TheRoon Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 Renais nodded at Lucretia's instruction. "I'll be sure to practice my heart out, thank you Lucy." She gave her friend a wide smile. "Talk later!" She ran off to Kise's stand and noticed her resting against Akai. She quickly squeezed her way between the foxes and gave the smaller one a snuggle. "I hope business has been well, Kise. I'm on break right now, maybe I could help you?" She looked her in the eye with a soft expression. "I've never really worked as a saleswoman but I could learn." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xinnidy Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 (edited) "Well, Lady Vallena, it is as the commander said. If you have a force twenty strong, we are willing to work together for this goal." It was an interesting turn of events, all happening at once, as well... "Your plan to attack Kazran... is fairly similar to an idea that was brought up. I'd like to know more about the forces you represent, if you may." Everything was lining up incredibly. Another faction that was attempting to deal with Kazran? But knowing the powers of the surrounding lands, this could not be an official army, which could only point to a few possibilities. This deal could be more complicated than it seemed in the surface, and Owen was certainly intent to dig out the details his own way --too much had to go right for their plan already. "We have passing understanding of the landscape where Kazran is currently staying, but you sound a bit more intimate with it." Üllr was a bit anxious watching Iris bring that piece of clothing to the storekeeper, still grasping with the fact she would wear so little willingly... then again, he was never a fan of wearing a lot himself, preferring the freedom of movement, so maybe it was like that. "Hmm..." Üllr really didn't know how to pick clothes yet. He'd barely had a change of clothes to his name so far. Maybe a couple more shirts? Pants were options as well, but it really made dashing towards enemies awkward... shorts were the definite way in his mind. "Eh?" He'd found a rack of lighter vests, it didn't seem to be feminine or child garment, but they were open --or at least could be worn open, maybe that'd be worth a try, too. Now what was Iris planning with that shopkeeper... "Mmm... I don't see why that would differ. If you're human and can use magic here. It makes sense your magic agrees with runes... unless they make tomes and staves differently in other continents~ I'd love to hear about your home, now that I think about it." Ren's faux pas led to a little train of though churning in the inquisitive kitty's mind, a little chuckle gracing them as Chris hopped off the platform. "Well, nothing else to it. I suppose. Mounting weapons on it is a bit of a hassle, so I'd maybe show you later if you were interested, but for now it'd be a bit too much time spent. So yeah, maybe we could--" Quickly, a visitor had graced them, one Chris was not too familiar with, but was not unfamiliar with. "A-Ah! Hello... Belladonna, Alchemist, right?" As far as he remembered, yeah, that was the woman with the outrageous figure right in front of them, "W-well, I ended up being late to the meeting, but I did talk to Lady Cassandra once I was here! She told me I was to help the Tigers in the attack... so I came here to figure out how much I need --they don't have free carts to haul my everything, you see." Speaking as quickly as usual, he twirled, a tiny flare of the skirt, and waved a hand towards the general direction of where a pile of detached gadgets and launchers were. "I'll only need my part, but still need to account for everything... I take it Lady Cassandra did not pass it on to Lord Owen..." He sighed. Edited January 10 by Xinnidy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercenary on the Winds Posted January 12 Author Share Posted January 12 (edited) Jane stuck with Miredy as she had the whole time; the Tigers seemed safe but Miredy was absolutely safe, and trustworthy. They left the chained man with his woman, and Miredy slithered her way back upstairs, and into yet another conversation. Jane hadn't been interested, snuggling close to Miredy until Jane heard something. It was her name, and not in Miredy's voice, nor in Tio's. Those were the only two who knew her name, unless the bouncy woman had said something to someone, but... that wasn't the strangest part. Jane's head popped up, and turned, and... Jane stiffened, and gasped, "R-R-Roxi!" With a surprising amount of speed, Jane was out of Miredy's arms, and practically barreled into sheep's legs, grasping tightly, "Roxi! It's you, it's you! Is, is, Momma with you!? Where's Momma!?" Jane looked back at Miredy, "Look, look, it's Roxi! She's momma's friend!" She looked up at the sheep expectantly, Roxanne didn't go many places without her mother... or anyone for that matter. The shopkeeper looked Iris up and down, and flashed a toothy grin, "Well, ain't you confident? You gotta be to just say something like that. Place could use a lil' more of that nowadays." She bounded up, and quickly peeled the dress off the display, "Yeah, we got some shorts," The feline pointed with her tail as she worked with the dress, "Over there, all kinds, ponchos on the other hand... not a good a selection, you'd wanna go to somewhere like Cerezia for that, but we got some workable ones." She finished with the dress, and started her way over to counter, "So mercs, huh? Hope you ain't all of you, or Kazran gonna eat you as a snack. Dumb as hell, but maybe stronger than that. Survived the collapse when a lot of the soldiers didn't. You hear all sorts of stories from back then--so you get an idea of how messed up that conflict was. Living through it all's no easy feat, and he didn't do that by runnin'." The feline looked Iris and Ullr over, and then shook her head, "Maybe together you'd give him trouble, but he'd snap you both like twigs if he caught you. Ah, there I go again... Topic of that bastard always does it..." She looked over at Ullr, "Hey, you lookin' for anything more than a poncho, or are you just here to get turned on by the lil' lady?" She flashed the toothy grin at Ullr, before settling back on Iris, "Dress is new, but, I like your moxie. I'll cut the price a little on it, but get your shorts first." Barios nodded, "My eye is rarely wrong, and--" The cat behind the mage wrapped her arms around her, and nuzzled with her, all while singing her praises. Barios chuckled, "Well, as they say, Lightning is the prelude to thunder, and if you are a thunder mage..." Barios pulled out an unusual looking tome, "It's a bit beyond my expertise, but it is a rather peculiar spell--working in a reversal sort of fashion compared to the other spells of its type. If your expertise is thunder, then it may be an excellent addition to turn the tide on unsuspecting practitioners of dark magic." Barios then turned as one of the women seemed to have found the new merchandise. "Aha~ It seems like we have someone with a proper eye... Yes, you guess correctly, miss. That is... a weapon that I was very fortunate to come by; I have connections that come across all sorts of unique equipment, and one of them received that from a friend. I admit that I am the last person that should handle a firearm, but if you're magically inclined, you may have noticed a slight magical signature to it? That, as I am told, is because the core of that revolver has been... magically modified. It works all the same as a revolver, but with unique qualities. It's rather impressive, and incredibly difficult to come by--I believe that only Lufiria even remotely has the technological know-how for something like that," There was a wistful look across the man's face for the faintest of moments, before he returned to his pitch, "Though, because of that, it's rather expensive, and would be rather hard to maintain--it's not simply enough to know firearms. Still, I'd certainly part with it for a reasonable price--same as with the blade. The blade I can see as about... 2200 gold, the revolver... let's say 3500 gold." Jeremiah looked over at Versaris, and Lucretia while he waited for Tanya to break from her daze. It was... a familiar sight, but in an odd way, knowing that Lucretia was not Serena, but so incredibly close. Renais had moved on to Kise, and Jeremiah had been about to move on when, Tanya finally spoke up, "Ah, I'd thought you were deep in thought." Jeremiah ran a hand through his hair, "To my recollection, your father should have been returning recently from an excursion. I can't imagine that he'd be sent out again so soon, even with the situation being as it is--we're not strapped for operatives. Though, considering that Certificus has been in charge while I've been out in the field, I can't exactly say where your father is or isn't..." Jeremiah sighed, the fact that there were so many questions, and holes forming within their organization meant that a return to Lufiria was going to be met with more work. Something really wasn't right, and he didn't know what it was, or where it was originating from. "More to the point... what are you doing, Miss Maldoche? This is rather far for your family's motto, but I don't quite know where you fall in everything." Edited January 12 by Mercenary on the Winds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ether Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 Roxanne could have never predicted what happened next. As Lord Gaffney inquired into just who she was representing... something the man would hopefully be flexible on. Pirates they might have been, but they had never hit Eslcas or the lands under Gaffney... and so long as he remained so amicable to non-humans, they likely never would. Still, hearing Owen's stance would need wait just a moment, as the odd snake woman approached the conversation, interjecting with a hopeful question and a small child. As Roxanne was tackled, she froze in place for a few moments, looking down at Jane. Why was Jane here? How... was Jane here? This... she needed a moment to process, lowering her hand to slowly pat the girl's hair. "Jane... I can't believe you're here, Jane. I'm so glad that you're safe. Momma... momma is on her ship by now. She sent me ahead, to try to find anything that would... that would help us rescue you. She was so worried about you, Jane." Roxanne replied, her expression growing soft as she squatted down closer to Jane's eye level. Jane being here was good, but it also presented an issue. She had no way to get in contact with M while she was on the open water, the only way to convey that Jane was safe was to meet with her in person. Even if this might have changed things, it wouldn't get the chance to make that change. Continuing to gently pat the spider clouded on the head, Roxanne looked up towards Owen and Natalya. "The forces I represent... are a band of corsairs under command of little Jane's mother, M. I know what you're likely to say, but... we've never looked at Eslcas as a target. We've mostly operated out of Old Asqua... most of us are monsters that haven't been deemed... societally acceptable. So a place like this, a haven in Islexia, we bear you no ill will. As for the area... I'm not intimate with it myself, but I was given a map with the details to meet up with M before her attack. I can go over it with you, and further discuss the details, if you'll help us." Roxanne noted, turning back to Jane. There was still the issue of the timeline, but as long as she could sail ahead with Jane in tow and a promise of reinforcements, maybe she could stay M's hand, if only long enough to turn this from a suicide raid to a proper battle to crush Kazran. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRDRHAWK Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 (edited) “Oh, that’s good… hopefully it went well.” Tanya was relieved, almost too much so, at hearing that Papa had made it back safely. Well, as far as Jeremiah knew, anyways, but that was enough for her. Then, Jeremiah had asked Tanya a question, and… she paused. How she fit in… How indeed. Tanya wasn’t entirely sure where she’d have fit in normally. Even now, she felt as though she was largely just a tag-along, brought with the Tigers mostly just to fill the ranks. And maybe, just maybe, that was… fine? No, it wasn’t fine. She was a Maldolche, dammit, and she was supposed to be a proud, noble, and mighty ‘knight of justice’. But just what exactly did that mean anymore? Tanya didn’t have an answer to that one, and maybe it was time to face that fact. ”Honestly, I’m not so sure myself. At first, I wanted to tag along to help bring down the Underground.” Tanya began, trying to collect her thoughts as quickly as she was vocalizing them. “But now, all this… political stuff? Feels like it’s gone way over my head, and my pay grade. I was training to be a soldier before, when I struck out on my own instead. Never cared much for all the, uh… intricacies of diplomacy. Still don’t.” Then, she sighed, her ears drooping and her tail swishing behind her. “Honestly, once all this business is done, I’m not sure how long I’ll be sticking around. Feels like I’m just kinda… out of place here. And the more I’m seeing of all this…” Tanya trailed off, making vague motions with her hands. “All this? Really making me question just what ‘justice’ means to me anymore. It’s not quite as simple as everyone always made it sound.” Another sigh. “Maybe I should head home for a bit after this business with the Underground. Talk with Papa, and Yuyu, and everyone else. See if I can figure all that out — figure myself out, y’know?” Graham had half a mind to speak up, expecting this very convenient offer of aid to be too good to be true. In a way, it was a bit too convenient, and he was about to mention as such to Lord Owen… and then the little girl he’d seen with Miredy piped up. ”Ah. That would… explain some things.” Graham muttered to himself, stroking his chin thoughtfully. Then, he turned his attention to Roxanne — or, evidently, ‘Roxi’, according to Jane. “A band of corsairs? It sounds as though your aid may prove rather… costly.” Then, back to Owen. “Even still, if there is some trust to be had between Miss Miredy and Roxanne, I believe there might be some merit in taking their offer.” Graham may have been cautious normally, but he wasn’t a fool. They needed all the help they could muster, and considering the need to gather an advantage over the seas, it would be better to have the corsairs on their side than against them. “Plus, if they can grant us more knowledge of the terrain, it would be a boon. My opinion likely matters little in the grand scheme of things, as a mere bodyguard, but I would propose accepting their aid, and swiftly.” Mina was trying to wait patiently, while Roxanne said her piece. Admittedly, it was easier than expected, given the fact that there was just so much decor to study in the manor, and everything at least sounded interesting, even if Mina couldn’t quite keep up with it all. Besides, they were planning a large-scale attack, and that didn’t sound a lot like her business, unless she was asked to be involved with it. ”Um… Lord Owen?” Mina decided to slip into the conversation while Roxanne was tending to the girl supposedly in her friend’s care. “Sorry, this’ll only take a minute. I’m just here to give you this, from my brother — you know Ryon, right?” She handed Owen a paper, one that had listed all the supplies the clinic needed, complete with quantities. Hopefully he’d be able to deal with it, or at least make arrangements for it. Assuming things weren’t too busy for the Gaffneys with these plans of theirs, that is. Edited January 12 by MRDRHAWK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanami Touko Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 (edited) "My, hello, Renais~ Hmhmhmhm... No, no booming business here, but I did receive a handout. Look~" Kise flashed her tails gently, five present once more. "Which