ACT COMPLETE Angelcynn: The Myrcian Conflict - Act 2

[Nanami Touko]

"Well that's Oswald's fault, not yours," she said, finding it hard to call him Father at the moment, if he really did put the boy through all of that. "And I mean all I said... He said he was approached by a man that would... Bring his father back. So they could speak to the king." She sighed. That part did sound ridiculous. Bring his father back, who could do that, honestly? If the dead could come back, then Jeeves... She shook her head. "Well, maybe! That's why I came to talk to you, instead of doing anything! I know I can be... Rash. So I wanted to find out what you thought of things, before I did anything." When she thought about it, would she honestly have tried to do something if she couldn't find Owen... Perhaps, and that scared her, just a bit. Stupid emotions...

"Er, r-right." Cass hadn't expected Owen to get actually mad over all this, and it was a bit frightening to see her calm and collected brother get so upset. She took his hand and led him off to the dungeons, hoping this wasn't a mistake.

[Vestige]

Ah yes, the powers above. "Perhaps you're right. The churches might argue otherwise, but I'm not particularly versed in the matter. Light magic is a rather peculiar thing after all," he admitted. It was often the case that those not steadfast in their belief were unable to cast light magic for one reason or another. It was a subset of magic reserved almost exclusively for the members of the clergy. He wondered why that would be the case. If I were to join the clergy, would I be able to use their magic? It was an experiment he would have considered if he had more time, but he'd have to return to Raewald soon, and he was sure he wouldn't be taught the necessary requirements until... well, until a while at least!

He did recall seeing a rather large cathedral as he passed through the city. Perhaps he'd find something relevant to his interests there. But for now, he was content to simply peruse the guild's library at his leisure. "In any case, thank you for your help," he said, making his way towards the descending staircase. He debated asking the duo who this Bilbo fellow was, but he decided against it.

He wasn't expecting to find anything particularly exciting, but perhaps he'd manage to find something curious enough to hold his attention. If he could find something pertaining to religion, that would be all the better. If Engel can serve as a source for magic, where does that leave Belial, I wonder? As far as he knew, there was no church set up to worship Belial, none with any significance at least. And it went without saying that such an establishment would be met with stark opposition.

[Dandragon]

"As fellow guild members it's my job to get hurt protecting ya. But I appreciate you worrying about me, nonetheless." Serge took his hand off of Larissa. "And if I had cared about what these kinds of people say about me, I would have never stepped up in that bar to begin with. So...why don't we head back to Niko and Doug. They're probably worried sick about us. You uh...you lead the way." Serge assumed Larissa knew her way through these streets more than Serge ever would, so he thought it best to have her navigate.

[Jotari]

[spoiler=Frankenstein's Badger]

Claire arrived back at the guild in the late morning. She hadn't arranged a time to meet Emmet again, so she was just hoping he was around. She ignored the guildmaster's presence completely as she glanced around the room, spotting Emmet in more or less the same place he'd been yesterday and making her way over to him. "So, did you find what we need?" she asked, trying to hide the anticipation in her voice. This wasn't exactly a normal thing, trying to raise the dead and all, so she was... interested to see how it went? Well, it was more like morbid curiosity, but still. If he hadn't found anything though, this meeting was entirely pointless.

"Ah Claire, good morning" Emmet greeted her. "I managed to find some experiment samples if that's what you mean. I'm still working on the research. Most of is steeped in myth and rather vague but there seems to be some solid information mixed in there. Come to my room. That where the badgers are."

He led her upstairs into his room at the back of the building. As they grew closer the smell of decay became more apparent. "That's one of the badgers" Emmet admitted when he seen Claire reacting. "If it can resurrect the dead I wanted to see if the corpse needed to be fresh. I know you probably feel compelled to complain about it but honestly I've heard enough from the other tenants." He held up his thumb and forefinger. "I'm this close to getting kicked out of the guild completely."

Badgers? Claire raised an eyebrow at the man's choice, but didn't question it. She smelt them before she saw them, laid face down on a table, thrusting her hand over her nose in order to try and mask the stench, but it didn't do an awful lot. "Couldn't you have waited longer before killing them?" she muttered, although it was muffled further by her hand to the point that she wasn't entirely sure Emmet could make out what she was saying. With her other hand, she produced the vial, ready to- oh.

