Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars

JakezuGD · November 10, 2023

After waiting for Syta to leave, Tasha nodded to Tio's question. What they'd spoken of was clear enough for her to have picked up with her excellent hearing, but it didn't make too much sense in the moment - was the girl really referring to a trinket as a person? "I'm just trying to get a feeling on how we're doing overall, and... oh, I guess you're still talking." The Evoker's attention had quickly shifted to the amulet in her hand, and though the commander didn't have too clear an idea of what it meant, the fact that Tio was replying to something she didn't hear herself was a clear indicator that there was indeed some kind of presence within that accessory. Elisa only motioned for Natalya to follow as they began to move again, listening as closely as she could push herself to Tio and Kisara's conversation without actually being part of it herself.

Once her wife had stopped, and turned to her as well, the strawberry blonde let out a small sigh. "Tell me about it. Though I couldn't hear the other half of that conversation, you said enough to make me concerned... even if it does explain a slight nagging feeling I've had about those two. Either way," she looked back to see the tall tiger still in tow, "someone else wanted our attention too."

Tasha couldn't make heads or tails of half the things Tio said, although she did vaguely recall the names of Chris and Marianne, and how they were now supposedly somehow related to or similar to Mercuria. If they wanted to brief her about what all of that meant, she could let them recover some more and get back to it... but for now, she'd just have her original topic to discuss. "Whatever that was just now sounded a hell of a lot more important than anything I could bother you with, but, uh, yeah. I'll get out of your hair as soon as we get to our rooms, but how do you two think our plan regarding Kazran is going to go? If he's willing to step up like that, surely that means he thinks we can do it, yeah?" The name was left out, but there was only one person she could've realistically been referring to. An aside came to her as well, recalling an earlier grumble from the older Evoker. "...Would you like me to carry you upstairs?"

The Commander's question shook Elisa out of her immediate thoughts regarding the half of things Kisara and Tio were talking about, and more into thinking as much as she could about what had occurred with the negotiations. "You dealt with the Underground mostly without our help, so I can't imagine a Warlord to be that much worse... especially when you've got other forces to distract the bulk of the enemy for a shock strike. I'll have to admit I wasn't really paying attention to the specifics, but our faith in you hasn't been misplaced thus far, even when the situation's gotten ridiculous at a moment's notice." Tasha didn't typically ask them for their opinion about these things, but perhaps recent events had made her more wary. "I'd carry her myself, but, you know. I'm having a hard time keeping my own two legs straight still, much less taking care of my wonderfully endowed wife like so.~" As much as her coy smile was less energetic than usual, things were slowly getting back to the norm.

Though she felt like she wasn't acknowledged much, Bella didn't take that personally. A group that's been traveling with a primarily Clouded composition was sure to be more interested in what Clouded they could find in Islexia like this, and furthermore, it seemed like they were all originally from the same country. Perhaps they'd be more interested once they found out what she could do for them in a battle, or even outside of it, but she still needed Owen's blessing to provide her services equally to the Tigers, even if they were already formally employed. "You certainly aren't making a case against the latter, Amera.~" The hyperactive cat might not even hear that over her own exuberance, but that wouldn't stop the witch from chuckling at it all the same.

Nanami Touko · November 10, 2023

Marigold was on her feet in an instant, stuffing an arm through the bars and pointing an angry finger at Graham. "Listen here, meatbag! There's a Goddamn Belrose in our keep, and I don't care if Owen's entire lineage was present, the enemy is inside our walls. I'm only gonna say this once, Syndra. You make sure you're good and gone when this agreement is done. I don't care how little you've had to do with your family, I don't care how much you want to fix things now-- Kieran is right. You ran. How was Glacies with the Tigers? How was it, living it up with your friends, while the family you escaped from, escaped all responsibility from, killed our people for sport, took them as slaves, skinned them for clothes, how was your cushy little life on that island? Feh." She retreated into the cell and flopped next to Kieran, arms folded. "Even if it'd killed you to stand up against him, at least you'd have died trying. You're only back here by coincidence, eh? Wouldn't have even been coming through Islexia without those Evokers needing you all to guide them I'll fuckin' bet. How many MORE years would you have left this problem? Your problem. Meh... Who cares, but don't think you'll ever get less than this from people like me. Until I see you standing tall in Nicolas' own damn house with his head in your hands, your words mean less than shit to me. Think on that."

GoldsbroTSG · November 11, 2023

They seem to be getting along quite nicely. Miria was glad for that, she enjoyed the company of these--

And like a bullet Amera ran off to go meet Lani. She gave a laugh as she ran off. "Reminds me of me." She turned back to the others there, giving a soft pat to Jesse's shoulder. "I do hope we get along well. And yeah, like Jesse asked, any plans? I don't know my way around the city." An offer to hang out surely wasn't too much? Gotta get to know your allies.

Bluemask 96 · November 13, 2023

Gean raised an eyebrow at the newcomer cat who seemed to have missed the entire meeting, but Cass handled everything, and was ready to show Gean and Aly the way to the water. The mermaid gave Ren a wave goodbye and followed the shark out the room.

Amera was a bolt of energy as she beelined straight towards Lani. Jesse blinked for a second before asking Seila, "Is she always bouncing off the walls like this?"

Miria's touch on the shoulder interrupted that line of conversation. "A tour around the city would be nice. I'm sure Ms. Belladonna here could show use everywhere important."

Billy12510 · November 14, 2023

Syndra raised a hand towards the bear-man and said. "It's fine, there's nothing anyone in this room has said about my family I haven't heard before, and they're right to say it. Although with that being said..." Syndra folded her arms under her chest and put on a more puzzled look before asking. "If you blame my family for everything that's happened to you and Islexia, then why was your grand plan to get back at the Belrose family... to help them? The only person with the authority to pay the Hecatian Underground to kidnap me would be Nicolas Belrose himself, surely that thought had to have crossed your mind no? Or did you just not care, like how you don't care now about the wrongs you've done to the same group of people."

Marigold also felt as if she had to interject, so Syndra responded. "I think it's been so long for you that you don't recall what the difference is between dying for something and dying in vain. Which is what would've happened had I done what you suggested. Islexia's problems are more deeply ingrained within its own culture, my family's just a face you can correctly point and blame at for keeping it going. Even if you woke up tomorrow and my family were all wiped off the face of Amaranth it wouldn't solve anything, there'd still be a bunch of other warlords like them, all eager and ready to fill in the hole left behind, but then again, that doesn't seem to matter to you does it. All of them must be the same to you, just like how I'm not Syndra of the Iron Tigers, I'm just Nicolas Belrose's daughter. That seemed to be all you thought about after I told you who I was." Even with Syndra saying that, there was one detail still nagging at her. "Still, you were one of the ones that saved me from Krauser and the Underground back then, when you certainly had the chance to do nothing. So why did you? Judging from the shift in attitude you took towards me, it doesn't seem it was for my sake."

Nanami Touko · November 14, 2023

"Because the boss man needs your group, not you, and your leader trusts you, even if I don't. So we save you to make sure things don't fall out, even if I wanted different, because I'm not blind to the bigger picture of Islexia even if I hate your guts." Marigold flipped her off. "Don't give a shit if you died in vain mmmmmmmmmmmbitch. One less Belrose is one less Belrose, far as I'm concerned." She wasn't going to address the rest, because half of it had been fear on Kieran's part, the other hand Belrose fueled hatred. She didn't accept his decision, not at all, but she could see how he'd tunneled on 'the Underground will take the Belrose', without thinking about the consequences of it being the fucking Underground. He was still an idiot, after all.

Mercenary on the Winds · November 14, 2023

Kieran just shook his head, "You just don't get it, do you? Help your family? Help the Belrose? Yeah, it crossed my mind, but it doesn't matter. I already told you why I did it. Self-preservation. I'll be honest, I don't know how the hell any of you are alive. I've seen what that man is capable of. Under just about every set of circumstances, he should have killed every single one of you, and yet... somehow, you're here, and it sounds like everyone else is too. I don't know what you did, or how you did it, but I don't have that luxury. If I didn't say anything, I wouldn't exist anymore. I'd be as dead as the underground scum that I'm sure you killed that night. Probably deserve it about as much, honestly." Kieran leaned forward, "Honestly, I did it for a couple reasons actually," Kieran looked over at Owen, "And one of them is a reason, that I think you're full of shit. Luthier is a monster, a true monster, if he wanted to, or was ordered to, he'd march in here himself, and just kill Owen. He mentioned it too. So on one hand, I've got trading in one of the Belrose, and knowing what might happen to the Tigers, and on the other, throwing away the only real shot that Islexia has got at a better world."

Kieran scoffed, and then shook his head again, "Do yourself a favor also. Don't lump the Tigers in with you either. Yeah, I'm not sorry about what happened to you. But the Tigers didn't deserve any of it. They were collateral, just like my family, friends, and Islexia were in your father's stupid games, but unlike him, I'll be paying for that for the rest of my life. The name Pasval has already been muddied enough, all I can do now is make up for it."

Kieran had straight up ignored Graham, but finally turned towards the burly man, "Is that better, Graham? Truth be told, I don't think I can make things worse than I already have. I've hit ground zero, every caustic remark I make can't lower my standing here anymore than it already is." Kieran raised his hands to show the man his cuffs, "Owen came down here with the Belrose knowing I'd be like this. If he wants me to stop, then he can say it."

Jeremiah's eyes shifted slightly. On the face of it, it wasn't really possible to ascertain the reality of what Renais was saying; headache from instruments meant nothing on its own, but the mention of a burning ship, and missing five years of memories... the number of coincidences bent his line of thinking more and more. Most importantly, was how the girl matched. Her hair was almost a dead ringer for that of Sara Rhapsodia, at the time he hadn't thought much on it, but now that it was in front of him, it all seemed to click. "...What a way to solve a mystery. I can tell you what I know, but, I can't ascertain whether you're really a Rhapsodia or not. Coincidences are not proof, and I can't treat them as such. Though... I missed it before, but you do bear a passing resemblance to Sara. Sara Rhapsodia, that is, a member of Lufirian intelligence. To my knowledge, there is Allegra Rhapsodia, Darian, and Sara with a handful of relatives. As for your actual question... Melody. Melody Rhapsodia, she was deemed dead after an attack on a Lufirian vessel carrying the Rhapsodias to perform outside of the country--the first and last time the Rhapsodia attempted this after the Islexian Collapse."

Tio turned, and remembered that she had addressed Tasha before she'd gotten into it with Kisara, "Oh, right. Dear, sorry. It was... a lot, but that can wait for later." Tio sighed, even now things were still escalating in a way that she never could have prepared for.

Tio nodded, placing the amulet in the bag at her side, "I'm no military strategist, but as far as I can tell--the plan is sound. I'm sure Kazran expects a ground push, if he expects anything from the Gaffneys at all, so the element of surprise is in your favor. His decision to get involved is a little shocking, however. Their countries are constantly at odds, and anything that could weaken the country should be to his benefit, but he sees something different in the situation. I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, so if he'll assist in the ways that he can, then all the better. I think we can all agree that someone like Kazran really shouldn't be in control of anything, much less one of the largest trade routes in the country." Jeremiah's involvement was both a good sign, and potentially a dangerous one--she'd have to ask about it when they got together to discuss the 'goddess'.

Tio then abruptly stopped as the commander, of all people, offered to carry her up the stairs. Tio was left completely unprepared for the offer, only able to flush, and uncharacteristic squeak, "Wh- huh?? I, uh, well... I..." Elisa then got in on the teasing herself, a very positive sign that she was improving, if slowly. Tio shrank, a small blushing pout on her face, "...I'll be fine." Tio cleared her throat, and began making her way to the stairs, face still red, but the pout was slowly turning into a smile.

