ACT COMPLETE Angelcynn: The Myrcian Conflict - Act 2

[Dandragon]

Serge gave out a sigh of relief, knowing that all of his mercenaries were safe. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. All of you. I'm just glad none of you are harmed. I suggest we take this time to rest and cool off, before we get moving again." Then, Serge addressed Emily. "I understand that you're a bit angry at having to swim all the way here, especially considering your talents, but I gotta know... Where were you on the boat?"

[Xinnidy]

"If I knew such an uncanny wizard, I would never forget, Sir Nelon." The words came out of Owen instantly, he'd been keeping watch towards the wizard's general direction since he made his presence known. "I'm giving him the time of the day because I've seen what he can do. As long as he doesn't plan to turn on us, I'll count my blessings." Owen sheathed his sword, assured that the harm was past them at that point, for once turning his eyes away from the wizard. "I agree with you, I'll be cautious dealing with this man." He acknowledged Nelon, starting a march for the rustic fortification. Now was a much better time for talking, and the prince hoped none of the answers he sought would mean him harm.

---

"... Malaphar." Owen was a few feet from the wizard when he called out, not wishing to disturb the silence terribly. "It seems no more will be showing to disturb our passage, so we should be leaving northwards shortly. That was also where you plan to be heading, correct?" To speak up in front of the man took some courage, but now was the time to get his answers. Right? "I do have to ask... Have we met before, Malaphar? You spoke to me as if you had some familiarity, but I can't say I recall you."

Edited July 20, 2016 by Xinnidy

[Nanami Touko]

With the final air of battle disappearing from around them, Cass let out a long winded sigh. Doug had flown off to finish whatever was left of the bandits, leaving the beachhead empty and barren, save for the corpses and smell of blood lingering on the air. That didn't deter Cass from what she had to do. She'd told Scuttle to find her after the fight, but that meant waiting, and Cass, while shaken and definitely not at one hundred percent, was not in the mood for waiting. Pushing past the few people near the girl, she grabbed her by the arm and brusquely began to drag her off, away from the group, for a moment to speak with her uninterrupted.

Of course, they were just about fifteen feet away from everyone else, but it would do. There was no one else there, save for perhaps Alain, that Cass had to worry about telling this to. Stopping and finally letting her go, she turned to face her and folded her arms, trying to hold as gentle an expression as she could manage. "I need to speak with Scuttle Thames right now, not Scuttle the wandering bard, alright? Because if you can't keep this secret when we reach Raewald, or even in the presence of someone like sir Nelon, then I can't tell you what I have to say, and can only ask something else. Are we clear?" Being serious was always... Different, for Cass, when she wasn't upset. It was simple to be serious and stern while angry. You yelled and made your point; the only way someone wouldn't take you seriously was if you were throwing a fit over something petty.

But remaining calm and trying to be stern, Cass was no good at this. She'd probably come across as awkward, despite trying her best. Nevertheless, she couldn't deal with the bard's proclamations about Angus and his soon-to-be wife. It was too much to bear on top of everything else. If she couldn't be trusted with the secret, then Cass would at least try to quiet her announcements.

[Frostivus]

Did the miasma of fresh death bother Scuttle much? Not really. Wyke's street life had demanded her innocence for survival at a very early age already. She had killed before, up close and in less than savoury ways. And besides, she had seen Javier do far worse with farming equipment.

Instead she chose to expend her energy-fueled adrenaline in the aftermath by singing a two-minute-long aria using -- impressively -- only one word: Dougistan. But such depth of wonder did that one name convey: the mystery behind its etymology, the riches of its lands like beautiful single women aged between 18 to 25, and the immense sternum-crushing durability of its flag poles. She could sing it over and over, each one with a new nuance to learn. The Cult of the Promised Land back in Hull's underworld always paid honest fees for new hymns, and they loved themselves a catchy chorus.

After that, she was going to need a long time alone with a pen and sheafs of parchment. Dragonfire from fissures of the earth. Mage killers. Epic duels. Timely wizards. And this time she didn't need to make any of it up.

She was snapped out of her musical reverie when someone grabbed her by the arm and pulled her away. A surefire way to earn her anger, for sure, was to interrupt her fickle muse. It wouldn't matter even if it was --

Well, calm and collected Cass was a lot scarier than bloodthirsty god of war Cass.

