Angelcynn: The Myrcian Conflict - Act 4

[Shin]

Sparkling Aura

Aurus quickly drew a gold trimmed hankerchief from his pocket, pushing it gently into Cass' palm. "I love gold because it shines and never rusts, there's also gold inside of everyone, and that shines too." he affirmed, adamant that Cass accepted the cloth. "Feel free to bring whoever you wish here. No matter the creed, those with money and style shall always be welcomed! To think a... royal wedding, and my work as the star piece. It makes me shiver just thinking about it."

His Name

The woman at the desk had been incredibly uninterested in Claire, almost dismissive of her until she said Malaphar's name. She didn't appear to be scared or even concerned, more intrigued than anything else. "That name, I've heard our lead tutor mention a few times. Maybe you should see him after all." she replied, standing up from her desk. Stepping out from behind it, she gestured for Claire to follow her down a corridor. "Do come this way, I'm sure he'll have plenty to ask you about."

Passing the students, Claire was brought down the hall. "Whoever this guy is... everyone seems to want to talk about him." she muttered, clearly out of the loop with Malaphar. "Another girl stopped by yesterday, she seemed pretty desperate to see someone."

Lost Connection

Elvira nodded, still trying to comprehend her daughter's bizarre situation. "His family seemed nice, I can't imagine what he could gain from getting you into trouble, he always seemed like a nice boy. I'm not sure if you've kept in contact with any of your friends, maybe they'd know a little more?" she suggested. "It seems like so long ago, when you were running around the house, your father coming back from talking with the King. Your father hasn't said much about Queen Ethel, other than she's incredibly difficult to predict. King Edwin was far more straight forward, sometimes you would even know what he would say next."

Backdrop Collection

Freya had past a whole host of people walking through the streets, from nobles to lowlifes. Without her armour, nobody really paid her too much attention. However, she was a little out of place once she reached the library. The entry hall was huge, with spiralling stone staircases leading up to several other floors. Academics casually wandered the building, the snippets of conversations far too abstract to follow.

There appeared to be a main desk, although it was rather crowded - a whole host of scholars had swarmed it. Unless there was something in particular she was looking for, it'd be difficult to get guidance any time soon. That was if she tried to wander alone. As chance would have it, Esclabor was stood by one of the shelves, flicking idly though a book held in his hand.

Super Mustache Siblings

It had been little trouble for Adele to get through to the training hall, considering her status. Adele found her brother sitting at the side of the hall, watching two people in the middle training. Graham was caught off-guard by his sister's sudden appearance, nearly falling from his seat as she greeted him. He was very much the same as when she'd last seen him, although very little was likely to have changed within a month.

"Adele? You came to see me?" he asked, touched by his sister's apparent consideration. Standing up quickly, he turned his focus away from the sparring match. "Owen told me all about what happened... I'm not strong like you or Cass, but I want to do my part too. It's nice to see people like Owen and Morta again, I was really getting lonely being here all by myself. I still don't have many friends. There were so few people I actually spoke to back home, I'm still trying to learn how to deal with people."

[Nanami Touko]

"You are quite the charming gentleman, Aurus," cass chuckled, taking his cloth, and using it to make sure her eyes were free of any tears. "I'll make sure to bring her along when we retrieve the rings. She'll be quite pleased, I'm sure. Thank you so much. Really!" Cass ended up giggling to herself, pleased as punch, all her previous worries gone. So there were people like this in Raewald, uncaring of who she loved. If only there were more, how wonderful that would be.

"Then, we'll be off. Thank you, once again. Serge, Captain, did either of you have business to attend to? I'm rather satisfied, today. I'd be happy to join either of you on any more business! I don't think anything's going to tear down this feeling. It would have to be quite devastating... And I'm certain that my luck isn't that terrible."

[SB.]

So Morganna really did come here, then. That was one question answered, and by the sound of things Claire had a chance to learn a few more of them. Or perhaps just another layer would be added to the mystery of Malaphar... It was tough to say, for now. She would have to see what this 'head tutor' had to say, and what his level of knowledge and experience with the wicked wizard was.