"Do you have your own concerns with how things are going on, Commander?" Tio said, hopefully turning the topic away from her.

Edited November 14, 2023 by Mercenary on the Winds

TheRoon · November 14, 2023

Tanya's compliment earned Renais a small nod to her, while she appreciated the thought she put all her focus on Jeremiah's words. It seemed like everything she brought up convinced him somewhat, while he had a point about lacking proof he told her enough information anyway. He repeated a list of names off to Renais, most of them stood out to her: Sara, Allegra, Darian. When he got to Melody, her finger twitched by her side. That one struck a chord. "They all...seem familiar. It's not entirely clear, but Melody...that could be my original name." Before she put herself deep in her own mind the pinkette kept focused on Jeremiah as he finished.

"You are right, sir Jeremiah. Coincidences aren't as concrete as proof of my claim, and unfortunately I don't have any to give you." She balled her hands into a pair of fists and brought them gently above her healthy bosom as she leaned in toward him. "But I think...I know in my heart that this isn't just a series of coincidences, not when this all feels too right. Kise told me I had Lufirian blood in me, I have no reason to doubt that. Maybe if I keep moving forward my memory will give me a fact only the Rhapsodia family would know, perhaps that will be proof enough." She lowered her hands to her lap. "That all said, this is enough for me for now. I'm grateful you told me all of this, sir Jeremiah." She shifted her lean into a bow.

mcd900 · November 15, 2023

"W-What? N-No, I'm not... ah, hey, Syta...!"

Only a moment after Syta pulling her to meet the other group, the other cat Clouded was already excitedly greeting her, all smiles and bounces, practically vibrating in place. "O-Oh...! Um, hello, it's, it's nice to meet you, Amera... we have a couple others in our group as well." Her tail swayed a bit, awkward, uncertain; she'd certainly spoken to higher-energy people before, but this had to be a new level. "Ah... I'm Laniva. I'm a mercenary knight for the Iron Tigers, and... I suppose I'm a morning person, and... getting p-pet, is a-alright, I suppose..." She stood rather characteristically calmly still, though she couldn't help but be extra aware of it looking down at the hyperactive Amera, her own ears twitching a little, shoulders falling a little as Syta patted her back.

Seila sighed softly as Amera bounded off, nodding to Jesse. "For the most part, right up until she decides she wants to laze around for a little while. This is... well, it's definitely more than usual, but she certainly has something to be excited about this time. She should be her usual level in about... mm, an hour or two, probably."

She called over to Amera from where she stood, so as to not be too discourteous to their new acquaintances. "Tell them about what you like to do in your free time, Amera. Otherwise they'll think you spend all your time asking for pets~"

The slightest smirk formed on her face as she pushed the brim of her hat out of her face again. "Oh, that's quite a nice idea... and Amera could probably use something to do to spend that energy. I've spent so much of my time here reading, I haven't been out to see the city much..."

Xinnidy · November 15, 2023

Somehow, the conversation turned out for the... disappointing. Considering her need to address Tristan, Owen expected Syndra's approach to be a bit more tactful, even with understandable anger. She seemed more content in hurling insults at Kieran at first. It was another reminder that not everyone was as diplomacy minded as he were. With a mellowing expression, he crossed his arms, watching the back and forth with intent.

"At ease, Graham. Let each speak their truth." In part, Owen was getting what he came here for. He wanted to know the true character of Syndra Belrose, after all, as well as Kieran's current state of mind. Marigold's interjections were additionally interesting to him. Still, he had no intent in interjecting until absolutely necessary. He'd retained his gaze on Kieran for a longer moment as he spoke of Luthier and his strength. It was... sour, to be reminded of the strength the Belrose leveraged. Surely, with some means, some help, this wouldn't be the case, but resources were never in his favor...

"Truth be told, I don't know what I expected." Owen sighed, looking between Kieran and Syndra. "But this is all too natural. The Belrose name inspires rancor in all of those in my lands for a reason, even as one has no power to change their circumstance of birth. 'Blame yourself or the gods', they say, ever a resonant saying." Focusing his gaze on Syndra for a moment, a curiosity filled Owen's mind. "'Tis quite bold to return, especially with the risk your family hears of you, but I don't assume you mean to stay after the dust settles, right? Even if you denounce your blood, people will find reason to hate you as much as they will find reasons to hate Clouded. It'll be something to ponder, if you ever think of returning to Islexia. Would that stay your hand from helping those in need?" With a pensive raise of his brow, Owen let his words sink for the moment, turning to Kieran. This time, he'd spoke nothing, simply studying how the man would react.

"Hmm!" Üllr took a step back, needing all the distance to react to Iris proper. She was still fast, despite everything. but her fist didn't have that much weight. A quick hit landed on his shoulder as he turned to brace the punch. It was a hit, but it was bearable, and moreso... "Mm!" He grabbed her wrists, late to pull back. "Slow. It's different to using claws. Get a hit, or two. Then pull back." Having her by the wrist, Üllr pulled her closer, a hand on her shoulder. "Wouldn't dodge if I attacked. It's important." With that, he let go of her, but nodded in return, pleased with it. "Good, you can do it. Now, try to dodge or block. My turn." She'd need to get used to close quarter combat. His hands were worse at making a fist, Üllr needed to adjust in a half-palm curl. It wasn't going to hit as hard, but that worked just well for practice.

"Hup!" For his turn, he charged by swerving from the left, aiming for a standard, hard to dodge hit against her center of gravity --the torso.

"A-ah, yeah, the ballistae guy..." Christopher held back a sigh. Sure, he hadn't talked to the sibling that much, but it was still a shame to be recognized so shakily like that. "E-erm, well, okay. Good that that's solved, then! I did need to put it all into practice, so, well, I'll just need to make adjustments, and talk with their leadership... yeah? Yeah." Means Chris wouldn't have to deal with Nita, at least... unless she spotted him out there fixing the siege weapons up. "Thank you, milady, enjoy your outing!" With a quick bow, Christopher saw her off, hand on his chin, contemplating his options.

"Well, well, guess I did get my orders, Ren. If you can help me know the Tigers better, I'll be grateful! Mmm, getting the wheels fixed up again is going to be annoying. I really hope the road isn't muddy..." Christopher was... certainly accostumed to thinking of multiple things at once. "Well!" He turned to his new workmate once more, "How many men strong is the company? Do you have any carriages I can borrow for my equipment? Horses, at least, or are you more magical-alligned? Could I request a favor from some of your to help me charge a few cores for long distance?" Christopher started a flurry of questions in a rather... fast manner, to put it nicely.

Edited November 15, 2023 by Xinnidy

Nanami Touko · November 16, 2023

"Wooooow, so you're famous, Renais? Hey, even if it's coincidences, the Tigers are still headed that way, yeah? I'm sure you'll get the chance to confirm it!" Lucretia bumped her hips into the girl a little, smiling wide. "Now that that's all sorted... If you two wanna keep chattin' about this, you wanna come watch us throw ourselves around outside, Jeremiah, Sari~? I'm dragging Renais off for some staff drills... It's not just a stick with a magic crystal on top, you can use it to protect yourself if you know what you're doing~!" She swiftly and quickly spun her own staff around and slammed it down onto the castle stone before leaning against it, raising an eyebrow. "Sound like a good show?"

"And what's wrong if I do, huh!?" Amera blushed and pouted a yell back at Seila, sticking her tongue out, blowing a raspberry, the whole nine-yards of childish reactions. "Oh, whatever... I'm just really, really big into exercise and stuff. I don't mean in like, the traditional sense. I'm not hitting up a gym and doing my reps, but, I gotta, do stuff! Climb a tree, run around the whole city, chase down some game during camping, spar a bunch-- Ember's really great at sparring! That one's Ember, as a reminder," she continued, pointing at the big black dog. "We fight a lot! She's super strong and I'm super fast, and I think you're super strong too miss Laniva-- can I call you Lani? Anyway you look strong, with all the armor and the big sword and all that, you wanna fight some time? For fun? I, uh... I guess I'm pretty boring if you don't like doing active stuff, I don't really have any hobbies otherwise, uhhhh... Uh... Oh, no, am I really that boring-- OH!" Amera jumped in place from her realization, beaming. "I knit."

Syta had to hold back some heavy laughter from how different these two women were, and the speed that Amera was running through everything with. She reached up and gave Laniva a quick pet, walking past the two towards the other group. "If you're all heading out, I hope you don't mind us being included in that. Syta Fahn, it's a pleasure. Amera... Seems like quite the handful, eheheh. Makes me glad that Laniva is so calm, most of the time..."

Alvira had been shown to a guest room, setting her things down near the bed... She proceeded into them and fished out a few candles, a parchment to write and draw on, some few rubys that she kept on her person, and then locked the door to the room. Taking one of the side tables, Alvira placed the parchment on top of it and furnished it with some ink from a quill, writing down, 'To the brightest star in my night sky', drawing some symbols of the moon, the stars, some hazy scribbles of the night, signing it all with her name. It took time. She was drawing carefully; she wanted to respect this properly. Once that was all done, she placed the candles upon the parchment, all with their own holders as to not drip wax onto it, and then, for the first time in a long time... She closed her eyes, concentrated, and the faintest, weakest little flame manifested in her palm. She could feel the strain, the draw on her magic that even this was taking, but she didn't care, not for a second. She carefully lit the three candles with her flame, letting it fade away once she had. "Finally... Finally, I can show you proper respect, once again. It's been so long... But this is my fire. This is our fire, Fomalhout. The gift you've given to me; the grace you've shown me..." She closed her eyes again and clasped her claws together, leaning over her setup, hair dancing between the candles, sometimes approaching the flame, but never catching. She did not fear her own magic. "Fomalhaut. Brightest star in my sky. My north star. My guiding light. I know these words may not reach you, but I speak them from the deepest part of my being... As I always have. I know what I need to do. I know what is needed to free you... The Sol Incantio. I know its name! I know where it is... The path I must walk to get there is long, but for you, I would cross mountains, swim seas, and brave deserts... I shall see you free. You have given me that and more, my lovely shining star..."

... ... ... There was but silence at Alvira's words. Though, amidst that silence, the flame in her hand grew ever so slightly, and changed color, a reddish tint to the blaze, before returning back to the gentle wisp in the dragon's hands. ... ... ... i me

Perhaps if she had been her former self, Alvira would have panicked and gotten far too excited about hearing this, but now... She simply did her best to focus on what little she could hear, the barely words that had reached her mind. "I am here. I hear you. I know what to do... I will do it for you. I promise. You will be free as you deserve, not chained by the whims of someone that claims themselves to be a Goddess. I will see you free, Fomalhaut..."

"Hm!?" Iris' eyes went wide as her wrists were grabbed and she was tugged closer to Ullr, staring up at him with a hefty amount of confusion on her face. She completely blanked on the stuff he was explaining, staring up at him rather emptily, her mouth hanging open some, her cheeks slowly growing a faint purple until he finally let go of her. She was staring at her claws for a large moment, coming back when he started speaking about his turn. "Hwah, huh? Wait, y-your turn, Huh!? Kyah!" Iris dropped to all fours as quickly as she could, Ullr's fist gliding through her hair across the top of her head, the lizard swiftly crawling around him and picking herself back up, claws up, swallowing hard. "S-Sorry! I, uh, I got distracted, uhm... Y, You can try again, yeah? I'll... Uh, go ahead."

