ACT COMPLETE Angelcynn: The Myrcian Conflict - Act 2

[Nanami Touko]

The boat ride had been... Unremarkable. Cass didn't have sea legs, but her constitution wasn't poor enough to have her tossing her lunch over the edge. It was just a mostly unpleasant ride. Solid ground was a sight for sore eyes. And now that they were finally stable, Cass had the will to start a conversation with a certain someone.

"Claire, excuse me," she started, walking over to the mage. She hadn't spoken to Claire in far too long, having been busy with more than a few things while in Wyke. Now that they were out of Wyke, she had the chance to ask the questions on her mind. And those questions pertained to something a certain Emmet had mentioned to her... "Hello. It's been quite a while, I know, but I have something I need to know." The sea air had been a bit chilly, despite the season, Cass donning a small cloak to keep warm. "Now, I don't know any of the details-- this is where you come in; Emmet mentioned that you were working with him on something? If you could tell me anything about that, I would appreciate it."

Now, Cass didn't actually know how secretive Claire was about these things, and probably wouldn't probe too far if she didn't speak up, but that Emmet had made it sound like such a big secret when he refused to expound upon it. Without any of the crazy things going on around her in Wyke, she was free to finally explore these things~ "Otherwise, how have you been? Still tackling books and trying to toss fire better?"

[charlie_]

Claire wasn't exactly a stranger to sea travel, having learned magic in a school abroad of course, but she wouldn't say she was fond of it. It didn't make her queasy and she wasn't worried about a storm or anything like that, but the whole experience was so dull to her. While she supposed that they'd been fortunate not to run into any difficulties with storms or pirates (although with their arrival in Magonsaete fast approaching, they might not be in much better shape), it didn't feel like they'd been fortunate at all.

She'd been staring at the shore in a bit of a daze when Cassandra approached her, and let out a startled "Huh?" when the princess spoke up, quickly turning to face her. She hadn't expected anyone to ask her about her tests with the vial out of the blue like this. She also started to wonder how many people Emmet had blabbed to, but she supposed that there was no harm in telling Cassandra about it.

"It's a project of sorts for Prince Owen, actually." she began, trying to think of a way to summarise it without being too long-winded. "When we defeated Baron Dettard, your brother acquired a strange potion from one of his mercenaries. I heard the baron say that it was supposed to be able to raise the dead, which sounded preposterous, I know, but the way he said it made me think he really believed it. So I went to try and find out more about it, which is when I met Emmet - unfortunately." The last part was muttered under her breath.

"A few days later, we put the vial to the test on an animal, to see if it could really bring it back to life. And it worked - at least to an extent. It died again shortly after, but still." The mage could still hardly believe it herself. "Emmet said that the vial resembled something out of an old myth from Magonsaete. I did some more research on my own afterwards, and found that it was also supposed to be able to cure diseases as well, which is what I've been trying to test more recently." That was more or less the short version, but it was still a mouthful. And probably not at all what the princess was expecting to hear.

[Nanami Touko]

Cass' expression turned from intrigue to wonder as Claire went on, finally smiling. "So it's real, then?" she said, scoffing. "Goodness... Dettard had mentioned this to me while he was in his cell, but of everything he told me, I thought this to be the most fanciful. So it's real, then? How well does it work? You said your animal died shortly after, but... Certainly, these things, potions, they must have an effect the more you apply, right? I only know healing magic, so I can't say I know the inner workings of medicine."

A thought came to Cass fairly quickly, her smile diminishing and quickly turning to a much more desperate look. "Claire, uhm... Listen, if... If this thing works, or, while we're here, if you find any more of it... Could... This is going to sound insane. Could we use it on my Father?" Cass moved in closer, trying to keep quiet. "Listen... It's no secret the king's been sick, but... It's become far worse than one could imagine. But if this magic potion of yours works, and using more of it results in better effects, well... I know it's a long shot; I have no idea what state Father will be in by the time we return, but... It's hope, isn't it? I understand entirely how Dettard felt with that potion dangling in reach..." She sighed, taking a step back.

"Thank you for telling me, Claire. Emmet was far too secretive about this. I'm glad I can still rely on you, even if I'm not directly your liege." She flicked at a stand of her hair, looking out over the land. "Think about it. Tell me what you've discovered, or if you think it's a good idea, once you have." Cass took a step away, offering her a small wave, before heading towards the edge of the boat, waiting for the plank. She truly wanted off this boat.

Edited May 26, 2016 by Melissa

[Terrador]

Angus makes his way abovedeck for the first time in three days. Agro had the nerves of a warrior; he wasn't the issue. Geoffrey, however, puked all over the deck, tried to eat Agro, tried to eat Angus, puked some more, and only now was asleep at a time when Angus didn't desperately need to himself. The baron made his way up, blinking away an alien sun. The first person he sees: his betrothed. [Engel above, I was so busy with the bear, and that detour... I don't think I've seen her in almost a week!]