She followed quietly after the receptionist, quickly considering her options. "That doesn't surprise me, honestly." Although it was less of a 'want', and more necessitated by circumstance. "Do you remember what he spoke of Malaphar?" The wizard seemed to have little trouble  finding others to influence - and if this tutor was one of them, things were suddenly very dangerous.

Edited May 21, 2017 by SB.
o that was shorter than i realised

[Dandragon]

Serge had stayed silent the entire time they were in the store, and had nearly spaced out before the trip was seemingly over and Cassandra was addressing him, again. And he was tempted to start up the conversation from earlier, but decided against it. The princess did not seem like a person he would want to argue with, if only because he didn't want any sort of punishment, as well as getting a headache from it all.

"...There might be a place. I'd like to go check up at the Heroes' Guild. I recently hired someone and wanted to check if they got their business taken care of." He had just been there earlier that day, it was true, but it was a good idea to check up on Vesta, in his opinion. "And, if we can, I'd also like to try and...visit the asylum, here, afterwords." He looked away for a moment, thinking about what he just said. Emily...God, what am I supposed to do?

[Nanami Touko]

"Oh, more mercenaries? I suppose with Emmet gone, you'll need some more man power. And you did win that arena match, so surely you have the gold so afford some. Mmm, that sounds fine, I'll come along. And, do make sure to pay everyone still here, before you forget! Even I know that hard work deserves reward... Unless you already have, in which case, carry on."

The asylum, though? "Well, I'd rather not go there again, so if you must, you'll be going there alone. Come, captain, let's escort out lovely lackey leader," she giggled, enjoying her alliteration, "to the heroes' guild, and see to it that he arrives safely."

[riariadne]

"He was always kind of two faced, charming when he wanted to be, but very unpleasant when he didn't get his way. At least, that's how I remember him," Sidney explained. "But, no, I haven't really kept in touch with anyone here since I've been too far away. And sending letters with instructions how to deliver them to be would be asking for trouble if they ever got intercepted along the way. Maybe I could look around to meet with some of them, but given the level of alert people have for me, I'm not sure how wise that is..." She ran her fingers through her hair a bit nervously before flipping it with a shake. "I liked things back then. Being an adult is hard, what with making decisions that always stick with you, finding a way in the world, dealing with feelings..." She gave a wistful sigh.

[Xinnidy]

There she was, and this man whom he assumed was to be his instructor. It was good to see that things weren't forgotten. "That's correct, well met, Turstam." What a funny name, though his hair was stylish... "I've been travelling an awful lot recently, roads aren't safe down near Magonsaete at all. But most of all, arrows leave the nastiest wounds, and it's just too hard to deal with them with just a sword." He extended his hand back, shaking the city guard's. "I don't fight alone, but I do wish to be more helpful in these situations... I realize it's quite an odd thing to ask strangers for. I can only thank Sally and yourself for giving me the time."

[Dandragon]

"That's fine. I don't have to go there, today, anyways. Just the guild." With a nod, Serge began leading the two, but not without contemplating on a few things along the way. Mostly about Emily, and what he was going to do with her. The fact remained that she should not be alive, but thanks to whatever was in that vial, she was. Of course, it came at the cost of not only forgetting him, but constantly forgetting him every time they spoke. There was also the fact that she had forgotten all the fights they had been in, according to Larissa.

...But was the asylum really the right answer? Sure, Emily was acting weird, but she had her quirks before. It didn't mean she was going crazy. Plus, was it right for him to just throw the niece of someone from Wyke in a Tytila Madhouse? It sure didn't feel like it was right. But would it really be okay to just take her along? He already wasn't paying her, considering she doesn't even remember being employed by him. And what if she forgot how to fight, too? They would have to defend her much like they did Larissa, only she was able to heal people. Emily would be...near useless. Once again, Serge found himself not knowing what to do.