She gave a beaming smirk of assurance. The Princess of Wyke was confiding royal secrets with her! "Your Majesty, keeping secrets is one of my many secret talents. Why, and just as a gesture of understanding, I'll confide in you a secret of my own." She beckoned her closer so she could whisper into her ear, "Scuttle actually isn't my real name!"

"So, uh, did anyone ever tell you that when you try speak softly, it sort of comes off as a growl?"

Edited July 20, 2016 by Frostivus

[Nanami Touko]

"That's... Not really telling me a secret. Just that there's a secret to tell..." Cass sighed, and actually growled, to give Scuttle a preview of the difference. In either case, she could probably trust the girl to stay quiet about this, so she took a deep breath, and tried to collect her thoughts. "My wedding to Angus is a cover. I'm... In love with Adele." She blushed, faintly, but soldiered on. "My announcement with Angus was to cover that some people in Wyke are not alright with my choice of lover. So until we can find out who is targeting me... The public will have to believe that I'm getting engaged to the baron of bears, as you so put it."

She shook her head a bit and let her arms down. "I'm not expecting any surprise or for this to be a grand reveal, I just... Was hoping that you would quiet down with the announcements of Angus and I, or speaking of Adele and I as... Just friends. It's difficult, hiding this. Having to listen to someone happily proclaim the lie of my life, it... Just makes it harder. It's not your fault, don't worry, I, just..." Now she was beginning to stammer, this whole calm thing harder than it normally was. "That's all. I'm the Herman Heiress' secret lover. Surprise. Haha." Cass feigned a smile, trying to seem happy about the situation, actually managing to smile just a bit, thinking about Adele. She'd have to go and spend some time with those gorgeous locks in a bit.

[Vestige]

With the battle finally over, Alain could spare some time to release an exasperated sigh. He dusted off his cloak, as any self-respecting mage ought to, and checked himself over for any signs of injury. He'd managed to avoid any serious scrapes, but he'd come dangerously close to getting an axe in his face at least a few times. Nevertheless, the ordeal proved to be an excellent way to practice his mage-craft without needing to worry about the consequences.

[riariadne]

Sidney huffed when the battle ended, running her hand through her hair. "Whew, I did a lot..." she muttered, smoothing out a few stray locks of hair and wiping away from sweat. Despite her significant contributions, she was practically uninjured at the battle's end, having had to make a number close dodges. Although she was tired, Sidney couldn't help but smirk a bit- she knew that she'd performed well, a good sign for her improving skills.

She waltzed past the carnage of the battlefield, surveying her options to interact. Making sure Owen was still alright was her first thought, but the sight of the sorcerer made her think it could wait- she wanted nothing to do with him or his magic. The next closest person to her was Adele, a much better alternative for the time being. "Lady Adeltrudis, did the battle go well on your side? We were fortunate to sustain no major injuries due to good fortune and quick thinking." She looked around. "Though, it seems most people that were on your shore are equally accounted for."

[Terrador]

For what remained of the battle, Angus toiled at a most embarrassing task: Agro bucked and turned, considering every direction a potential, if quickly discarded, venue of escape. "C'mon--shit! It's jus' Doug, ge' a grip!" The beast's master pats its neck with unease, eyes on the spectacle he thought to be enraging the horse. [Not even a warhorse c'n handle everything], he considers. [An' a panicked pegasus plowin' to the Princess... alrigh', I'd buy that.] Cassandra's furious response elicited an untimely grin from Angus, no matter how slight. Just that petty piece of normalcy, even in such a strange (and, were Angus to speak true to himself, frightening) skirmish was worth no little.

At very least, it distracted him from the true source of his horse's troubles.

---

The return of Serge's men, as well as Valter's girls, was no sore sight for a knight! Angus would be damned if one of them wasn't carrying his little cretin, as well! He leads his mount by the bit, finally communicating its safety, to the beast that absolutely hadn't played at chewing off a leg or two. Angus expertly snatches up his bear, offering Lars a hearty slap on the arm.

"Good man!" Angus bellows before setting Geoffrey down (the better to tousle his fur, of course!).The baron crashes to the ground beside his cub, beckoning the closest of the Valter sisters down to his side.

