act complete Angelcynn: The Myrcian Conflict - Act 3 Reunion

[riariadne]

"Thanks for the helpful answers..." Sidney complained. Seriously, two of you answer but neither of you manage to say anything... The mentioning of Scuttle by both women gave her a bit of a clue, but still, she didn't press too far into it, until Claire stood. The bloody tear in her robes was easy to spot, and with the difficulty she had standing up it was obvious that not all was well yet. "What happened to you, Claire? You don't get your clothes torn and find walking hard out of nowhere, that's for sure... here, standing around in that condition isn't very good for you." She wrapped her right arm under the mage's left to try and help her keep steady better. "There's two people unconscious, you're hurt, and blood everywhere... you don't just get to say asking what happened is a good question."

[SB.]

Claire listened to Sebastian's story and nodded, thinking that she had a clearer picture of the bard's motivations now. "I see. That would explain things, then." she nodded, glancing past Sebastian to the rainbow coloured mess behind him. In a way, she wished that she hadn't asked. Knowing didn't change anything, except making the mage a little more empathetic. I'm way too soft about this. She sighed. First the clown, and now the jester. She didn't forgive Scuttle for all of this, by any means, and the mage was still afraid of her, but...

"Oh." Her thoughts were interrupted by Charlotte's arm steadying her, which she was grateful for. "Thank you, Charlotte." she muttered, struggling for how to respond. "I don't really know all of it because I was unconscious for a while, but Scuttle attacked me when I came to the library. I think the others came to rescue me, and after that she shot Emmet too. Eventually, she just collapsed." Claire had to fight the urge not to slump after she finished speaking. Recounting everything that happened was kind of tiring, and that had just been the short version of it. She hadn't mentioned the vial, Sebastian or how she'd been convinced that she was about to die. There was a lot to think about.

Edited October 16, 2016 by SB.

[Xinnidy]

Owen gave a soft chuckle, looking down at the floor. "Grieving over Jeeves? I see..." Engel had a funny way to bring people together, or maybe it was simply circumstance. Still, hearing as much from Adele helped Owen abandon his embarrassment quickly. "It's funny, I wouldn't consider myself one to pursue the occult either, but I've decided not to cut my options short. It's no time to cut it short, even." He shook his head.

"I found myself thinking of Jeeves, though not quite for the same reasons." The prince started, "I wanted to see if I could find some guidance, before moving on. I've got a wizard on my tail, and the life of all of you on my shoulders, if it comes to that..." The prince stopped himself from brooding, pressing the bridge of his nose between two fingers, exhaling the last of his worries away. "To put it simply, I wanted to see if I could hear some final advice from him --he always did know what to share, every now and then. I was told my bond with him wasn't strong enough, but that somebody in my group could still bring him forth." He looked straight at the heiress, figuring she'd catch on by then.

"I'll lead you there, Adele. If it's not too much to ask, I'd like to see him with you. I'll understand if you'd rather not, of course."

[riariadne]

"Scuttle attacked you?" Sidney wasn't sure what she was expecting, but members of the party outright attacking each other wasn't her first guess. "Jeez, you sure got hurt real badly then. I wonder what happened to cause that, but... whatever way it happened, poor you, huh? You're not in any shape to go anywhere by yourself, Claire. I'm not really busy for the day, so I can help." She pat the smaller girl's head, helping straighten out her black hair and smiling a bit to try and add some positive energy to the situation. "You just need a bit of time... you'll be alright."

[Nanami Touko]

She knew Jeeves, that much was clear. But what he meant to her, that much was not. Evidently it was something special, you wouldn't kill for anyone-- truth be told, unless it was a direct threat, Cass didn't think she'd be able to kill someone for Adele. Life was... Precious. That made the vial that much more precious to you, didn't it...? She finished healing what she could, the cuts and scratches from Claire's spell having all closed. Whatever effect was left of the lightning she'd taken would have to wait until she was awake, again. She was breathing, so there was that. She wasn't dead.