--

It hadn't been long before they had arrived at the Guild. It was the same as before, not like Serge expected anything different. He pushed upon the doors, and they opened with the usual creak of wood. He looked around before spotting the scruffy looking woman, and called out as he walked over. "Vesta! How's that business going? You fix that Ballistae, yet?"

Edited May 21, 2017 by Dandragon

[Ether]

"Such things will come with time, Brother. Owen informed me that he had met with you... Father didn't tell me which academy you were to attend, I am glad to see you here and safe. It seems that you're fitting in reasonably well, at the least. I'm sure you'll make good use of your time here." Adeltrudis replied, giggling a bit as Graham nearly toppled over of surprise.

"We're working with Queen Ethel... Owen and I, as well as the others with us... we'll do all we can to get our home back from Deira, Brother. We're going to need you at top form when we're reconstructing everything, so I need you to make the most of your time here."

[Juliette]

Hm. So much for the help desk. Freya hadn't had too specific of a goal in mind when she had made her way towards the library, so asking for something from the desk had been a priority, but seemed unlikely with how crowded it was. Still, that alone was not a deterrent to leave, especially when she saw someone familiar. "Good afternoon, Lord Esclabor," she spoke quietly- it was a library!- as she approached him. "What is it you're reading? I had come here looking to find something of interest to pass the time with, but the details of it I hadn't thought of yet."

[Shin]

Golden Hero

"Glad to be of service, Princess." Aurus replied, announcing his response to the room around him. "One can't say that, here at Aurum's Emporium, people are treated badly. Class nor age are barriers if you can afford it! I look forward to news of your wedding, I hope it is most spectacular."

-

Thwomp followed along with Serge and Cass to the Heroes' Guild, confused by Serge's choice in location. The grand hall was as the mercenary remembered it, the bustling crowd of potential fighters no smaller than it had been before. Locating Vesta hadn't been difficult, although she had been focused on a small contraption in her hand as Serge approached her. Nearly jumping out of her seat, she caught her device before it could fall to the floor. Turning around, taking a moment to calm herself she gave Serge an amused smile.

"Oh, Serge? I didn't expect to see you so soon." she replied, brushing a strand of hair out from in front of her face. "I've got the parts now, but it's going to be another few days before I can get the mechanism working again. Were you intending to head off soon? I wasn't expecting to leave so soon."

Devil Delight

The receptionist shook her head, not quite able to fully understand Claire's intrigue. "I almost want to meet him after all this fuss. Our lead tutor has had a few people coming to him about this Malaphar, especially in the last few months." she muttered, taking Claire to a doorway. Knocking on the oak door, she called through. "Principal Jannes? We've got someone here to talk about this Malaphar... are you bu-..." she began, only for the door to open quickly in front of them.

An old man stood in front of Claire, wearing a deep blue robe patterned with runes and symbols. Bald, wrinkled and bizarrely possessing no eyebrows, his curly white beard was the only hair present on his face. "Did you come to speak of... Him?" he asked, ushering Claire in. "Come in, quickly. There is no time to waste. I shall explain myself once I can be certain we will not be overheard."

Echoed Concern

"Charlotte, there isn't an easy way to grow up. I was fortunate that I met your father, otherwise things could have been very different for me." Elvira replied, gesturing for Sidney to sit next to her. "You haven't exactly been the most straightforward daughter to raise, but at least you're still healthy and can learn from your mistakes. I'm glad that you haven't been hurt or killed, as much as I complain, that's more important than any of the trouble you've caused."

Resting back into her seat, Elvira put her hands on her lap. "If Prince Owen and your father can say something to Queen Ethel, there might be a chance." she added. "I'll see what I can do to help, just promise me that you won't do anything careless."

Spongeowen Arrowpants

"I can understand, Prince Owen." Turstam replied, giving Owen's hand a firm shake. "It's not easy dealing with threats from afar, a sword seems so short compared to the range of arrows or spells. However, there's a technique Sally's grandfather taught me that helps deal with them. It sounds really risky, and doesn't always work but you can actually use the flat of your sword to cover yourself. It relies on being quick and knowing that they're coming, but with enough practice you'll have something to work with."