A hand finds its way to Cassandra's shoulder, Angus standing behind her. "It's been a bit, hasn't it?"

[Nanami Touko]

Oh. Kearney. Lovely. Cass turned to face him not with ire, but with a very sincere smile. "Hello, dear. Pleasure to see you. It definitely has, hasn't it?" She was smiling wide, staring straight at him. "But, I'm sure you have better people to be spending time with, hmm? Certainly those Valter girls. You brought them along to get to know them better, hmm?" Perhaps others would be fooled by her mask of sincerity, but Angus was probably starting to see through to the venom. "I'm simply waiting for the ship to run aground so I can enjoy a less wobbly surface. Go on~"

[Terrador]

Angus blushes, recognizing at the mention of the Valter girls that he is in deeper shit than any stable could offer. [Oh Engel, what does she know, what does she think she knows--]

"L-look, Cass, it's--not really--I ain't gonna do anythin' untoward!" The poor boy is recoiling a bit, stepping back a couple of feet. "There was... an encounter, 'fore our arrangement," Angus admits, "but this ain't like that! I sent 'em a letter, mentioned th'betrothal, an'... well... might've... t'some extent... invited them along." He manages to actually look at the Princess for a moment. "They're good fighters, though! Noble too, an' well... nothin' against you an' I, but it was right short notice, eh? Least I could do was let 'em come along."

Angus stares back out at the shore, realizing that he hadn't really warned anyone about Nona. "Speakin' of... don' trust what Nona's drinkin'. It ain't booze."

[Nanami Touko]

Cass felt her smile drop, but she didn't frown, or get angry, or scowl further. She didn't shout, or become a foul enraged beast. She sighed, turned her attention to the shore, and rested an elbow on the edge of the boat. "Go on, Angus," she said again, blanking staring out at the waves. Perhaps she had grown tired of becoming upset, but something inside of her couldn't bring up the anger, even if his actions jeopardized things.

[Terrador]

Angus rights himself, inclining his head slightly. "Righ' then. I'll jus'... be anywhere else, then." Dejected, he wanders the deck for a few minutes, making a minor point of not crossing paths with the Valter sisters. [Wasn't there a new conscript recently? Not the mercs, but somebody else...] The inept mooncalf keeps an eye out for anyone he doesn't recognize; it was a bit late for this, but he might as well try to find whoever this new pair of boots was.

Edited May 26, 2016 by Terrador

[Xinnidy]

[spoiler=March 20th, 812, An early afternoon in Hull.]It had been only yesterday that a kidnapping scheme on Cass was stopped, Dettard was rescued from his own jail cell, and Raewalden diplomats have spoke of a possible war with Deira. Honestly, Owen was very tired, and one night of sleep wasn't going to cut it. Today, Owen hoped nothing big would crop up to let him rest his mind some more, but there was still the matter of a certain vial they'd snatched from a choice force from Magonsaete. Claire hadn't given Owen any sign back, but with how busy he'd been, it'd be understandable if she just didn't find a viable time for a meeting.

That was the reason for which Owen found himself in front of Claire's home that afternoon. Dressed more casually and with a hooded cloak to hide his distinct hair from any passerby, one bothersome disadvantage of being royalty. Owen quickly knocked at the front door, hoping that he hadn't come at a bad time. "Hello, is this Lady Claire's house?" He rose his voice a little.
---

Claire eased open the door with an eyebrow raised. She didn't recognise the hooded figure at first, until she got a look at Owen's face, she half-assumed she was just a thug from the street. "Oh, Prince Owen. Sorry, I almost didn't recognise you." She opened the door wider, letting him inside. "Good aftenoon - please, come in." She was glad that she'd bothered to tidy the place since her first meeting with Emmett, although she wasn't exactly counting on a surprise visit from the prince. She directed him to the table, waiting for him to seat himself first. "I've been meaning to come see you, but last night's circumstances distracted me a little. Is the Princess well?"
---

"That's fine." Owen assured, he probably would be wary of a hooded man walking about the palace too, even though that wasn't exactly the best analogy... "I've been a bit busy these past days too, but I figure I shouldn't let this matter wait too long." The prince entered her home, taking a seat at Claire suggestion. "The princess is doing fine, she returned home safe. She should be resting in her chambers now." Owen confirmed, a bit of relief in his tone as he confirmed Cass' safety both to Claire and himself. "...Lady Claire, It's been some days since I gave you that vial in the castle. Did you find out anything about it?" Owen's expression turned more serious as he changed the topic.
---