And like Claire, Cass was too soft for these things. Sebastian's tale had brought her to pity Scuttles, rather than outright hate her for what she had done. "I care for Jeeves a great deal, and watching him die ruined me... But I would never do something like this. He must have been more than just close to her. Did he have any family? Were they at all related? There's just too much to ask..." Cassandra picked herself up and brushed her dress off, wandering back over towards Claire and Sidney. She spotted Serge, but felt that things could be better explained to everyone else later. She wanted to speak to the bard before condemning her in her entirety.

"Claire, are you alright to walk? If you aren't, please get Sidney to help you to somewhere quiet. This... You've gone through more than what could be asked of a vassal, these past few weeks. Alain," she began, turning her attention to their unfortunate guest.

"If we could have a moment to ourselves to talk, as well, I would appreciate that. Wherever you think we can speak alone. Lastly, Sebastian," Cass said, turning on the spot to face him. "Can I leave you to take care of Scuttles? Tie her up and put her somewhere that she isn't going to run off from. We can get the whole story later, once we've all calmed down..."

[Jotari]

Emmet early opened his eyes just a crack. Above him he could see a blue sky. His mind replayed the the events that lead up to his injury over and over. It's all because I didn't have Pinaka he said to himself. He felt naked without his bow. Why today of all possible days did I decide to get it fixed up. If I had it with me, I would have driven an arrow into her head the moment I saw her. I need to keep it with me at all times...Or I need another weapon. Perhaps it's time I finally grow up and learn to use a tome. He sensed people near by. The pain was gone but he still felt completely drained. With a groan he tried to bring himself into a sitting position. It was at that moment he realised the vial was no longer in his hand. It broke him out of his stupor. "The vial" he muttered. Where is it? He checked his pockets but it wasn't there. He got to his feet. The effort of standing was eased slightly by hunching over. His hood fell over his head and the weariness caused him to stumble rather than stand still. "Where is the vial" he growled, looking at the people in the street without really seeing any of them.

[SB.]

For a moment, Claire was about to insist that she was fine walking on her own, but she just nodded along with Charlotte and Cass. She still felt shaken up, and Charlotte patting her made her feel smaller and more vulnerable, if anything. I hate being a burden. She repressed a sigh, although Emmet's awakening didn't leave her much time to mull over it. "You drank it..." she replied, wondering what was wrong with him. Was he still just dazed, or had it started to seriously mess with his brain already? Either way, the mage watched him with concern.

Edited October 16, 2016 by SB.

[Terrador]

Angus pauses with his pet for a moment, watching the daughter of Valter with care. She didn't seem to notice him at all--embarked on some internal voyage, no doubt. Well, it didn't matter much. Leaving his boots on the shore, Angus wades into the water, beckoning Geoffrey along the way. The mooncalf whistles and tuts for his pet, with hardly a regard in turn for any guests at the pond (webbed feet or otherwise); soon, he was up to his waist. Could the furry little bastard swim? Well, Angus would find out shortly enough.

[Vestige]

"You needn't trouble yourself on my account Princess, I'm simply performing my duty. The library's not far off from here, if you'd like to talk there," he said, curious as to what she might like to discuss. He had an inkling of an idea, but perhaps she'd surprise him yet. "Else, there's a quaint little pond not far off from here if you'd like something a little more scenic. I imagine you must be a little exhausted by the day's ordeal, so take your pick, I'm fine with either," he shrugged.

"Commander," he said, turning towards Serge, who, for his part looked a little lost. "That one is yours is he not?" he said, nodding towards Emmet. "There's been enough trouble these past few weeks, and I'd hate for a man of my country to add onto that any more than he has," he said. "Make sure he doesn't try to run off anywhere in his stupor," he said, shaking his head. He still couldn't believe Emmet had decided to drink the liquid of all things, especially when he'd expressed that it was to return in Prince Owen's hands. Just the thought of such stupidity made him bubble with rage, but he was also glad in a way. At least now he'd be able to see the effects of the vial manifest first hand.

[Nanami Touko]

"The library, then. Meet me inside, but take your time. I'm in no rush." Claire was... Alright, enough. Emmet was awake, asking for his precious vial. Cass didn't want to see him right now, his decision infuriating and confusing, but most of all, horribly selfish. Claire would chew him out over it, she had been overly protective of the object.