"I don't know," Ren responded with something of a smile to Chris' myriad questions. "I'm something of an add-on to the Tigers company... And definitely not their book keeper in any way. A healer, most of the time, at best. If you're looking for the person that knows everything about the Tigers," Ren spun around, eyes peering around until they found-- "Aha~ There she is. Natalya, over there. Who also seems to be leaving the room... You've got a real knack for being late to your things, huh?" They couldn't help laughing a little, seeing Chris get stuck in the same predicament, once again. "But, if you'd like me to accompany you so you feel more comfortable speaking with her, no problem, heheh. I don't have much else to do... And I must admit, this is quite amusing." Ren had been about to ask Miria and Jesse if they could accompany them, but this was starting to seem much more fun.

Edited November 16, 2023 by Nanami Touko

Ursali · November 17, 2023

"What's a shame?" Unfortunately, the lizard did not pick up on Cass' implication, tilting her head in the shark Clouded's direction. She remained confused as her question caused Cass to burst out laughing, that was the first time that had happened. Was there something inherently funny in the question asked, or was it a unique reaction from a unique individual? She pondered that question was Cass dealt with the cat clouded, apparently someone else that would be joining them for the siege, before they were suddenly urged to follow after the Clouded princess. The woman reminded her of Iris in a way, just far more brusque.

"You know what I mean Seila~" There was a knowing smirk plastered all over Ember's face, blatant about her teasing of the smaller mage. She might have been the one to do all the talking once they'd come to Esclas, but that didn't make anything that she'd said any less true. She couldn't help but grin as Amera all but threw herself at the other cat clouded, brimming full of her near trademark energy. "No, I don't think we had any plans," she answered her companions as he tail began to slightly sway behind her, Amera's excitement was always contagious. "Going out to see the city sounds like it would be some good fun before everything gets serious. We can all have a ladies knight out." Looking around at the departing forms, this mercenary outfit appeared to be majority female and clouded. I guess it makes sense for a Galcian merc outfit that they're all clouded, but where are the damn men at...

Edited November 18, 2023 by Ursali

Xinnidy · November 17, 2023

"Eh?" Üllr was surprised, feeling like he'd caught Iris unprepared, but why? "Well, it's fine. You reacted. But... yeah, one more." He readied his fist again, backing up.

"Need to do more than that in a fight. You have to stop your opponent from taking more turns." It was a nice moment for him. Able to think back to his grandfather's words. "Ready..." He prepared another lunge, this time adapting to her last evasion. "Hrah!" This time, his fist was aiming low.

"Ah... well, alright then. I see!" Christopher adjusted their stance more proper, looking towards the --appropriately-- Tiger Clouded that Ren claimeed was in charge. "Well, if she can answer, then all the more reason. It's proof I'm not too late, besides. Ah... but I'd like the company, yes. If it wouldn't trouble you, Ren?" Chris managed a sheepish smile while asking the favor, swaying the tail nerviously.

Billy12510 · November 20, 2023

The conversation felt like it was just deteriorating into a shouting match. It didn't seem like either Kieran or Marigold wanted to be reasonable, even if their hatred at Syndra's family was a justifiable one. Then Owen had spoke about Syndra's return home, and plans on staying. "I hadn't planned on coming home until the time came where I believed I could put an end to the reign of Nicolas Belrose for good. Obviously I don't think the time is now, you aren't allowed to miss if you're attempting to swing at the king after all, and he certainly isn't one to take insurrections lightly. But going back to what you said about me returning home, I certainly don't plan on changing my views simply because of the immediate, visceral reactions people take to me because of my last name. If that was all it took for me to drop my morals then I wouldn't have them in the first place. I could have an eternity to rehabilitate the Belrose name and still fail, does that mean I shouldn't try to do it with everything at my disposal?"

Syndra then turned back to Kieran, who brought up the Iron Tigers again. "I shouldn't lump myself in with the Iron Tigers? Why in the world would I do that? I am one of them until their commander Natalya E. Liberia deems such a time that I no longer am one of them. If you want to bring it up the matter with her be my guest, I'm sure she'd love to hear directly from the man who helped sell her girlfriend to a group of slavers on how I'm the danger to them." Syndra was mostly finished with the conversation, unless something else revelatory came up, she wasn't expecting to get anything worthwhile out of continuing to try getting anything from the pair in the cell.

GoldsbroTSG · November 21, 2023

Miria had a big, warm smile, watching all the shenanigans occur. The Tigers weren't much different from this small band of mercenaries. Aside from the size, really, that was about it. And when they agreed to have a day out in the town, the cub couldn't help but clap her hands together in excitement. The last few times she'd been out, it was only with a handful of people, or only her and someone else. Today was gonna be a whole gaggle of people. She was ready to be lost in excitement and fun, she really needed it after the past few nights.

"Well um, would anyone like to lead the way? I'm uh... not sure where to start. I'd say food, but, I always say food." She gave a small laugh. "Any fun ideas in mind from anyone?"

Mercenary on the Winds · November 21, 2023

Jeremiah smiled and then nodded, "You really have changed since we first met. I doubt you'd be capable of saying that if you hadn't gone to search for your sister." Though, perhaps I sent you to look for the wrong sister... What exactly are the odds of her being the missing Rhapsodia? Jeremiah then ran a hand through his hair as Renais both bowed, and then called him Sir Jeremiah, "I appreciate the politeness, but there's no need for either the bow, or the 'sir'. My standing has little bearing here, so I'm just Jeremiah for the moment."

Lucretia then bumped her way back into the conversation reminding Renais that she had been asking for assistance with drills, "That sounds like a reasonable idea, though, I'm not entirely sure throwing yourself around is the proper term for it. You're about as well trained with that staff as some trained lance men are." Jeremiah had an idea as to what she was implying, but he left that to his thoughts. He turned to look at Versaris, "That would give us time to speak about a couple things, including my involvement here." Jeremiah looked around for Alriana finding her walking off with Cassandra and Aegean. There was a mild twinge before Jeremiah quickly silenced it; Alriana thus far hadn't harmed her, or any of the Tigers, so his worries were not warranted. Just... if you can't trust her, then trust Versaris. He's no fool... You can trust his judgment.

Owen finally stepped in an said his piece, and as Kieran expected, he was playing mediation between the two. Though, it appeared as if Syndra wasn't really one to bite, nor to take words to heart. As could be expected of a Belrose. Kieran shrugged his shoulders, "If you can't get it through your head, then that's that. Lord Owen trusts you to do what's right, and I trust him, so if he believes that your help is going to be necessary, then my disdain with you is irrelevant. I'd gladly explain to your commander, again, my reasons for doing what I did. I'd apologize too. So... are you actually going to ask a question, or are you going to continue with your self-righteous bullshit? Either's fine with me, I guess, but don't expect a succinct answer if you're not going to ask direct questions."

Kieran then turned his gaze to the quietest, but most glaring arrival in the dungeon, "Apologies for having to make you see such a conversation, miss, but that's what you get when you associate with a Belrose. I'm guessing that you were locked up at that compound? You weren't with the Tigers before, that's for sure. I think I would have noticed someone as striking as yourself. I don't think I've ever seen a monster like your--"

Kieran's eyes then widened, as he'd missed the child swaddled in the woman's arms, "...What the heck? A child?" Kieran paused, looking down at the stone floor before drifting his eyes back up to Miredy, "...Tell me that you just happened to find her somewhere else. Did the Underground...?"

Jane recognized nearly all of the words, and insults being thrown back and forth--none of these were any different from things she might have heard from her mother, and those on the ship. Jane had gotten very comfortable in Miredy's arms, enough so that she felt safe just so long as she was in the woman's arms, so she was more able to look around and see what was going on. So when she saw the look of the man who had been arguing with the blue haired woman, she recognized it; it was almost the same as the sparkly, bouncy lady from earlier.

Scope of the World

Spoiler

June 9th, 1218 PAF

The Tigers had returned while she was asleep; Tio’s days had been shorter than she was used to. Waking up past her usual time, but sleeping before that. She was getting better, but the lengths she went to that evening were well beyond what someone in her state should have done. She was certainly paying for it, but learning that the Tigers returned, and all in one piece was enough for her to know it was worth it. Her title was only worth the amount of people that it protected, and it was something she swore by. No one had been there to help her in her moments of need, so she wasn’t ever going to back down from a call to action.

Though, that wasn’t all that came back with the Tigers. She was almost embarrassed to know that Jeremiah Noire, royal advisor of Lufiria, was on their doorstep and she was barely able to handle a high level conversation. That was only the 3rd most surprising thing that came back with the Tigers that night. 2nd was that they brought back with them a clouded child that was also slated for transfer that night. If Tio hadn’t been awake before she was informed of that, she was completely awake, and almost fuming. It wasn’t unlike what she experienced years ago, so Tio resolved to check in on the child when she could.

At camp, Tio forced herself up, more than tired of being tired, and went to go find her–Jane was her name. That would inevitably bring her to the most surprising acquisition. There in the clearing was the child, huddled up with the half-snake, half-woman that also returned from the compound. Tio couldn’t believe what she was seeing, there were only stories of monsters like her, but as far as she was aware they had all gone extinct as victims of the constant purges. To see one in reality was almost like a dream, except she ached all over, which made that less exciting but she certainly had questions.

Tio made sure to approach from somewhere that Jane could see her–the child was both shy, and it seemed as if she was wary around humans. Entirely understandable as she had only just escaped the dregs of humanity, but it was worth trying nonetheless, “Hello,” Tio waved at the pair, “Are the two of you holding up alright? Sorry that this is becoming a frequent occurrence, but… I can’t quite leave this alone.”

"Now Jane, as we travel, there's going to be a lot more humans– but we'll stick to speaking with the good ones~ Like… Oh, speak of the devil." One of the women that had been addressed as an Evoker before was making herself known, Miredy gently waving towards her and encouraging Jane to do so as well. "See, this lady is a nice human. You can wave to her without worry; she won't hurt you in any way. I promise." Miredy gently pet the girls head before nodding.

"It's quite alright. Feel free to ask whatever you'd like of me, miss… Tio, yes? It's lovely to be getting to know everyone so far. I am Miredy, it is a pleasure." She bowed slightly and pulled Jane just a bit closer.

Jane was a little confused. From the underground and what her mother had said, humans were absolutely not to be trusted. Yet, so far, ever since the black haired man showed up, she’d only really met good humans. Of course, she spent most of her time with Miredy. She was wonderful, warm, soft, and most importantly, safe. She was strong, and her composure had an effect. The humans were still very scary, but even as she tried to hide, there was one woman who kept coming back. It was odd, but… Jane kind of saw the same look that her mother gave her. One of concern, and worry–she got upset when they told her what had happened to her. There was also this shimmer about her, and even at a distance… she could tell that the woman was strong, but in a different way from her mother, Miredy, or even the black haired man from before.

She popped up as she heard that woman’s voice, turning to see her approaching, before skirting around Miredy so that just her head was poking out. She held tightly to Miredy, pressing herself closer as Miredy also pulled her in. She didn’t say anything, only watched.

Tio smiled as Jane appeared startled, and hid behind Miredy. She did it the first time as well, so there wasn’t any reason to not have expected it. “She’s a quick little one, isn’t she?” She held her distance for a moment, and nodded, "Yes, my name is Tio, and I am one of the Evokers of Glacies. The Tigers are escorting us, but we’ve made a few detours. It’s nice to meet you as well, Miredy. I’m sorry that I hadn’t gotten your name until now… You’ll have to forgive me, I’m recovering from magic exhaustion, and being a little reckless after that.” Tio leaned and waved at the clouded child, before turning her gaze back to Miredy, “She seems to be rather fond of you. That’s good, especially hearing what she went through. Though, it sounds like you went through the same thing. So… I apologize if I’m incorrect, but… you are a lamia, aren’t you? That’s the only monster that I can think of that matches you.”