Claire nodded, retrieving the vial from a drawer in the corner before taking a seat opposite Owen. "Yes, I have." She placed the object in between them, still eyeing it in apprehension. "This might sound a little difficult to believe, but there's more truth to Dettard's words than I thought. I did some testing, only with a few drops, on a deceased animal. It had been killed a few days prior, but it came back to life, just as he said." She was facing the prince now, matching his stern gaze. "It didn't last for very long though, it seemed to be in pain and even after healing there was no saving it, and it died again. But as I said, the test hardly used any of the potion." So really, they were still in the dark. "I think it's possible that using more could have preserved the creature's life for longer, but I didn't want to waste it." She let the revelation sit with Owen for a minute - there was a lot to take in there.
---

There was a lot to take indeed. "You say... it actually worked?" Owen felt himself sink against the chair, "It came back to life in pain... I see." That was a pretty grim report, Owen looked down at the table as his mind could only imagine how the scene would have been. It was surreal, but Claire had to reason to lie to him. "So it is true, in a sense, at least." He lifted his head again, "If only a drop was able to bring an animal back for a moment, then... yeah, maybe the whole vial would have stronger results." Owen's gaze was no longer stern, a mix of surprise and concern in his face. The prince let out an exasperated sigh.

"I don't think we want that to become public knowledge." Owen pointed out, "Did you share this with someone so you could figure it out?" Owen had to know, since he suggested getting help from the mage guild that seemed very probably. "If so... I guess at this point we just have to trust they won't leak it around. Honestly, I don't think it's wise to carry that around in the castle..." Owen added with a quick grimace, realizing it'd only draw further questions. "What happened to Cass yesterday seemed to be planned, and by no small fry, so I think the vial should be safer with you." He admitted.
---

"I only worked with one other person, who now joined up with Lady Adele's mercenaries. I believe you may have met him last night." she sighed. "He's a bit of a clown, truth be told, but I don't think he's told anyone else yet. I told him to keep it a secret; hopefully he listens." She scooped up the vial and returned it to her pocket, then paused for a moment. "He told me a story, well, more like an old folktale. Supposedly in Magonsaete, there's a fountain with contents capable of healing any wound, curing any disease and even raising the dead." She hated how ridiculous it sounded, but it had been nagging at her ever since the experiment.

"Of course," she continued. "This is just a story, and when I tried looking for signs of it in history books I found a lot of conflicting data." A trickle of annoyance could be heard in her voice now. It felt like that whole day had been wasted. "But if someone found it and has enough of it to give some away, I'd say that's worrying, to say the least." Maybe she was over-exaggerating here. But if she was right, then Wyke could be in serious trouble.
---

"I see..." If the only other people that knew of it was one of Adele's mercenaries, then it was probably the best situation for them. "Let's hope he does listen, then." Owen brought a hand to his chin, paying due attention to Claire's story --surreal as it was,-- and becoming briefly lost in thought. Healing any wound, curing any disease... For a moment, Owen thought back to his father, a cringe and a dark frown in his expression. No, I can't rely on something we have so little confirmation of.

"Claire... can you test this on a disease?" He interrupted, "Maybe just a drop, on a simple animal like you did before --though, I don't know what kind of diseases they can get..." Owen lowered his gaze, pondering it. "It's fine if you think it's too much, though." He brought himself to face her again, "Well, at least the folktale does specify it being in Magonsaete, which makes sense." How coincidental... If such a place exists, then we have to assume that those that conspired with Dettard have access to it. "... And, what is your take? What do you think we should do, Lady Claire?"
---

"I'll see what I can find." Claire nodded. She wasn't exactly sure where she could find a sick animal, but they were probably around somewhere. Owen's other question was a little harder to answer though. "I don't know milord." she admitted, pouting slightly. "From what I've heard about Magonsaete, it's a wasteland filled with rogues and savages with no real ruler. But then why would any of them care about Baron Dettard?" None of this made sense, frustratingly, they needed more information. "Perhaps, Prince Owen, you could send some spies to investigate?" she suggested. "We don't have a lot of information to work with as things are."
---

"Yeah... no doubt Magonsaete is not showing their full hand. I'm assuming this must at least be a faction that recently arose." The prince conjectured, clasping hands. "That's bound to make Magonsaete a more threatening enemy than we previously though, and we have so little information of how things work there, to boot..." With a sigh, the prince listened to Claire's suggestion. In hindsight, it seemed like a natural conclusion.