means I'll be at six once we kill that foul man who stole one. Isn't that wonderful~? I'm so close to nine I can almost taste it... If only these mercenaries would help me out a little more. It's good for them too, after all... It'd mean their favorite pink healer is all the more safe~" "That's the best part. He'll never catch me! He can't snap what he can't get his hands on... Besides, if he really got that close, I'd just turn him to stone, and then we'd snap him-- crumble him into dust~" Iris wasn't about to cede her confidence to Kazran of all people. He was gonna die! And then they could continue on their journey. "Right! Shorts~ I'll grab those, don't mind me..." Iris moved right next to Ullr as she walked to grab some shorts, sliding a finger across his chest, gently and slowly. "Make sure you tell me exactly how you feel when I'm wearing that new outfit... Okay?" She gave him a little wink and then went about collecting the rest of her clothes from the shelves. The group returned from their brief checking of boats and their swim, Cass spotting Owen dealing with some more new faces. "Whole buncha folks these days, huh..." While she'd wrung her dress out a bit on the docks, she was still drenched, walking up to Owen like it wasn't a problem. "Brother, I'm back... I take it all your talks have been going well. I showed our prospective mercenary captain around the ships-- Aegean, if you weren't introduced. She can helm the ship, leaves us with having to take less hands away from Eslcas, just in case... And these are more new faces? Not part of the Tigers?" She spied the sheep, the little dragon hiding behind that armored in green woman, then the child the snake lady had brought in, buried in the sheep's arms. "Family reunion? Touching." She grinned a bit, running a hand into her hair to get the water out of it. "Always did like a woman that's good with kids~" Miredy let Jane rush into Roxanne's arms without a care, smiling happily, almost tearing up. "Well," she began, having to calm herself so she didn't start weeping happy tears, "that solves one part of that..." She slithered closer to the sheep as Owen's sister returned, giving her a confused glance. She was soaked... "Pardon me, miss... We saved Jane from the Underground. She was in the cell next to mine... I told her we'd bring her to her mother. I'm glad that's going to happen, and so soon. What a stroke of luck, Jane~" The blue snake was beside herself with happiness, sniffling just a little, idly sliding a comforting hand into Jane's hair. "How wonderful..." "Yes. It is something I'd only expect to see back home--" Syta caught herself and grumbled some, huffing. It was too late; he'd definitely already heard her, but if he was trading with Lufirians, surely he wouldn't mind one purchasing from him... "Mmm... I could certainly use a weapon like this, but... I don't have that much gold. Uhm..." Syta glanced up at Laniva, pouting ever so slightly. "Do you think you could spare a little, Lani? I think I could make good use of this gun... But, I understand if it's a bit much. It'd be a very expensive piece..." Edited January 12 by Nanami Touko Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluemask 96 Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 Jesse covered her mouth at the sight of the young girl barreling into Roxanne. The odds of them running into people that knew her, as they made their way into Islexia no less, was nothing short of a miracle. Then again, it seemed that things like these came hand in hand while traveling with the Tigers. The sight of these two and Miredy enjoying this moment allowed Jesse to ignore the fact that she unknowingly brought pirates directly to the lord with less caution than one should. "This has been a day for sure." At that moment, Lady Cassandra had re-entered the scene, though more drenched than before. Mina seemed to also be handling her business with the Lord, so Jesse's job was pretty much fulfilled. The slight growl from her stomach let her know that her body also thought it was time to depart. The young knight made her way up to Tasha, whispering to the mercenary leader. "If you guys have this, I shall take my leave for now." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ether Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 "Costly? No, we were going to attack Kazran anyway. M was positively livid, like a woman possessed. We don't intend to extort you." Roxanne corrected as the bodyguard said his piece. The man seemed on the side of assisting her, but it wouldn't do to leave misconceptions like that out in the open. As they gained a new arrival... another Gaffney it seemed, given that she had addressed Lord Owen as brother. Flashing the woman a quick smile at her comment, Roxanne continued idly patting Jane's hair, sliding her hand off to one side as the snake approached, intending to do the same. "Not quite a family reunion yet. We were looking for little Jane after she was taken by Kazran. To get her back, and relieve the world of that man. I'm glad that we needn't worry about finding her now... if the underground already had her..." Jane shook her head. If they had actually won, and Jane had already been sold... would there have been any leads left to follow? Little chance of more than a bill of sale, and the institution of the underground as a whole... as a lead it was practically useless. "I can't thank you enough for taking care of Jane. She seemed quite comfortable with you, Miss. I can see that you treated her well, and... even if we had won, I don't know that we ever would have found her without you." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JakezuGD Posted January 14 Share Posted January 14 Things certainly sounded very good to Tasha's ears, especially now knowing that this woman was with the mother of the girl they'd rescued from the Underground alongside their own people, even if the mention of them being pirates made her ears twitch a little. "Long as you've never thought about attacking Glacies like most of the pirates around here, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. We might have a problem if you have, but I'll defer to whatever the lord of the castle decides upon, seeing as we're just another group under contract, yeah?" The sight of the girl clinging so tightly to the sheepy lady did bring a gentle smile to her, finding that she didn't really care what the answer to her implied inquiry was. If the mother of someone who'd been imprisoned by those bastards was Roxanne's boss, she was pretty sure they'd get along just fine, even if they had their differences in method. She quickly nodded to Jesse, who seemed to feel like she had no input of her own left in the matter. The number of people around them steadily grew from a simple discussion to what felt like everyone trying to pull Owen's attention in their own direction, and with the tiger's business with him done for the moment, she thought it better to leave him to deal with things as he got around to them. "Anyway, I've got some of my own things to get to, so I'll leave you all to get your things sorted out. I'll talk to you later about the naval matter," she said to Cassandra, before finally turning back to the stairs to find a room like she'd initially thought of. Alvira might have been waiting for her already, though she'd have a number of things to bring up from their caravan for the duration of their stay too. Bella was going to interject before the boy continued, but he made it quite obvious that his tongue raced ahead of hers. The other person beside him was someone she thought she'd seen with the Tigers earlier, but they weren't putting their piece into the conversation yet, so she simply chose to let them stay on the sidelines if they wanted to. "Correct you are~ Clearly I'm a memorable sort if you remember me by name, and we don't even work anywhere near each other in the castle normally, hmm?~" She leaned forward just a bit, perfectly aware of what that drew attention to from most. "I suppose things are alright if you've spoken to Cassandra already, though. They may be siblings, but Owen is a busy man at times like these, so I understand if word doesn't carry immediately. There is one thing I'd like to add..." Back up straight, the witch took a few steps toward the platform, taking a brief look at what Christopher was pointing out. "This wasn't in the initial plan, but I'm going with the Tigers too. Healers may be indispensable, but my potions can make anyone their own healer, after all... and it's a good opportunity to possibly learn from a few foreign mages. You don't see many practitioners of magic in Islexia, which I'm sure you're excited about as well, seeing as you power these things with magic." That much was easy to see with a quick glance given her own proficiency, though how exactly he was doing it was a different matter. Something she could ask about later. "And, since we're still both under the same employer, maybe we could do some... One-on-one practice, yes?~" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xinnidy Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 (edited) "Corsairs." Now that was bold, enough for Owen to take a pause. It... certainly was not the kind of resistance Owen expected to be mounted against Kazran, but the man's absolute lack of diplomacy skills did make it more believable than not. Now, to mess with the hornet's nest so thoroughly that they were turning to Eslcas for help... "I knew he was casting his net wide, but to see all the people that dislike Kazran --even the big Belrose himself not bothering to move a finger in aid--, it's quite something." Tasha seemed to have some willingness to work with them, partisan sensibilities withstanding, but at least she had the sense to defer a final word to him. "Well, unlike your concern with Glacies, I can't expect corsairs living close enough to Kazran to have disputes to never have attacked Islexian vessels. They wouldn't be much holding to their name otherwise." His tone had flattened, knowing the situation afforded little misteps. "...I'm going to have repercussions one day, when it is known that I'd worked with such. Still, between your arrival and everything more, I'd also be a fool to let this momentum go. We'll be hitting Kazran with far more than he'd ever expected of me. I only hope your comrades can appreciate my willingness to work with moving forward, Roxanne." Internally, Owen struggled to suppress his moral concerns. The ends were just, and he certainly wouldn't be the first warlord to negotiate with corsairs. Perhaps it was a matter of maturity... Owen was surprised Graham was as amenable to the idea as he was. It was effectively praise coming from him. Perhaps Miredy and Jane had touched a soft spot for the man... but still, all was acknowledged, at this point, leaving just enough time to greet his sister and her guests. "Good to meet you, Ser Aegean, and yes, Cassandra. We've got another group willing to help us... I believe they'll be providing their own ships, or do I need to account for it?" Owen turned a quick glance at Roxanne, before facing his sister again. "A lot of work cut out for me regardless... heh, just a day ago, things seemed far more delicate..." "Mrr...?" Üllr blushed, not expecting such a forward question from the shopkeeper. Then again, with Iris there, he should've known... "No.. I am getting clothes for myself." Üllr awkwardly picked the couple changes of clothes he'd decided on when Iris went up to him and made quite a suggestive... well, everything. What was this girl learning. "Ah... uh, okay, uh..." This was different from what he was used from her, for sure. Confusing... and something else he didn't fully understand. "I will say. I also got some clothes." He hadn't fully grasped fashion, but his need for more clothes, with the wear and tear of their trade, was a decent motivator. It was good to have something he could avoid using on the field, so it wouldn't get torn easy. "W-well, you do strike a figure, and alchemy isn't an awfully populated field, so-- well." Chris replied fast, trying to deflect, poorly, as Bella did the unthinkable. She teased the poor nerd. Chris finally had lost his train of thought, tail shot up in some form of surprise. "Ah, w-well, I guess Cassandra will have to tell him later. I hope she does. I, don't want Nita pulling my ear today." Chris had regained a sense of composured as she leaned back to normal, throwing a furtive glance to Ren which spoke a thousand words as Bella examined the platform. Somehow Chris didn't expect her to keep laying it on thick afterwards --well, much like with her curves, thick was an understatement. "Ah? Ahahaha~" With the nervous laughter of someone who'd been played, Chris turned beet red. "I-I'm flattered. I don't know if I match up to your level of expertise, honestly. Well, runes and alchemy aren't so different but, ah, one field is notably younger. S-Still, I can try to help with whatever seems feasible, I--" Chris didn't know what to say at all to her last sentence... almost not parsing it out of disbelief. Nervously holding the hem of his skirt as he tried to answer. "P-Practice? W-well I'd hate to hurt you --I mean, I doubt I'm a stronger mage, by far! I just, uh... it'd depend on, uh." What did she mean by this?! Edited January 16 by Xinnidy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRoon Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 The pinkette made a somewhat silent 'oooh' as the fox showed off her fifth tail, she looked almost as vibrant as before. She gave the fox a slightly worried expression as she went on about killing Luthier and protecting her. "I appreciate the thought, Kise. I've been training to keep myself safe, so you don't have to worry about me." She reached her hand out to the tail and rubbed at it a little. "I really am glad you got a tail back though, it feels as fluffy as it did before." She did wonder what would happen if she got all her tails, but she hoped she'd remember the promise she made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercenary on the Winds Posted January 17 Author Share Posted January 17 As the afternoon turned to evening, and evening tonight, the Tigers enjoyed finally a peaceful night of rest, no problems, no further surprises, just well deserved time to relax. Even a bit of a rising morale seemed to be present in the city of Eslcas, the rumblings amongst the populace was that something big was going to happen in the near future. Perhaps it was finally the turn they needed, perhaps Kazran's days were finally numbered. Yet, even as the days went on, and preparations continued, it suddenly becoming clear that something was happening in Islexia. The Tigers were neither the first, nor the last people to arrive in Eslcas; merchants, civilians, and many more began to arrive in Eslcas, all saying something similar, and all fleeing from something happening in southern Islexia, but the stories were so varied, so piecemeal that nothing concrete could really be made out of it. But the words were truth; there were many things happening in Islexia. The Tigers were at the center of but one story within the arid country, but, stars willing, they would find themselves chosen to push the game forward. While the Tigers rested, preparing themselves for the battle at hand, the world about them continued to turn. There was still an unanswered question for some: Where had Princess Lucille, and her entourage vanished to? The figure at the center of a theft that threatened to throw the continent into turmoil disappeared without much of a trace after the Tigers retrieved the Escaflowne from her. Some were not content to let the Princess flee from sight, some had questions that only she could answer. Alliance in an Unlikely Place Spoiler Alliance in an Unlikely Place June 6th, 1218 PAF, 8PM Somewhere in Islexia Finding a nearby town to rest in was difficult, a lot harder than she would have liked it to be, but their