Sally nodded in agreement, most likely from having seen the technique prior. "It took Grandpa almost thirty years to get it spot on, but Turstam managed to get reasonably reliable after a few months." she added. "Even if you don't get it right every time, it's at least something!"

Edited June 4, 2017 by Shin

[Dandragon]

Serge shook his head. "Honestly, I was just checking up on you. And if you still need a few days, then I'm pretty sure we have the time. Though, I'd have to check with my employer about that one." He then turned to the Princess. "This is Vesta, the woman with the Ballistae I told you and Owen about. I think she's going to be a great ally to us all. And, she could be pretty handy with some gadgets like...uh..." He turned his head back. "...What are you messing with, Vesta?" In truth, all he really knew about her was that she had a ballistae, so he was pretty much lying through his teeth. But the better he could convince people that she was a valuable asset to the group, the easier she would be accepted in. At least, that's what he believed.

[riariadne]

Sidney sat down as her mother gestured, leaning onto the back of the chair quickly. "It's just tough because... well, the past doesn't seem to want to let go for me. I want to be free of it, because I regret what I did, but as soon as I come back it's very clear that I'm not welcome unless something changes soon. I made lots of mistakes here, and some after I left, but I'd like to think that I've been doing things that are good. But, I can't just turn myself in to make up for things. Owen's relying on me... we went through Magonseate to get here, and had to fend off lots of bandits. And when I was in Wyke, I helped him deal with a plot to usurp the throne, too. But it feels more like everyone wants cuffs first, questions never because my word doesn't mean anything." She leaned onto one of her hands for a moment, thinking over the other things her mother said. "... How did you meet father? It was during one of his errands for King Edwin, right? But, other than that, I don't really know anything about it."

[Shin]

Bits and Bobs

"That's a relief, fixing a ballista on the road would be a pain. Calibration could probably take a day in itself, and I want to make sure that the firing mechanism... this thing here stops the thing from falling to pieces after the shot's fired. How familiar with the laws of motion? The Deirans might be warmongers, but they pump out some decent numbers. " Vesta replied, holding the contraption in her hands tightly. She seemed almost caught up in the talk of her work, Cass' presence caught her entirely by surprise.

"Oh? It's not just the Prince you work for... are you that Princess? The one who got arrested earlier?" she asked, peering over at Cass. "If you are... funny how stories get twisted, I heard you were frumpy with one eyebrow and a wooden leg. Guess you're not popular around these parts. Still, fancy stuff meeting royalty... I should have worn my good apron."
 

Fond Memories

Elvira wiped her eye, shuffling closer to her daughter. "People remember what they want to colour how they see a person." Elvira replied. "If it makes it easier to get you in trouble, this Ferdinand's going to hold on to things for as long as he can. Unless something else replaces that, there won't be anything else for them to judge you by."

Sidney's mention of Elvira's husband brought a smile to her face, letting her turn back the years and recall her youth. "It was nearly twenty five years ago... but I remember it so clearly. We were both so young, younger than you are now. He had recently inherited his title, but he was already working for King Edwin personally. He'd come to my father's house to discuss a business deal." Elvira laughed, covering her mouth sheepishly. "It was so funny, I opened the door and I could barely get my words out. My father wasn't scheduled to be home for over an hour... so I invited this stranger in... and it all began from there. If it hadn't been for chance, we might have never even met. How did you meet Prince Owen? It's not every day a runaway thief ends up with royalty."
 

United by Blood

"Father always seems to be one step ahead, it's hard to know what he's thinking sometimes. Jeeves was different, he always let us know how he felt. He never hid anything from us, he was like a second father to me." Graham replied, almost embarrassed by Adele's laughter. "I want to be strong like you and Owen, sister. I don't want to be a dead-weight, I want to be able to stand proud and be just like you. Maybe after all this is over... maybe I can... Cass..."