She groaned. Why didn't I think to bring gloves? She hadn't really put much thought into this. She removed her hand from her face, figuring that she'd have to face the smell sooner or later. She'd seen combat now, sure, but actually handling dead bodies (even if they were badgers) still wasn't exactly comfortable. She placed her hand under one of their bellies and brought it upwards in an attempt to flip it onto its back. Thankfully, it was successful, and its jaw was limp. At least she didn't have to pry its mouth open. "Only a few drops?" Would they need to use the whole thing just on the beast? That could be a waste.

"This one I only killed this morning" Emmet told her. "As for this one" he reached into the corner, lifted up a sleeping badger and put it on the table with the other two. "This one's still alive. I've given it a sleeping draft so it shouldn't be too much trouble. If it fails to resurrect the other two then I plan on fatally injuring it to see if the potion can do anything at all. I know we've both got quite excited about all this but it is still possible you've merely managed to acquire some colourful water. Anyway let's begin. We'll start the one longest dead first." Emmet noticed she was already standing over the body. Now that the moment had come he was starting to feel quite nervous. "I say start off with a few drops. Overall I don't think we should use up more than half the bottle."

Claire nodded, not really in Emmet's direction, mostly to assure herself. She took care unscrewing the vial, and then carefully let a few drops fall into the badger's mouth. And now we wait. Would they would need to use more. Or give it more time? She had no idea.

The badger remained still for a few moments, not moving a single muscle. However, its paw began to twitch, a wave of life spreading across its body. The animal's eyes opened weakly, the poor creature gasping for air. It appeared that the mages had managed to revive the creature, although not particularly well.

Letting out a weak cry, blood started to trickle from its mouth, the animal feebly swatting the air with its paws. It was visibly in a great deal of pain, and its breaths grew more rapid and weak as it struggled to ventilate itself.

"Incredible" Emmet exclaimed. "I honestly didn't expect it to work on this one. I thought a jolt through the body and nothing more. In fact I was mostly expecting it to just be an excellent healing potion and the whole reviving the death aspect being exaggeration. But this...this is incredible." He grabbed Claire by the waist and swung her around with glee. "We've actually found the elixir of life! The fountain of ages is real!" Ignoring Claire's protests he grabbed the bottle and began weighing it in his hand, he had his back facing his new science partner. "I thought we'd use up half the bottle but we've barely used any at all and it was enough. Course I don't know exactly how much you used. I forgot to give you the dropper. I don't think we even need to test it on the one I killed this morning. What do you think?"

Watching the badger's reanimation wasn't a comfortable experience. Claire cringed a little as it happened, the poor thing was clearly in pain but crazily it had actually come back to life. She, at no point in this process, had felt confident about this working. "Wh-Put me down!" she yelled as Emmet grabbed her, trying to shove him off of her.

Thankfully, it wasn't too long before he let her down, causing her to try and smooth out her robes to the point they were presentable again. "I... think the results are conclusive." she admitted, wondering what to do now. "Just, get the badger some water." She glanced back at their subject. For obvious reasons, she wasn't sure what exactly an animal would need after returning from the grave, but it was a start.

Emmet regarded the badger still spluttering on the table. He shrugged his shoulders. "You probably shouldn't bother. I imagine it'll be dead in a few moments regardless what we do." He held up the elixir again. "Unless of course you want to give it some more of this, but I think it's far too precious for a simple badger. That being said...Maybe I could..." He quickly turned and started rummaging through a travel bag near the foot of his bed. "Ah, here it is." He pulled a Heal Staff out. "I have been meaning to practise my healing a little. This seems like a good opportunity." He stood up and flourished the stave. "Okay! You get some water and I'll see what magic I can work." He spoke with a confidence and determination that completely contradicted his earlier complete disregard for the creatures life. "Let's save this badger!"

Claire probably would've felt slightly rude going through Emmet's belongings looking for a bowl without asking if he hadn't grabbed her first. As it was, she was rooting through anywhere in the room that might have a suitable container. In the end, she just grabbed a pot he had (probably for herbalist work?) and emptied the contents onto the side before filling it with water. It'll do. She brought it back towards the animal and placed it carefully on the floor. She glanced back at Emmet, then the badger, biting her lip slightly. Would normal healing staves be able to do anything here?

Emmet's staff flashed, the badger being bathed in light. It didn't appear to make that much of a difference, the badger still looked rather distressed, its cries growing weaker and weaker. The poor creature didn't have the energy in it to drink, its head flopping down and the animal becoming lifeless once more.