Stepping through the doors, Cass could tell this must've been where Scuttle had started. The mess was abhorrent, books everywhere, scrawls written all over the walls. "Goodness... What in the world is driving her so hard?" The answers to this had best be good. Before settling herself against a bookcase, it would do to see if anyone else was there... "Hello?" because speaking with Alain was for their ears only.

[Dandragon]

Well, nobody try to answer me all at once. No one seemed to really notice Serge at all, though it wasn't hard to listen in on the conversations happening at the time. Apparently Scuttle had gone berserk and attacked the mage Claire, shooting her and Emmet, before falling unconscious. Just what the hell did he get his group of mercenaries in to?

And then Alain got his attention about Emmet, who was talking about the vial again, this time sounding a lot more...menacing. He did not like the fact that one of his mercenaries employed under him got shot by a supposed ally, but now Emmet was sounding like an animal.

"Emmet, let's calm down now." He said, slowly walking over. "Can you tell me what happened when you got here? Are you feeling alright?"

Edited October 16, 2016 by Dandragon

[Juliette]

Freya sighed heavily when she saw the man in question, not really up to anything at all. You'd think keeping track of someone running a market stall wouldn't be that hard... better than trouble, at the very least. With that out of the way, she waved back at the axemen. "You're Hans and Lars, yes? I was checking the village for what someone said was a possibly suspicious figure, but it turned out he's just running a stand here. I haven't seen anyone else since I arrived here. I'm surprised you didn't run into anyone at the market, though, it seems like a natural place for them to be."

Picking up weapons did seem like a possible good course of action. "Hmm, I don't have any money myself, but it'd be wise to try and get a better sword if the option comes up. Maybe in one of the late days I could use some funds. Did you see anything like that worthwhile?"

[Shin]

Double Trouble

"No dice, miss." Lars replied, gesturing over to Rashid's stall. "There was a sword there earlier but some collector managed to buy it as we got there. Never seen a weapon like it though, must be from some faraway place like the guy at the stall."

The mention of a suspicious individual made the brothers think, it didn't seem that Rashid was causing much trouble. "He might dress a little odd, but he don't look like mich trouble." Lars added, his brohter still pondering away. "Don't see a man dressed in robes and a turban every day, but it's not that unusual."

The word turban had set off alarm bells in Hans' head, there was someone else who could easily fit that description. "Wasn't that bard, Scuttle, wearing a turban a few days back?" Hans asked, recalling the odd fashion decision the girl had made. "You don't think it was her, do you? I mean, she's pretty weird, the villagers might find her a little off."

Restraint

"Master Jeeves never made any mention of a family. He would always say that he had chosen service instead of having his own family." Sebastian replied, wondering what other secrets his mentor had kept from the rest of the world. "Leave Scuttle to me, I'll find somewhere secure to keep her for the time being."

Tying the girl up wasn't too much of an issue, a simple knot across the wrists and ankles were all that was necessary. Slinging the girl over his shoulder, Sebastian head in the direction of the chapel, leaving the group to their own devices.

Mooncalf Sonata

Geoffrey followed after his mother, wading into the pool with surprising aptitude. Perhaps bears could swim after all? Any ducks left in the pond soon vacated, giving the odd duo some breathing space. The water was rather cold, not surprising for the time of year and time of day. Nona seemed to have taken notice of the swimming adventure, rather amused by his decision to go swimming in a pond of all things.

"Angus, are you having a bath?" she asked, snapping out of her contemplative state. "You didn't smell that bad before, I'd have certainly put up with the smell."

Silence

Cass' voice echoed through the library, the building reflecting the sound throughout the structure. There wasn't a response though. Scuttle had ensured the library had been empty and anyone who had been present had either left or chosen to remain quiet.

Edited October 16, 2016 by Shin

[Vestige]

Sebastian was dealing with Scuttle, Serge had come for Emmet, and Lady Charlotte was helping Lady Claire. For the time being, there didn't seem to be any further issues he would need to attend to, so he made his way over to the library, not wanting to keep the Princess waiting too long.