“Yes, I am. Most of the Tigers haven’t so much as batted an eye, so I’ve been a little surprised… But, given how handily they dealt with the Underground, I suppose they’ve been through quite a bit. An odd monster won’t surprise them at this point, will it?” She chuckled a little bit, shifting to sit on her tail, a hand gently patting Jane’s hair. “She’s a good child. A child that didn’t deserve what she’s been through… All because she has a few more eyes than a human child. Tsk tsk.” Miredy slowly pulled her a little closer, leaning down and hoisting the girl into her arms, giving her a small squeeze. “You’re a good girl, Jane. We’ll make sure to see you home.”

Her eyes fell back onto Tio, thinking about things. “Oh. Yes, I suppose I did. I didn’t really think about that, hmm. If it was to be my fate, it would’ve been. It seems that the world has something else in store for me, though~ Hmhmhm, well, I am rather fond of living, so I’m glad you all came along when you did. Thank you for that~”

Jane peered out again as Tio waved at her, and then pulled back in. Miredy was something that she’d also never seen before, but it didn’t really matter; she was safe, and so she could trust that Miredy was with her. There was still that look in Tio’s eyes, “Wah?!” She found herself hoisted by the Lamia, not really able to hide anywhere now, but in exchange was gifted another small squeeze. “Mmm… I, I don’t want to go home… I wanna find momma…”

“I don’t think you’d believe everything they’d say, if that’s any indication of what this excursion has been like for them.” A wistful smile came across Tio’s face; it was what needed to be done for Lufiria, but still, they were the ones putting the Tigers in harm’s way like this. The wistful smile remained as Miredy hoisted the small girl, a squeak of surprise leaving the child. The faint ambiance around Tio grew in intensity somewhat, “It’s just a testament to how far this organization is willing to go. Utterly disgusting folk. To say nothing of what they did to the clouded, and the people the Tigers were there to rescue… to involve a child in the same manner…” Tio cleared her throat, and shook her head; she didn’t need to let those thoughts grow while she was still incapable of helping much.

Tio’s eyebrow rose with how… lackadaisical Miredy was with her own imprisonment. “I… suppose that is a way of thinking about it. That said, you should be thanking the Tigers; I, and Elisa were far too exhausted to really offer our assistance. Any help we gave was the bare minimum of what should have been done on our end.” Tio was sure that she was going to speak with Iseria about bringing the Underground up at the Deliverance Summit. With everything happening, the festival had been far from her mind, but this was not something that could be ignored. That was going to be in her next letter to the queen.

After a moment, Jane responded to Miredy’s words, mentioning her mother, “Mother?” Tio moved a little closer, “Do… do you know where your mother is? Or remember where she was last?”

Jane shrank away from Tio’s inquiry, clinging back to Miredy, but she half looked at the Evoker, “S-s-she… she said… that she’d find me. And… and kill Kazan.” She mumbled, before clinging back to Miredy, burying her face. She didn’t know where her mother was, but she remembered that much. Momma kept her word, she always did.

Tio's words had to be shelved for the moment as Jane made a claim of what her mother had promised to do. The mellow look on the lamia's face slowly faded into one of sorrow, cradling the girl against her, burying her in the crook of her neck so she couldn't see the distraught look on her face. "Then we won't take you home. We'll find your mother~" Miredy did her best to bring herself back up with the lie she felt she was telling Jane, finally smiling again. "I'm sure we'll run into her; this group plans of dealing with him as well, so I heard. Then you and your mother can be together again." If she's still alive… I can only hope, in some twisted way, that your mother is as unique as you are, Jane. If she is, perhaps Kazran will take interest in selling her off as I was. I can only hope…

She turned her attention to Tio, having recovered, letting out a soft sigh. "They truly are a terrible bunch. Even with the Sands as dangerous as they are, I thought the worst I'd be dealing with were Ferals. Went out too far and was beset upon by humans with all sorts of nets and rope. Truly not something any Ularan wishes to run into… Hopefully they'll all be driven out, one day. Until then… Now that I'm free again, I'll happily zap any of them until I'm satisfied~"

Tio blinked as Jane sort of answered her question, but not in a way that she would have liked. Shoot. If she goes after Kazran alone… Either she dies, gets captured like Jane was, or pulls perhaps the greatest miracle we’ll see this side of Amaranth… Miredy took it upon herself to continue to console the wayward child, but the look on her face before she did was enough to know that Miredy was on the exact same wavelength. “You’re right; in exchange for safe passage, the Tigers were requested to help deal with Kazran, and to my understanding, Kazran has his hands in most of the underground’s work in Islexia. So they’ll have every reason to want to bring him down. We’ll find your mother, Jane. You can believe in the Tigers.” That much was true, but it wasn’t the Tigers that she needed to believe in. Jane’s mother potentially mounting an assault on Kazran at this point in time was nothing but a suicide gambit, if she didn’t have an army of her own, or something that tipped the scales in her favor. The former seemed unlikely, and if she had the latter, Jane likely wouldn’t be here.

Tio fanned herself, her body asking her to sit down at least, but Tio had things she wanted to do, and she needed to start making headway. Tio listened to Miredy’s musings before realizing what the Lamia was saying, “Wait… You’re from across the Sands? You’re… from Ulara?” While Lufiria itself was an enigma to much of the alliance, Ulara was perhaps the only place that was not shrouded in mystery. It was instead enshrined as the focal point of the alliance’s greatest failure–the complete collapse of the vanguard, and Lufiria’s counter attack. The location of the most pivotal battle since the Axios Record.

"Ah, yes. I was part of the city's guard. We dealt with Ferals when they got too close or their packs grew too large. I ended up chasing a pack of Ferals too far, and… Well. Still, all things considered, it wasn't that bad. They didn't exactly harm me… Because they had no idea what they were dealing with. Just stuffed me into cells and made sure to feed me… My days were calm and quiet, compared to some unlucky others. Last I'd heard, they'd finally found a buyer for me, so you all made great time~" She was cheery again, not seeming to mind her own dire straits.

"Why, was there something you needed to ask about Ulara or Lufiria? I might be able to help. You've saved my life, after all."

“I just… wow.” For once, there was genuine wonder in Tio’s voice, she only wished she wasn’t so darn tired. “It’s… well, I’m sure that if you’ve lived in Lufiria, you know that Lufiria is a bit of a mystery to the alliance. For obvious reasons, but…” Tio tried to find a way to put things, her excitement over a new perspective, and her stature as an Evoker fighting for supremacy in her head. “I like to fancy myself a woman of magic–I want to be able to understand magic so that I can protect the people around me, and improve the lives of everyone with this resource that everyone possesses in one way or another. So, I’ve always been fascinated by Lufiria, learning how far they were ahead of the alliance during the collapse in terms of magic and technology… and… Ulara has always been at the center of that conversation. We hear much about Ulara because of what happened there almost twenty-seven years ago, but there isn’t anything beyond that.” Tio took a deep breath, she didn’t want to ramble.

“There’s just really so much, almost too much to ask in a single conversation. Though… I am aware that Lufiria is rather harsh, which I suppose explains you being a part of the city’s guard. I suppose I would ask, seeing what little I have of Lufiria through our trade, what is Lufiria like technologically? Ulara for that matter as well.” Boy, Elisa’s going to have her ear talked off later…

For a moment, Jane felt a tremor working its way through her body. She believed her mother’s promise, but it didn’t stop things from being so very frightening. She was lucky; apparently Kazran wanted her kept healthy, so she wasn’t subjected to anything other than to the underground itself. Before her thoughts could go anywhere, Miredy squeezed her again. This time Jane was ready, and returned the squeeze. Reassurance wasn’t something she had at all before being freed by Miredy, and the Tigers, so perhaps, maybe, she could believe in them. What was more, was that feeling came back again, as Tio also backed Miredy’s words. Jane nodded, she didn’t say anything else nuzzled against her protector, but the nod was progress.

The conversation turned, and Jane peered at Tio, who seemed obviously excited for some reason. Jane wasn’t really clear on what Ulara was, but Lufiria… that was the place across the sands. The place where other monsters resided. Her mother had talked about it a handful of times. It sounded like a wonderful place–not as many humans, and way more monsters and clouded. Maybe that place could be home.

“Far more advanced than Islexia, from what I’ve seen. Especially Ulara… We’re on the forefront of technology there. That’s a good girl. It’ll be okay~” She continued to gently caress Jane’s hair, happy the girl had found some solace and comfort despite her worries about her mother. “For example, most of Islexia is still using torches and fire for light when it gets dark. If I told you that Lufiria has lamps that automatically light up every night lining the streets, would you believe me? Hmhmhm… Well, not everywhere. Ulara and the Capital are quite far ahead when it comes to tech. There are a few pockets of them elsewhere, but that’s where all the technology is centralized…” She sighed, staring up to think.

“It’s all a bit much, for me. There’s always some new invention being created, some new magical discovery, some advanced piece of machinery. You know they’re thinking about creating motorized carriages. A carriage that drives itself! No horse… It’s wild what they come up with, over there. Mmm… Still, it’s home, and I appreciate it plenty. When you’re less tired, if you’ve more questions, I don’t mind answering~”

Tio listened intently; she’d only heard of Ulara through the stories of the conflict centered there but from the merchants that came occasionally from the Lufirian mainland, Ulara was always mentioned as one of the centers for magically based technology. Magic was such a powerful resource; most people could use it on some level, and with enough ingenuity, the ceiling for the art was nonexistent. At its most fundamental level, magic was energy filtered through a mage and given shape according to their affinities, and that energy was something that could easily be used to power all sorts of things. “The lights… they’re starting to arrive in Glacies as well… they’re only in the capital city at the moment, but the methodology in them is incredible.”

There was one issue in magically based technologies; without a constant flow of mana, there would be no effect. It wasn’t so much a problem for smaller magical objects–a person was a font of magical energy to begin with–but the issue came when objects started to scale. For all the power that magic possessed, it was inferior to the natural elements because they could work without major input. Fire could spark and burn without much thought, while that of a fire mage would burn itself out without the feeding of mana. A water mage could create balls of water in their hands, but it would not be the same life giving nourishment as what naturally occurred. Magic was energy given form, and without that form, it was essentially the same as the air around them. It was why magic near the upper bounds of current understanding was termed, “True Magic,” particularly powerful mages were capable of actually creating the natural variant of their magic. Such a talent was only held by a select few who had honed their magic to that point, so such a scant available pool of users were not seen as viable to base study around.

Though the lights that Lufiria had granted them had an interesting feature that allowed them to work the way they did. The base of the lights had a conduit, similar to that of the healing staves that clerics used, attached to what could only be described as a winch. Through a complex level of spell layering, the conduit stored mana and released it according to the spells layered into it, and they used the force generated from the spells to create the energy that powered the lights. Storing mana into objects, even conduits, was notoriously difficult due to the transient nature of mana. Magical artifacts were often relics from the Holy Lufirian Empire, and creating them was beyond most people in the alliance.