"Oi, Nona! Come down here an' help me with somethin, would you?" One hand roughly paws at Agro's saddlebags, in a few moments ripping free a tattered sheet. The other gives Geoffrey's muzzle something to chase while Angus' incessant hollering continues. "Best know where th'hell we are, eh?"

[Shin]

Charming

Larissa didn't seem terribly pleased as being mistaken for the ship's whore, standing herself up slowly. "Who was that man? He didn't look like one of the bandits... but he didn't look like one of us either." she replied, her first outing with nobles a little stranger than she'd been hoping for. "We should try and find the boss, I hope he didn't pick a fight with anyone too big."

--

A Reliable Reunion

Lars nodded firmly, passing Geoffrey to Angus before continuing his conversation with Serge. "Aye, boss. Good to see you made it too. Hans was wondering if someone got half their innards chopped out of them, that's a lot of blood in the sand." he replied. "Lumps of hair an' everything. Doesn't look like you lost anyone either, a good day min my books."

Letting out a sneeze, Emily wiped her nose. As Serge approached, her sour expression faded, the mage forcing herself to smile, as much as she could do so. "Spent most of it puking my guts out, boss." Emily explained, stil looking rather peaky. "Once I'm dry and my land legs are back, I'll be alright, don't worry about me... I'm just glad we didn't sink." Morganna and the Valter sisters were not too far from them, the sisters having dismounted from their pegasi.

In a manner unlike Angus had ever seen before, Nona walked in a straight line towards him, not swaying nor staggering in her step. "Me? I'm not sure what you're asking for, Angus." she asked, not quite on the same page as the Baron. Her voice was relatively clear and coherent, a stark contrast to his previous meetings with her "We can scout about if you like, all of the maps were left on the ship."

--

An unsettling meeting

Malphar turned slowly, his gaze fixing on Owen. "This is our first meeting, Prince Owen, but I am more than familiar with your father. We had met and spoken on several occasions, although it has been many years since I have seen him last. I can't imagine he spoke much of me, I requested not to receive too much attention." he replied, his tone as cool and smooth as before. "The path to the north is treacherous, a rather vicious tribe inhabits it and the coast, any traveller met would receive a rather unfriendly welcome. I would have been able to slip by alone, but it would be less possible with such a large group."

The sorcerer looked at Owen, scanning him up and down. "I sense a potent aura around you... have you come across the Fountain, Prince? Or even some of its contents?" he asked, his expression growing more and more serious. "It's vital that you do not consume any of its waters. The effects of it may cause miracles to happen, but it is always at a price."

[Jotari]

"The mage?" Emmet said, half to himself, half to the dancer. "I'm not exactly sure but I definitely intend to find out. It will have to wait though. I'm sure there's more injuries for me to tend to. There always is. I'll see you around." Emmet began to walking away before another question struck him. "Oh. By the way, I;m still not exactly sure who you are. Do you work for Prince Owen?"

[SB.]

"A little girl, huh..." Claire muttered, eyes wandering to the shards of ice scattered around the body. That went pretty well - it was probably one of her best spells yet. Her focus was finally broken when the newcomer spoke up, and she quickly turned to face him.

How had he gotten there without her noticing? He looked to be a mage, based on his attire, but something about him unsettled her, although she tried her to keep her features neutral to hide it. The wizard had an otherworldly feel about him, between his nonchalant demeanour, the strangeness of his appearance and the way that she could just sense his power. The combined product felt like something plucked from a storybook - although it wasn't yet clear to her if he was a hero or a villain.

At the very least, he didn't seem immediately hostile, but that was only a small comfort. She wasn't sure how long she'd been examining him for when she finally averted her eyes, looking instead across the rest of the battlefield, where things seemed to have calmed down, with the final pockets of resistance taken care of.

The prince had arrived to speak with the stranger at this point, while Claire retrieved a book from the fallen armoured knight. It didn't seem to be a tome, to her disappointment, but she feigned interest in it anyway as she listened to Owen and Malaphar conversing. At least she knew his name now. She was satisfied enough to leave at this point (and give Angus a piece of her mind after he literally threw her at Doug), when the warlock asked the question.

She had no clue how he was aware of their dealings with the fountain, but somehow he seemed to have the answers that she and Emmet had been searching for. She decided to speak up. "At what kind of price?" Her brow furrowed in apprehension; she was fairly sure that she wasn't going to like the answer.