Inside, he was treated to an upended mess. There were books strewn across the floor, and shelves pushed out of place. Either the library was in serious need of a proper keeper, or something had happened here not too long ago. He didn't doubt for a second that it might have had something to do with Scuttle.

"So, Princess Cassandra, you meant to talk to me about something?" he inquired, watching as she peered around some shelves, perhaps making sure they were truly alone.

[Nanami Touko]

Silence.

Worrying.

Cassandra supposed that whoever had made a mess of the library had ushered everyone there out beforehand, especially if it had been Scuttles. I hope she didn't kill anyone... That would make matters far worse, especially as guests passing through in a foreign country. For all it mattered, she was a part of their group, despite what had just happened. That meant the responsibility fell onto them...

Luckily, there was no blood that she could see inside the library. Everything that was made a mess was paper or bookcase.

"Yes, I did, Alain..." She kept her voice quiet, just in case there was some other in the library. "I wished to extend you a heartfelt apology. I've... Been causing you trouble for a while, now. First at the fort with my outburst-- no, even before that, my actions on the beach head during that fight... And now, I've pulled you into this mess. You were just supposed to travel with us to Raewald, a diplomat, not a soldier. I'm so sorry." With a furrowed brow and a worried lip, she bowed, curtsying with the edges of her dress.

"I don't know how I would be able to make it up to you, for all the help you have given us... And myself. I just pray that things will be calm until we reach our proper destination. We could all use a good break from it all." She sighed, standing back up, and holding her arm, looking around quickly, letting her voice then fall into a whisper.

"Did... How much of what I said to Scuttle did you pick up on, if I might ask...?"

[Vestige]

"Ah please, as I said before, don't trouble yourself on my account. I may not be a soldier, but I'll do what I must to see this journey come to fruition. If anything, perhaps I'll speak with her Majesty about a little extra compensation for all my woes. But if you'd really like to make it up to me, perhaps when we've reached our destination you can regale me with some more stories of your youth with Prince Owen," he laughed, hoping to lighten the mood a little.

Eventually Cassandra turned her attention to the real matter at hand. He figured this would be what she wanted to talk about.

"I wont lie to you, I've heard enough to come to something of a conclusion," he began, furrowing his brow. For someone who had been told he had a way with words, sometimes he could be very blunt in his manner of speech. It was a relic from his younger days, but a part that would never truly fade away. "Forgive me Princess Cassandra, I realize these words might sound a little harsh but frankly I care very little for the minute politics of your kingdom or personal life. My job is to simply act as an intermediary between my kingdom and yours. Things like whom the Princess of Wyke has been swooned by matters very little to me in the grand scheme of things," he shrugged.

"I've never been one to gossip in the Queen's court either, so you needn't worry about fostering a poor impression during your stay in Raewald. It would be rather unbecoming of me to do something like that. I hope this puts your mind at ease Princess," he said plainly. "Now then, was there anything else that might be troubling you? Please, don't hesitate."

[Ether]

"Of course, I understand. I'd like to speak with him again, but there's nothing I would say in front of a seer that I'd dread for you to hear, and if it will out your mind at ease as well, I'd be happy to have you along." Adeltrudis replied, giving Owen a hopefully comforting pat on the shoulder, before stepping next to him.

"And if you'd like to lead the way, it would be much obliged. All I was told was to cut through the market, if you've been there already, it would be quite a boon. Come then, let us see what he has to say, if providence would lead us both to seek him out so close together, then Engel must have some sort of musings at work, no?"

[Nanami Touko]

"...If I'm that transparent, perhaps I should stop bothering to hide it at all, and simply deal with the repercussions. I don't suppose you know how Raewald views such... Relationships, do you?" An awkward smile slid itself onto her lips, unsure if she should be pleased that he was fine with it, and wouldn't spread rumors, or worried that he'd seen and heard enough. It was hard enough to control her emotions, let alone those feelings. I do suppose he is a diplomat, so perhaps he is just used to reading into people, and things they say.