"We... we really should. However I don't have much knowledge on our spies, actually..." The prince admitted with a bit of a blush, a bit self-conscious. "Duke Herman is the closest to a Spymaster that we have in Wyke, though. I'm certain I could have a talk with him about it."
---

Claire stayed quiet through Owen's musing; her thoughts mostly mirroring what he said. "I don't think we can do much else, except keep an eye out for anything suspicious." Come to think of it, she still didn't know really what happened last night. "Speaking of that, could Princess Cassandra's incident last night be related to Magonsaete?" It was worth asking.
---

"Uh, well..." Owen wasn't really expecting a question about the incident from Claire. In hindsight, she'd certainly be one of the people that would be curious at all. "Not quite, I'm almost sure it's a different incident..." Or was it? With how involved Magonsaete seemed to be, it begged the question. "Unless whichever Magonsaeten group cause this also has influence over our own capital." Owen looked straight at Claire again. Could she be trusted with that information? Maybe. "It's a bit complicated... Whoever endorsed Cass' kidnapping has some access to the royal seal, Claire." Owen stated matter-of-factly. "So if Magonsaete were also involved, we'd be neck deep in a conspiracy plan."
---

"That's quite the predicament." Claire responded. Between this new threat and Dettard, it seemed like Owen's look when it came to traitors was especially poor. "I agree that they don't sound like related incidents, although that's not exactly comforting." she frowned. She didn't envy the prince at all here, but it wasn't like she could do anything to help him find the traitor's identity. It seemed like they were still stuck waiting, just with one more problem than the mage initially thought.
---

"Yes. I'm not exactly sure which is worse, myself, but I've got a job to keep this kingdom on its two legs, don't I?" The prince chuckled, follower by a sigh. "Well, thank you for your efforts, either way. This potion is clearly something we can't gloss over. And I appreciate that you're willing to do research on it." The prince nodded, as if to reaffirm his sincerity. "If there's anything you need to get it done, don't be reluctant to ask."
---

Claire didn't respond to Owen's first comment, unsure on how to comfort him. "It's not a problem milord." she assured him. "I would be lying if I said I wasn't interested in what it can do myself. I'll let you know as soon as I can - although I'm not sure how long this would take to show results..." There had an instant change in the badger in her first experiment, but that didn't necessarily mean that her next test would be the same.
---

"I see... as long as you're not having issues, then." Owen slowly stood up from the chair, bearing a soft, sympathetic smile. "Thanks for your work, Claire, I mean it. I do hope we'll get to the bottom of this safely."

"Sometimes, all you have to back yourself is bravery." Owen gave this reply to the captain, eyes staring far into the horizon. "You just have to make sure what is actually bravery and what's foolhardy in disguise." He smirked and relaxed his posture, "Well, your effort is still appreciated, Captain. Once I hit the shore, you can be sure I'll rely on my men." It was certainly a larger entourage than last time. For what it was worth, Owen did feel safer with such a large posse, even if he was about to dive headfirst into hostile territory.

"...Wait a moment, did you say a poet?"

[Vestige]

Hull was nice and all, but it was nice to be finally heading back home to Raewald. Traveling with the prince had seemed like the best plan of action, since they were of course, both heading to the same place. However, if he had known Prince Owen had decided to travel directly through Magonsaete of all places, he might have reconsidered his traveling arrangements. The voyage thus far had been rather uneventful, but he figured things were bound to change once they hit land. That was just the kind of place Magonsaete seemed to be, after all.

He leaned over the ship's railing, sighing as he stared at the approaching landmass. Beyond the troubles Magonsaete was sure to bring, he was also preoccupied with the old man. He wanted a chance to prove himself, but what he got instead was a sizable blow to his ego. At least now he had a goal to work towards. He just hoped Belial didn't come calling for the old man before he got his chance to prove himself. Begin with the basics he said. I've been doing the basics for nearly seven years now. It's high time I start pursuing something more advanced.

[Frostivus]

Scuttle had expected the Bear Whisperer to be some provincial figure of myth: a towering wildman draped in forest damask, primal but regal in his demeanor. Chunks of bone would have hung ornately around his neck and hands all jewellery-like, parting trophies of his slain. Birdsong would have followed his every declaration. Bears would have stooped to be his honoured recliner. Rippling muscles. Unibrow. Massive overbite. That whole package.

What she did not expect was for him to be . . . well.

Normal?

She watched him atop the crow's nest, a nautical journey's worth of failed Kearney portraits crumpled around her feet.

The captain had provided a good description of Baron Angus when she first boarded the ship -- or more accurately, corrected her description of him, although at the time some stubborn part of her still refused to believe it until she finally saw him loitering about the portside. When the ship finally dropped anchor, she had felt her heart sink with it. No chiselled jaw, no chorus of birds, not even a stubble for a beard. Normal.