targets moved well. This had been arguably the most difficult task that she’d undertaken in her time as an intelligence officer. Admittedly, she hadn’t had too many missions outside of Lufiria, focusing mostly on tasks inside Lufiria, searching for the truth of what had happened to her, and her family. This mission was well above anything that she’d dealt with, but she’d undertaken it happily as it brought her one step closer to her personal mission, her real goal. She made her way back inside the small shack that served as the tavern for the small town of Nica; an old, ramshackle town sleeping in the shadow of the Serdio Mountains. There were a couple of men and women inside the rundown building, all drinking, and talking, some about the difficulties of the day, others about the spat between the Gaffneys and Kazran Serdio. Towards the back of the tavern though were two women, hair varying shades of white, the taller of the two a glittering silver, and the other–their newer companion–a pure white. She flipped her hair behind her as she made her way over, “Okay… things are sorted for the evening it seems like… the trail’s getting a little cold, but they aren’t moving any faster than they were before. Still not entirely sure where they’re going… it doesn’t seem like they’re trying to book it back to Lufiria, or at least, not by way of the Sands.” She sighed and plopped herself down next to the silver haired woman, “Who would have thought that this mission would grow to involve the First Princess… This is a mess.” “It really does feel like the deeper we go the more complex this all becomes.” Spoke the silver haired woman at the table. “I’m honestly glad we aren’t caught yet, but we haven’t exactly made too much headway, hm Sara?” Liza Silvavolke, a woman who shouldn’t have been in the situation she was. Yet here she was, away from her life to help her friend, even with the awkward tension in the air. “I guess all we can do is try to get some rest and continue in the morning since we’re all set for the night, so try to relax alright?” “The trail can grow as cold as it pleases. As long as he holds what belongs to my family, he won’t be able to escape our pursuit.” The third woman spoke up, the owner of both the pure white hair and a curious blade. Her hand rested on its pommel even as they sat at their table, her eyes closed and in a state of deep focus. It has ceased traveling south; now it heads east. “They’ve begun moving eastward.” Her voice was hushed to avoid any undue attention; however, as she was blatantly a full-blooded dragon in Islexia, attention tended to fall on her whether she wanted it to or not. That was half the reason she’d even agreed to the alliance in the first place; a monster like her traveling alone, no matter how powerful, would never know peace in these lands. A quiet sigh escaped her as her ruby red eyes opened, scanning the room for any unwanted gazes. “Rest would do us all well. Having a roof over our heads is a rare luxury, do your most to enjoy it.” “Eastward?” Sara looked at their new companion with a blink of the eyes. It was a stroke of luck that they encountered the white haired dragon–a rarity anywhere outside of Lufiria. She’d been coming down from Kansei in pursuit of a weapon of sorts, Sara hadn’t been able to make much sense of it, but when the dragon explained that she could feel the weapon, and almost see the figure holding it, she was a little more inclined to listen. With Liza’s urging they helped the strange dragon through the checkpoint, and it proved to potentially be the best thing that they could have possibly done. Their new companion, Saffira, was searching for an axe, and the figure that she seemed to see in her mind’s eye was a tall, dark skinned man who wielded the axe, and dark magic in tandem. The similarities were almost too good to be true, and then, the woman further proved her case by correctly tailing their targets, almost confirming that the man she was seeing was also their target, a member of the Asteria, Tanvir Safiric. Their goals aligned, and with what Liza and Sara knew of the man, they were not nearly enough to handle someone as strong as he was but with more allies perhaps that gap would close. Sara leaned back in her chair, “Eastward doesn’t make any sense… if they were just trying to retreat, they’d move for any one of the hidden checkpoints… With that kind of movement, they’d potentially move across the Belrose’s territory, and that makes no sense at all… Ugh…” She flopped onto the table with a sigh, “I’m just gonna be running in circles like this… Maybe a drink and some relaxation would be real good about now…” Liza eyed their friend a bit curiously, it was a coincidence that they ran into her. She was a curious one. “Belrose territory…” She remembered hearing talk about the Belrose family, at least rather briefly. Islexia was very far out of her specialty, she was just surprised she made it as far as she did with her arm treating her the way it did. It felt much better now, but using a sword wouldn’t be a good call for the moment. “Hm, yeah.” She pat her partner’s shoulder. “I gotta say, we could be in a much worse situation. Right?” “I do not know your exact quarrel with your target, but given who they are…” She paused, eyes returning to her two companions. None in the room seemed overly interested in their conversation, just their appearances. Expected, but no less reason to be wary; the wolf that mimicked sheep was far more dangerous. “Moving through Belrose territory would make specifically our pursuit of him more difficult, due to mine own involvement. Do they suspect us? Or does this deviation serve a greater purpose? I do not know enough of our targets to justify a guess.” “Given who they are… I doubt it’s because they’ve picked us up. If they had… I doubt we’d be breathing.” Tanvir alone was probably enough to take all three of them; the Asteria were fairly well known for the high competency of their members. “Between the man that we need to tail, his companions, and now, the princess, of all things, we wouldn’t last if they had genuinely caught onto us… No, I think it has to be something different, Saffira. A destination, or something to that effect, but cutting through Belrose territory is strange.” She deflated at Liza’s touch, “We’ve explained as much as we can about our chase… We, I, came into information that… casts the Asteria, and others, in a concerning light. We’re tailing them to make sure that if what I acquired is right, we can put a stop to it before things get bad because of it.” She looked over at Liza, with a mildly pained glance, before shaking her head, “But we did say there’s no point in spinning our wheels right now… We should all grab a drink, and then… I guess we can chat about how we proceed; Saffira’s right that if they’re cutting through Belrose territory our pursuit just gets tougher.” Liza could tell her partner wasn’t comfortable with the situation, but she wasn’t surprised given everything they had been through up to this point. Liza did have her fair share of regrets, she couldn’t help but worry about her sister. Something itched at the back of her head the whole way through that something was happening. “...hm, yeah.” But she decided to take her own advice and settle in for a drink. “I think we all could use a break. I know I need to put my mind at ease.” She put out a warm smile. “Besides, if any unsavory folks catch us down in spirits they might feel gutsy enough to try something.” She half joked, though she knew it wouldn’t end well for them if they tried. “I understand your reasons well enough, else we would not be allied thus. Mine own grievances end with his possession of what is mine by right, however…” The dragon’s words slowed to a pause. Her usually piercing gaze softened, but she still kept eye contact with the blonde woman. If he poses a threat to my homeland, while wielding my family’s weapon, then I am duty bound stop him. In a flash her gaze hardened, the swordswoman resuming her usual disposition. Or die trying. “If your fears and worries turn to truth, you will have my steel.” “As for now,” she leaned back into her chair, allowing herself a break from her rigid posture. “I agree that we should rest. However, if we are to drink, I would request that one of you fetch mine for me. These people appear to pose no threat,” a tilt of her head indicated she was referring to the peasantry, “however, drink loosens inhibitions and I will not tolerate harassment. At least, not in a manner that aligns with our goal of remaining undetected.” Her tone and gaze remained as cold as was usual, however, the slightest of smirks took to her face as she uttered her final sentence. What that meant, if it was even noticed, was for her companions to decide. Sara chuckled slightly, “I suppose the two of you are right.” Sara found a smile, and put it on her face before hesitating a moment, “Saffira, I know we haven’t had much time to speak of it, but, when we return with the drink, perhaps you could explain what you’re after our target for? You’ve mentioned it a couple times, but the actual reason itself remains vague. I suppose that’s really uncouth of me to ask you when I can’t tell you too much more about why we’re tailing him, but anything to further this alliance of ours is a good idea to attempt, no?” Sara then pulled the conversation back towards lighthearted, “Alright, Liza, why don’t we go get us something light for the evening? Don’t want us to lose our quarry because we drank ourselves under the table.” She stood up to make for the tender, gesturing for Liza to follow. Liza had a keen eye for danger, and she did agree that the people nearby wouldn’t cause much issue. Still, better safe than sorry. “Sure, I’m game.” She followed behind. “We’ll be right back, Saffira.” She nodded at the dragon and followed behind. “I’ll be taking something light, best to keep our wits up.” Liza also didn’t want to repeat the…interesting night from getting too intoxicated. That was embarrassing. Sara and Liza wandered their way up to the tender, listening into the conversations around them. Oddly, many of them were on the same topic; conflict north of here–the Gaffneys and Kazran Serdio. It was but a foregone conclusion that Kazran with both his larger forces, and support of the Belrose, as well as over warlords, would roll right over the Gaffneys, a small, clouded positive warlord that held one of most prominent trade routes in Islexia. Sara hid a scowl as she listened, but had to bear it; this mission could probably be even more important than fostering these Gaffneys into a potential Islexian ally. Even if she wanted to help, they had to focus on the princess as that could pertain to more than just Islexia. Speaking of which, she wondered how close Jeremiah was to figuring things out. Working under the man told her just how competent he was, and her actions may have put her in his crosshairs. If he showed up, it was over; Tanvir was already a tall order, Jeremiah was a battle that they could never win. Hopefully, too many things would slow him down, and they could get their answers to what was really going on. The truth about the Asteria's mission, and the fact that Jeremiah signed onto it. What happened in Hecatia was absolutely related, but they needed to know the truth before they could really act on it. The pair ordered their drinks–three light beers–and Sara turned to Liza, "Hey, Liza. What… would you do if you were faced down with an overwhelming enemy. One that we had no chance of overcoming, even together?" The words kind of just tumbled out of her, almost surprising herself. The talks of conflict and warlords reached Liza’s ear, seemed like there was some drama stirring in the pot. Though it wasn’t particularly any of her business, it was still something she kept in mind. “Hm…” Renais was still on her mind, she was sure she was fine right now but something itched at her mind. During the time she spent with Sara she felt something was off, she knew Sara had befriended her for specific reasons. She had some idea, but wasn’t entirely sure enough to call her out on it. Now seemed like a decent time, but before she could come out with the question she heard one from her instead. “Ah?” Liza smiled a little. “What, the big man doesn’t count?” She referred to their target and laughed a little. “I’m joking.” She looked forward as she thought on the question. “We’re people, Sara. We have our limits, even when we’re together. You have your farsight and skill with a bow, but I have my attention to detail and tenacity.” Liza’s specialty was spotting out enemy weak points and exploiting them, it took her very far. “There will always be a bigger fish, it’s just up to the fisherman if he’s up to bigger game. My grandfather taught me that he's…a little interesting.” She giggled a little. “But for me personally, it’s complicated. I’m kind of stubborn, so I try to see if I can win, but since I’m fighting with you…I’d plan out a way to get us both out safely so we can live to see another day.” Sara looked at Liza intently as she answered, it seemed like she had been queuing up her own question before Sara prompted her. Her answer to the sudden question was earnest, and straightforward, just like she’d always been. It was one of the few things that had drawn her to Liza outside of the potential of who her sister really was; difficulty or no, Liza would move ahead with what she had and tried to make it work, and if it didn’t, struggle to make sure that she could try again another day. Of course, the man she was talking about this time wasn’t someone that they would be able to get away from if he really wanted them dead. Most operatives went in and out of their duties, either fading away, dying, or transitioning into leadership roles; Jeremiah was an anomaly. Despite being the head of intelligence, his experience in the field was longer than either she or Liza had been alive, and he was still there, still near peerless. “...Haah, your grandfather really does sound like someone interesting. But… good. I kind of knew that you’d want to see if you can win, but… it’s good to know that you’d try to get out when you realize that you can’t. If I’m right about some of these things… we might encounter people so far out of our league that you might not be able to fathom it. I still can’t. I’ve already tried to get you to go back, so I’m not going to try again, I just want you to know… that it’s only going to get more muddled, and crazy.” The words were just leaving Sara’s lips now, she needed to know where Liza stood on this, if she was going to… No, stop. The drinks were placed on the counter next to them, “Ah, there they are. Don’t worry about giving me an answer to that… It was just a thought.” “People out of my league, hm…yes I know that’s possible. I’m relearning a new thing after all, I may have combat experience but a handicap is still a handicap.” She looked at her arm, the scar was covered by her sleeve. “But make no mistake, I won’t blame a defeat on it.” She looked back at her partner and smiled. “I like learning new things and improving, if I fall I make sure I can get back up. I’ll only be a stronger woman for it. I know you’re the same.” She pat her shoulder and took a drink. “Do you think we need back up?” Sara pondered a moment and sighed, “I don’t know if anyone could actually back us up against who I believe may be chasing us down. Really, all we can do is hope that we don’t cross paths before we catch up to the princess, and figure out what’s really going on.” They’d been lucky so far, but Jeremiah was not the best operative Lufiria has ever known for nothing. Sara brought Liza back to the table, “Hope you didn’t miss us, Saffira.” A part of her wanted to make clear what she had to Liza, of the caliber of people that they were acting against. However, Saffira was still a wild card, and there was no real way to tell yet how she would deal with that kind of information. Though, there was another thing that