Graham's face tinged red, shaking his head quickly. "No, it's nothing. I saw Morta earlier, but she was busy with someone else. He seemed really familiar, but I couldn't quite place him." Graham added, his change in topic lacking any sort of grace. "I knew she had sisters, but I didn't think there was anyone else."
 

Books and Barons

"Baron Esclabor." Esclabor corrected, closing his book promptly as he turned to Freya. "If you're so bored that you decided to wander around a library, you really need to consider getting some hobbies. Although I'm impressed that you can actually read, puts you a peg above that rascal Sergio. I was trying to find a little something about Deira's history with Myrcia... can't find an unbiased source though, Raewaldean writers aren't exactly very kind, they've been hating Deira for centuries. Myrcia's been pretty hotly contested for the last couple hundred years, nobody's had the guts to properly invade though. Weird that it happens now with Malaphar appearing. The guy's gotta be behind this somehow, it's just too convenient."

Edited June 5, 2017 by Shin

[Nanami Touko]

"What a quaint little place..." Cass looked about the Guild with scrutiny, wondering if this was unique to Raewald, or if it was something every country held similar. Did Wyke had a place like this? Well, Serge had to have gotten his men from somewhere. They weren't all there when Niko had originally signed on. Ah, well.

She was met with a look as Serge began to speak to someone, glancing back at them, with a smirk. "Is this your new girlfriend Serge? You could do much worse. Yes, I am 'that princess that got arrested earlier'. You can call me Cassandra. The guards don't take too well to a woman loving another-- or most of them, at least. The Captain here is quite the gentleman, and has been giving me escort. And Serge here, he doesn't exactly work for me. A bit related, but, he's been hired by my bride to be. You didn't tell her you work directly for my brother, did you? Goodness, Serge... I would hope that's not why she wishes to come with us." Cass realized she may have been jeopardizing something by saying that, covering her mouth for a moment.

"That isn't to say Serge is a poor leader. In fact, he put on quite the impressive show at the arena recently. A strong leader making money for his men, quite the role model." Certainly that was enough saving for him. Certainly.

Edited June 5, 2017 by Nanami Touko

[riariadne]

Sidney listened to the story with some level of interest, but almost a twinge of jealousy. I wish it was so easy for me... "Well... meeting Owen was good fortune for me, too. I stayed on Emmanuel for a while when I escaped... he would pretend I wasn't around most of the time, but he knew I was there. But, eventually, I knew I couldn't just hide there, so I tried traveling instead. That didn't go all that well and I didn't really know as much about the world as I thought I did, so I got stuck with some bad crowds. I wound up really down on my luck by the time I met Owen, but I saw him fighting with some brigands, and took it as an opportunity. I didn't tell him who I really was for a while, partly out of fear, partly... I dunno, I didn't feel like I had the position to act like a high and mighty noblewoman from a foreign land when he was nice to me even ignoring that stuff. So, I tagged along, and eventually we started to be closer."

She continued on somewhat glumly, poking at her nails alternatively. "He likes me, but he doesn't feel quite as strongly as I do yet. I wish he would! I think we'd be so happy together, and I'd be someone who can help him while he's in such a difficult time with regards to the state of Wyke, but he's very contemplative and feels like it's rushing. I don't think any waiting of sort really matters, but that would be pretty mean to tell him to quit waiting around, so I'm trying to be patient instead. But, I fear I'm not all that good at being patient. He'll probably just get sick of me at some point... It's so hard. I feel like I know what's right to do most of the time, or at least how to be decisive, but around him I'm just some crazy lovestruck girl."

Edited June 6, 2017 by Reinfleche

[Xinnidy]

"Truly? I'd love to learn of this technique... I'm sure it's no easy feat, but I'll do my best." The man's words were quick to pique Owen's interest. It would truly not do to be such an easy target for arrows, and they were certainly dangerous for one of his position! Prince Owen, aspiring leader, taken down by an stray arrow. Hmph. Not if I have a say about it, I hope.