She couldn't make stories about normal people. There was nothing -exciting- about normal people. Who wanted to hear about the harrowing tales of Ratty's projectile disagreements with roasted raccoons? (four, one of them Ratty)

Scuttle shook the thought away. It didn't matter. It was the deeds that made the hero, or had she forgotten something so basic? And that was a man who tamed grizzlies and wrestled goliaths. That was what mattered.

She had rehearsed this moment in front of the mirror and the other kids a hundred times, and a hundred times more in her head.

Taking one last sharp inhale, Scuttle grappled herself down from the crow's nest, and skidded to a less than graceful stop next to Angus as she grabbed for purchase.

She flashed him her most winning smile, finally regaining her balance.

Just as rehearsed, she repeated the mantra in her head. "Your reputation precedes you, sir Baron. Scuttle Thames, professional bard, at your service. One of the few honoured ones to have spread the word of your and Prince Owen's adventures through Hull. May your heroism be immortalized by our songs."

Was what she wanted to say.

"Engel above! It really is you! You're the Bear Whisperer!" came instead her star-struck reply from her mouth before she cupped it.

Okay, well the best performers improvise.

Edited May 28, 2016 by Frostivus

[Jotari]

[spoiler=Getting on the boat]

"Where is he?" Serge was angry. Incredibly angry. Everything was happening so fast and he was not enjoying it. Niko was gone, Doug was off being some fancy noble, and now just as he was settling in to life in Wyke, they were leaving. Serge finally found the door to the room of the individual he was looking for. He knocked loudly. "Oi! Emmet! Open up!"

Emment opened his door to see Serge standing outside. "Hey. Sergeant. Nice to see you. Come in. You want a drink?"

"Oh, I'd like a drink alright." He said as he held his head for a bit. "Right, Niko and Doug are gone and we're going to Magonsaete in a few days. So gather the things you wanna bring along and start packing or something. I gotta go hire some new people." He didn't have time to explain. They were already low on men and he still had to find Larissa and tell her the 'news'.

"Wait what?" Emmet was confused. "What do you mean Niko and Doug are gone?" I've never even met Doug! "I can't just up and leave to Magonsaete. I mean, I don't have any particular connection to Wyke but I was planning on heading further east to Toulouse next." Hold on Magonsaete...that's where the Fountain is rumoured to be...Lady Adele would only have cause to go there is the princess is heading there too. And if she's heading there it's likely wrapped up in this Dettard business which means the Lady Claire is involved too. Seems I can't miss this opportunity. "Maybe it's best I speak to Niko. When is he coming back?"

"He isn't coming back!" He yelled, angry more at Niko than anything else. "He's retired! And he's sent no one else as a replacement! And Doug is off being a noble with his new pretty pink pegasus!" He gave off the heaviest sigh he's ever given. "So...say hello to your new leader...and get packing. And as long as you're in the Reliants and we're under contract for Lady Adele, you're not going to any Toulouse unless she herself is going there. The last thing I need is for the group to be spread across the world doing who knows what!"

"What? Niko's gone for good..." He did seem a little out of it when I spoke to him at the vendors the other day. Guarded like there was something on his mind. "That just leave me, you and that other healer right?" Emmet let out half a laugh half a sigh. "We're all new to the Reliants. We haven't even fought in a battle together yet." This guild is effectively finished. We're basically Adele's hired muscle now. Still a better end then how the last one ended up. If Serge reckons he can take command I guess I'll hang around and see how he fairs. "Sergeant has become quite an apt title for you it seems." Emmet opened a bottle of wine and poured a glass for the two of them. He seems quite stressed out. Maybe this'll help him unwind a bit. He raised a toast. "To the New Reliants I suppose. Maybe we should do something about the title. Using the Reliants name will gather us some work but once it gets out that we're not really the same group we'll become a laughing stock. Still, that can be a conversation for a future date. We're doing pretty well as long as we stay in Adeltrudis' good graces. Do you have any idea why we're going to Magonsaete?"

"The final destination is Raewald." He said, walking over and picking up the glass. "That's all I know." He said, gulping down the glass of wine. He had little time to be proper. He set the glass down, and went over to the door. "And for the record, we are not changing the name..." He said, slamming the door. The urge to go to some bar and drink away was incredible, but he needed to spend the money on hiring new recruits. "God dammit, Niko...I trusted you and this is how you repay me..." He muttered to himself.