kept popping up was they were waiting for their drinks. “Hey, did you catch more of what the patrons are saying about what’s going on up north? With Kazran, and the Gaffneys?” Though Saffira’s posture had relaxed, her wit remained as sharp as the blade she carried at her side. Sara likely suspected what the dragon was after and just wanted a hard confirmation of the facts, which the dragon wasn’t sure if she was willing to give. She spoke of an alliance, but from her seat Saffira could see the two women talk amongst themselves; privacy in and of itself wasn’t wont for suspicion, yet how they danced around the identity of their target did not give the dragon confidence about the strength of their alliance. The moment of solitude lasted only a moment, the pair returning with drinks for three. “Aye,” she answered, still reclined. “‘Tis the talk of the tavern and I heard plenty when we arrived and when you were gathering our drinks. They say Kazran is marshalling his forces, intent to deal the Gaffneys a fatal blow. Less common is the talk of the Gaffneys’ allies, despite their morals, and how the lordlings have miraculously managed to secure assistance when facing down Kazran and the Belrose.” She let her answer hang there, awaiting Sera’s attempt to try for an answer to her earlier question. The onus was on her to push that topic. Sara raised an eyebrow, "Kazran's planning a real assault?" That was a troubling escalation. Islexia was not her main station, but she had a number of contacts, and she'd heard tales of Kazran's cruelty. Sara couldn't help a click of the tongue, "That might make our own pursuit more turbulent…" Too many things were starting to happen, the change in the princess's heading, Kazran's planned assault, the threat of Jeremiah; Sara shook her head, ironic that it was Jeremiah's own words that started to play in her head. Jeremiah may not have been the one instructing her, but he spoke often with the recruits, and his first words to her stuck with her: 'It's irony that in a line of work where lies and deception are so common that it is the truths that we tell that keep us alive. An ineffective member of intelligence is one who can't question the reality of their mission, and one who cannot confide the truth of their mission in those you know to be your ally.' Sara sighed, and looked into Saffira's eyes and saw that same spark of determination that she saw in Liza's eyes. Like it or not, if she was going to go after Tanvir, the threat of Jeremiah and her mission was information that Saffira should know. "Saffira. I think you know that we haven't been completely honest with all of this, right? But, I need to know how serious you are to chase after your axe… You can't possibly know how dangerous that man, and the people who are around him are. I… if we're going to fight together, we need to know as much as is relevant. Because we cannot be caught unawares with people of this caliber." Sara looked over at Liza, there wasn't any turning back now. “Kazran’s getting ready to bring down the Belrose family…” She repeated. “I’m certain that will carry quite a bit of impact on the land.” It seemed like Sara found the strength to press forward, it was good to see. She had carried on through this journey with some self doubt and regret, all the sniper could do was be her pillar in such dire times. With that in mind, Liza simply nodded in agreement as her partner and stayed by her side. “We didn’t think it was right to keep you in the dark in all this, especially considering what kind of person we’re after.” She looked Saffira in the eye. “The man is just a little more than a mountain of muscle and a deadly gaze.” “I had mine own suspicions…” Was all the draconic swordswoman gave as confirmation of her wariness of this alliance of theirs as she corrected her posture and resumed sitting upright. “Lest you forget, tis my visions of him that allow us to pursue him. They show more than just the man himself.” She let her sentence hang there, the implication obvious. “Though, given the severity of your question, I can imagine you have more than just a hazy vision to base your shared caution on.” Though the conversation was important, and demanded her attention, the dragon’s gaze was beyond the pair, ever-vigilant for any eavesdroppers. “Mine intent was to chase the man to lands’ end, should the need arise. Crossing even the Severed Sands, should it come to it. He possesses what is mine by right and was wrongfully stolen from my family. The weapons belong together, under my watch; not scattered about the continent waiting to be misused. I will die before I give up my duty.” Sara nodded, “I figured as much, but it hadn’t been made clear exactly what your visions were showing. Though, you are correct, there is… a good bit more to that man, and his threat. If you’re serious of your goal–and it sounds as if you are prepared for the worst–I will… explain the reality of who you’re chasing, and why we’re after him as well.” Sara looked around making sure that no one was really paying attention to them, and leaned into whisper, “The man you’re after, Tanvir is his name, and he is a Royal Knight of Lufiria, one of the members of the Asteria–a group of people that the Princess has collected of various skills and talents. All of them are people well beyond any of our caliber, Tanvir especially. Right now, Liza and I are pursuing him because I received information that he is likely involved in the situation that occurred in Hecatia, a situation that if not handled appropriately could see the continent devolve into war. Not to mention… that I am also being pursued by another man from Lufiria, his name is Jeremiah Noire, and he is perhaps even more dangerous than Tanvir. By pursuing this man, you will also very likely fall afoul of him, since the Princess is with Tanvir now.” Sara looked deep into Saffira’s eyes, “If your duty compels you against these odds, then we have an accord. In truth, I am Sara Rhapsodia, a member of Lufirian Intelligence.” Jeremiah Noire, Sara mentioned him to Liza before and she knew he was extremely dangerous. Even if she had her sword arm fully healed she was sure he’d best her. The hardest thing about her shift in fighting styles was to stop acting like a knight, Sara had been a big help there at least. She stood by her partner as she told Saffira her tale, it was mostly information she knew beforehand. “My identity hasn’t changed, Liza Silvavolke is still my name. It seems we want the same thing so know that you have my trust, Saffira.” “...One of those men is not unfamiliar to me.” Saffira’s resolve didn’t waver, but the mention of Jeremiah Noire did give her pause; when she fled Lufiria all those years ago with her family’s sword the thought of him pursuing her had given the dragon many sleepless nights. Often, it was what spurred her further, out of Islexia, into Hecatia, before she finally settled in Kansei. There she would have remained, if not for the awakening of the sword and in turn the resurgence of her family’s duty. “As for the other, regardless of his status, or his current company, if he intends to use what is mine to help further his plans…” Her gaze was resolute. “Then nothing will deter me from my hunt. Even if Jeremiah himself bars my path.” It was quite the talk, and perhaps only that. No matter how devoted to her duty, the dragon knew she could not compare to Jeremiah, even with her family’s sword. But if that was her fate, then she would meet it head on. She raised an eyebrow as Sara revealed her status, as well as her true name. “It’s been a long time since I’ve heard that name; not since the fire. Surely mine own is known to you if you are actually a member of intelligence; my family’s sin is great, likely to overshadow and hinder my purpose.” Ever paranoid, she scanned the room once again for anyone paying overmuch attention to their trio before continuing. “My true name is Saffira Del’Mond Tirydhl, consider this proof of my commitment to our accord.” Sara's eyes widened, "You're… you're a Tirydhl? You, all survived?" There was a tinge of concern in Sara's voice. Of the many families implicated in the Blaze of the Tenth, the Tirydhl, or rather, a handful of the Tirydhl were some of the violently intent on the assassination. Though, it was clear to most that the Tirydhl were not all in agreement, but with both Virion and Rosaria indisposed after the attack for obvious reasons, Hilda did as she was want to do. As far as anyone else knew, the Tirydhl were punished for their crimes. Sara smiled, and shook her head, "I should have guessed it from the heritage and the cursed weapons… the Tirydhl fled Lufiria, then. It's honestly good to know that people escaped Lady Hilda's wrath. I doubt you're one of the few who dreamt of the princesses' death. Ever still, our accord remains unchanged; your devotion is in your eyes, and I aim to match it." The clock continued to tick away as the Tigers found themselves starting to get back on their feet. Two solid days of rest after their arrival came to an end on the third day, at the request of Jeremiah Noire. The head of Lufirian Intelligence had been scarce since their arrival between assisting with planning the assault, and his own reconnaissance as well as conversations with relevant folk appeared to have one more trick up his sleeve. He'd pitched the idea of a bit of a training exercise for the Tigers to get them prepared for their first real assault. Training with one of the most lethal men alive was not an opportunity that the Tigers could pass up, so it was agreed that the exercise would take place on the 13th. But as always, the world about the Tigers was continuing to turn, and the ever present threat of Kazran Serdio was going to appear before them in a shape that few would have ever seen coming... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanami Touko Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 Alvira was awake and ready, already on the field near Jeremiah. She'd been as prompt as possible with her time awake, reading and practising, sliding in some time with Tasha when she could. She had to be ready, not just for Kazran, but for everything past him. There was already plenty that had happened, plenty she'd learned... Bold Prayer Spoiler Alvira finally finished writing down her memories and her notes in her journal, looking out the room's window... night had fallen. "Shit." She sighed, heavily. She hadn't gotten where Tasha's room was, and wandering the halls of Owen's keep this late wouldn't be a good look for her. She resigned herself to being alone for the night, taking a deep breath. "It's fine... You got everything down. You remember so much. That's what matters... Now." She had one final thing to do before sleep. Another prayer. She'd gotten a response, albeit small, so she would continue as she had been. "Mmm... Alright." She relit the candles once more and quietly said her prayers, tail wagging gently behind her. "I am Alvira Sam'Taris vel Hozt, and I shall see you freed and my name restored... And I shall do whatever it takes to see Mercuria atone for her deeds." The candles in the room saw their flames move and dance at Alvira's words, but it was if they were waiting for something. Something more from the girl calling out, reaching out. "Fomalhaut..." Alvira's eyes saw the flames dances, but she didn't stop her focus, her wishes, her hopes... Such a thing would be laughed at in a school of magic, but she didn't care. She'd been assaulted by a Goddess, survived the Underground... regained her memories, fought for her survival. "Fomalhaut, tell me what you need. I will give you anything. Anything of my self. My soul, my spirit, my magic, my very being. You deserve it all. You've saved my life since I was born... My fire. My everything. My reason for being here. Please..." (edited) The flames in the room slowly bent their way towards Alvira, and a warmth grew in Alvira's claw. Something urging her forward. This was new... A moment of fear entered her, that this was one of Mercuria's traps, that her faith would be betrayed and the witch would laugh and gloat anew-- but no! She leaned forward, closer to the candles, closer to her flame, she had to believe! This was all belief. Magic was the catalyst and her worship would see her through! "Fomalhaut! Hear me! I believe in you! I always have... I beseech you, speak to me! Come to me! I need you more than I ever have...! And you need me... I will reach the Sol Incantio, I will grasp the spear, I will set you free, so come! Come to me, Fomalhaut!" (edited) The flame of the nearest candle extinguished, and then... the flame appeared in front of Alvira. "... ... w...he...re? ...Y...ou? I... Rec...nize yo...u." Alvira gasped and her eyes went wide, focused solely on that flame, that voice, audible, in the room with her. "Yes...! Yes, you do! Fomalhaut..." Her claws gently cradled around the flame, uncaring if it burned her, ignoring any pain that might've come from cupping that small and barely holding on spark. "I'm in Islexia... on my way to Lufiria. On my way to the spear. The black spear. The relic... The Celestarium. I'm here. I'm here... You sound so distant, but to hear your voice again." She was smiling so wide it almost hurt, she hadn't smiled this brightly since the last time she'd heard him. It was enough to make her tear up, sniffling back tears. "I am here..." "...Y...es. You were... the one... wh...o called me... before..." There was a long pause, the flame gently flickering between her hands, the flames warm but they did not burn no matter how close Alvira's hands came. It was as if the flames before her were pure energy instead of the flames that burned, and destroyed the flesh. "Cele...starium? What is... that?" "Yes! That's me. I am Alvira. Alvira..." The flame was weak, but it was trying its best. "It's... It's, a relic. You had a vision before, Fomalhaut. A black spear. Your spear. A weapon. Something the tribes were given so long ago... Or so the folk tales read. But you saw it before. You told me... I know where it is! It's the key. The key to freeing you completely..." She'd repeat it until he understood, no matter how much it took. "I'm so happy... You're truly, here..." "Is... th..at what... calls me? ...It... it is... not m...y spear. But... I... I feel... it's po...wer. It is... similar... but... why? Why do... I... twenty-two? Why...." Fomalhaut paused, and, "You... kn...ow where it... is? I... must know why... mu...st... remember... I remember... them... the one... from before... The one... who slain... god... Alustrona... That name... yes. Yes... I... remem...ber it, but... not... what I must... F...ind... me. I feel... the... others...? They too... they too..." "Alustrona...? Wait, Alustrona!?" That was the name that the Escaflowne had claimed betrayed them all along with Mercuria... This went deep. Now two spirits had mentioned this name. Who was it? And... It wasn't his spear? Then who... But it was calling to him. "Twenty two... Y-Yes. The relics. The... There are others. There was... Mercuria. I don't know who else there was... I haven't encountered any other spirits but there are others. You are mine, though, and that is what matters... Once I've saved you, if you wish to release the others, happily! Gladly! None of you deserve to live in these shackles... I swear it. I swear it..." (edited) "Mer...curia..." The flame seemed to grow, the heat growing in intensity before shrinking back, "...The traitor... betrayed... Alustrona... all of us... everyone... so... long ago..." The flame began to shrink. "My... power wanes... slumber... all I have... Al...vira... your name... Please... some...thing... awaits... a world... in peril... Mer...curia... must be..." The flame flickered away, and eventually the room returned to silence. "Traitor...!" Alvira grew incensed, her magic flared, her eyes wide, almost glowing, growing in intensity along with the flame, not shrinking as he did, the rage building inside her! "That