In the end, nothing was different. The animal died for a second time, regardless of their efforts. "Just to make sure, you ARE confident in your healing, right?" Claire asked, although she was fairly sure what his answer would be. Her eyes hadn't left the badger. Maybe they were supposed to use more of the vial?

Regardless, it seemed there was some truth to Dettard's words after all - although all it did was raise more questions.

"Of course I'm confident" Emmet said, slightly crouchy. "I told you, I was with the priesthood for two years. Did you study staves? They have their limits you know. I doubt the best healer in the world could have saved the badger. At least not with this stave." He threw the healing stave onto the bed. "It was in a sorry state. I'd say if we used a higher dosage of the elixir it would have lived. The fact that it came back at all after being dead for days is impressive. Anyway what do you want to do with this one?" he asked, standing over the badger he had killed that morning. "We know the potion is the real deal now. In my opinion we probably shouldn't use up any more of it. A shame though, I wouldn't have went and bought three if I knew one would suffice."

"I figured as such." Claire sighed. "I was just making sure. But it seems that we're still lost." Figuratively speaking, of course. "Do what you want with the animals. It doesn't matter to me." She didn't know how to take care of a badger and she doubted that Emmet cared. Maybe he would just eat it or something.

"That was the assumption I was making." she nodded, glancing at the vial. While she had no plans for it yet, there was no point in wasting it. She stretched out her hand, gesturing for him to return the vial there. "And regarding your payment..." she began, biting her lip. They probably should've discussed terms beforehand to prevent Emmet throwing a ridiculous offer at her after they were all done. But since she didn't, she just had to wait and see what he wanted. He'd said that he just wanted 'see this through' or something of the sort, but it was unlikely those words were entirely true.

Emmet waved a hand. "I told you not to worry about the payment. I just want to be involved with the research. If there's even a smallest chance I'll get to the fountain of ages then that's more than enough for me...Although..." Dammit Emmet thought. This going to make me look like a liar. He reached down and began scratching the ear of the sleeping badger. "Buying these guys has put me in the danger zone when it comes to rent. I don't want any money off you per se but I have done some research on you these past two days and I know you have some connections to the royal family. If you could maybe get me some mercenary work to keep me going then I'd be very grateful. I assure you I can use that bow and who wouldn't want a healer beside them in battle?"

The fact that Emmet was actually sticking to his word here (albeit technically) was surprising to Claire. Maybe he was just a loon. But either way, he'd done what he'd promised her, and she couldn't fault her for that. "I'm only minor nobility." she gave him a small shrug. "Nothing comes to mind for work immediately, but I'll let you know if I think of something. There's likely a mercenary group or two around here hiring though, if you know where to look. Now, the vial please." He still hadn't given it back to her, and her arm was getting kind of sore...

He looked at the vial in his hand absentmindedly. "Oh. That's a shame. I was hooping you could get me wrapped up in the business that got you this vial. That'd be good for money and research reasons." He offered it out to her. "Though on the subject of money, I hear rumours that the king is ailing. They say Prince Owen will be taking over sooner rather than later. That potion is so valuable, you could probably sell a single drop to him in exchange for anything in his power. A higher status of nobility. Maybe even the prince's hand in marriage. Just a thought. Anyway." He turned back to the badgers. "This one was recently resurrected but I still don't fancy the meat. I can still probably use it's coat though. The one recently dead should make a fine meal. I guess I'll keep the last one as a pet for the time being. Sounds like it could be fun. Would you like to stay for dinner?"

She pocketed the vial as she listened to Emmet's ramblings, face neutral. "So they say." The rumours of the king's health were true of course; she hadn't been blind to his condition during their meeting, and his withdrawal from the public eye had given off the impression long beforehand. Not that she was going to confirm it. That being said, she really hadn't given thought to what she would do with the vial. She hadn't seriously entertained the idea that it was real for long enough to work out what she would do with it, although it wasn't hers of course - although she could just tell the prince it was a dud...

She turned towards the door. "I'll worry about me, you worry about you." What he said was strange and... kind of uncomfortable to think about, partly because there was some truth to it. If the vial was able to save the king, the reward really could be anything. It wasn't hers to give away, but... still. A small flame formed at her fingertips, before she waved it in the direction of Emmet's stove. "If you're struggling for money, you shouldn't worry about sharing your food." she shrugged, although her thoughts elsewhere. She had a lot on her mind now, and would prefer to mull it over on her own.