Edited July 21, 2016 by SB.

[Xinnidy]

"You knew my father?" The words stuck hardest in the prince's mind. The recent events were shaking Owen's faith slowly, but surely. How much did he actually know from his father's past? Clearly not enough, and the prospect of delving into it seemed risky as well. "If you don't mind me asking, how well did you know my father, Malaphar?" He had to get something out of this --anything. Nothing was as frustrated as being left in the dark about his legacy. The prospect of facing a hostile tribe just northwards seemed trivial in comparison. "We have horses and pegasi. If there's a way to go around the tribe, I'd take a guess we could make something work. Unless the terrain really complicates that."

Owen blinked at the mention of the fountain. How would one go about being able to sense that? The wizard's mystery only grew by the second. "We haven't come across any such place, Malaphar..." Owen hesitated to tell of his own discoveries, but a voice joining the conversation painted them guilty of at least knowledge. The prince turned back to acknowledge Claire with a brief nod, a dry gulp as he looked again at the wizard. "The only people that seemed to have any connection to it were Magonsaeten mercenaries, which only makes it more confusing." Owen looked the wizard in the eyes from a moment, but his aura quickly made the prince avert his gaze. "If you say it's not here... I can't take a guess as to where you'd find another lead."

[Dandragon]

Serge nodded to Emily, then turned his attention back to Lars. "No need to worry, we all made it out alive. Of course, not without a few injuries, but nothing that can't be healed." I hope. "Still...Lumps of hair? That's... I don't think we were shaving anybody." He said, jokingly.

Edited July 21, 2016 by Dandragon

[Frostivus]

Something in Scuttle audibly snapped.

The Heiress Herman was the Princess’s secret lover?

But —

The engagement.

Baron of Bears—

Huh?

I like sand.

She gripped Cass by the shoulders, eyes plate-wide, dizzy with a soupy mix of emotions of someone who had just been simultaneously told the best and worst news imaginable.

“Scandalous!” she screamed, then checked herself with several furtive glances around before repeating herself in a much lower voice, “scandalous. princess, does sir angus know?

There were stories that built kingdoms and stories that toppled them. No twenty guesses which one this belonged to.

She was already in a bad relationship with the church. The Bishop of South Hull had promised to do something very secular to her if she ever came back since her recital two years ago.

Still, there was something incredibly romantic with the notion of it all. Her mind drifted to honour-bound duels atop a bejewelled spire. A knight in shining armour crashing an arranged wedding. Messages in a bottle adrift at sea. The Girl on Fire and the Baron of Bears, once allies in battle, suddenly turned bitter rivals. Love and war. The cruelest parts of life.

“Your secret is safe with me,” Scuttle promised.

[Nanami Touko]

Cass didn't expect to be gripped nor shouted at, flinching and slamming a hand over Scuttle's mouth all in one motion. "Quiet!" She became quiet, luckily, and repeated herself in a proper tone. "Yes. He knows. He's in on the whole thing..." Cass sighed, smiling faintly. She was amused by Scuttle's reaction, if anything else. It felt like her younger days, gossiping in the castle with a few of the less strict maids. It was where she learned most of her rumors.

It was unfortunate that this matter was far more severe. Cass would have loved to have met Scuttle without the threat of some uppity noble breathing down her neck. "That's that, alright? So... Just, try to quiet it some, about myself and Angus. It's difficult to have to fake it in person, let alone hear someone sing the situation's praises."

"And I hope so. For both our sakes. Most everyone here knows this already, save for Nelon, the Valter siblings, Alain... So we're in good company, but one pair of ears hearing something and carrying it back to bad company... You know how rumors spread, I'm sure. And the one of me and Adele is already alight in many Wykians."

Cass did something some would consider weird, only because it was her. She took Scuttle's hand and gave it a very, firm and trusting shake. A smile followed, or at least what she could make. "Thank you. I'm glad you're on my side."

[Ether]

"We... seem to have come out of it... relatively unscathed. A few close calls though..." Adele replied, not elaborating any further for the time being as she looked over to Sidney whilst the thief made her way over. If she wanted more details, they could be provided, but... it wasn't the most happy subject at any rate.

"But Engel above, what was that plume of flame earlier? I could feel the heat rise from across the beach... I don't recall Claire being capable of such a spell."