"I will! Definitely. I won't lie, you were... Rather intimidating, that morning of the meeting. I'm glad that you've proven my first impressions wrong, quite honestly. I'd almost be willing to call you a good friend, after all of these close calls together. And a good friend you are to have. A diplomat in the high seats of Raewald? I'm not entirely a pretty face; I did learn some of Owen's politics. Even if it was second hand." She nodded triumphantly, smiling properly, just a bit.

"Anything else troubling me, though? ...Not anything you haven't heard, I suppose. I do have to wonder if... Scuttles-- Susan; whoever she really is, has been planning something like this from the start. Jeeves died early into our... I suppose, first 'campaign'. If she's known that for a while, I can't help but think the trigger for this was something else, but a lot's happened. It could be many things. I simply hope it's something we can fix. I don't want to hate her. I don't think she deserves it, but... She just tried to kill us. It's difficult not to."

Cass ended up shaking her head, sighing it off. "Alain, would you grant me a favor? It's not a tall order... Tell me about your brother, would you? I'd like to hear more about the tales of Alain, before he worked for the crown."

Edited October 16, 2016 by Narmaya

[riariadne]

"He drank what?" Sidney turned towards Emmet, exhaling heavily with anger. "How are you just so unfathomably stupid?! We just had a big altercation with this a few days ago and you go and do that! I can't even begin to go through all the reasons that's mindless. Whatever, I'm so done with you... c'mon Claire, I don't have time for this idiot anymore. Let's find somewhere for you to rest up." She picked up Claire a bit, leaning the other girl on her shoulder to practically carry her around, then headed down the path near the library.

Unfortunately she didn't find a great place to stop as quickly as she would've liked, as the path lead towards the marketplace. Well, this looks awkward now... Still, she didn't let that deter her, since Claire was relying on her now, so she brushed past people. Finally the pair reached a tavern, the Farmer's Boot. "Good enough," Sidney concluded, leaning Claire against the wall. "Sorry... I'd hoped to find somewhere more quiet. But I wanted you to get somewhere you could rest up a bit properly. If you had difficulty standing, it's not alright to just head anywhere."

[SB.]

[spoiler=Reassurance]

With the events of the morning behind them, Claire trudged through the rest of the day in a half-dazed state. There was no more combat involved fortunately, but travelling to and from another world took its toll on your body, and with Nelon in dire need of aid they had little choice but to continue.

She kept her distance from the rider during the journey, still rattled by what she'd done to him in a panicked attempt to save him. The mage wanted to apologise, but the baron's fading consciousness and her own fear of what his response would be held her back. And it wasn't like there had been a good moment for it. Even now, long after the sun had set and the group finished setting up their camp, there wasn't a chance. He was likely asleep, and she knew Nelon would need plenty of rest with the wounds she gave him.

Claire herself had spent most of the evening idle in front of the fire - speaking little and lost in her own thoughts. The long walk hadn't done much to help the guilt eating away at her, and despite her physical exhaustion, she knew that sleep wouldn't come easily. It was only after some of their party began to retire to their tents that she made up her mind.

Owen was already in his tent, and Claire wasn't exactly after an audience. She approached the tent that she thought was Owen's (if not, it would be a little awkward), and called inside. "Prince Owen? Would, erm, we be able to talk?" She bit into her lip, already a little nervous. Nelon wasn't the only one who she owed an apology towards. She'd completely let the prince down today.

Owen had felt the toll of the past events during their travels. Sat down in his tent, he found himself struggling to sleep with his conscious drifting through thoughts of Malaphar's inevitable resurgence and his sister's near soulless state. "Ugh..." He clutched the end of a blanket he'd covered himself with, sitting atop his makeshift bed with a grim frown towards the darkness. It just had to be that way... what I'm doing is not nearly enough. He sighed, before a voice from outside the tent called for him.

As much as his mind had one too many identities to keep track of at times, he could discern Claire's voice quite clearly. At this time in the night? Most people should be preparing to sleep. While the timing was curious, Claire was one of the people Owen had entrusted the most information to, and he trusted her judgement enough to know it meant something important. "Yes, we can." The prince spoke, grabbing a coat and sandals to make himself presentable. "Come in."