Tio’s eyes widened as Miredy mentioned horseless carriages, “I, what? H-how? I, suppose that’s not impossible if one were to somehow have a constant flow of mana to power… something to move one forward, but that would be a lot of mana unless… They… Would they have created something even more versatile than the conduits they use for the lights?? The kind of mana you would need for something like that is…” Tio realized that she was rambling all of the sudden, only reminded as she felt a tad faint, “Mmm… I suppose my exhaustion is still rather obvious… Ugh. I have… so many questions. Something like that… to say nothing of what would be possible for travel, the methodology itself is…”

Jane's head popped up as Tio’s sputtering continued. She had little understanding of what anything they were talking about meant. There was just something funny about seeing Tio so confused and flustered. Though, Jane’s eyes looked up at Miredy, “What… what’s Lufira like? Is… is it safe? Are there… people like you there?”

"Why yes! There's lots of people like you there, Jane. Not many like me, but I'm very unique. You, though. So many~ Where I'm from, no one would bat an eye at you. You'd fit right in~ Maybe when this is all over, your mother and you can come to Ulara to live. It's the most accepting city in Lufiria, that I promise you…" She smiled brightly, happy to discuss Ulara. "Lufiria itself… it can be scary. There are still some people that are afraid of us. That can't accept us. The country I very developed in some places, and very old in others. It's all spread out… but Ulara is wonderful, and I hope you can see it one day. All sorts of marvelous inventions, good food, friendly people, humans, Clouded, Monsters, Lufirians, all living together in harmony… It's paradise." There were troubles to it as well, especially bordering the sands, but no place would accept a Monster more in the country.

She finally turned to Tio, the woman exhausting herself with her own musings. "Maybe we should speak more of it in the morning? They used something called an 'engine' the last I heard about it. It created fire which burned as 'fuel' and allowed the carriage's wheels to spin on their own, moved by the generated energy… It's still in testing, as far as I'm aware, but it's impressive nonetheless. Maybe you can visit Ulara as well and see it one day~"

Jane popped out of her hiding place for once, staring up at the lamia with stars in her eyes for a moment, “Reeeeally?” The first real emotion outside of anxiety came across her face, bewilderment, and then the faintest of smiles. Humans being there was frightening of course, but she knew how they reacted to her–if they were tolerant of Miredy, they must also have been tolerant of other people like her. There were more people like Miredy, though maybe not exactly like Miredy, but warm, comforting, inviting. “I… W-when we find mommy… I, I wanna… go there.”

Jane then looked to Tio, who was suddenly tired looking again, she shuffled, falling back into Miredy’s embrace, “...Are you okay…?” The girl then yawned.

Tio sighed, and stomped her foot, “Ugh… The sooner I get past this exhaustion… D–” Tio returned her eyes to Jane, and held back the words on her lips, “Curse you Mercuria, and the underground as well…” Tio then nodded, “Yes, I think we’ll have to continue this another time…” She then perked up some as Jane, of all people, showed her some concern over her apparent exhaustion and yawned herself. She walked a little closer, and knelt down near the girl, “I’m just a little tired, Jane. I’m… slowly becoming an old lady; thank you for worrying about me. But I think you also need to get some rest. I promise you that you’ll be safe with us until we find your mother.” The slightest of twitches on Tio’s face, because she knew that there was a chance that they were going to find her mother–not in any way that a child should be allowed to see.

Tio stood back up with a bounce, mildly proud of herself for not falling over from the effort in her state, “I shouldn’t keep you both any longer, for Jane’s sake and my own… Miredy, thank you for indulging the whims of an odd woman. I’ll return you the favor, promise.”

“Of course you can, Jane~ Ulara accepts all types, so long as they’re willing to help the city. You’re too young, but I’m sure your mother would have a way to help. Especially escaping from Islexia, they’d be very happy to house the two of you.” Miredy gently pet the girl’s hair and continued her smiling at Tio, nodding. “Get your rest, miss Tio. We’ll have plenty of time to talk about whatever you’d like when you’re better~ Promise. I won’t be going anywhere any time soon.”

It was a look of concern, worry, almost anger. It was so strange to see that on the face of a human, and she'd now seen it twice in only a few days. It was... comforting, in a way, but so strange. She shrank closer into Miredy, but just keep watching.

Edited November 21, 2023 by Mercenary on the Winds

Nanami Touko · November 21, 2023

It wasn't Marigold's place to chime in anymore. Kieran had recognized the worst part of what had happened, so she didn't have the energy to continue with the elephant in the room finally being seen.

"Yes. Hello... My name is Miredy. I was locked up there, yes... They were transporting me to Kazran. He'd purchased me for his collection, when the lovely mercenaries stormed the place and saved myself, and, yes, this child. She was there too... Surely you didn't think better of such an organization, yes?" Miredy smiled, but it was sympathetic, something very close to pity. "I understand your feelings towards the Belrose family and name... it's a hefty shackle-- just like being a monster when an Islexian looks at you... And it's not something that good will, or even good actions will shake off so easily. So. I didn't come here to mediate, or admonish you, or anything like that. I wished to see how Syndra would carry herself in the face of someone that harmed her and her friends... Would she react like her family's name suggest she would? She hasn't so far. You're still breathing. I'm impressed, especially considering all the barbs being flung... But."

Miredy cradled Jane closely and stroked her hair. "You must realize how truly, truly awful the people you spoke with were... You did it to save not only yourself, but your family, so I cannot hate you, or blame you, but... Let the truth sink in, and think on it. If the Tigers were any weaker, this child would've been sent to parts unknown." Considering how undesirable Jane likely was to most humans, considering her insectoid Clouded lineage, it was more likely the girl would've either been raised and broken down for parts, or simply killed as she was. She didn't dare speak it; Jane didn't deserve to know that truth, not so young.

"Mrahh!" Without the distraction in place, Iris continued to abuse her mobility, this time jumping in place over Ullr's fist, but you can't avoid once you're airborne until you land again... So his second swing caught her in the gut and took her back down to the ground, making her roll away from the force of it, coughing. He hadn't swung any harder than normal, perhaps even less so, she was just... Frail. "Hrahhh... Hahh..."

Use me, and--

"Be quiet...!" She immediately snapped at the weak attempt of the voice to show up. Was it going to try and weasel into her aggression now that it didn't have her magic? "Mrahn, hh... Again... No, jumping, against a quick opponent... I get it. If you, swung low... Left, or right. Then duck. Up isn't a good choice..."

Cass pulled Aegean and Alriana past the dungeon situation as quickly as she could, taking a separate hallway to make sure they didn't step right through the conflict. The smell of the ocean quickly hit their nose as a pier with several soldiers and sailors began to come into view, folks checking stock and maintaining the ships, making sure everything was ready to go at a moment's notice. Things were dire, after all. "Allllright! These are our personal ships. The Maelstrom and the Stormway's Charter... Owen named that one." She chuckled quietly. "We can check one of them out, make sure things are right for your group-- you'll have to walk me through the details you know, Gean, but I'm happy to learn... Aaaaand at any point, feel free to jump off into the water. It's a bit cold, even now, but I'm sure you two won't mind at all. Just keep clear if a shark swims by, or get Aly here to bite it back, hah~"

"Hmhm... Sure, Chris. I'll hang out with you." Ren was very, very amused by this cat, nodding and gently holding their arms behind their back. "Then, what's first? Do you need to catch up to miss Natalya, or do you have to get your things ready for this attack like Lady Cassandra mentioned? I'll help out if there's anything that I can do."

TheRoon · November 23, 2023

"I suppose you're right, things were certainly a lot more simple back in Glacies." A small part of Renais wanted to go back and rewrite some of her mistakes, but at the same time she knew those mistakes are part of what made her journey. When Lucy bumped her hips into Renais', she let out a small 'eep' and turned to her fellow pinkette with a giggle. "Aah I'm not so sure about famous, but yes let's get to training before we burn too many hours." She turned back to Jeremiah as he cut the formalities and she took a moment to think on that. "Tio told me the same thing, I suppose people in high stations are more loose than I thought..." She looked him back in the eye. "Then considering I'm dating Gean...would uncle suffice?" She giggled. "Kidding of course..." Or was she... "Time to move then, Lucy." She turned to join Lucretia.

Bluemask 96 · November 23, 2023

Gean followed Cass through the dungeon, looking at the hallway Syndra and Owen went down, but realizing there was nothing for her down that hallway. All she felt thinking about Kieran was tiredness, so the smell of the ocean immediately soothed Gean's soul. "Ahhhhh." Gean stood there for a moment with eyes closed, just taking everything in, before she remembered they were still on business. Truth be told, Gean had no experience in tactics, but she figured she could take a shot in the dark considering what the mission was. "Uhh, I say our biggest priority is going fast and quiet. We'll have a distraction sure, but the later they discover who this boat belongs too, the better our odds become." That sounded good, she'd fact check later. "Maybe a tour of Maelstrom would help, but I'll need to speak with Tasha about some of the finer details. From a first glance, they look big enough to house our attack forces, " Uncle J probably would know best too, but that could be a touchy topic, he was already playing with fire announcing himself in the war room earlier, and it made Gean feel a little uneasy.

Gean then turned to Aly, Gean was glad her fellow tiger could find some time to relax, but she also was curious on how Aly was feeling after the entire Underground ordeal. "If you want, you can go ahead in the water Aly, or do you want to check out the ship too?"

The Courage to Act

Spoiler

Jesse sat down within the camp of the group with a heavy sigh. The event with the underground still weighed heavy on her, sure the Tigers had come back victorious, the whole ordeal had clearly changed things. For the young militia Girl however, her inaction was the biggest blow dealt, and she was uncertain on what to do, which only elicited a heavier sigh from the knight.

The golden cub had already been almost on her way. She was equipped with her fishing gear due to a nearby river they saw on the way to their new camp. She was running out after her constant eating the night they raided the Underground base. It was too late to try hunting for a bigger animal, she was confident she could get herself a fish or two.

As she prepared to head out, she noticed her familiar magically armored companion sitting by the fire. She didn’t look very well. So, it sprung little Miria into action. She approached, and just gave a quick clearing of her throat to get Jesse’s attention.

Jesse slowly looked up as she realized she wasn't alone. Jesse scooted herself over in her makeshift spot to make space for Miria to sit. She didn’t know how to greet her younger more bolder armor sister, so she just returned to staring at the fire. A moment of silence washed over the two before words slipped out of Jesse's mouth, not really sure where they were coming from. "You know, I envy you."

“...Hm?” Miria tilted her head, confused for a moment. That was… out of nowhere. The cub put down her gear, and walked over so that she was sitting with her friend, over the fire. She took a moment to embrace the fire for herself. It was nice, as a campfire normally is. She looked over to see Jesse, very clear now that something was eating at her. The only real thing Miria could reply with was,

“Envy? What do you mean?”

Jesse took a moment to take in what she said to Miria, trying to find insight on herself, before chuckling a bit. “Exactly what I said. I envy you Miria. You’re one step ahead of me here, in action, our armor. I thought we were both in the same boat, lost in whatever these gifts we were given and their purpose. The other night blew that notion away.” Jesse still refused to look Miria in the eye. “I was shell shocked when the underground attacked, managed to sleep through the initial scuffle and when I did arrive I could do nothing. It’s discouraging how little I’ve done in the long run.”

“Huh?” Genuinely, to Miria the other girl wasn’t making any sense. Actually, Miria got it pretty quickly. It’s a lot of what she had been feeling about herself after the ambush. Maybe the other was missing a little encouragement. She didn’t try to roll in for a hug, she didn’t know if that was something Jesse liked, so she stared into the fire, and thought.

“Well… I guess, hmm…” She pondered for a moment, “I mean, I get what you’re feeling. I’ve been having that too. But I think, the best way to try to fix it, is… well, you gotta step up, put a foot forward, y’know? You’re super tough, I’ve seen it. You just gotta… use it.” Miria tried to offer Jesse a reassuring smile.