[riariadne]

"Hmm, I see. Well, I'm glad everyone's safe, at least," Sidney responded. Adele seemed hesitant in her words, behavior that wasn't usually expect of her, but Sidney chose not to press on it. If she'd wanted to say more, she probably would have elaborated.

"Ah... yes, the inferno." The thief scowled at that, pointing towards the sorcerer. "It's him... I don't know who he is, and everyone seemed surprised by his visiting, but he seemed familiar with who the prince is at least. He aided us in the battle, but I still don't trust him. He's very unnerving... I just don't want to be near him at all, personally. Malaphar, I think he said his name was? It doesn't mean anything to me." Sidney shifted her stance a bit at the conversation. Playing with her glasses seemed a lot more interesting than looking at him.

[Juliette]

The battle was over, and nobody had fallen. Freya gave a sigh of relief, sheathing her sword- that meant her job was done, whether or not she played much of a direct part defending the princess. The knight didn't waste her time trying to chase down Cass, who seemed to want a more one-on-one talk anyway, instead checking on the opposite side of the battle. To her relief, Prince Owen was also safe, as did most of the rest of the party. The first person after her she saw not wrapped up in conversation was familiar.

"Sir Nelon!" she spoke up, marching across the sand. The environment didn't seem to bother her much- lots of work with armor helped. "It is good to see all went well with your half of the battle. With some of the sounds we heard, it was hard to be certain. We had some difficulties, but everyone I was with is in good enough health as well."

[Toogee]

After a rough session of healing with Cass (Doug's leg still smarted over her admonishments), Doug returned to the enemy to deliver his vengeance for the prior injustice. Fortunately, Claire was able to wrap up his vengeance before he got too bloody again. With the leader down, everyone was gathering about to discuss the next move or talk to their new friends.

Meanwhile, Doug proceeded to fly to the top of the enemy castle. If there was already a flag up there, he knocked it down. In its place, the dress-flag of Dougistan was raised for the new age of rule.

"Behold, Dougistan's first foreign conquest!"

[Shin]

Illiterate Worms

"Maybe I gave you too much credit, you aren't sharp enough to be a bookworm." she teased, sticking her tongue out. "I'm Larissa, one of the Reliants, the boss hired me not too long before you... well, the old boss anyway. I think I like the commander better though." Who on earth was this man? He certainly wasn't a regular archer... nor a priest, he seemed incredibly clever, but so scatterbrained at the same time.

--

A Dangerous Drink

Malaphar looked Owen in the eye, pondering for a moment. "Well enough to know of your sibling... and I'm not referring to Princess Cassandra." he replied sternly. "I cannot say that heading north would be a sensible choice, but you are free to make your own choices." There was a hint of smugness to the man's voice, almost the sense that he knew exactly how Owen would fare. His expression became more grim when Claire spoke, even he seemed to not be comfortable with the vial's potency.

"As I said, the waters themselves grant great restoration... and even powers beyond imagination." he began solemnly. "But its energy corrupts... I've seen a monster of a man who had been exposed to its power. Barely even human, my magic would have faced difficulties against him. I pity any soul who has to come into contact with it. The legends say its effects vary, I can't even fathom what else it could do to people. Prince Owen, it is vital you do not let anyone consume it."

--

Barber Shop

"Yah, lumps of black hair next to a pool of blood." Lars replied, somewhat surprised by his boss' response. "Not a body near it though, can't imagine they got too far like that." Hans pointed over to a red patch in the sand, right were Arteria and Apellon had been fighting. Neither of them could be seen, their bodies had entirely vanished.

--

Thwomp to thwomp

Nelon was rather startled by Freya's approach, although he was relieved to hear the news of their success. "Miss Freya? I am also glad to see you are unharmed. Thank you dearly for protecting Princess Cassandra, you have my gratitude." he thanked, almost dropping to one knee as he spoke. "We had our own challenges, but some quick thinking from Prince Owen enabled us to press forwards."

Edited July 23, 2016 by Shin

[Dandragon]

Serge looked back at the piles of blood that Lars had pointed to, and could barely process what he saw. His face turned pale and his eyes widened tremendously. There, he could two piles of black hair within pools of blood, in the exact spots that the twin's bodies had been.