At Owen's mark, Claire made her way inside the tent, hovering awkwardly near the entrance. "I just... I want to apologise for today." It suddenly felt very difficult for her to not look straight down, instead of at the prince. "If I hadn't lost my nerve and attacked Malaphar, perhaps - no, almost certainly, we wouldn't have been forced into his world." Recounting the mornings events still made her feel tense, even after the end to an uneventful afternoon. "And Sir Nelon's state is my fault too. If he doesn't recover properly, then..." She found that her fist had clenched at her side at some point while she'd been speaking. Her head tipped slightly towards his shoes. She wasn't even sure if Owen knew what had happened to Nelon properly, or even now, if she wanted to let him know.

Whatever Claire had to say, it certainly looked like she was on her last nerves, Owen hadn't ever seen the mage so shaken up before. "Apologise...?" He let her speak, still sobering up from his half-sleep, glancing at her with a confused expression. Hadn't lost her nerves? For some reason, she seemed to take guilt for the events very strongly.

"Sir Nelon's state?" That was even more puzzling, "I was too far to get a good look, but I knew Malaphar was planning to torture him, I threw my sword in frustration because of that..." He retold the events from his perspective, frowning in hopes to get a clearer image. "I saw you casting a spell to back him up... I assume that's what this about." Something probably went wrong, he could put that much together. "Malaphar was meaning to straight up kill him, it might have not gone as planned, but I believe you're part of the reason he's still with us." Owen sighed, "If he had passed away there, I'd probably be the one in your position." He walked over to the mage's side, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Malaphar was a monster in a man's body. If I'd not learned that then, I would later, and just as unprepared to the reality of things." Owen's face was now stern, he placed a finger under Claire's chin, trying to gently raise her head to look toward him, as much as the ground must have felt tempting to stare at. "I won't ask you to forgive yourself, Claire." He paused, retreating his hand, letting his almost cruel words sink in. "I will order you, however, to not let the guilt consume you. I think this was a wake up call for all of us. A monster of an enemy had bared it fangs --and honestly, we won't survive meeting him again any time soon. Times are dire, we can't pretend everything is fine and smile in blissful ignorance. We aren't strong, I am not strong, and that worries me."

The prince's expression clears up, he lets out an exasperated sigh and takes a step back. "Sorry... if that was too harsh, then pay it no mind. I shouldn't... this isn't all your fault, we're all weak. I'm sorry." This time, Owen lowered his head.

So he figured it out... The mage nodded slightly in confirmation, although what followed wasn't what she expected at all. "You shouldn't blame yourself..." she protested, shoulders sinking. "It would've been my-" The hand on her shoulder cut her sentence short, and left her to listen to the prince. She flinched a little at his words, but the finger under her chin stopped her from pulling away.

She didn't speak again until Owen's speech finished, and there wasn't exactly much for her too add. "It... it's fine, really." She made the attempt to assure him, but her voice was quiet and her words were hollow. An uneasy silence fell over the tent, leaving Claire with a lot on her mind. We're too weak, huh? That sounds right... Not just her and Owen. None of them could hope to defeat Malaphar. Even in his wounded state, they couldn't finish the job - and it was unlikely the same situation would present itself twice.

When she felt the quiet couldn't last any longer, she finally asked the question. "So... what do you propose we do then?" She had a pained expression on her face, as if she was preparing to flinch again if she didn't like Owen's answer. They'd lost all information on Malaphar's whereabouts and were still no closer to finding a solution to the problem. Nothing in her magical studies or practice could have prepared her for this.

After how he had verbalized his frustration, Owen felt that it'd do better to let silence speak for them. What was he going to say? If he said it was going to be alright, he'd be lying to his soul. They couldn't just smile and do what they perceived to be their best anymore. They couldn't move on and expect things to work out somehow.

"What... I propose we do?" He repeated Claire's words, taking a brief pause before following up. "If we are weak, we must become strong." It was a bit ham-fisted, but the meaning worked. They had no other choice but to stand up to the challenges that presented themselves, no matter how ridiculous. "I won't be able to hide from Malaphar forever, but he has a power that I feel brute strength won't prove enough against. We have to learn the nature of his magic, and its weaknesses." The prince spoke a tall tale, but his tone was very serious.