damned ice WITCH!" She maintained enough focus to listen, as the voice faded, nodding, though pure fury fueled her now. Even as the room fell to silence, Alvira boiled. Her claws clenched tight, her tail was rigid, her wings were flared. Flames danced along her fingers, slowly crawling up her claws. It was exhausting. It was straining, for her to force her magic to work in this manner, and as much as she wanted it all to grow into a burning pyre around her, the slowly crawling flames faded, the dragon collapsing into sitting on the bed. "I knew it. I already knew it... but damn that witch. That abhorrent, despicable, disgusting witch...! It wasn't enough for you to betray them, you come for me, you come for the world, you dare to harm the people I care about, the people I love! I willl ERASE you! I will rip you limb from limb, I will find you and destroy every! Single! Part of you!" Alvira growled and fumed, her rage cementing her beliefs even harder, even tighter, her determination growing with every second. "You will regret the day you spoke to me, Mercuria. I will see you writhe." Her moment of prayer had resulted in actually speaking with Fomalhaut, despite Mercuria's best attempts. It had also brought to light information that she hadn't quite pieced together. With some time spent thinking and talking to Jeremiah, she put some more things together... You Must Believe Me Spoiler Alvira was a woman possessed. Her meeting with Fomalhaut was a sign, a sign that she had to try harder with the people that mattered for her designs… That meant speaking with Jeremiah again, properly convincing him of the situation and the danger. You should've done this before, but with everything that was happening at the Underground's hideout, it's no small wonder that it slipped your mind. Now is the second best time to get it done… Luckily, it being so early, finding him was as simple as listening for the sounds of any activity. The training on the courtyard grounds could've been several people, sure, but a quick glance gave her the man he needed. “Jeremiah Noire!” She called out to him and made her way over, hand on her hip. “If you've a moment, we must speak. Urgently, perhaps privately… Though we are the only people out, right now. Maybe this courtyard will do…?” Jeremiah was no stranger to early days, even sleepless nights, so having the ability to just sleep and not particularly have to worry about something approaching was an unusual luxury. Yesterday was… a lot. First, apologizing to Iris went much better than he could have ever thought, and then speaking with Cass and Owen about the mission further understanding how far things had come since being at the mercy of the alliance, and finally… Aegean. It was… freeing to see her alive and well, even if more implications could be drawn from it. First and foremost he was her uncle, and she was his niece, and he didn’t believe that she or her family had anything to do with the attack. The thoughts on his mind didn’t appear in his bladework, alone in the courtyard, quick, precise movements, blindingly quick cuts, all of it seemed as if it were a rehearsed dance, as if it were all something that another person could do in a matter of moments. With the last slash, it appeared that the continuation of his thoughts of the Levion’s innocence appeared in the form of Alvira, one of the Hozt. An apology would be owed to her soon enough, but the look on Jeremiah’s face was first one was confusion, “Urgently? I can’t imagine that much has changed since we spoke the first time…” Jeremiah sheathed the blade quickly, and glanced around, “I don’t think that anyone else will be up and about for some time, so this should do… I’m impressed that you’re up, actually.” “I took care of two younger siblings for five years. I'm a morning person, whether I want to be or not. In any case… I've spoken with my deity again and learned plenty of alarming information. Information that I could have, in part, relayed to you before in my attempts to convince you that I have, in fact, come into direct conflict with Mercuria. Ahem.” Alvira gently flapped her wings and cleared her throat, staring Jeremiah down. “I have seen her and can recount her looks and otherwise appearance to you. If it matches what you know of her… Surely I cannot be lying, yes? There is more to discuss, but, this first.” It was an open and shut case on his belief in her, if he agreed, of course. He could simply… Not know what she looked like. Never met her in person. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it… Jeremiah chuckled, “Yes, that would do it…” His smile and chuckle quickly vanished as Alvira turned the conversation where he guessed that she would. Though, not in the way that he expected, “You… spoke with your deity again?” She mentioned her deity to be Fomalhaut prior, but to be speaking with what was ostensibly a god… Jeremiah thought back to his words with Iris, he couldn’t possibly know everything, and what was true for him didn’t mean that what Alvira could say to him was incorrect. He was head of intelligence; information was something that he was to glean. Jeremiah then visibly flinched, “...You’ve seen… Mercuria?” That was almost impossible, or it should have been. Mercuria hadn’t appeared to anyone since she first did almost three years ago… but if she was this god-like being, there was no telling exactly what she was and wasn’t capable of without her directly telling them. “...You can tell me what you believe you’ve seen. I can’t promise anything beyond that, as I said before.” “... Hmph. I figured you'd say something like that.” Alvira sported something of a ery smile, holding back a sigh. “You truly are… Mm. Anyway… Yes, I spoke with him. He confirmed things that the Escaflowne revealed, which… I was quite upset last night, now having two God-like beings tell me that this… Alustrona, betrayed them all. I don’t even know who Alustrona is meant to be… But, they, along with Mercuria, are claimed traitors to the spirits and he told me that her plans cannot come into fruition. I plan on killing her, if it is within my power. Perhaps once I reach the spear, but definitely not before… I'm no fool to think I can defeat her as I am, not with what she's done to me.” She let that sigh out finally, slowly folding her arms. “Right. Her appearance… When the conflict over the Escaflowne occurred, not fighting Lucille, but Mercuria's attempt to have me brainwashed to being the relic to her… I saw her, in my mind. I'm sure Laniva and Miria could give you similar accounts. She was… I hate to say it, shockingly beautiful. A white dress that showcased her… Figure. Golden adornments, a purple gem atop her collar. Most importantly, and I assume most defining… Her ice blue hair that ran into pink, and piercing blue eyes. I didn't think her looks important, but… Of course they are if I'm trying to claim I saw her.” Hopefully this was worth something to Jeremiah… Jeremiah listened intently, putting aside her halted words–it wasn’t as if he could just tell someone the secrets of Lufiria. But Alvira’s words were shocking, not solely due to her words but because of them being almost entirely alien to him. “...Alustrona? And betrayed them all…? Who is them?” The name Alustrona was familiar, if only barely. Then Alvira laid her intent bare: To kill Mercuria. Jeremiah remained silent, too many questions swirling in his mind now, but one thing was certain: even if Alvira did find a way to obtain the spear, getting to Mercuria would be an entirely different story. Alvira then switched focus onto the real crux of the matter, and Jeremiah’s eyes could only widen. He had only seen the goddess once. But it was a view that one couldn’t forget once they saw it; her white dress, her hair, her very presence was of a different caliber than the people he stood alongside. “...I… don’t believe it. Unless you’re capable of seeing into my mind, or the minds of people of Lufiria… you’ve described to me the woman I saw that day. I can’t imagine you’d so accurately describe someone as her, and be lying to me. Especially someone that you couldn’t have possibly met… That… brings questions to my lips, even more to the myriad I’ve had. So I can at least trust that you’re not lying about encountering Mercuria… but that itself causes a number of problems.” Jeremiah looked up from his thoughts, into Alvira’s eyes, “I’d planned on waiting until the Evokers were well enough to confirm things with them, but I can’t refute such a coincidence, so I have to believe this. I have to believe that you’ve met Mercuria. But you’ll need to explain more about this other god.” He was willing to listen. This was a marked improvement. “Fomalhaut? He is my guiding light. The brightest star in the sky. I've been praying to him since I was a child, and he's been giving me signs my entire life… Until recently, when he started answering those prayers with words. It was never anything more than questions to me, at first. He seemed confused and unaware of the world around him. Things had changed drastically since his time… Before the people settled into what the countries are today. And I was so excited to help… Until Mercuria cut me off.” Alvira's expression darkened and a flicker of rage swept over her for a split second. “She claimed that he couldn't awaken. That it would throw her plans awry. So she cut me off and sealed him again… I can only assume that his ability to speak to me once more comes from the damage the Escaflowne dealt to her in that altercation… There was another spirit there as well. I don't know which one, though, but something was residing within the sword. As for the them she betrayed, it was the rest of the spirits. The one within the sword claimed that she'd forgotten her purpose. Perhaps thrown it away… forgotten what she was meant to do. I don't know enough of what was meant, but… It's what was said. Now with Fomalhaut claiming the same, that she and this Alustrona are great betrayers of the spirits, I can only do one thing: reach the spear. It will solve plenty and grant me a path forward to more.” “I know of Fomalhaut; your aunt is a believer as well. Took his name as her title.” Jeremiah’s eyes then drifted. Mercuria had been the one to seal Fomalhaut’s link from Alvira, but… that couldn’t be right. That confirmed a question; that Fomalhaut was a spirit, like Mercuria herself. The first link between anything that Alvira had said, and what Mercuria had imparted to them. The mention of the Spirits, and how they needed to be found. But… if she was capable of doing that to Alvira, then why would she have needed their assistance? Jeremiah shook his head, “The other spirit inside the sword… claimed that Mercuria had forgotten her role, and then Fomalhaut also claimed wrong doing on Mercuria’s end…” Jeremiah took a deep breath, he almost couldn’t believe what he was considering. Yet… he had been resolving to say as much to the Evokers when they spoke, since he had been sure that they would have more tangible words than Alvira’s beliefs. “Let’s say that I am to believe all of this. That I am to take you at your word. You need to then answer me a question. I’m not going to bother asking you to keep this to yourself, I’m not omnipotent, and I’m not foolish enough to believe that it won’t leave your lips eventually. Mercuria, I have spoken with her directly but only once. She has not appeared to anyone that I know of past the moment she gave us the prophecy… the prophecy that warned us of the dangers of the alliance, of Hecatia specifically. She mentioned the need to find the Spirits, and you’ve confirmed that Fomalhaut is one of these Spirits. That means… that I am now aware of three spirits.” “And I can only assume there are many more. If Mercuria is meant to represent ice, maybe water, Fomalhaut fire, one can easily assume that there is a spirit per element of mana that we know of. At the very least, anyway… Mercuria mentioned a Gaia while she was taunting us in that moment. I do not believe that the spirit in the sword was Gaia, at least, not in the way things were referred to, but… She referred to Laniva as a… child of Gaia, or something. You’ll forgive my not remembering perfectly, my mind was being split in two at the time of it all. Still… I can’t imagine why she would want to seal off the other spirits. To explain something else, my connection with Mercuria is not, natural. I was stuck in a Mana Storm when I was younger, and afterwards I could no longer use my fire magic, replaced instead by ice. I believe this moment to be when I was tethered to the spirit, rather than my natural connection to Fomalhaut. This is all to say, this is why I believe she was so easily able to interact with me, seal me from Fomalhaut, attempt to control me… What happened with the Escaflowne has shunted her away from me to a degree– I can still cast the ice I have come to know, but I can feel that it is coming from me, no longer from her endless supply of mana.” Alvira watched him in hopes that he was following along. “Whatever she's planning, it needs the other spirits to be locked away. At least Fomalhaut… and whoever was in the Escaflowne. She tried to sway them in that moment, said that things would simply repeat if nothing was done, but that was when the sword snapped back with its claim that she’d lost her way… I don’t think we’ll come to anything conclusive without reaching her, speaking with her again, something, but… I can’t wait for that, nor can I risk it. The Sol Incantio is my only hope… I know it’s a stretch to expect that you’ll aid me, but… Someone will. I’m sure… I can’t let go of that hope, at the very least.” “Gaia… I believe that Aurora said something about a Gaia…” More and more, this was becoming something that he wished that Marianne was around for. She seemed to have a much better understanding of all of this. “With everything that you’re telling me… I have to assume that you’re similar to Chris and Marianne … a resonant, if I recall the term correctly. I, unfortunately, do not have the magical expertise to confirm this tether of yours. Though, the sheer volatility of mana storms makes anything possible…” Jeremiah then put his hand on his hips, “Now, if Mercuria is planning something that requires the other spirits to be locked away… she’s already failed. Marianne wasn’t there to speak with Mercuria when she awoke–she was resting from a prior engagement–but Marianne has already awoken one of the spirits, Aurora. If Mercuria’s plan requires the other spirits to be locked away, then that would involve her, and Chris. That said… I… can’t ignore this. The possibility of us being strung along exists, and if I’m to protect Lufiria, I need to protect it from all directions. I can’t promise that I can help you, but I can at least ask questions.” Mercuria betrayed them… but where does this Alustrona fit? An accomplice? Someone above Mercuria? How far does this go? …Is it actually the truth? “A resonant… Fomalhaut used a different term; Candidate, and… Mercuria said it was the ‘Mark of a Bearer’, but… I suppose I am, whatever they want to call it. I can’t imagine I’m the only one, though; every fire dragon is raised praying to him, so… Maybe my Aunt has heard his voice as well. If she’s as devout as you say, anyway…” It was a mystery that she’d never mentioned it to Jeremiah, but maybe the two weren’t close. Even if she was a respected General now, she was still a fire dragon, and a member of the Hozt family. Her reputation preceded her… “Another spirit, is it? The more I learn about Chris and Marianne, the more I wish I’d have the chance to speak with them more than that small moment aboard the ship… But… I was a much different person back then, and they were both ‘human’, so I probably wouldn’t have, either way.” Alvira sighed, before locking eyes with Jeremiah and bowing. “I’m sorry. For being so rude when you saved my life… I don’t like how aggressive you were, but you still pulled me out of that cell. If you hadn’t shown up when you did, they