"Your grandfather must have been an impressive man to think of such technique. Surely, let us waste no time." Certainly the man, or Sally, would ask a price for the lesson soon. Owen hoped it'd be within his range. They did have some surprise expenses when they got here...

Edited June 7, 2017 by Xinnidy

[Juliette]

"Oh, well aren't you just charming," Freya mumbled quietly at the way he spoke about himself as he rambled about Deira. No wonder he doesn't seem to be around the others very much. Lord is perfectly acceptable... "Reading is a hobby," she spoke up less quietly. "I don't usually have much time for it, as guard duty took up much of my adult life and I take my responsibilities more seriously than most others. Now that I have more time here, I thought I'd use the opportunity. I'm busy, not foolish." Baron or not, it was quite clear her dignity did not let her take Esclabor's disdain in stride. "Have you gleaned anything useful? Biased or not, they still could have knowledge that is of potential value to us." If he continued being obtuse, there was always the much more bearable option of fiction.

[SB.]

"I think that you would change your mind fairly quickly." Claire replied, although the comment that followed piqued her interest. "For months, you say?" That was certainly a developement. So, they would already know about Malaphar here, at least in this branch? Even as they arrived at the office door, and the tutor stepped out, Claire still wasn't quite sure what to make of it.

His appearance and insistence of keeping this all behind closed doors were both a little odd, but she accepted it. "Alright then." Claire nodded, stepping inside, trying to keep her features neutral. Wasn't there supposed to be someone else in here as well? It was strange to see Jannes invite her in so readily with another pupil inside, if he wanted this to remain private. Claire mentally prepared herself for trouble at a moment's notice, but with the magical skill of her opponent unknown, she wasn't feeling great about this whole thing.

[Shin]

Number One

Vesta wasn't exactly encouraged by Cass' remarks, if anything the news of her arrest and escapades were eclipsed by her comments on Serge. "You mean the arena here in Tytila? Isn't that where losers go when they can't get hired for mercenary work?" she asked, looking at Serge with a puzzled expression. "Well, I guess if you did well you can't be that bad... what are your other men like? I mean, you do have other mercenaries, right? I'm not about to back out of the deal, but I need to know the details."

Thwomp kept quiet, Vesta's comments weren't exactly putting the mercenary in good light, but he could at least see where they were coming from. Vesta sighed, shaking her head. "Damn, I'd have asked you to hire Abdul too if I knew where he went, it'd be good to be working with someone you know."

Get in the Pants

There was something about Sidney's story that had touched her mother, her expression softening and her posture relaxing. "Don't worry, Charlotte. It's not a race. The fact that you could connect with someone under circumstances like that shows that there's a special connection between you two." she assured, patting her daughter on the head. "Some people just have their own way of showing how they feel, some are more subtle or slower to do it too. Be there to support him, he'll be able to respond when things quieten down for him. It must be hard to lose your own country to Deira. Give him time, I'm sure if you feel this way about him, you'll get an answer."

Elvira laughed, looking up at the family portrait on the wall. "It's funny, as much as your father chased after me, I was the one who asked him in the end." she mused. "It's not exactly typical, but it's how it went for us. Maybe he'll surprise you?"

Arrow Guard

Turstam smiled, taking one of the bows from the display and passing it to Sally. "Sally's old man was really something, it's a shame someone like me has to carry down his special technique. It's not often I see troublemakers with bows, I sometimes have to ask our archers to help keep it fresh in my mind." he replied. Drawing his sword, he held it up in front of him diagonally, flipping the flat of the blade in Owen's direction. 

"Only a master swordsman or an idiot would try swinging at an arrow. The trick is to keep it still and adjust it to cover yourself." he continued, sheathing his sword again. "A sword's coverage isn't great, but once you get the hang of it you can kinda see where the arrow's going to go. I figure a couple dozen shots from Sally should do the trick. Obviously, you'd be better off with a solid shield, but you're not always going to have one handy."

