around it. It was all confined by the same wind that had encapsulated Edith and her pegasus. All of that inherent power and siphoned energy converged into a murderous twister that swept through the swarm of imperial riders. Against this force, there was no defense possible. Men and wyverns near the center of the unstoppable storm were reduced to twisted metal and red mist. Those further out were quickly minced, and those at the very edges of the storm, like Amon and his fellow Sancturans, were assailed by the last vestiges of that energy, and nearly pulverized. Nearly all of them had died ....

The Pulls of Death

Joanna looked on at the slaughter out above the water in absolute horror. Now she knew what had happened to her aura a moment ago. That tiny bit of power that she wore like a glove, had been siphoned off and used to murder hundreds of people ...

"No ..." Had they been much closer, Joanna wouldn't have been able to ignore the litany of suffering erupting out from the epicenter of the blast. She didn't need to read anyone to know how they must have felt. The agonizing pain and helplessness they must have felt in their dying moments wasn't hard to imagine, though Joanna desperately wished it was, if only so she could keep herself under control. Already she felt her wings moving on their own, trying to pull her toward the raining bodies. "How did this happen?" she said, trembling as the twister began to subside, leaving a thick red haze in its wake.

Joanna fought as hard as she could, but couldn't quite get herself back on course. "I can't ..." Nearly everyone in the flock of riders had been killed already, but there were survivors. There had to have been survivors. No single magical attack could kill off so many so easily. "I can't ... I can't ignore this ..."

One Last Question

Amon's mind raced, trying to piece together what had just happened. His head was throbbing, and he could feel himself falling. He opened his eyes and saw a bloody red sky at his feet, and dead men, both whole and viciously torn apart, plummeting near him. <"Wha-t's ..."> He couldn't speak, either. He suddenly realized his stomach was in severe pain. He could barely breath. It was as if he'd had the wind knocked out of him. As his eyes darted around for answers, he saw Haythem, unconscious, and falling freely toward the same gruesome end as himself. He was starting to hear the screams, now. Both man and beast were wailing, either in pain or in fear as they all fell. He couldn't do anything for them, much less himself.

Amon looked up and saw the water coming. He doubted he could survive the impact in his current state. The water wasn't all he saw, though. Isis was just below him, obscuring a great deal of the view. Beyond her, he could see ships in the distance as well as the docks, all impossible to swim to from this distance, especially with his injuries. He winced as he saw the countless open wounds covering Isis' hide. He could hear her letting out pained groans as she tried to gently beat her broken right wing. Amon had no idea what had become of the left, but he couldn't see it beyond all of the blood. He continued looking around, trying to cover as much of his surroundings as possible. That was when he saw Isis' other wing. The twister had torn it from her body completely. Near it, was Sasha, who between the two wyverns, was in far better shape than Isis, but only because the massive wyvern had taken the brunt of the assault during her sudden dive, and had been pummeled and lacerated to the very brink of death as a result. Not far from Sasha was Malik, whom like Haythem, was unconscious, and probably one of the lucky ones in that sense. At least neither of them had to go through this, this fear and pain.

Isis is too hurt to move ... she's going to die when she hits the water. Sasha might pull up in time, but he can't help all of us. It's over ... we weren't fast enough. Amon tried to blink away a tear forming in his right eye as he realized just how hopeless the situation was. This is all my fault! They shouldn't have to die because of my mistake! <"R-aquel ... Raquel!"> He reached out, hoping to see the girl's face. <"Please ...">

Suddenly, the strange sense returned to him. As he looked back up at Isis, whom had just slipped into unconsciousness, she began to glow brightly in his mind's eye. Earlier, he'd determined that this new ability of his, showed him the value of things, or at least the value of things where restoring Sanctuary was involved. Now, he wasn't so sure. Isis had lost one of her wings, and was plummeting to her death like the rest of them. How did the emblem determine the value of something or someone? Much as he hated the question, of what value was she in death? With no hope of survival, and this question demanding his attention in these last moments, Amon reached out and touched the dying wyvern.

A new light appeared, brilliant and golden, and overtook Isis. Within a few seconds, she disappeared, consumed by the emblem's light. Even her disembodied wing vanished. Amon realized that there was no time left to have his question fully answered. Whatever had happened to Isis, he probably wouldn't see her, again, and he couldn't reach Haythem, Malik, or Sasha. I'm sorry, everyone, was Amon's last thought, before he, Malik, and Haythem, hit the water, one after the other.