"Raewald..." Emmet stopped for a second. A blank look crossing his face.He let out the lightest of laughs. "Am I giong to go home?" he said to himself more than Serge. But the boy wasn't listening. He stormed out of the room obviously quite distressed. "You've dumped that boy in a lot of shit Niko" Emmet muttered at the door. "And me too. But I suppose you have your reasons." Emmet finished off the last of his wine. "Well Claire, sorry to have put you through so much trouble." Emmet approached the cage he had kept in the corner. Inside lay the badger he had been starving the past few days. Initally it had been a docile creature but lack of food made it soon grow violent. Now however it lay weak and still as if it had already given up on life. He had planned on seeing what effects the elixer would have on starvation but now it didn't seem practical. Claire was probably busy prepairing for the same trip and he had no intention of bringing a badger to Magonsaete. Besides, the elixer was more valuable than ever now that they were visiting the land of it's origin. He reached inside the cage and took the animal out. It growled but made no atthempt to bite him. "It's okay" he whispered even though he knew the badger wouldn't understand. "Don't worry." With one quick motion he broke the animal's neck. I wonder if anyone down stairs has any sage he wondered.

Emmet found himself enjoying the see voyage. He had travelled far to reach Wyke but it had mostly been by land. Aside from the ferry oveer to the island itself he had never been on an extended sailing trip. Getting use to the new motion of the wave was difficult at first but he soon compensated enough not to feel too queasy. Though he still hoped they wouldn't have to do any fighting while at sea. The rocking would do very little to help his already questionable aim.

The ship wasn't an particularly big place but he still never had a chance to converse with the Lady Claire as they sailed. Maybe it was coincidence, maybe she was avoiding him. He couldn't say for sure. It was evident she didn't like him very much but Emmet couldn't care less about that. The only thing he cared for was the vial. Eventually he spotted her talking with the princess and decided to broach her. He waited for Lady Cassandra to leave before approaching. "Miss Bennet. How lovely to see you. I trust the voyage has been agreeing with you. Seasickness is quite common but I hope you'll resist the urge to turn to magic potions to cure it should you suffer any ailments."

[charlie_]

"I haven't used very much of it yet." Claire responded. "Perhaps using more of the potion could've preserved the badger, but I didn't want to use too much for just an experiment." Perhaps it would've given her the answers she wanted, but what use was knowing if there was nothing left of it afterwards? "It was only alive again for a few minutes, during which it seemed to be in a lot of pain. I'm not exactly an animal expert, but it also seemed to be struggling to breathe."

She went quiet after the discussion turned to the king's health. It wasn't exactly a revelation to Claire, but seeing Cass' eagerness made her kind of hesitant with her words. "Well, I don't really know. The effects were instant on the badger, but I'm not sure yet if it actually works on diseases. It's possible its just taking its time..." She hoped that was it, anyway. They had no way of knowing.

"I'm glad to be of service, Princess." she smiled. "I believe the results should be clear upon our return to the capital." Because Claire very much doubted Slappy would last that long without it. And with that, she was gone, leaving the mage to watch their vessel slowly approach the shore in peace.

Or not, because her favourite person ever seemed to want to speak with her. "Hello Emmet." she replied, not really in the mood to argue for once. "I assure you I haven't used it for anything as trivial as that, if that's what your asking." She raised an eyebrow, wondering what he wanted.

Edited May 27, 2016 by SB.

[Jotari]

"Good to hear it" Emmet nodded. He put his arms on the railing and looked out to the sea. "I'm sure I don't need to tell you how precious a substance it is. Inspired by our previous conversation, I was starving my last badger to see what effects it might have on starvation but unfortunately this trip cut my plan short. Still, it might be something worth investigating if we can capture another animal. That's not what I wanted to talk to you about however. We're in Magonsaete now. The source of all rumours of the Fountain of Ages. We can't pass up this opportunity to do some exploring." He turned his eyes away from the sea and looked back at here. "What do you think?"

[Terrador]

Angus started for a moment at the descending girl--he had found his sea legs, but he was a long way from used to the ship's staff running about. [bear whisperer...? I mean... there is Geoffrey.] The "bear whisperer" extends a slightly perplexed hand to Scuttles.

"...righ'. Angus Kearney, an' I'm guessin' you know all the patter. You with th'crew, or comin' along?" He chuckles--somehow, quite a few people had found their way in. [Maybe overkill, but hell. What's the worst that could happen? A few sword arms at rest?] "An' as for the bear--it's just th'one, an' he gets right cranky at sea. Mind your distance 'til we get t'shore; he's already tried to eat my damn horse!" Angus rubs his arm unconsciously; not a lot of injuries bothered him anymore, but that bite brought Angus back to those blasted woods.

[charlie_]

"I disagree." Claire said, straightening up. "I don't think the people here would exactly appreciate us snooping around, and that's not what we're here for anyway. Besides, how do you expect to find it? It's a myth for a reason, after all - we'd need to spend a long time just to figure out where to start looking, and we're just passing through."