"I... don't have the faintest idea where to start, but if you think you might know anything that could lead to it, tell me. I'll do whatever is in my power to help you learn about it, even if we need to take a detour to Wihtwar just to find a clue." The prince's conviction was slowly returning as he spoke, "Now that I've made enemies with that man, time is ever ticking. And he's not the only issue I'll face, if tensions between Raewald and Deira escalate." It was quite an ordeal... but Owen hadn't the time to hesitate anymore, nor the luxury to be scared. He was the Prince Regent of Wyke, he needed strength.

"Malaphar has a vial with him, now, and who knows for what sake he might use it." Owen continued, touching the uneasy subject. He turned to meet Claire eye to eye. "I think I've learned enough about the vial to realize what I want out of it: I need to know if it can be reversed, so we may counter any harm it has ever done. Or, at least, fight it." He continued, "Not only Malaphar. We must redouble our efforts now that people know the fountain might not have been just a folk tale. I can imagine how much conflict there will be if it becomes widespread knowledge --many people would want their chance at immortality, despite the consequences. That's why I think we should keep our vial for now. On the chance we might learn how to reverse it."

Owen stopped himself again once he realized how much he'd gone on for. "I'm sorry. I've been working on what goals I need to set since my encounter with Malaphar, so I don't lose sight, but... when I say we, it doesn't have to include you." He paused for breathing, the commanding presence quickly fading to give room to the mage's opinions. "If you're tired of this, you're free to speak it. I'd rather you be honest than work yourself to the grave for my sake."

Claire nodded slowly in agreement. Resorting to brute force against the wizard had already failed once, and she doubted he'd give them a better chance than when he shambled towards them in desperate need of healing. Although that need hadn't been as great as they'd first thought. When Owen asked her if she knew anything, she didn't have good news to tell.

"I've been running it through my head today, while we've been walking," she began, shaking her head. "But nothing I know matches up with what Malaphar is capable of. If anything, he's a contradiction." She scanned Owen's tent quickly, searching for a way to illustrate her point. The small, unlit candle on the table seemed to fit well enough. "I'm not sure how much you know about magic, but trying to use it without a tome or staff is really limiting." After a few moments of quiet, she managed to conjure a tiny flame on the candle, no tome present, before turning back to Owen again.

"I could make it a little bigger, but that's about the extent of what I can do. It's practically worthless in combat." she sighed, a small shrug escaping her. "Even the greatest mages in Wihtwar can barely match a basic tome, after countless years of training. It just isn't done. And even with a staff, transporting so many people like that in a short period of time is also incredibly rare." She didn't even need to go into the absurdity of the world itself. There were just too many mysteries surrounding the wizard and his powers, and they were no closer to solving any of them.

Learning that Malaphar had a vial with him wasn't comforting, but perhaps it shed some light on the situation. "That could be our answer." she began, hiding a desperate excitement in her voice. Considering the number of questions they had, having any answer at all which made sense came as a relief. "When we first met Malaphar, he urged us not to drink the vial, didn't he? He claimed that it granted great power at a great cost. What if he spoke from experience?" It seemed to match up. Malaphar acquiring a second vial was evidently a problem in that case, although its effects on the wizard were anyone's guess. And in that case, Owen's plan to try and reverse its effects really were the best choice they could make.

The prince offering her a way out was surprising, and made her pause for a moment. Stopping Malaphar was a tall task, and a dangerous one at that; one that she wasn't even sure they could manage. But it only lasted a moment. "If I left you to deal with this on your own, what kind of vassal would I be?" The laugh which came afterwards was a little forced, but she meant it. "It's a little strange, with Sir Lionel and Gerrard gone, but you know that you can still rely on us, don't you?" Even if Angus was an idiot, there was no way that Owen could shoulder this burden all alone. She squeezed his hand reassuringly. She withdrew it soon after, wondering if she'd overstepped, but the smile on her face didn't fade.

Owen had just known the basics of magic, casting without a tome was beyond that, but easy enough to pick up on. "I see... so if even a well-versed mage can't do much without a catalyst, Malaphar's power was probably not acquired naturally." Malaphar's connection to the vial seemed ever more likely, but it also meant that not all who drank from the vial paid the same cost as Baleros --if it really was the vial that caused him to become the monster they fought. Hmm.... but what causes this? Is there rhyme or reason to the debt for the vial's power?