would’ve locked me back up, or worse.” She raised herself, but couldn’t bring herself to look him in the eyes again. “When this is all over with, I’ll answer for whatever crimes are placed on my name. As the oldest surviving member of the main family, it falls on me. Whatever my parents aided, once Mercuria has been dealt with, I have no plans on running from it. So… Thank you. For doing as much as you’re willing.” “I would agree that you aren’t the only one… but you certainly are the first to mention something like this.” Obehi is a possible person to ask about this… but she certainly hasn’t mentioned anything if she has heard his voice… Jeremiah then nodded, “Yes, Chris and Marianne are both resonant, but it’s Marianne who was apparently chosen of the two. Aurora is the spirit of Light, and Marianne herself seems to know more about the spirits than any of us. I’m not sure how that is the case, she hasn’t explained it, but her understanding so far has been well beyond anyone else.” I wonder if Marianne knew when she met Alvira… Aurora might have reacted if Alvira was tethered to Mercuria back then. Alvira then bowed her head, and apologized for their first encounter. Jeremiah shook his head, “Your apology is unnecessary. I’m the one who should apologize for my poor handling of that moment. Your rudeness and assumptions were frustrating, yes, but I gave you no reason to do, or think otherwise, and I was in control of that situation. Even if you are one of the Hozt, I didn’t need to do anything beyond help you escape from the cell. If you’d tried to run, I could have stopped you at any point; there was no need to threaten that. Secondly, there’s nothing you can answer for, besides what you’ve already told me. Your parents are gone, so whatever they aided ends with them. That’s how it should be.” “Is that how the rest of Lufiria will see it?” She managed to look back at him, surprised by how genuine he was being, but… “I’m sure my Aunt worked herself to the bone to reach where she is after her sister did what she did… She’s earned her respect, I’m sure. Will I arrive and receive the same respect? The same forgiveness? No… I can’t imagine it going that way. You already did warn me of how difficult it would be to even approach the spear, so I’m sure my reputation is already set. If the country– if the courts demand I stand for what’s happened, I will. That’s just how it will have to be…” She sighed again, but more harshly, getting a bit worked up. “Lord knows where Chris and Marianne are now, though. So any answers they might have… It’s all up in the air. Mmm… That’s all I had to speak with you about, Jeremiah. Thank you again for being so receptive… If you’ve nothing to spring on me, I’ll let you get back to your morning routine.” “No, it’s not how the rest of Lufiria will see it… you’re right about that, but I question how much their perception will change even if you do.” Jeremiah looked towards the sky, “Ever since their actions in the Islexian Collapse, the dragons have always been under scrutiny. Then, the Blaze of the Tenth happened, and the dragons once again, were party to it. Your family, and several other prominent families of dragons all had a hand in it, and with how beloved Lady Rosaria is; a blatant assault on her children is not viewed fondly by a majority of Lufirians. I don’t believe that will change should you stand for your parents’ crimes. No, if anything, you’ll have to follow your aunt’s footsteps.” Jeremiah let his gaze fall back to the ground and then to Alvira, “It is rather frustrating that at the moment I could use their expertise that they are across the continent. Perhaps, Marianne would have been receptive enough to allow Aurora to speak with you, but that’s speculation that helps no one.” He shook his head, “The only thing I can think further to say is that I’ll be helping the Tigers with some training before you head off to face Kazran. I can’t assist out in the open, but this is something that I can assist with at least. Lastly… if you’re to thank anyone for me being so receptive, then go thank Iris for reminding me to remove my mask.” “? … Sure. I’ll thank her if I see her.” The last she’d heard, they were fighting with him, but things had been resolved…? That was good. Great, even. Hopefully Alriana knew… And if she didn’t, hopefully she found out soon. “Don’t beat us too badly. Except for Sari! Put him through the wringer~ He deserves it for scaring Alriana so much.” Alvira waved and went off, running his words through his mind. The country won’t be satisfied even if I do stand trial… Hah. What a mess… I suppose I’ll just have to do as my aunt has. Prove myself… But it still ended in more questions, questions and complications. She had to both meet with and befriend a member of Lufiria's royal family enough to get her hand on the spear. A daunting task for the average citizen, let alone one so marred with labels as Alvira was. Dragon, fire dragon, a Hozt family member, wanting to touch a Lufirian relic? Laughable to even the most well meaning. She sighed... But it was how things were. That was her goal, her only goal. No matter how impossible it seemed... She would reach it. For now, she was reaching for her light tome, flipping through the pages as she waited for the rest of the Tigers to arrive. "You ready for us, Jeremiah?" Two Birds With One Monster Spoiler No sooner had Kazran put Giovanna and Sylmaria to task dealing with their enemies, his mind began to churn. Now that Giovanna and Sylmaria had parted ways, Kazran’s concerns began to bubble to the surface. Luthier was a damn monster. Not for his personality and actions; Kazran was no stranger to the glee of pulling someone apart, and lording his power over anyone and everyone he could, but for his damned magic. It was all so foreign to him, people who could bend a fundamental aspect of their world to create almost whatever phenomena they wanted. It hadn’t been frightening when he watched his contemporaries perform it, even if he couldn’t understand it, he could feel that there was a constraint to it–that if he became strong enough that he would be able to overcome it always. That changed forever when he stepped foot into Lufiria. He cut so many of them down in their charge, that he had felt invincible, until… he saw it. A spear wielding one, clad in an azure blue glow… and in an instant, several of those with him had vanished. His body moved on its own, he was gone from the lines, fleeing as far as he could. What was that? How could anyone have done something like that? It was a realization that he never wanted to feel again: That he was powerless against whatever that was. Then, as Lufiria mounted more and more resistance, he began to understand that magic was something beyond him. He wished he had never been there the day that the siege of Ulara failed… wished that he had never seen what could have only been described as a small star hitting the continent, and almost an entire battalion disappearing before his eyes. Since then… magic caused his body to shiver, he hated it, or rather, hated that it made him shiver, that it made him feel as if he couldn’t overcome what stood before him. Luthier was a man that he would have torn in two… but Luthier would have made his body into a plaything long before he’d have ever gotten a swing. Giovanna was far less powerful, but her talent was easy to see… if he ever thought about pressing his station, his advantage… her magic was always there to even the odds. Then… her. Sylmaria. Kazran paced in front of his throne. Thankful that she was so deluded, thankful that she hated herself more than she could have ever hated him… because her magic felt the same. Felt the same as the magic back during the collapse. It was unknowable, incomprehensible… and powerful. She only wasn’t a liability because she despised the monsters, as all Islexians should. “Something the matter, Kazran?” A woman walked into the throne room, still dressed to impress, flipping her blonde hair behind her. “You only pace like this when something is bothering you… Care to chat about it?” Kazran’s eyes shot up, and then he chuckled, “Cereza… It’s… nothing. Just thinking on the past… what’s to happen next. Thinking about the Reaper’s warning… he’s never done that before, nor has he ever failed to deliver. Perhaps these people are the real deal.” “Hmph… so you suddenly have cold feet? So soon after saying that you were prepared to cleave Sylmaria apart if she betrayed you? Come now… Fear doesn’t quite suit you. And I don’t believe you have anything to fear from these mercenaries either… You have an army, you have your followers, and you have your axe, and you have me. A recipe without fail. Unless you believe that the boy who tries playing at warlord is capable of matching a man and woman who have survived the collapse?” “Of course not… The boy lives because I haven’t personally knocked on his door. But… Luthier is a man that… I know that I cannot overcome, and yet he’s warning me of these mercenaries? I know that I can cleave anything, and anyone in two… but so could he, which makes me wonder.” Kazran shook his head, “Bah… I can’t believe that I’m even giving this more than the single thought it deserves. They’re mercenaries, and more importantly, mercenaries that assist the accused and the damned… What power could they possibly have? …That’s the question that gives me pause.” Cereza pondered for a quick moment, Kazran even for a moment, was thinking about the possibilities. Luthier was not a man that Cereza ever wanted to cross. He was a man without morals, without anything to tether her to an axis of action that Cereza could follow, and her own actions were tainted black with the blood of anyone who crossed her. “...If you’re concerned of these mercenaries, then perhaps… we could find a way to deal with the boy before our battle. I question how far the mercenaries will go if the person fronting their bill has to be buried before all moves forward?” “...Hmm… They’d never expect something like that from me… would they?” Kazran was known for one thing, and one thing only–his valor on the battlefield, his ability to kill, his ability to survive. “...But how exactly would I–” Kazran’s eyes widened, “Cereza… The boy… he’d never turn away a monster…” Suddenly, one of his many worries became a possible strength–a backdoor to Owen. Kazran turned to one of his guards, “You. Go find Sylmaria… I believe that I have some task for her.” Kazran turned to Cereza, “You never cease to impress me, Cereza…” “Heh… if only I could keep your eyes long enough for you to prove it~” Sylmaria walked through the halls with purpose, following the guard that had called for her. It was an odd time for Kazran to ring for her, but she didn't dare deny his summons, eyes down and head hanging slightly as she walked into his hall, only barely noticing that Cereza was with him before she'd looked down. She fell to one knee and bent her head further, waiting for the guard to turn and leave before speaking. “You've called for me, my lord. What is it that I can do for you? I… Mm. Preparations for the assault are moving apace. If… No, you would not be worried about that…” She mumbled her words slightly, regretting speaking so many of them, but she couldn't shake how odd this late summons felt… Ever on time, Sylmaria entered the halls with all of the reverence that one such as her should have had. But for once, there wasn’t hesitation, or animosity as she walked in, Kazran was calm, almost smiling as she walked in. “There you are, Sylmaria… I’m glad to hear that things are moving as they should… but, there is something, specific, that I can only ask of you.” Kazran stood up from his throne, “As I mentioned before, the Reaper sent someone here to warn of the mercenaries under the boy’s employ… I admit, I am a little concerned over what kind of outfit could make even the reaper worried. So, I need someone to investigate. Normally, I would send someone like Giovanna–she looks harmless enough, and probably could charm her way through–but there is a better option… You.” “Owen would never turn away a monster, even if that monster truly despises herself. But that itself is a weakness… a weakness that you can exploit.” Kazran pointed at her, “You will go to Eslcas, and seek an audience with the boy… and if successful… kill him. Without him, their estate falls apart. No one will listen to his half-breed sister, and the merchants won’t rally behind a group of mercenaries with no further incentive to strike. The most important pillar of a cracked foundation… and you are the hammer.” “Go… Go there and kill… Owen?” Her eyes dared to glance up and meet his for but a moment, the seriousness of his order plastered upon his face. Something twisted in her guts. Something that had long been tightening, long been held on by the smallest threads, finally snapped and crunched and broke apart. This is how he finally gets rid of you. There's no world where you waltz in, kill their leader, and then make it out. It's impossible. Ahhh… He wants me to martyr myself for this cause. To defeat these detestable beasts…! She hesitated on answering his orders for the first time in her life, finally nodding. “Of course, my lord. I will do as you ask of me… … … … May…” Her heart began to race as she once again spoke out of turn, but… “There is little chance that I will return from this alive. That is of no concern… Giovanna. Please… Promise me that she will be taken care of. She… Is someone that managed to overlook what a mistake I am. So… For all that I have done for you, that… That is all I ask. Owen will die. You will hear of it soon.” She held herself there and waited for his words. Was he going to be upset? It wouldn't be the first time he'd barked at her for speaking out of turn, but she'd never made a request before… “Yes, you’ll go there and kill the child.” Kazran grinned, and then his grin weakened. For the first time… there was hesitation. The answer wasn’t immediate. Did she understand what was truly being asked? Of course, if these mercenaries were as good as Luthier’s concerns made them out to be… the moment Owen died, she'd be next. Finally her answer left her lips, and Kazran looked over at Cereza, who was beaming herself, and then, “...What?” Kazran looked back over at Sylmaria, and then she spoke. She requested something of him. The man flinched for a moment, and then his face fell, but before he could take a step, Cereza’s hand was around his wrist. “What are you–” “Of course she will, Sylmaria. She, like yourself, has served Kazran well, and that loyalty can only be repaid properly. It is the first thing that you’ve asked of us, and so… we can only repay this much, considering what your mission will bring us all.” She looked over at Kazran. “...Yes, of course. Giovanna has served us well, and she’ll be taken care of when we finally take control of the trade route.” There had been so much that Kazran had wanted to say. The mistake had no right to speak back to him; no one else would have dared to accept her, magic or no within Islexia. She’d have died without him… unless she had ended up with the man who she was being sent to kill. “I’ll make you that promise… but, you’ll have to prepare yourself to depart immediately, and without informing Giovanna. She’ll beg to be sent with you, and I can’t have both of you away, and also, it would make your mission that much harder.” Tch… Giovanna wriggling her way into this broken heart… she needs to be kept away, or she’d stop Sylmaria… Damned woman. “Yes. She would endanger the success of my mission. I won't speak a word of this to her… And I will hold you to your word, Lord Kazran.” Despite how easily she bent for anything else, Giovanna was the one person, the one subject she wouldn't ever compromise on. Her gaze rose to meet his and her tired, dull red eyes flashed with a glimpse of her magic, a hazy black and blue coating them for the briefest of moments. Maybe Kazran would have felt it, maybe he was too strong, and