[Shin]

Poet and he didn't know it

Captain Haddock nodded, laughing gently. "Yes, Prince. Yer poet can really bust out a rhyme." he replied, slightly perplexed by Owen's confusion. "I figured that she was one of your people, yer got a strange enough bunch already. She ain't one o' my men. First noticed her a day or so ago, figured she was just a little shy. Yer might want to go talk to her if she ain't yours. Might be a misunderstandin' or something!"

Magical Enemy

As Alain leaned against the rail, he could hear a woman's laughter beside him. It was a dark haired woman in a robe, most likely a fellow mage. He'd been aware that there were a fair few people on the trip, both mercenaries and nobles, but this was one he didn't recognise. "I know that look, it's the look of a rookie trying to figure out their first spell." she chuckled, almost belittling of Alain. "I'm Morganna, one of Serge's mercenaries. I'm an experienced spellcaster, I'm sure there will be things I can teach you."

How's it going, boss?

Larissa had spotted Serge sitting down by himself, curious to the man's woes. "Someone's looking a little down, did Ratty cheat on you?" she teased, sticking out her tongue. Taking a seat next to him, Larissa gave him a curious stare. "You're the boss now, you need to keep everyone in line. It's not going to get any easier if you just sit around feeling sorry for yourself."

[riariadne]

Before the TS, Sidney buys the Machete for her 800 gold

--

Sidney stood at the bow of the ship, probably among the most comfortable with it of the group, wind blowing through her hair. Ships were fairly familiar to her, her father having owned several and having had to take one rather recently to arrive in Wyke. I wonder... depending on which way we go, we could even pass through my father's territory. I forget who runs it now that he lives in the capital. Rivera, was it? She shrugged- it didn't really matter.

Land was near at this point in the journey. Sidney turned towards the rest of the boat, noticing Cass seeming unusually quiet after an exchange with the distasteful horseman. She strutted towards the princess, poking her shoulder and speaking quietly. "Why are you going through with this facade? You're obviously not happy with it. The odds it actually helps you are not very high. And yet you insist anyway... I don't understand it."

[Nanami Touko]

Alright, it's time to stop moping and speak to someone. The situation in Wyke is out of your hands now, you're not even there! Whatever happens will happen and turn out when you get back... So just, stop staring at the water and refresh your mind. She finally stood up straight and turned around. Emmet and speaking to Claire, probably talking about their magical potion deal. Owen was speaking to the boat captain, about who knows what. One of those mercenaries Serge had hired was bothering... Who was that, again? The man from the meeting, the Raewaldian diplomat. Whatever. Who else... Well. Angus was talking to someone new... She didn't quite recognize that one, actually. As much as she didn't wish to speak directly to Angus right now, introducing herself to the new face was probably worth doing--

"Ah!" she squeaked, Sidney bringing her out of her thinking. The topic of conversation made her flush a bit, though for different reasons than who was involved in the 'facade'. "Because it's better than not doing it. Besides, we're going to call it off before the date, anyway... And don't say facade so loudly, alright? Just because I explained everything to you doesn't mean it's safe to talk about openly." Cass sighed a bit, straightening up her standing. "I'm not happy about it because Angus fooled around with some other noble's daughters before we'd constructed the plan. It happened before it, but it would've helped had he mentioned this during our talk with Owen. So... I'm just a bit annoyed with him, right now. I'll get over it, I'm sure. More important things on my mind. Anyway, did you need something?"

[Jotari]

"How else do you suppose one finds a myth?" Emmet asked. "Snooping around is the only way forward. What people appreciate be damned. You're right. It might take some time to even know where to begin but until we try we're getting nowhere. I've seen procrastination ruin many a men's lives. People old and grey with nothing to show for themselves. I don't want to be like that. I'd rather have spent a lifetime trying than doing nothing. Even if I fail in the end." Besides, nothing in particular is making me go back home. I could stay here if I choose. Emmet pushed himself off the rail and took a few steps away from the edge. "I'm going to explore the first chance we get with or without you. Though if I do find something, I trust you'll be here with the bottle?" Taking it half way across the world on a ship is pretty risky but a lot less risky than leaving it in Hull and hoping no one else finds it.

Edited May 28, 2016 by Jotari

[riariadne]

"I wasn't loud!" Sidney protested, though she was now. "I just don't think you'd be happy with it regardless of anything, and I don't think deluding yourself will really help how you feel about anything either." She crossed her arms. "No, I don't really have much to say. We're on a boat, there aren't terribly many things we can be doing. How familiar are you with boats, Cass?"

[Nanami Touko]

"I know, sorry..." Cass was tired, and testy. That didn't mean she had to take it out on Sidney. The girl was concerned! "I'm not happy about it. I don't think I'm trying to be. I'm just trying to not explode at people about it, so that it remains a facade until we can finally call it quits. Adele's notably upset about it as well, so I can't really talk to her about it. I've had anything... Private, forbidden as well, so I can't de-stress. I just have to put on a brave face and suck it up until we find out who put Talmot up to that whole ordeal. Which won't be until we get back from Raewald... Ugh..." Cass sighed, thinking about it all just gave her a headache.