Emmet laughed. "Well there's some truth to that I suppose. It's probably best for the sake of my own reputation you don't stay. Somehow word got out that I visited your house the other day. When I then started inquiring about your background the other mages became convinced you were my new mistress." He laughed again, a bit more nervously this time. It probably wasn't a good idea to mention that. "But don't let some rumors dissuade you from coming back again. I really do want to be involved with the elixir. I'll continue seeing what information I can garner from the library. You should focus on finding out as much as possible about the previous owner. I can't stress enough how much more valuable the fountain itself would be over the contents of that bottle, which we have established, could probably buy one a lordship. Anyway, I won't detain you any longer. I'll visit you the moment I discover something interesting and I hope you'll do the same."

"Your reputation?" She raised an eyebrow. "You're a traveler and I'm a noble. If anyone here should be worried about this, it's me." she sighed, making her way to the door. She didn't think much of the idea of finding the fountain; journeying to the land of thugs and murderers chasing a fairy tale seemed like a bad idea. She supposed it still merited some research though. "If I hear anything, I'll let you know." she replied over her shoulder, before leaving Emmet and his furry friends to their business.

"I might be a wayfarer but I still consider myself a gentleman" Emmet shouted after her as she left.

Emmet glanced at his wallet. Hmm. Less than 500 gold left. Keeping a badger fed is more expensive than I anticipated. I really need to find some work soon. I'll head to the mercenaries' guild later. It can wait till later though. I still need to check a few things in the library.

He headed to the Grand Library where he had spent the majority of the last few days. He went to the section on foreign history, it seemed legends of the Fountain of Ages wasn't common in this part of the world. To his surprise there was someone else in the usually deserted section. A mage judging from his dress. Though not a mage Emmet recognised from the guild. In his hand was the book about Deira Emmet was about to read yesterday before the library closed. Sensing an opportunity to cut out some research time, he tapped the mage on the back. "Excuse me. You seem to have been stuck in that book for a while now. Tell me, does it deal purely with political history or does it cover myths and legends too?" Either way it could be useful if it details any ancient Deiran rulers acting strangely. Knowing the Fountain actually exists could make previous unexplained acts seem much more rational.

Edited April 9, 2016 by Jotari

[scorri]

Niko blinked as someone interrupted his reading. Glancing at the man, he gave a slight shrug. "I'm not sure. I'm still in the process of reading it but so far it is simply focused on the actual historic political side of things. If you want to read it, you may have it after I am done I suppose."

[Jotari]

"Well I'll be waiting over here for you to finish" he said as he moved towards a desk. He stopped half way there, turned, and looked back at the mage. "If I might ask, why exactly are you studying foreign history?" Claire got that vial from somewhere and I still don't know where. It's more than possible others on the same trail as me.

[scorri]

Niko had turned back to the book when the man asked him yet another question. Stifling a sigh, he turned to the man. "It's not exactly foreign history for me. I'm from Deira originally. I have interest in how the current political situation came to be and am looking for those who might have influence and power that are not commonly known. Plus, it's always interesting to see how others view your country."

[Jotari]

"Oh. A fellow foreigner" Emmet said as he took a seat at the desk. "And a fellow mage, I presume." If I can justifiably call myself a mage without knowing how to use tomes. "I'm from Raewald, the name's Emmet. Tell me, how have you found Wyke's view of your country? Raewald is so distant, few people here really seem to acknowledge its existence."

[scorri]

Niko raised an eyebrow slightly and sighed quietly as the man continued to talk to him. Shutting the book, he gingerly leaned against the bookcase until he was sure that it could support his weight, at which point he settled against it comfortably. "Yes, I'm a mage. Though not a formally educated one, so if you're looking for someone who knows so and so from the mage guild in that one city, you're barking up the wrong tree unfortunately. As for Wyke's view on Deira, I don't have much of any idea about what they think of us. This book seems fairly neutral. It's accurate but beyond that there's nothing much more I can say. Everyone I've met who knows where I'm from has treated me just like any other mercenary they interact with so far as I can tell."

[Jotari]

Emmet was leaning back on his chair but sat up straight when he heard the word mercenary. "Ah! A mercenary. Our similarities only increase the more we talk. I too have engaged in much mercenary work. Though I'm unemployed at the moment. What's the name of your guild?"

Edited April 10, 2016 by Jotari

[scorri]

Niko raised an eyebrow. He would have bet this man was a scholar, not a fighter. Still, it couldn't hurt to find out a bit more about the man. After all, the Reliants still needed new members... "We're the Reliants. A guild originally based in Deira, we've started looking into potentially expanding over to Wyke as well. Which is why I and a few other members are over here."