Jesse leaned back as Miria spoke her mind, the words her golden counterpart spoke bounced around inside of her. Maybe she simply hadn’t been doing enough, perhaps she could try more, be out there more. She still felt pretty uncertain about it all, but sitting around and wallowing wouldn’t do her any favors. “I got an odd idea” The young knight took off her jeweled glove and offered it towards Miria. “Mind if we trade for a second?”

Miria tilted her head. “Ohhhhh, like, to see if we could use each other’s Shrouds? Um, sure.” Miria unclipped her necklace, taking a moment, before handing it over. “Just, don’t run away with it.” And she gave a laugh, taking the glove. She slipped off her gauntlet, and fit the glove on. “Just gotta focus.”

Miria tried like normal for a little bit, focusing her energies to making the armor happen. Seconds went by, and… nothing. “...Huh. I guess, it works differently than my necklace. Is there… anything special you do?”

Jesse gave a half smirk at Miria’s joke, her mood not really rising, but grateful that Miria was indulging her little experiment. “Nothing more than what you just did, focus and picture my armor on.” Taking the necklace in hand, Jesse closed her eyes and focused the same way she always had. After a moment of silence and no glow, Jesse reopened her eyes. ‘Well that was worth a shot. I think they might be one person only, or at a time.” With a small sigh, Jesse returned Miria’s necklace and took her glove back. Looking down at her own glove she stared at the jewel in the center. “What are your secrets…”

“Gotcha. Mm,” For what it was worth, Miria could at least interpret why the two swapped items wouldn’t transform for them. “It might be something to do with Voima? I don’t know, but Escaflowne called me something like ‘Chosen of Gaia’. And that I reminded it of Galari, who… my armor may be connected to, but I don’t want to jump to anything yet.” She sighed, “I’d like some answers too.”

The girl went back to looking at the fire. The questions piled up, and answers were few and far between. Every once in a while there was hope for an answer, but then it’s back to more questions. “I’m probably gonna talk to Gean’s uncle. Maybe he knows something about it. He’s a lot smarter than me.”

“Escaflowne told you that?” Jesse raised an eyebrow at Miria, she remembered the events of that day when Miria and the Tigers touched the sword, but the whole time Escaflowne and Lady Celine were around Jesse had not heard a single thing of the like. “Well, maybe we don’t jump to conclusions, but follow that line of logic for now, make some theories here.” Perhaps there were some more clues here. “I know nothing about Voima, but you were able to hear Escaflowne while I wasn’t. Perhaps our armors are a part of some sets, and mine reacts to a different weapon or source?” If they were so unique that the two of them couldn’t swap, then being resonant with different things wouldn’t be too far fetched.

“Gean’s uncle? You mean the man who came back with you guys from the compound?” There were a number of new individuals who came back with the Tigers after their fight with the underground and Jesse could only assume that Miria was referring to the lone man upon the new arrivals. “I mean, would he know more than the evokers? I didn’t really get his whole deal at first.”

“Yeah. Hmm, it was weird like, it said something about us being connected when we were fighting to get it back from Princess Lucille. Then, when we were talking it asked about finding Gaia. So maybe, I have some connection to Gaia too? It was all… very hard to process. I don’t know.” She shrugged, clearly confused even as she explained it to Jesse. “One day, I hope I can finally figure out something.”

Then, Jesse showed some concern asking about Jeremiah. “Yeah, well… Lucille knew something about what a Shroud is. And I think Jeremiah’s like… a spy, or something? If the princess knew something, maybe he would? Really I’m just throwing options at the wall and hoping something sticks.”

This Jeremiah fellow was connected to the Lufirian princess? Jesse raised an eyebrow at this new information, the man in question knowing a lot more than he let on. “Well, if you’re going to talk with him, I wanna be there too, so we can both learn as much as possible.” If this man hand answers, then it would do well to press him on the matter. “You mentioned before that there were three armors, gold, green and silver. Maybe he knows where this silver Shroud is.”

“Got it. I’ll grab you whenever I plan to ask, then.” She gave a smile. “I’m hoping to finally get an answer. I’ve been, honestly, stressing a lot about this stuff. I thought I’d get something a little more concrete but, y’know.”

She got up, and gave a stretch. “Well, instead of simmering and feeling upset over stuff, wanna go fishing? It’s starting to get dark, which means the big fish are coming out. I like to fish when I’m upset, or I need to get some more foodin’ down. I got some extra equipment if you’re down.”

“Sure, fishing was more of Papa's thing, but I guess anything’s better than sitting in moping.” Jesse sat up and patted off her clothes. “Thanks Miria.” Jesse wasn't sure if she was feeling better now that she talked to Miria, but she was moving, and was something. Just keep moving forward, that's all you can do.

Family Business

Spoiler

Things had been progressing between Syndra and Nyxied fairly well recently. While Syndra was happy to have found love in spite of her intentions to the contrary, there was someone else in her girlfriend’s life that meant just as much to her, Aegean, and they hadn’t really spoken since that night back in Eibar. Well now was as good a time to, as Nyxied had put it back then; ‘bond like fancy nobles do’, and so Syndra went to go find Aegean.

Gean sat down by a campfire in the middle of the group's camp. Travel to the Gaffeny’s was progressing, and things were in a lull for the time being. It felt good for now to be out of the wagon and have some breathing room. Girlfriend time was still a bit away, the three of them spending every other bit of travel together, so they each took a bit of time to freshen up and check on folks. Gean had just been the first to finish so she was simply waiting for either Kise or Rene to pop in, which made the blue hair of the approaching Syndra a bit surprising. “Evening Syn. No wily thief hanging off your shoulder tonight?”

“Haha, no, I decided to give her a break from putting up with me for tonight. You seem to be without your partners as well.” It was a little convenient for Syndra, she really only meant to speak to Aegean for now. “Although since you brought her up, I did want to talk to you about Nyxied. Not that I have a problem with her or anything, I just wanted to ask you what you thought of her, seeing as how you’re also one of the most important people in her life, at least that’s the idea I got from her.”

Gean leaned back in thought. It was a little odd that it was Syndra asking for Gean’s opinion on Nyx and not the other way around. "Hmm, well that’s a tough one. I know I call her mom but, it’s that and not quite that at the same time.” Gean sighed and scooted over to give Syndra some space. “You might as well sit, it’s a little bit of a story, though nothing as serious as last time we chatted.” It was becoming a habit for Gean to go down memory lane lately, maybe one that didn’t involve any future stakes would be good.

Syndra took Aegean’s invitation and sat down next to her. It didn’t seem as if Aegean was particularly excited to talk about this, but if it wasn’t as serious as the last time the two spoke, then perhaps something else was bothering her. “Alright then, I’m all ears. What do you mean by ‘that and not quite that’?”

"Well as you know by now, I fled to Glacies when I was ten. At the time it was just me and my father, I lost my mother the night we left from Lufiria. Of course, when you're that young and trying to pick yourself back up from things, you try to find figures to attach to. That mother figure was Tasha, she was the one who picked me up when I was lost, kinda taught me how to be a woman and a mercenary. To me, Tasha is my mom.” Gean smiled at that statement, thinking of the Tiger. “That being out of the way, we move onto ol’ Nyxied. You remember how she was before we set out on this mission right?”

“You mean how often she had a bottle around her? I was aware of that yeah, but even with that character concern there was a reason Natalya hired her in the first place.” Syndra paused for a bit, it was clear from how she explained it that Aegean thought of the commander pretty highly, and owed a fair amount to her. The question then became; “So, Natalya’s essentially the one who raised you upon making it to Glacies then. I can see why you’d refer to her as a mother, so why does Nyxied treat you the same way?” Syndra thought it might’ve just been how Nyxied viewed one of the younger members of the unit, but the only real way to find out was to hear it from Aegean.

“Yeah, with a bottle in hand more than her bow more often. Now we know why that’s the case, but when we first met she was just your typical merc. Do the job, get paid, spend that money on life’s pleasures. At first I would tag along with Tasha to pick her up on nights when she'd get a little too trashed, but then it was just me on Nyx duty, not that they dumped it on me, no. As I began to be her sober friend, I kinda opened up I guess? Suddenly everyone in town knew me as Gean and not "that one girl in the Tigers" or "Nyx’s caretaker". Now I was tagging along, going out on my own, I was- living." Gean finally took a breath. "Tasha taught me how to be a woman, how to move forward, but Nyx taught me fun, how I could just be Gean. Somewhere in that time, I started using the M word to Tasha, and I don't remember who between me or Nyx stole it for our relationship too, but I never rejected the idea."

Syndra listened to Aegean diving into her relationship with Nyxied, and based on Syndra’s own experiences with her, it was easy to understand where Aegean was coming from. “Nyxied certainly has that effect on people. Back when I joined the Iron Tigers it was mostly a means to an end. I wanted to get practical training, and the Iron Tigers had a… lax interviewing process. I certainly wasn’t looking for love, but after we fought those pirates on the way to Hecatia, we just started bonding. It’s weird, Nyxied just has a way of putting you at ease and making you feel special. I was used to that sort of thing back home, people always wanted in on my family’s good side, but Nyxied didn’t know anything about that back then, not until the three of us aired everything out back in Eibar.” Syndra paused and thought about that for a moment. Then she resumed saying. “Come to think of it, that's the last time you and I really talked about anything, wasn't it. Things have certainly changed in that time haven’t they?”

“Yeah, recent events have made it hard in that aspect, and it’s both our faults.” There was some sarcasm dripping off of Gean’s last statement, both of the girl’s past coming back to face not just them, but all of the Tigers. A sigh escaped from Gean, harping on that would serve no purpose now. “That should answer your question though, I take it that’s fine with you?”

“Hmm.. yes, that’s sufficient Aegean. There is something else I’d like to ask you about her, it’s a little embarrassing, but I’d just like your input on something.” Syndra then sighed, and asked her mermaid friend; “Dame Nyxied’s birthday, it is coming up soon right? And if it is, do you know something she’d like besides a libation? I thought about making her some earrings with my magic, but I’m open to suggestions.”

Oof, Syndra was asking a tough question. “Yeah it’s coming up. That’s tough, because she’s not the best when it comes to keeping up with things.” Gean had dealt with this problem before, and usually she solved it by going along with whatever Nyx wanted to do for the day. “Keep the earrings, those are a good idea, but I’d suggest actions over material items. As far as I know, Nyx has always been weakest to what you do for her, and not what you give her. That, and of course, a pretty woman who has their eyes on her, but I’m sure you know that last part.”

Uh oh. That wasn’t what Syndra was hoping she’d hear. Syndra just put her head in her hands, and spoke through them. “Fuuuuuck, I don’t know how to date people! I’ve never been on one before! What if she hates my suggestion? Arghhhhh… no. Just calm down a little… I’m sure Nyxied would enjoy whatever I came up with.” Even as she said this Syndra was still speaking with an abnormally nervous cadence.

Gean placed a hand on Syndra’s shoulder. “Breathe, that’s the first thing to do. No one is perfect on their first date.” This was another episode of Gean giving someone advice she herself really should have taken. “If it feels like a lot, just make a day of it, let her choose a couple of things you two do together, give her the earrings, and be you.” It was cute to see Syndra being more than the resident Ice Queen. “Now I have a question for you. You were one of the undergrounds’ targets. Are we gonna have to worry about people coming after us?”