"What...Wha-...Hey. HEY! EVERYONE!" Serge yelled, trying to get the attention of the group. "We...We DID fight those twins, right? They WERE there, right?!" He asked, pointing to the spots where Appellon and Arteria had been, his voice slightly hysterical. Then, remembering what he had picked up, he took out the unique sword that Appellon had dropped. He stared at it, his complexion turning more pale as he did. What did they fight?

Edited July 22, 2016 by Dandragon

[Frostivus]

Hull's public library had only one book on royal-commoner etiquette. Moth-eaten, torn and hidden away in the top shelves of a corner, it had been rented off by Scuttle several times. She knew the very archaic and complex intricacies of hand-shaking, table manners and noble speech, every do and don't. No eye contact unless spoken to. Bow your head down and keep your voice low. Touching is only allowed when groveling at the hem of their robes.

Her first thought had been, 'I'm shaking hands with the Princess after I've grabbed her by the shoulders and screamed at her! This is amazing!' Then, 'I'm going to be beheaded for this!'

"The people of Wyke may have a short fuse when it comes to new things, but their attention span is even shorter," she said with a knowing wink, "Give it a week. I'll have them talking about the Monster Beneath Gully Creek instead."

She perked up at the mentioning of the other crew members, but one of the names eluded her. Alain? She raised an eyebrow in inquisitive thought. Come to think of it, there had been a stranger engaged against the bandits during the battle earlier. Well this was slightly embarrassing. Her knowledge on the heroes on board the Flying Kipper had been encyclopaedic. Or so she thought. Scuttle made a mental note to fix that.

A panicked cry got her attention.

"Master Serge? What --" it took her a moment to take in the scene as she raced towards him, "Gone? You mean to say the dead got up and slipped past us?" Her nostrils flared, eyebrows furrowed in deep thought. "They were dead," she said with utter conviction, "I saw the life leave their eyes." The hazy mile-wide stare, not frozen in fright or pain, simply open. She knew it well. The only difference between a thug and a half-dead one was how slowly he was going to peel your fingernails off.

"Melted by the fire, perhaps? Or stolen by a grave robber?"

Edited July 22, 2016 by Frostivus

[Jotari]

"Ah. A comrade" Emmet exclaimed. "You seem to know me but I'll introduce myself regardless. The name is Emmet. I think the change in leadership right after a mass hiring has left things very confusing. I still don't know half the faces in the Reliants. I reckon we should get together some night and have a proper meeting. Preferably in a bar. Anyway it was nice talking to you Larcya."

Emmet left the dancer and began to survey the remains of the battlefield. Thanks to the timely intervention of Malaphar and Owen's grenade, things seemed mostly okay on the south side so he headed north to see how the battle had gone. He noticed the princess talking with another archer. She looked somewhat distressed. "Princess" he said as he approached. "How did the battle fair on your side?" He gave a casual glance at the archer. Her face was not one known to him.

[Nanami Touko]

Something seemed to be causing Scuttle distress, or perhaps it was Cass' imagination. She seemed confident enough when she made good with her word and offered a suggestion for quieting the rumors of Wyke. If anyone could do it, it'd be Scuttle Thames. That was for sure. "You truly are wonderful, you know?" Cass let her hand go and sighed, finally back to her old smile. It had been quite a while.

"What is your name then, Scuttle? If you're fine with sharing." It seemed Cass would have to learn another time, Serge's yelling catching her attention, Scuttle scurrying off towards the situation. Cass still wanted a few moments to herself away from more surprises, and so did Emmet, it seemed. The archer mage had come to speak with her of how the fight went.

"It was... Interesting. I suppose that is the best way to explain it. The woman I ended up fighting... I don't think I've faced real blood lust before. It was terrifying." Cass didn't mince words, or try to act stronger than she was, at the moment. Arteria had managed to scare Cass, truly, truly scare her, a feat no one had managed on the battlefield yet-- not even the monster Baleros had instilled such fear in her, but that was probably due to not having faced him up close. No matter, she knew what a real killer was like, now, and she did not want to become anything close to that.

[Jotari]

"Ah" Emmet said slightly taken aback. He had encounter Cass in a less than formal circumstance before but he wasn't quite expecting her to start confessing her fears so readily. The battle really must have shaken her up. "Well I'm glad to see you're safe. Though I more meant the battle over all. Were there any casualties?"