"I'm entirely unfamiliar with boats. I've read of them, but this is my first time on one. Locked in the castle, remember? I didn't get anywhere near any of Wyke's ports. I will say that it's... Not the most pleasant experience, but I've found myself keeping my stomach in check, unlike what I was warned from the captain. So that's good, I suppose."

[Dandragon]

"I know, I know. I just...of all the god damn times." Serge took in a deep breath. "...I'll go get everyone soon, I'm just...enjoying my free time while it lasts." He said, looking out into the sea. He had so many questions, so many things he wanted to talk about. So many things to vent. He wanted to scream out into the sea. But instead, he simply asked one question. "...Larissa...be honest with me. Why did you stay? When I told you Niko and Doug left?"

[Frostivus]

"Haha," Scuttle's urge to laugh was dulled somewhat by the fact that there was a wild beast that ate horses within mauling distance of her. Somehow in her rigorous preparations for an audience with the Baron of Bears, her arsenal of making good first impressions did not include 'in event of bears'.

But it was true.

He really was the Bear Whisperer. Up this close, Angus's musky scent couldn't be masked by the sea brine anymore. Those words sent jolts down her spine. She was speaking to a man, eye to eye, who spoke to bears. They thought she was making it up. Oh yea, She thought her informants crazy.

Libbed and lobbed a whole pack of 'em, he did! Fang on sword -- a skree sound like forest screaming. Twenty clashed and twenty corpsed by sunhill. And in the clutches of one dead ma, 's heart panged at the divvy of i' all, one tinytoot. Strong heroes, aye, half a crown a dozen. But I tell ye, merciful ones. Strength in 'eart. Them's those catch-a-the-day. 'S gon get tongues waggin' every'ere. The Reliants. The Prince. Swear all 'dis on me ma's ol blummin.

. . . you're crazy. Also I have no idea what you just said.

Her mind raced with questions. She had pieced the legend together from thirdhand accounts of bandits and palace gossip. She had come to her own conclusions and explanations. But the gravity of it all, seeing him in person, had really only just weighed down on her. It was surreal.

There was a wild bear who ate horses within mauling distance of her!

. . . how long had she been staring?

"They say Geoffrey smells fear miles away, and that he and you share a natural connection as your spirit animal. They say he is the ursine reincarnation of heroes long past, who saw you as one of his kind. They also say he farts."

"I'm coming along, sir Baron." Uneasy fingers reached tentatively for the bow strapped to her back. "Wouldn't miss this for the world. They say trouble's brewing up in Deira. Storm clouds of war upon a generation acquainted with them only in tales. Terrifying." Exciting. "Times like this the folk want to see a strong crown." And that was her job.

By the time she was done with her felt pen, Prince Owen to his people was going to be the sun and the stars and the wind beneath their wings.

How much of it was true? A good question. A better question would be: by the time she was done, how much of it would become true?

Edited May 28, 2016 by Frostivus

[Terrador]

Angus stares down, puzzled, at the silent girl. [What's got her tongue? Reminds me just a bit of Nona, but that isn't quite it; she gave me the ol' up-down whenever she wasn't talking. Ain't fear, neither. Those can't hold an eye, they back off on instinct.] The knightly mooncalf emits a disgruntled hum, but before he can puzzle any longer, Scuttles offers him an entirely new conundrum: namely, who was naming him a druidic hero, loved by fate?

"Look, I dunno who's tellin' you all this, but they've had a bit much t'drink", Angus warns with a bit of a smirk. "He's a bear. Maybe I can keep 'im tame when 'e grows; for now, he eats everythin' an' shits on even more than tha'."

Scuttles' mention of fear seemed... incongruous with her expression. For some reason, Angus didn't believe it. He liked that. Too many men his age were too yellow to lift a sword; maybe this girl would be different.

"How well d'you know death?" Far from his normal first question for a new recruit, but looking at her, she didn't seem too confident in her bow's strength. "Y'ever rub elbows with th'Reaper, taste 'im on a man's breath?" Angus has no intention of being grim--in fact, his tone is more casual than that which described Geoffrey--but this girl didn't reach for her bow like a warrior. There had to be some other strength to her if she wanted to survive... and Angus wanted to know it. What if he had to lead her into combat one day? The baron offers a supplication to his deity at the mere thought of it.

[Engel. After Lionel's boys... not yet. Give me a few years. I can't split armies yet. Just their skulls, one at a time.]

Edited May 28, 2016 by Terrador