it would wear off before causing any real harm… But she'd hexed him in that moment, swiftly picking herself up and turning to leave. “If that is all, I shall make preparations and find one of the keep's priests. Time is of the essence, and a warp to place me closer would help matters. Since it is unlikely that we will ever meet again… Thank you for allowing me to serve Islexia, as undeserving a daughter of this beautiful country as I am.” She took a deep breath and marched out of his halls, thoughts repeating in her mind. Find Owen, kill Owen, find Owen, kill Owen… Sylmaria looked up, and in that one moment, Kazran felt his blood run cold. It had happened before, when he’d gazed too long at Giovanna, the room seemed to drop in temperature, and every time it had happened, the only throughline was Sylmaria. It took all of Kazran’s meddle, and the understanding that Cereza was still holding his wrist, to not begin to shiver. It was not cold, but the thoughts began to seep in. This was not the room chilling, this was Sylmaria’s magic, and his brain simply could not comprehend what was truly happening. Then, it was over. The chill vanished, Kazran took a breath, trying to stem the memories, plugging the gaps. “...Yes, Sylmaria. That is all. I will… have someone warp you closer–Luthier sent some people to appraise things… They’ll help you.” Kazran found himself unable to return her thanks. Waiting until she make her way out of the room, to look down at his shivering hand. “...Haha…” Kazran turned, grabbed his axe, and threw it into the nearest wall, “...Damn it. Damn it. I’m the one in charge. I’m stronger than she is… Why do I have to fear her!?” Kazran shook his head. “Whatever… it’s over now… Never again… I’ll, I’ll just have to become stronger. Stronger, yes, more powerful…” Cereza hardly flinched at Kazran’s outburst, watching almost unamused, “You’re right, it’s over. So you don’t need to fear her anymore, and when all is said and done, you and I will be stronger, so that no one will even bother to threaten us.” Cereza slowly found a smile, unable to hide her growing glee at the situation. A single threat was taken care of, and in a manner that only helped to further their goals. That smile turned into a grin when a thought came across her mind, but that would have to wait. It would be a nice way to cap off the evening. “Now that we’ve dealt with that, we’ll have to figure out how things are going to go regarding our forces here… I’ll go and chat with Giovanna later. For now… Perhaps we can chat~?” She was here. This was Eslcas... Her sob story had granted her entry to the city, a Monster not rousing suspicion from the guards. What fools. What imbeciles. She was here to kill their liege lord! Their leader... The only man that threatened Kazran. Without him, their gathering would fall to pieces. Crumble under their might. And then... Then Giovanna would... Don't think about her. You're here to do what fate has intended for you to do. You were born a mistake, and you will die a hero to the people of Islexia! What more could you want, Sylmaria!? They won't remember you for the freak of nature that you are, they'll remember you as one of Kazran's proud soldiers, the woman that slew Owen Gaffney. That brought things to a close with Eslcas. That's all you need. That's all I need! I will kill him! With her intentions renewed, she walked towards the castle up on its hill, eyes locked onto its walls. Her magic grew within her, her abilities were without equal... unique magic that no one here had a chance of stopping. You will die today, Owen Gaffney. This is your just reward for colluding with beasts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ether Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 If one word could describe the past few days of Roxanne's life, it would be turbulence. Everything had moved at what seemed like a fevered pitch from the moment she had met with Lord Gaffney. She had been reunited with Jane, and it seemed as though things would work out. Her maps largely matched what the mercenaries had been intending, and the timeline worked in her favour. She could sail with the Iron Tigers and arrive before M's deadline. Still... remaining in Eslcas had taken a toll mentally. She knew that there was no use trying to find passage on a ship and return early, but she felt restless throughout her stay in Eslcas. All she could really do was make the best of what time she had to try and hone her skills. She had met with a few other practitioners which had been enlightening in it's own way, but what had drawn Roxanne's interest for the given moment was the talk of one of the Iron Tiger's tagalongs? Perhaps the wrong word, but she knew not enough of his situation to think much different, seemed to be preparing to spar and instruct. It seemed as though it was... a rather big deal? The man must have been some sort of big shot, but regardless... it couldn't hurt to see if she could partake. Making her way to what appeared to be the right place, Roxanne gave a small wave to a familiar face, the fire dragon she had spoken to prior. Alvira identified the man in the field as Jeremiah during her approach, and her words set the stage well for this indeed being the exercise she had heard about. "I... hope I'm not considered intruding. I heard of a training exercise, or sorts? I may not be a Tiger, but... well, we're all to sail on Kazran the same. I hope you don't mind my sticking my nose in, I'd like to be in my best shape possible, the same as all of you." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercenary on the Winds Posted January 18 Author Share Posted January 18 (edited) It had been an early start for Jeremiah; putting this all together wasn't exactly the easiest thing, even if it was just training. Training was something that had to be handled properly, or it wasn't going to be as effective, and Jeremiah wanted to be sure that the Tigers were prepared for what was coming. He couldn't be there on the ground, and if he was to go entirely detached, the Tigers ousting Kazran was a net benefit for Lufiria. However, he was more concerned with those in the Tigers he cared about, and the possibility of a place for Clouded within Lufiria. Even if it was something that could come back in the future, this was the best path forward for everyone, and so he was going to do what was within his power to do. Alvira was the first to appear--no longer surprising after their early morning talk--he smiled at the dragon, "Just about, Alvira. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you're the first one down... but the 2nd one certainly is a surprise." Jeremiah looked over at Roxanne, with a raised eyebrow. At this point, he was sure that he had at least seen every member of the tigers, and at least spoken. Owen's cast was a bit less filled out--except for the Alchemist--but the sheep in front of him didn't seem like she belonged with Owen's entourage either. The use of sail was even more telling. Jeremiah turned his smile on her, "Of course not. If you're allied with the Tigers, then this can be as much for you as it is for them." Jeremiah pondered a moment before shrugging, if the Tigers were allied with her for the moment, then there wasn't much reason to keep things hidden, "I don't think we've been introduced so far... my name is Jeremiah Noire, and I'm assisting the Tigers for the moment." He held out his hand, "I'll do my best to assist you as well." It was a little earlier than Tio would have liked, but for once, she wasn't completely exhausted to wake up. As much as she hated being so drained after their encounter with Mercuria, she had been sleeping on time, so waking up at a reasonable time wasn't awful, and after visiting the baths the day before, she was clean for what felt like the first time in forever, so she was actually feeling quite good. Not 100% but more than well enough to be up and about, and considering that Jeremiah was planning on instructing the Tigers a little bit, Tio thought it best to get herself up, and wander her way down to assist as she could as well. It would be a good way to continue getting back into her stride; while she was sure that she wasn't losing her touch, magic was something that one needed to keep on top of if they wanted to keep improving. "Elisa, dear, are you coming with me, or are you going to look more into that tome? Frankly, I'd like to see how Jeremiah handles himself. but more interestingly... I'm tired of being on the sidelines, and unhelpful, so I'd like to go and help out as much as I can." Tio looked over herself, making sure that everything was in place, and then held her hand out in front of her to conjure her staff, "Ah... It feels good to be able to do that without feeling that tinge of exhaustion... how are you feeling, by the by?" Edited January 18 by Mercenary on the Winds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ether Posted January 18 Share Posted January 18 Jeremiah... Noire. Roxanne's eyes widened for a moment, before she could regain her composure. First the Evokers, and now Jeremiah Noire. The Iron Tigers were an enigmatic bunch to be sure, and the mystery of them seemed to grow by the day. All of these major players in the world across nations, all coalescing around this one group. Roxanne was a bit overwhelmed to be honest... if anyone had told her what she would find in Eslcas, she would have called them delusional and a pathologic liar. "Roxanne Vallena. Well met, Jeremiah. Thank you for your time." The sheep replied, accepting Jeremiah's outstretched hand and giving it a firm shake. If this was in fact, THE Jeremiah Noire, then there was zero doubt that he had caught her reaction, but it wasn't as though she could do much about it now. She could only wonder just what sort of training exercise the man had up his sleeve... it would certainly be an educational experience if nothing else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy12510 Posted January 18 Share Posted January 18 Another day had come out to greet the Tigers, and with it a rather... interesting bit of information. Coinciding with the arrival of the corsair Roxanne was a detail Owen had brought up, that her father wasn't aiding Kazran at current. Why though? Father wouldn't just leave him twisting in the wind completely as long as still had use, so has Kazran outlived his usefulness to him, or is something else going on? Pondering this wasn't going to fix Syndra's unease towards the news. Moreover she had to focus for what Jeremiah was setting up as a training exercise for the Tigers. Combat training from someone of Jeremiah's caliber was hard to come by, and Syndra wanted to take full advantage of it. So she made her way to the area Jeremiah had reserved for them, where Alvira and the sheep pirate were already waiting. "Hmm... I see I wasn't the only one who wanted to get here as soon as they could. Good morning to all of you." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scorri Posted January 18 Share Posted January 18 Koba yawned, grumbling quietly to himself as he made his way to the training yard. He really would have preferred to be asleep right now, but he was supposed to be here to train. More to the point, he needed to be here. He had to train, had to get stronger if he wanted to avoid feeling like he had after the compound attack. Sure he had done a few small things to help, but that was all they had been. Small things. He could have done more if he had just tried. He needed to figure out how to actually fight, not just sneak around. He turned the corner, arriving at the courtyard and slunk in, hands in pockets, head down. He was scared. He'd be a fool to try and deny that. He wanted nothing more than to be home with his family back in Glacies. He had committed to helping the Tigers though, and to do that he needed to be stronger. If this Jeremiah could help with that, he'd be a fool to turn it down, especially with the upcoming attack. Surely there was some way he could be helpful with that. He just had to try and find that way. Cin strode into the courtyard, a slight layer of sweat already decorating his skin, giving Koba a nod as he walked past the goose. He had left Siorel this morning to do a quick workout before the training. It hadn't been much, just a simple set of exercises that his father had taught him back when he first started learning to fight. It was a good way to wake up his muscles and to get ready for a more intense workout. It had been a while since he had done it, distracted as he had been with everything happening in his life, and it felt good to return to that habit. He made his way over to Jeremiah, Alvira, Syndra, and a woman he didn't recognize were standing and gave them all a nod. "Good morning all. I appreciate you taking time to help us, Jeremiah. As for you, miss... I don't think we've been introduced? I'm Cinaed, or Cin. A pleasure to meet you." He held back mentioning his last name, the conversation that he had had with Jeremiah still heavy in his mind. History Explained Spoiler The sun was just beginning to set, painting the sky with brilliant colors, as Cin moved through the halls of the castle, looking for the room he and Siorel were sharing. He'd gotten lost the last time he'd tried to find it, so he was moving carefully, making sure to not repeat that mistake. It still was all so different to him here. There was no denying that not everyone in Esclas liked monsters, but for the first time since coming to Islexia, he didn't feel the need to hide. He hadn't trusted it at first, preferring to stay inside rather than risk the busy market, but today he had finally made it out, walking among a crowd that could have fit in back in Glacies. It was a lovely moment of peace that even the growing dread of an upcoming battle couldn't shake. He finally found his way back to the room, opening the door with a cheerful call, “Siorel! I'm back, sorry for the detour. I didn't get lost this time at least, ha.” He shut the door behind him, before turning and smiling at Siorel, a contented look in his eyes. “I'm glad we have these few days of peace. Are you... doing better? Now that we've had some time to relax?” Siorel had curled herself onto the bed, staying there since their arrival. She hadn't left to speak with anyone, or eat, by the looks of things. Still, she did her best to return Cinaed's smile, but then slowly shook her head. “Uh… No. No, not really… Ever since the underground attacked us all, I've been a wreck. I can barely sleep… I don't have an appetite. Even here, while it might look safe, we're one terrible assault away from being at the mercy of a man who might honestly be worse than those assassins. I… I truly hate it here. Being in Islexia… If it wasn't for you, I'd have left by now. Sorry… The Tigers are good people, but they aren't worth how this country makes me feel.” She finally vented her feelings completely, letting out a sigh that had hints of satisfaction behind its defeated rasp. “I… I'm sorry. If that was a lot. Too much. Just. Needed to say some of that. Needed to ground it… I, uhm.” She slowly, very slowly, uncurled her blanket fortress, staring over at him and sniffling. “You think we could try to find something to eat…? Together…” Cin settled down next to Siorel, slowly pulling her into a hug as she explained everything. “Siorel... I'm so sorry. I didn't realize...” He hesitated, before twisting so he could look in her eyes. “Do you want to leave? We're at a port. We could get you a ship to Glacies, you could go live with my parents... I could come find you after we're done in Islexia. After all, we won't be here forever. Once we've completed our mission, I'm sure the Commander would give me time to come get you.” He wrapped his hand around hers with a gentle squeeze. “I don't want you to leave, obviously but. This is clearly not healthy for you either. I want you to feel safe and happy more than I want to selfishly keep you by my side.” He gently rested his head