“Be… me.” Syndra wasn’t really sure if that was the best thing she knew how to do, but Aegean’s suggestion in its entirety sounded like a fine enough idea. Then it was back to business. Syndra had to think about it. “Hmm… I know the Underground is likely to try again, but I don’t think it’ll happen any time soon. The only other people I can think of that would try are my family, but they’d have to know I’m back home first. And with that said… let me think, how would they know? It’s not as if the Underground could just go to them empty-handed, especially if they promised them they’d deliver me to them. Sorry, I’m probably not making this easy for you, let me just assume they know somehow, and in that case… I don’t think my father would come for us directly. I believe he’d delegate the task to either one of my brothers, Jalen or Cyrus, or another thing he’d do is order my mother to track us down, but that wouldn’t be the worst thing that could happen. She’s an incredibly powerful and influential person, but she’s also a fairly reasonable one too, and I believe I could convince her to help us should it come down to that. All of that speculation is based on one thing though Aegean, and that is that my father knows for a fact that I’ve come home to Islexia. I’m sure rumors of my return have circulated ever since I left three years ago, and one more won’t make him react any differently. It’s unlikely we’ll have to deal with them before we leave Islexia, but those would be the truly notable people I could think of that we’d have to worry about.” Syndra finished with that, hoping it answered her friend’s inquiry.

Gean sighed, Syndra seemed to have thought out most of what Gean was worried about. “I guess that’s fine. I don’t know, I’m probably just projecting. I didn’t think we’d run into my childhood friend, or that she’d bust into Axios Hall of all things, so I’m just a little on edge about things.” There were too many surprises so far on this journey, Gean felt that nothing new was worth pushing to the side, especially since she felt deeply tied to some of the more recent developments. “That’s the only thing I really wanted to know, and I’ll trust you on this, or if anything changes you’ll tell the big shots right?”

The recent events of their journey had weighed on both of them. Sure, the Underground raid had reunited Aegean with her uncle, but it wasn’t that long ago that she’d also been reunited with a close friend of hers, only to have her taken away just as quickly. It couldn’t have been easy for her, no matter how brave a face she put on. “No no, that’s perfectly reasonable. Rest assured Dame Aegean, if there’s anything new that I can think of it will come from something one of my retainers tell me when they finally catch up with us. The Commander and the Evokers will find out at the same time as I do.” Syndra then stretched slightly and finished with saying; “I’ll let you know how it works out between me and Nyxied, if you’re interested in it, thanks for helping again. Was there anything else you wanted to ask me while I’m still here?”

“No, that should be all for now, I should go find my girlfriends anyways.” There had been enough talk about love and family that Gean was starting to feel a bit of longing, which meant it was time for cuddles. “Good luck with her, I’ll probably steal a bottle from her at some point, so I’ll know how it went sooner or later.” With that Gean got up and dusted herself off to depart. “Talk to you later Syn.”

Edited December 3, 2023 by Bluemask 96

mcd900 · November 23, 2023

Seila crossed her arms under her robes, bemused at the array of reactions Amera was throwing out; she had to admit, it did give her a mild sense of satisfaction to tease the cat so, and in that moment she understood Bella just a bit better. I don't know if I could manage it quite as well as she always does, though...

"Now, Amera, one or two is fine, Amera, but don't go asking all of these Tigers to spar, okay? I know I said you need to spend your energy on something, but you're going to wear yourself out if you go fighting everyone, okay?" Hahhh... This cat. How does she go forgetting her own hobbies, really...

Inclining her head, she let her hat fall to cover a small smirk, answering Ember's in turn. Not to be left behind, though, she slipped her own shot back at the hound, quietly, just enough for her to hear. "Mm. You sure look happy about that, but are you really going to manage~? You've been a little less than subtle recently."

Laniva tilted her head, almost confused at Amera's sheer unbounded energy, a good half of which was spent protesting to the mage calling out from behind. She nodded along a little as the other cat Clouded rattled off her list of enjoyments, blinking a little at the sudden barrage of casual compliments. "I--, um, o-oh, sure...? A bunch of people call me Lani, so that's fine, and um... sure, we can spar. That'd probably be fun. I've only had a couple chances to recently, but it's good to spar with someone instead of just training by yourself..."

She went pensive for a moment, tail swaying, though not quite matching the energy of some of the others in the room. Mm... hobbies? I guess I don't really have any right now, do I...?

Her brief train of thought was interrupted by a small squeak - her own, she realized after a moment - at the sudden surprise public pet, and she gave Syta a quiet huff. "Mrah...?!" She blinked, but stayed with her all the same as she walked; it was... comfortable, there at her side.

"Mm... food might be nice. We've been traveling for a little while, so it's mostly been travel rations. But you all might know the town better. We really just got here, after all..."

Edited November 23, 2023 by mcd900

MRDRHAWK · November 26, 2023

Graham wanted to snipe back at Marigold, but Owen’s interjection cut him off at the proverbial pass. He took a deep breath, and moved back away from the cage door, his attempt to ground himself aided by Kieran actually being cordial for once, though that lasted about as long as it took for the Belrose to open her mouth. Even Miredy said her piece, too, which left Graham pondering how this divide could be bridged, if it even could.

He settled on the simplest answer - leave it to Owen and the Belrose. It wasn’t his place to pull everyone together by force, unless given the order.

Tanya felt a bit lost and left out, but that just seemed to be common for her with this group. It was… fine, she guessed, but it still stung to feel so lost all the time. Then again, this wasn’t about her, but about… well, everyone else around her, being some sort of important folk.

“Oh, uh… Jeremiah, if Renais is leaving, and you aren’t urgently needing to speak with Sari… I just. Um. Wanted to ask…” Tanya wondered if she should even ask this, but… eh, may as well. She needed to know, after all. “Have you any idea what’s happening back home? With… my family, I mean. I’m sure you’ve at least spoken with Papa- er, Anton, at some point before you left… or, at least, I’d hope so.” If not, it was fine, but Tanya really wanted to be sure the family was okay. She knew Yuria would likely be setting out soon, given her age and curiosity, but Tanya was hoping that Yuyu would wait until she got back home from her own travels first.

Mina let out a huff, though she wasn’t too shocked. She’d heard through the grapevine that there was… some sort of gathering in the estate, today; some foreigners seeking an audience from Lord Gaffney. It was just… very poorly timed, since now it meant Mina couldn’t get in because everyone was just too darn busy to open a door.

”Only question is, where would I…” Mina hummed, thoughtfully, as she headed down the steps and around the estate to see if there was… well, some sort of back door. Heck, maybe she’d find an entrance that would lead her right to one of the Gaffneys, but that would just be too convenient, right?

”All this just to put in a supply order… Ryon had better thank me for this when I get back.”

It had taken Nyx a little bit, but she had to dodge a bunch of people to slip out without being pestered about where she was going. She didn’t want the other Tigers getting the wrong idea that she was off to drink and cause trouble; no, she just knew how to poke about taverns to get a lay of the land.

Sure, she’d picked that skill up from a long time of being a barfly, but that was beside the point.

Eventually, Nyx made her way from the estate, navigating Esclas, until she’d hit the bar. It seemed pretty rowdy for this time of day, but that was fine. If anything, it worked to Nyx’s advantage, long as nobody tried to cop a feel - she was really not in the mood to explain to Nattie why one of the locals had a familiar-looking arrow embedded in his asscheek.

Nyx slipped onto one of the barstools, tapping on the bar lightly to get the tender’s attention. She was trying to quit drinking, yes, but she knew most places had at least some non-alcoholic shit. And all that running around made her thirsty.

Billy12510 · November 30, 2023

Miredy's interjection brought up an interesting wrinkle to all of this. Even if Kieran had no clue about the child Miredy was holding in her arms being at that compound, the idea that a person like Luthier would orchestrate the capture and sale of someone like them shouldn't have been out of the realm of possibility. It was something Syndra thought about bringing up, but she paused for a bit. The way she was approaching this whole thing didn't seem to be working, there was nothing Syndra could say that was likely to change Kieran's mind, but, there was still the reason he was in that cell in the first place. Owen had mentioned before that the plan was to rehabilitate him. And there was a rather fine opportunity to try and accomplish that. "Well, I'll keep this simple then, since time is short. If you were being offered a chance to make amends for what you did that got you here, would you take it? I'll be frank, given what Lord Owen told me before we came down here..." Syndra paused briefly. This isn't about me, it's about making this blighted place into something better. I've always wanted that, and so to make that happen... "I want you to help us take down Kazran Kieran. Of course, what I want doesn't matter, if either Lord Owen or Commander Natalya doesn't agree to you being there, then they don't, but personally I don't see a better opportunity to truly make it up to your boss or apologize to the Iron Tigers. What do you say?"

Mercenary on the Winds · December 2, 2023

Jeremiah raised an eyebrow at Renais's joke, before cracking a chuckle himself, "I suppose if it came down to it, I wouldn't mind that. For the moment, just Jeremiah is fine." Jeremiah gestured for the two to lead the way out of the castle, and to the training ground with him focusing his attention on his student. "Once we get outside, and the two of them get to their work, I'll explain myself." Jeremiah thought for a moment if it was wise to bring up what occurred with the two creations, he hadn't inquired about so either he was keeping it to himself or Alriana hadn't informed him. A part of him didn't mind if Alriana wasn't badmouthing him to Versaris, but there was another dimension to it that had Jeremiah's heart sink slightly. His thoughts on the creations aside; there was genuine love in Versaris's eyes when he looked at her. It wasn't any different than when Serena looked at him, or when Virion or Rosaria were looking at one another. The last thing he wanted was to cause anything that might drive a wedge between them. Tsk... Lady Hilda's behavior has rubbed off on me, and I can't let that go on any further. He didn't need to be completely amiable, but he did need to be the adult--she wasn't going to be. So long as they weren't the creations that were designed to slaughter Lufirians, they weren't his enemy, and he knew that.

Jeremiah reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a small notebook, but before he could flip through it. Tanya returned to him, with a more dour look on her face than before. Her question made evident what was wearing on her, "Admittedly, I'm not kept abreast of everything that's going on back in Lufiria, but... Your father should have nothing to do with what's happening here..." He gestured for Tanya to follow, "I can tell you what I know for certain, and probably make some educated guesses--but if you're worried about your father coming to meet us here because of what's going on, you can rest easy." Jeremiah then started flipping through the notebook; even while they walked, there were things he could do to set him up for more favorable conversations later. Jeremiah gave one more look to the clouded lordling who was now leading Alriana and Gean away, her reaction wasn't just of someone who was frustrated that he had taken her thunder. It must have been the one moving around the shadows... Sigh, that will make things more difficult depending on their disposition. It won't change my objective, but... haah, dealing with some of these people is genuinely draining...

Kieran stared at Miredy for a good long while before he sat back, and began laughing. His laughter filled the cell, and the hall, and then eventually his head fell back towards the floor. "...Yeah, yeah they are. And there wasn't a goddamn thing I could do about it. Part of me wonders if I hadn't done what I did if you, and the child would have..." Kieran shook his head, refusing to finish the statement. "...You don't deserve this. Damned monsters think they can just do whatever they want with people, ruin their whole goddamn lives, and for what..." Kieran couldn't raise his eyes to Miredy, or Jane. However, his eyes shot to Syndra as she finally spoke up, finally spoke the question she had been dancing around the entire time that she had been down here. Kieran just looked at Syndra, dead at her as if trying to gauge whether she was simply trying to get a rise out of him or if she was being genuine with her words. As a moment, Kieran rattled his chains, realizing that it didn't matter whether she was or not.