Edited April 10, 2016 by scorri

[Jotari]

Emmet smiled. "The reliants. I've heard the name before. In Deira like you say. I can't recall ever meeting a member personally but I've only heard good things. From your research I take it your new in town. Have you signed up with the local mercenaries' guild? I'm looking for work myself at the moment. Do you think you could get me a meeting with your commander?"

Edited April 10, 2016 by Jotari

[scorri]

"Newish, yes.Haven't registered because we were already hired by the time we got to town. I'm sure that will be dealt with at some point if it's truly necessary. As for meeting the commander..." He rubbed his hand across his face as if he was considering it, but mostly was trying to cover a smirk. "Well, I suppose I can try to arrange something. What sort of skills do you have? After all, as you know, the Reliants aren't your standard mercenary group. We don't typically just accept random people who accost one of our members in a library." This was going to be fun.

[Jotari]

Emmet nodded to the entrance on the far side of the library where he had left his bow. "I'm an archer. I've also studied magic though tome combat isn't my area of expertise. Failing that I also have experience with staves, hunting, cooking and storytelling."

[scorri]

"Hmm, so you weren't entirely being truthful when you claimed to be a mage then. You're a healer really. Well, healer and archer. Though I suppose you likely have some ability with tomes from what you've said, just not combat skills. That can always be improved upon I suppose. Healing though... That one is always useful. Well, I see no reason why you can't meet our commander. Do you want to meet him now, or would you prefer to spend some time studying this book you were so interested in? I think that I'm done with it for now at least." Niko offered the man the book.

[Jotari]

Emmet hopped to his feet. "Research can wait. I'll grasp this opportunity while it's in reach. I can recognise when fortune is knocking at my door. So to speak."

[Shin]

Mind's in the toilet

Doug could hear the sounds of scrubbing from behind the door, as well as hushed whispers. Perhaps this was the plot he'd been considering? There were obviously several other explanations, but that was for Doug to process. One of the maids walked down the corridor, casting Doug a cautious look before hurrying along. It appeared she didn't want to spend any more time near the door than she needed to, for whatever reason.

Books, books and books with a dash of books

Most of the volumes were pertaining to magical theory, much like the material Alain had covered during his time at the college. The college had been particularly neutral on the matters of both light and dark magic, there had been only a handful of classes covering their basic concepts and little more. There certainly hadn't been any practical exercises in them.

Alain's question was an interesting one, it would take him a good hour or so to find anything even mentioning the source of dark magic's power. All he could muster was one seedy looking book, with stained pages and a torn cover. It was entirely likely that its author was someone less than savoury. Most religious texts referred to Belial as Engel's antithesis, the shadow cast from a great entity of good. Whilst most would refer to Belial as a devil or a demon, the book's author seemed to believe he was simply the balancing force against Engel, in order to maintain some sort of cosmic balance. It semed to imply that great power could also be harnessed from embracing Belial, as the clerics would Engel. There were parts where it wasn't certain whether the author had all their marbles, but it was quite the read so far.

Home time

"They're probably back at the Duke's house, I think that's where we've set up base for now." Larissa answered, taking Serge by the hand. Hers was warm and soft, a stark difference from the grubby mitts of the rat man. Giving Serge's own a gentle squeeze, she looked back at him. "I can't say I'm entirelt comfortable there, I feel so out of place... and I always get the horrible feeling that someone's skulking around."

The Dungeon

As Cass and Owen approached the dungeon, they were met by the smell of smoke and a collection of guards at the door. One of the group greeted the royals, bowing politely. "Your royalships, I'm afraid that a fire has broken out within the dungeon. The last few weeks have been relatively dry... although I cannot say that there is not foul play present." he informed, maintaining his bow. "It is unlikely to be safe inside, we are doing our best to contain it, but I would strongly recommend keeping your distance."

[Nanami Touko]

This wasn't happening. It was ridiculous! Foul play afoot indeed! Cass furrowed her brow and scowled at the door as the smoke billowed out of it, gritting her teeth in frustration. "What about the prisoners!? Where have you put them? Don't tell me they're all still in there!" This had to have been staged, it was too much of a coincidence for a fire to start right after she'd spoken to Gewaint. She looked back nervously at Owen, wondering if there was anything that could be done, or if she'd waited five days too long to fix any of this.