Time with Friends... and Esclabor

Esclabor didn't appear too fussed by Freya's irritation, he'd either largely ignored her or simply didn't care enough about a commoner's feelings. "I'm sure you were plenty busy guarding the Princess, Freya. That girl's a handful, but I'm sure you know that already." he replied, more interested in the shelf in front of him. "Most of them keep talking about how Deira never really liked it when Myrcia split off from them. A bunch of merchants decided they'd rather run their own country. First time they've actually attacked though, you'd have thought their divine right would have got them to attack a couple decades earlier."

Hidden Enemy

Jannes hurried back to his desk, sitting himself down as soon as he was certain the door was closed. The other pupil was the blue haired girl in question, although she was only faintly familiar - possibly one of Claire's colleagues back at Wihtwar. She was rather petite, dressed in blue robes and sporting an incredibly neutral expression. Her eyes were incredibly cold, there was almost no indication of what she could have been thinking. Rubbing his temples, Jannes then clasped his palms together.

"Yes, months... We've been keeping a close eye on Malaphar since his reappearance." Jannes replied, keeping his voice low. "Miss Bennett... I'm aware you've been in contact with him, I believe you were travelling with one of our agents at the time. She's filled us in on her perspective but any information you have would be greatly appreciated. Malaphar is a name known to the College for over one hundred years. He's somehow outlived his entire generation, none can recall him as a student at the College, yet his name taints our records."

The other girl looked at Claire, her gaze almost going straight through her. "You smell just like him." she stated, almost monotonous in her speech. "I don't know why, or how, but your energy reminds me of his."

[Xinnidy]

"To use the sword as a guard... that is certainly tricky." Owen conceded, trying to study the logic behind it. It was sound... if a bit easy to fail. I suppose there's a logic to this. If I can make use of my mind to keep track of my enemy's position in battle, it'll come likely where they're more likely to aim... Of course... that was much easier said than done, but it was worth sonething.

"I see..." He unsheathed his sword... the epee wouldn't do for it, but something more normal-looking would still work... his iron sword would be appropriate for now. He took a look at the flat of the blade, pondering how much he could actually cover. "Very well, let's give it a shot!" Owen said confidently.

[SB.]

Claire cautiously seated herself next to the blue haired stranger, quickly finding herself surprised by the direction of the conversation. So this is what you were up to, Morganna... It was frustrating that the illusionist hadn't just told her outright - even if she was trying to keep Claire out of trouble. This was very much her problem; she was too involved to step away from it.

"He's really that old?" Claire sighed. It was difficult to even know where to begin with her information. Or what the bluenette's comment on her 'energy' even meant, it was practically gibberish to her. "I'm not sure what to make of that," She frowned slightly. "But I think I've found out quite a bit, but I still don't really have a solution." 

"Malaphar has... maybe three rare forms of magic at his disposal. He can create a world of his own, of sorts, using his illusion magic. He brought a couple of us there, and tried to kill us. Everything in that world answers to him, although it didn't seem like his control of it was perfect. I'm not sure if it was because of his injuries or not, but we couldn't finish him off either way." Morganna had likely already told them all of this, but perhaps the recap would be useful.

"The second has something to do with Belial. I don't exactly know what, but a worshiper told me that he'd come to see her in the past in search of information on him. This was years ago, I believe, so it's likely that he already found what he was looking for." Belial granted power, supposedly, and Malaphar certainly had no shortage of it. Perhaps that was all natural though, and Belial was simply his trump card... although she really hoped that it wouldn't come to that.

"Third, he seems to have acquired an extract from the Fountain of Ages. I can confirm its existence, but not the inner workings... however, it's certainly capable of bringing the deceased back to life. Although we don't know what kind of side effects it might have, or any of its other uses..." Claire trailed off, partly to catch her breath, but also to let the information sink in a little. She was far from finished, but there was so much that needed to be said - and hopefully the college would be able to provide her information in return.