Listening to Claire's decision to stay and aid him was a relief. He'd given her the rightful option to step out, but to have somebody he could still rely on was a blessing. "Thank you, Claire." The prince's face gained a soft smile, "I'm grateful that I can still rely on you. Without Sir Lionel around, it's been a bit rougher. Angus tried, but... he has his own land to learn how to manage now, among other things. I don't think it was very well thought-out to give him so many responsibilities, he was a squire just yesterday."

Owen chuckled, his mind wandered to memories of the capital's barracks. Kearney, an unassuming squire, now a fancy baron. "I'll try to do my best without Lionel, but thank you again." He didn't mind her hand, placing his back on her shoulder once freed. "We've got our work cut out for us, then. But as long as I'm not alone, I feel much better." In a brief moment, the prince hugged the mage, a light embrace that lasted only a second. "We'll see this through the end, alright? Make sure you take no unnecessary risks." With a pat on the back, he let her go.

Part of Claire wanted to bring up and question Angus' appointment as well, but the prince's hug, while welcome, came as a surprise. She was left a little confused on whether or not to return the gesture, and before she could make her mind up Owen had pulled away. The smile on her face grew slightly, but she wished she'd returned it. "You too, Prince Owen." she nodded, turning to leave. "Sorry if I disturbed you. Good night." She held her hand up briefly in a wave, before disappearing out of the tent.

There was still a lot weighing on her as she left, but somehow the mage felt a little better. Tiredness hit her properly at last as she muffled a wide yawn with her hand, but she was satisfied. At least something today had gone right.

Before Claire could wait for Emmet's response, Charlotte said... more or less what she would've been thinking had she been in a less fragile state of mind, and then hauled her away through the village. She didn't argue with getting half-carried along, and mumbled a "Thanks." under her breath as the girl released her, trying to straighten herself up a little. "It's alright, I... It shouldn't be a problem..." As long as they were left alone, she would be mostly fine. At least, she hoped so.

Edited October 17, 2016 by SB.

[Dandragon]

"...Uh...Miss Sidney-" Before he could ask anything, she was gone, carrying Claire off to who knows where. So he turned his attention back to Emmet. Serge was not privy to all the details about the vial, but he had the strangest feeling that he wasn't going to like the answer. Still, what could possibly be so bad about it that people were willing to kill over it? "Hey...Emmet, you're gonna be okay, right?"

Edited October 17, 2016 by Dandragon

[Jotari]

Before Emmet had a chance to respond to Claire, Charlotte verbally berated him and whisked the mage away. Emmet hadn't even known the girl had been there. He looked around the street his eyes searching for the bard but aside from Serge there was no one else there. He lt out a heavy sigh. "Hello Commander" he said, holding back his anger. "That bard lost it and tried to murder Claire for the vial. She tried to misplace the blame so I faked drinking it to make her reveal her true intentions. I got shot for my troubles. I don't know what happened since. Where are Princess Cassandra and the diplomat? And more importantly, where's the bard?"

[Dandragon]

"Sebastian has Scuttle and the vial with him. It should be fine." He breathed a sigh of relief. Everything seemed to be okay, after all.

"So...I managed to get ourselves somewhere to stay, in exchange for some labor. Specifically...Painting a fence. It's not glory work but it gets us a roof over our heads."

Edited October 17, 2016 by Dandragon

[Jotari]

Serge was prattling on about something meaningless. Didn't he realise this emergency was still very much going on? "The Herman butler? What direction did they go in? Did the princess and the diplomat go with them?"

Edited October 17, 2016 by Jotari

[Dandragon]

"Uh...I think he went that way?" Serge pointed in the direction Sebastian had left with Scuttle and the vial. "Also I think Cassandra and Alain are in the Library, which is where I am heading now. Listen, are you gonna be okay?" Despite being healed, there was still a lot of blood on the ground and he presumed it to partially be Emmet's. Maybe if he calmed him down...