[Xinnidy]

A fire... what's that supposed to mean? Owen frowned visibly, not any happier with the situation. "I see. Well..." The prince took a step forward, "I believe this has not started very long ago, am I correct? How far has it spread?" Owen caught Cassandra's glance, giving a slight nod back, and turning to the soldier again. "I need to confirm that a particular prisoner won't be harmed by the fire. If you can't guarantee that it is contained enough, I'd rather make haste and ensure it myself, with an escort if need be."

[Shin]

The guard looked over his should at the door, then back to the royals. "It hasn't spread to the west wing, the prisoners in there have been moved to safety. Unfortunately, death row seems to be the worst hit. We're struggling to make any progress with the fire, or reach any of the prisoners." he replied. "There's three unaccounted for. Although they were all due to be executed in the next few days, they're considered fairly low priority. I would strongly recommend against entering, even escorted your safety cannot be guaranteed."

Edited April 11, 2016 by Shin

[Toogee]

Mind's in the toilet

Doug could hear the sounds of scrubbing from behind the door, as well as hushed whispers. Perhaps this was the plot he'd been considering? There were obviously several other explanations, but that was for Doug to process. One of the maids walked down the corridor, casting Doug a cautious look before hurrying along. It appeared she didn't want to spend any more time near the door than she needed to, for whatever reason.

At the sound of scrubbing, Doug immediately thought of cleaning duties. How boring. Still, there were whispers, but nothing that sounded like anything Doug was interested in. With a maid giving him a look as she passed by, he figured he had worn out his welcome. Best to try again another day.

As he wandered the castle some more, his nose met the faint smell of smoke. Was someone cooking meat? The prospect of smoked meat sent Doug towards the dungeon.

"What a strange place to be cooking. It does smell tasty though..."

When Doug arrived, he found Owen and Cass had already beat him there. He was rather amazed: he only just noticed the smoke but he was still third in line for the barbeque luncheon. The explanation from the soldier made Doug quickly realize there was no lunch. And whatever meat he was smelling wasn't cow...

"Geez, do we need to evacuate or something," Doug interrupted, though quietly questioning his position on the subject of cannibalism.

[Nanami Touko]

"Then let me go, if Owen's hide is too precious for some fire! This is important, dammit!" Cass was getting a bit annoyed by this guard. Sure, she didn't want to get roasted over this, but not even letting them try was a bit more than frustrating. Low priority on death row meant what she was afraid of. With an aggravated sigh she looked past the guard at the door, it didn't look all that bad. "Are there any mages around? Someone with wind magic? Or a water spell, or... Or something!"

[Dandragon]

Serge sighed. "So when are you gonna stop saying you don't belong, eh?" He looked Larissa in the eyes. "You were hired by them. You were given a chance. And you've done nothing wrong since you've joined, unlike me who went and told two giant smelly ass men to piss off. The only thing I can safely say you are guilty of is sleeping with a few more men than a pure innocent lady should. And there are thousands that are guilty of this in this world. So come on...smile for me." He said, giving Larissa a smile of his own. "Like I said before. No need to worry."

[Xinnidy]

Owen bit his lip, he figured when the soldier spoke of the death row that Gewaint was probably among them. "Cass... do you really want to go? You're not expendable, either." Owen placed a hand on Cassandra's shoulder, "We have to make sure of our options." His grip on Cass' shoulder tightened slightly. There's definitely something up, and if it's a ploy from Magonsaete...

Shaking his head, Owen stared at the soldier, his frown holding. "The princess is right, if there are any mages in the castle able to combat fire, we should summon them to the containment effort. I have grounds to assume that this was foul play." How many nobles knew that Gewaint was in our death row? Did any rumours spread? For something so suspicious to happen in our own castle...

A voice disturbed this concentration, Owen turning back to meet its owner. "Huh, who are--" Wait, this face is not too unfamiliar... Ah! "You are one of the mercenaries under Adele, right? No, I don't believe we'll need to evacuate the castle... Your commander was a mage, correct? Is he around?" A few possibilities ran their course in Owen's mind. Normally, the dungeons would be out of bounds, but if he can help, maybe he could keep Cass safe...

[Shin]

The guard seemed rather uncomfortable, he knew better than to try and disagree with nobles. "I would recommend strongly against it, but... if you so wish, I do not have the power to get in your way, your highness." he replied. "Prince Owen, we have sent for a messenger for the royal mages. They are few in number, but hopefully they shall arrive shortly. The doors have all been unlocked for ease of access, I pray that we manage to best the fire before too much damage occurs."