Edited June 7, 2017 by SB.

[Dandragon]

"I-J-Pu-Gaaaah..." Serge was stuttering, entirely speechless at how freely Cassandra spoke about the possibility that he wasn't telling the truth, and he felt insulted, if not flustered. And became even more flustered when Vesta had called the people that went to the Arena 'losers'. He certainly felt the irony of the situation, too. "*sigh* It's not like I enjoyed my time there. And I'm definitely not going back any time soon. But yeah, I did go there. And, believe it or not, I won the whole thing." Despite any regrets he held, there was a small bit of pride in that statement.

Her next question was a bit more pleasant, and it was one he was willing to answer. "My men, huh? ...Well, there are two brothers, Hans and Lars, who are incredibly supportive. Truth be told, they look a bit similar, so it might be hard to tell them apart, at first, but I think you'll get the hang of it. Regardless, they've had my back at nearly every decision I've made. And they have the muscle to get plenty of jobs done. Then, there's Larissa. She's...a bit mischievous, for a lack of a better term, but I think she's got her heart in the right place. She's been with me from the very beginning, and I couldn't of gotten here without her and her healing abilities."

"And then..." Serge felt his chest tighten, and was hesitant to bring up the last member of the Crew. But, if he didn't, then he ran the risk of her finding out later and him looking terribly suspicious. "Then, there's Emily. And she's...well she's...scattered brained, I guess. She, uh-" He paused. It was hard for him to talk about her, after everything that happened. "She's...not doing so well. At all. She took a nasty blow for me and h-hasn't been the same since. She doesn't remember a whole lot..." He was silent for a moment, trying desperately to regain his composure in front of Vesta, Cassandra, and Thwomp. He took a deep breath, and he was able to continue. "Her magic helped in a number of battles, and is probably one of the most powerful mages I've seen. And she was dedicated, too. Really, all of them are invaluable members of the Crew and I couldn't of asked for a better group of mercenaries."

Edited June 7, 2017 by Dandragon

[Nanami Touko]

It was touching to see Serge talk so spiritedly about his people, even Emily... Though he did leave out some important details. She had just enough tact to know that mentioning Emily was brought back from the dead would be a bad idea, but there was something Serge had ignored that she didn't feel right leaving alone. Not that she was about to speak for him, but shoving him in the right direction was for the best.

"Did you meet an Abdul at the arena, Serge?" she started, cutting the air. "There were a few people there... I was too focused on you, I didn't quite manage to catch their names. You didn't happen to talk with them in the waiting room, did you?" Surely, he had... She was lying a bit on her part, she did remember the names, but... They weren't the men who died, were they? That's... Quite unfortunate for this girl, then. I wonder what he'll say...

[Dandragon]

Serge bit the inside of his lip as Cassandra brought up Abdul. He was regretting bringing her here, but now that she brought it up, there wasn't much he could do to avoid it. At least, not that he could think of at the moment. The tightness in his chest seemed to be more powerful, like a gaping void in his body slowly eating him up. He had no idea how Vesta would react, and truly expected the worst possible outcome. But, he couldn't lie. Not about this.

"Yes...Yes, I did know Abdul." He nodded, slowly, and looked back at Vesta. "And I knew Octon. I spoke to both of them in the Arena. Not for long, though, but...they seemed nice. Really nice. And I heard about Abdul getting money to go back to his home." He stopped, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. "I wanted to hire them and help them, believe me, I did. But...In that Arena, there was a woman, her skin incredibly pale, her hair pitch black. And she...And she..." He gulped, holding back the anger and tears he held at not being able to stop the deaths of Vesta's friends. "She murdered them. In front of everyone in those stands. She murdered them both in cold blood!" He was shaking his head, his eyes closed tight to hold back everything that was threatening to come bursting out like a waterfall. "I'm sorry." He said, quietly. "I'm so, so sorry." He had long since stopped caring about his image, at this point he felt like he didn't deserve any kindness that Vesta would have given him before.