"...I'm a coward, Belrose. I put people back together after they've done all the fighting because I was always too small, or too weak to do the hard work. Had it been left up to me, everyone who the Underground captured would have died because I'm so damn weak." Even through the self-depreciation, Kieran's eyes hardened, his body stiffened, "I told you that I would be paying for this for the rest of my life, and if there's one thing I'm good at, it's keeping my promises. If you told me that I was going to be sent into Kazran's keep with a bomb strapped to my chest, you best believe that I'd say yes with a smile on face." Kieran then looked at Marigold, and then closed his eyes, "Is what I would have said if you had been the first one to me. A last ditch effort belongs to someone who has no hope left, no direction, nothing tethering them to the place they're determined to leave behind. Nah, I don't have that right anymore--this life isn't mine right now, so I can't tell you that I'm just going to throw it away until I'm done paying my debts. If your commander, or Owen see fit to let me out of here, then you can tell me anything that I need to make happen, and I'll make it happen. It's not for you, though. Not yet. In part, it's kind of selfish, because I want to see just how far your desire to fix Islexia really runs. You can't do that if you die to Kazran, so if my help is needed, then count me in."

Edited December 2, 2023 by Mercenary on the Winds

Xinnidy · December 2, 2023

"Hah..." A chuckle escaped. Owen wasn't expecting Syndra to embolden and just ask Kieran to join them, not after the way their conversation started, he gave a passing glance towards Miredy and Jane, a muted, knowing smile as he pondered --likely on what tipped the discourse's scales. "Much like a fester, Kazran contributed in bolstering the Underground's strength by letting it run unchecked. One of the many things in the extensive list of good things to come from offing Kazran is a weakening of their scope."

Once more, Owen focused his attention on Kieran. "I can't say I expected you getting a vote of confidence... but I'll remind you I'm not one to gladly order my subjects to their deaths. You will aid the efforts, but you are to return alive." He smiled, "Terribly disappointing if your oath of repentance only amounted to that, after all --but I can't stress the point harder than your own heart, can I?"

"Mmr?" Üllr caught Iris' outburst, tilting his head slightly. "Okay. But tell me if you need to stop." He trusted Iris to gauge her limits, anyways. This was just training.

"You don't want to jump if they are approaching. Leaves you open. Maybe wouldn't if you were a bird, but we are not." He went back to position, readying his fists again. "Jump is for attack, or to make distance. Risky if attack." Üllr was doing more talking that usual, though he was enjoying it in a tangential sense. "Grandpa told me all that." It was a way to connect his past to where he currently was. The feeling... was good. "We go one more time."

This time, he wanted to train her not just on reflexes, but on what to do after. Even if dodging wasn't easy, she could learn to brace it, or block. Whatever happened, she needed to take the flow of combat from him. Stopping him from taking her turns.

"Hup!" Charging, Üllr swerved to his right, trying to bait her reaction, then, with a sharp diagonal step, tried to catch her with a swing and a left hook, holding back some of the punch weight in case it was too effective.

"Miaou... well, we should see your captain first, decidedly!" He nodded, hastening his pace as he ensured the tiger clouded was the right person. "Knowing how you do things is important, it lets me be more effective! And shortens the time I spend tinkering when I know what to expect. Well! Ahem." He cleared his throat, "Excuse me! You're the one that leads the Tigers, yes? I'm Christopher, castle personnel, siege operator, and will be helping you on the attack. Could I trouble you for a brief moment? Erm..." Not one to keep waiting on conversations, Chris kept going. "First, I wanted to introduce myself, but also, I wanted to ask logistics while I could --now, the answer doesn't need to be now now, but I'd like to know how much equipment your transports could help me with carrying --to the point it doesn't get cumbersome for yours, of course." They'd fired off their big question without worry, hoping Tasha would keep up with his quickened manner of talking.

Nanami Touko · December 2, 2023

"Ohhhh, Uncle J~ Wow, what an upgrade-- or a downgrade? Don't fancy yourself old enough to be an uncle yet, Jerbear?" Lucretia snickered along as they walked, heading outside. "Honestly, I'd love to be an aunt-- but not if I'm still single by that point, good gosh, that'd just be a terrible reminder if how unlucky I am when it comes to guys... Which isn't something I'm gonna keep feeding; I just gotta meet the right one. Jeremiah was so close. Small snag of being married, but hey, there's gotta be more than one guy like him out there... Right?"

Versaris looked at Jeremiah, tried to imagine another of him... and failed, snickering to himself. "Of course. No rush, now, at least... What's done is done. I'm sure you'll tell me before disappearing again." It was... Oddly reassuring to have Jeremiah at arm's length. For the moment, it meant that they could sleep properly, without worry of being assaulted again. If they were, the man wouldn't hesitate, especially if the Underground was looking for revenge. It wouldn't last forever, but it was a comforting thought. "Guess I'll just watch these two learn their stuff--"

"Nuh uh, pretty boy!' Lucretia had slid over to him while he was lost in thought, grabbing his arm, Versaris flinching heavily.

"Buh, wha!?"

"You're gonna help me show off some methods of defense~" Lucretia smiled nice and bright as the courtyard came into view, taking her bright smile towards Iris and Ullr, who seemed to be going at it. "Geez, looks like no one can sit still with what's looming ahead~ Good for them... Though-- whoa!"

"Okay... Okay. Jump is for attacking or backing away only... Don't jump to dodge. Don't do it..." Iris had to repeat things into her mind to get them to stick, focusing as best as she could. Ullr stepped in to swing at her and this time she sidestepped swiftly to dodge, leaving her completely open to his next fist, which she brought her fists up to block-- "Bwah!?" Even with Ullr holding back, his fists were like logs, Iris swiftly losing her footing and falling over again. "Hwahh... Ow... Y-You're really strong, Ullr." Instead of being upset, she was more impressed, jumping right back up and nodding. "I think I get it... even if I'm not very good at--"

"Are you alright!?" Lucretia had run over when the block had sent Iris onto her butt, staff at the ready, aiming it at her. "What a hit-- this is supposed to be sparring, young man, shouldn't you be holding back!?"

"Whoa, another tiddy mons-- ER--" Iris cut herself off real quick, shaking her head. "He is! I asked for the help... And, trust me, he is holding back. I just, uh, I don't think I'm cut out to, block punches. Or hits. Or anything... I just gotta dodge. Get better at dodging... That's all. I'm fine, really! Butt's a little sore, that's all."

Lucretia shot Iris a quick squint for her comment, but sighed. "... Alright. Alright! If you're sure. Just, take it easy, you two... We're gonna be over there, me and Renais, so if you need a healer, just shout." Lucretia pulled herself away from them and sighed back at her original group. "Sorry... cant' help myself, sometimes... Forget that, though, everything seems fine. Renais? Staff out~ And Versaris, get ready to swing on me."

"... Are you... Are, you really sure that's a good idea?" He glanced at Jeremiah, even holding back, it felt very improper to swing on a healer.

"I can take it, tough guy~ This body isn't just meant for looking good... now get that sword out and get ready~!"

"Whoa..." Amera watched the interaction, nodding sagely like she'd solved some mystery. "So you're a PDA cat too. It's fine, totally fine, I get it. Sometimes you just can't wait for a private moment to get pets from your human. I totally understand." Amera continued to nod as they fully joined with the group, tail swishing madly, eyes locking onto Seila. "Speaking of~" she said, loudly, "it'd be great if someone pet me right now... Just sayin'... Be super nice and cool..."

Syta couldn't help laughing at that point, holding her stomach and almost keeling over. "Geez! Hehehee...! Ahhhh... Amera, you're really funny. Heheh... Mmm. Food sounds nice, so without further adieu, let's get some! It'd be nice to see what this town has, anyway... I imagine since it's on the sea, it'll have a lot of nice seafood--"

"OH IT DOES," Amera blurted out, ears standing at attention, smile wide. "They've got the BEST fish and some serious lobster here... You're gonna love it-- I certainly do~"

"Pfft...!" Syta had to stop another laughing fit, quickly heading towards the door. "C-Come on, everyone... Hehah...! Let's get some food, in us... Geez...!" She's such a cat! I can't handle it...!

"Er, hah. Gean, maybe I made a mistake somewhere. Tactics? I got all that up here, don't worry. Quiet boat in the middle of the night is all planned out. I just mean captaining the damn thing." She headed towards the Maelstrom, hands on her hips, taking the ship all in. It was an impressive Galleon, three masts, multiple decks and floors, cannons, the whole lot. It had enough space to house a crew to maintain it, and the Tigers in transport. "See, I might know plenty about fighting out at sea, but I've never actually captained the damn thing, so... Anything you can tell me about what it takes to run a boat, I'm all ears. For the safety of our men at Eslcas, we might have to sail with a minimal crew, and some of you might have to take over required jobs... Don't want anyone getting involved in this that isn't ready for the toughest fight of their life. A lot of the men working the docks are just trade sailors, not privateers... Merchants that can pull the lever on a revolver, or fire an arrow, at best."

"To my captain... Heh." She's back in Hecatia. Ren amused themselves with the thought as they followed after Chris, watching the cat explain himself quite swiftly and without pauses, hopefully not too much for the tiger to handle. The evokers were present as well, it seemed, Ren giving them both a small bow. "Christopher is, to my understanding, as they mentioned, a siege specialist, so I imagine... Trebuchet, ballistae, that sort of thing. Is that about right, Chris?" Natalya would know best on how much they could carry of that sort of machinery.

"Well, sorry to disappoint, boss, but he told me he was sorry for everything and more, and that's all I've been waiting to hear for years... So I figured he could use another shot. Whether that's now against Kazran, or later on, whatever it is, I'm sure he'll prove himself instead of hiding his tail between his legs." Marigold slowly grabbed and held Kieran's hand, looking away from him and the rest. "Not saying he deserves to be let out of the cell; he was still a fucking idiot, but... He understands, both what he did wrong, and how his beliefs have been hurting both himself and others. It's a good start... Gods, listen to me, sappy as fuck, ugh! When did I get this optimistic!? This is your fault, Kieran!" She looked back at him with a huff, flopping into his shoulder and play punching him in the side-- and she made sure to hold back, well aware of how easily she could hit harder than intended with her body.

"Owen's right about one thing, at least... You're coming back alive. Even if I have to drag you back myself. You got that...?"

"Aaaaaaaaand... Done~" Kise flopped against Akai, her stand setup fully, multiple weapons, tomes, trinkets on display, all on different well kept, lacquered, proper wooden display stands. She'd set it up in the courtyard right next to the main gate that led out to the town, giving her an eye on everyone that came and went, along with, hopefully, a few customers... That cat boy had run past her before she could call him over, leaving her ever so slightly discouraged, just nuzzling against Akai and sighing hard. "Hahhhhhnnn, my boy... It's so difficult, this world... I get to six tails, and what happens? A mad man gets the jump on me because of my feelings, and now I'm back down to fiiiiive... Nine is so far awayyyy... It's just not fair... Mmmhnnnn..."

Her whining was met with a similar whine out of Akai, the wolf snuggling her a little with his own tails. He'd been with her for quite some time, even if not all the years. It was painful to see her so discouraged, but there was little he could do. He wasn't a combat familiar beyond his physical attributes, no real magic of his own to assist her with. Still, he could tell that it was getting to her, so he could comfort her as much as he could.

"I just... Hahh... It's really, not fair. Everything I've been through. Everything I've worked towards... Set back in such a swift and unkind motion. Even a monster has feelings, you know? Of course you do, Akai... Mmm..." She sniffled and buried her face against his fur before she could cry, hugging him tight. "Thank you..."

The wolf let out another whine, nuzzling her closer. People should buy from my master, he thought, content to be on his best behaviour if anyone showed up. If he had to pretend to be a dog to get people to feel comfortable, he was fine being a 'good boy'.

Edited December 2, 2023 by Nanami Touko

Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars

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