against hers, before pulling her hand up to kiss it. “You don't ever need to apologize for telling me the truth about how you feel. What kind of boyfriend would I be if I couldn't listen to your worries? I'm always going to be here to listen whenever you need it. Now then. I think that food sounds like an excellent plan, so...” He trailed off, tilting his head slightly. “Hmm... we might have a visitor. I think I sense someone... Hello?” “I'm not going anywhere without you.” She leaned into him as he got close, nuzzling up against his chest. “Not gonna stay in Glacies wondering if you'll ever come back. It hurts, it's tough, but I'm gonna stay here. With you…” She sighed, slowly hugging him. She hadn't even told him what had happened to her, but… He'd yet to ask about it again. She'd leave it alone until he did; the less she had to think about it, the better. “Huh? A visitor? … But why us?” She unfurled completely from the blanket, putting on her best and strongest face for whoever it was… There had been much to do and prepare for, now that the Tigers were set on an attack through the sea caves. Jeremiah had done some reconnaissance of his own, visited some of his connections–many of which painted a very troubling picture of things going on in Islexia at this moment. He’d have to inform the commander of the worry, but for now, there was one other thing that he needed to handle that appeared to… stay out of sight. Ever since arriving at Eslcas, Jeremiah was sure that he’d seen every member of the Tigers at least once, all except the tall, dark skinned dragon, Tamrir’s son, and one of the Astuikami. He was certain that it wasn’t because of him; if Tamrir hadn’t known who he was, then Cinead shouldn’t have had any knowledge. Well, that wasn’t true, on a second thought, Versaris would have known, and it was possible that he said something to the dragon earlier. Either way, he needed to speak with the dragon, and gauge what action needed to be taken, if any. First and foremost, he had to warn the dragon of the weight of his name; a promise was not something to be broken. As he walked up to the door he’d been informed to find, he heard voices–he was not the only one inside the room. It was a feminine voice along with his, and not one that Jeremiah recognized. He waited a moment, not interested in interrupting what sounded like an important conversation. Though, that choice was very quickly made for him, Jeremiah raised an eyebrow as Cinead appeared to notice that someone was here. Perhaps you’re being a little too relaxed, Jeremiah. Though, this is better on the face of it. I’m not here as his enemy, and it would be best to keep it that way until reason is shown otherwise. “You seem to have a good knack for noticing when someone is listening. I didn’t mean to overhear, but I wasn’t going to interrupt either. Might I come in to speak with you? It’s Jeremiah.” Cin sighed, pulling Siorel close. He would be lying if he claimed that he would have been more comfortable with her agreeing to leave. The world they were in was dangerous beyond anything he would have imagined at the start of this journey. The brief thought that she might be able to be safe in Glacies had been a comforting one, even if it had been unrealistic. “Very well. I'll just have to keep you safe then.” He turned his head away from Siorel and towards the door as his suspicion was confirmed, though the identity of their visitor was surprising. “Jeremiah...” What does he want with me? Or Siorel. Unless... what Sari said to me when I told him my last name. I wonder... Cin straightened his posture, though he kept an arm around Siorel as he did, not wanting to let go of her just yet. “Yes of course. Please come in.” Whatever he wanted, it would be better to talk about in here than in the hallway. Besides, this was Gean's uncle. Dangerous, beyond a shadow of a doubt, but Cin didn't think that he was in danger from the man right now. Whether that would change could quite possibly depend on the conversation they were about to have though, if his instinct about the subject matter was right. Siorel bundled up again, just a little, truly a bit apprehensive about the man at the door. He was a power and a mystery, and while he claimed allegiance there had seemed a few sparks between him and others that she'd noticed during their travels from the underground's compound to Eslcas. “As long as you aren't gonna cause problems…” She was tired and emotional, but she was still gonna stand up for Cinaed if he needed it. A bit of hesitance in both voices, understandable, especially given how poorly he’d handled some of his talks, but mulling over those was pointless now. Jeremiah pushed open the door, walked in and closed the door behind him. The second voice was the one he was most interested in the immediate, the only voice he didn’t recognize, and it belonged to a diminutive lizard clouded. It was clear from her stance that she wasn’t quite keen on his presence. Jeremiah offered her a smile, and then looked over at Cinead, the dark skin, the golden scales, all of it a sign of the Astuikami. “Thank you for allowing me the chance to speak, and I apologize again for showing up at a later hour. This was the time I found to make such a conversation as safe as possible.” Jeremiah bowed neatly, “As I said before, my name is Jeremiah Noire, and by now, you’d know that I am the Head of Lufirian Intelligence. It’s… that part of my job that brings me here, Cinead Astuikami. I’ll start with a simple question, I’m sure I know the answer, but I have to be clear… Do you know anything about your mother’s side of your family?” Cinaed smiled at Jeremiah as he entered, seeing no reason to not be polite to the man, as he gave Siorel’s hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze. “Good evening, sir. Of course, I have no reason to do otherwise. You’ve helped the Tigers and shown no hostility towards us.” Cin hesitated, knowing that what he had said wasn’t entirely true. He did have a reason to hesitate, Sari’s words still echoing in his mind from that morning in the inn so many days ago. His name marked him in Lufiria for some reason, a reason that not even Sari knew all the details of. His hesitation was quickly validated as Jeremiah immediately used his full last name, despite Cin never having given him that information, followed by asking about his mother’s side of the family. He looked down at his hands, a small frown on his face. “If you had asked me a month ago, I would have said that all I knew of them were they were dragons who lived in Lufiria and all were assumed to have died in the Islexian Collapse. They sent my mother away to save the family name and she never heard from them again.” He looked up at Jeremiah, concern plain on his face. “But then I told my last name to Versaris and he reacted... unexpectedly. He told me that last name was hated in Lufiria, even if he couldn’t tell me why. Didn’t know why, not really. But he told me to never tell anyone from Lufiria my last name. You... You know. Don’t you? You know what happened to cause that?” “Alright, you stay right where you are, mister.” Siorel was shaking a little, but she picked herself up and stood, hands on her hips in front of Cinaed… Which, even with him sitting on the bed, she still wasn’t clearing his head height. “We’ve been through enough over the past few weeks. Whatever his name has to do with Lufiria, you can tell us, you go right ahead, that’s his right, but you stay right there where I can see you… Not gonna let anyone do anything to Cinaed. Not after everything he’s done for me.” It was false bravado, plain and simple, but Siorel was using it as a jumping point to shock herself out of her fear. So Versaris did tell him what he could… That made things a little easier, and certainly backed Tamrir’s assertion. That really did mean that she had been sent away before the Astuikami began their mission, their dark cause. The boy in front of him was the result of that. “Yes, I do… in fact, part of the reason that I had departed from Lufiria was because of your family name. I–” Before Jeremiah could start talking, the burrowed lizard was no longer burrowed, standing in front of Cinead and ordering him to remain where he was. It was clear that she was worried that he was here to do something to Cinead, protective of Cinead. Jeremiah raised his hands, “Yes, ma’am. To be clear immediately… I’m not here for Cinead, or to harm him if that’s what you’re concerned about. That situation has changed, but… I was asked to at least give you the truth about your name, and your golden scales. I do know why your name is hated… intimately. I can’t ever forget, none of my friends, none of the Celestial Knights will.” “Ah, Siorel...” Cin grabbed at her hand, but he was too late. She was already in front of him, hands on hips, threatening Jeremiah if he came close. He closed his eyes and sighed quietly, a small smile on his face. Even as scared as she was a second ago, she's right in front of me now... I've barely even done anything that would result in this loyalty. No, I've... mmm. Focus. We can talk about that later. Jeremiah thankfully didn't seem to take offense at her words, instead explaining that, while his name was part of why he had left Lufiria, something that worried Cin, he had no intention of harming the dragon now. He did know the truth of his family's history though, and so Cin had to listen to him. Smile growing slightly, Cin reached out and plucked Siorel up from where she was standing, pulling her back onto the bed next to him. “Come now. If he had ill intent, he would have to deal with all of the Tigers and the Evokers in the middle of a hostile land. Given his position, he has to be smarter than that. I appreciate your bravery though.” He wrapped an arm around her waist and gave it a gentle squeeze before looking back at Jeremiah. “We've had a rough time, as you know. Thank you though... For being willing to explain all this. I, wish that I could stay ignorant, I think. Given Sari's reaction. To do that, though... I would be putting myself, but more importantly those around me, those I care about, in danger. I can't hide from the truths of the world anymore... I tried once, and it could have gone horribly wrong. I'm lucky it didn't. I can't do that again. So please... tell me why. Why my name means so much?” My name... and my scales? Just by my appearance I'll be known? What happened... “Hwah…!” Siorel flushed slightly as she was so easily shifted, plopped down onto the bed, huffing and pouting some. “I was just trying to… mrrrh…” There was no point in fighting about it, especially if Jeremiah wasn't here to cause any harm. “Alright… But, what Cin said. Tell us… Why would anyone hate Cinaed? He's a big sweetie. Hasn't hurt anyone that didn't deserve it… And the past is the past. Especially if we don't have close ties to it. So why would you never forget…?” “Because if we ever forgot, that would mean forgetting how a faction of dragons… led by the Astuikami family tried to sell Lufiria out. Were responsible for the deaths of a lot of good men and women, and nearly assassinated the then Princess Rosaria.” Jeremiah sighed, it would be better to start fast and hard with this, lay everything out on the table for Cinead to decide. “Almost twenty-seven years ago now, the Islexian Collapse occurred, on shaky ground from the alliance of course, but the reality was that Lufiria was never prepared for a war, and not against such numbers. A faction of dragons led by Chrysostomos Astuikami convinced a not-insignificant group to deal with the alliance in an effort to keep Lufiria intact by selling out the royal family, and placing Tomos on the throne, forging an alliance to end hostilities. That dragon was known for his vibrant golden scales, exactly the ones that you have now, Cinead.” Jeremiah’s face clouded slightly as he continued, “They were responsible for the collapse of the Lufirian vanguard, nearly all of them slaughtered to a man, and the princess almost a victim as well–saved only by the arrival of a man who had also been betrayed, as well as myself and my wife. From there, they worked with the alliance in order to cement their alliance… to no avail–the Alliance had no intent on following through with their side of the deal. They were only thwarted because of the actions of the Celestial Knights, that same group that saved the princess, and had we not… the world would look very different right now.” Jeremiah netted his hands in front of him, “The dragons, and specifically the Astuikami family are responsible for the deaths of countless Lufirians, and nearly far more… That's why their name is reviled in Lufiria, and that’s why I met with your mother back in Glacies. Because I had discovered that some of them have survived; you and your mother aren’t the only ones. You, and your mother aren’t involved, but Lufiria has a poor track record with good decision making in the face of grave injustices… Many other Lufirians might have tried to harm you just because of your scales, or your name… that’s why your mother asked me to warn you.” “Responsible for... no, you can't...” Even as the words left his lips, Cin knew that the man believed himself to be telling the truth. He forced himself to stop talking and instead listen, though he visibly flinched when Jeremiah said the name Chrysostomos. He knew that name. It wasn't exactly a common one and if what Jeremiah was saying was true... Grandfather... I never met you but mom talked about you all the time. The love in her eyes when she did, how do I reconcile that with what I'm hearing now? He was suddenly finding it hard to breathe, the air getting caught in his throat as the explanation kept coming. It was too much. His family had done so much evil... He stared down at his hands and shook his head, not in denial but because what else could he do? “You talked with my mother... She told me stories, about them. Her family. My family. Tomos, my grandfather...” He was going numb, finding it hard to form the words. “She couldn't, have known... You said, not just us. I... I saw them. Not really. A vision. There was a fortune teller. I assumed it was, wrong or... a metaphor. The past maybe. Showed a room with dragons, one I think... was Grandfather. Tomos. They welcomed me. Hugged me.” He finally looked up and met Jeremiah's eyes, confusion and pain evident. “Then it, shifted. Bodies, burnt to a crisp. A man in pink, with red hair standing among them, asking my name. Who can burn a fire dragon like that...” His words were trailing off, the last sentence barely audible. He found himself searching for Siorel's hand, wanting the comfort her warmth would bring. How was he supposed to move forward? They weren't his crimes, but history has stained his future irreparably and there was nothing he could do to change that. “Okay… So what?” Siorel huffed and scowled at Jeremiah a bit, grabbing Cinaed’s hand and squeezing it tight. “My past is scarred and marred by horrible people, but I’m not about to let it ruin my future. Cinaed’s grandfather did something terrible, and so what? What’s your point? If you’re just here to tell him to be careful, then good, you have, go away. Cinaed is not his grandfather, and the sins of his family do not fall to him. If someone in Lufiria hears his name and wants to blame him for it, they can answer to me!” She huffed and thwapped her tail against the bed. She was using her anger to springboard herself out of her anxiety, and it was working a little too well. “You tell all your Celestial knight friends that if we’re ever in Lufiria because of the work the Tigers are doing, they can shove off. We’re already suffering enough, being Clouded in Islexia, I don’t need people dredging up the past like it still matters. It’s done! Move on.” She sighed, letting her steam work itself out of her, her spots flickering some as her magic shifted around inside her. “Sick and tired of existing and it being a problem. I didn’t ask to be born Clouded. Cin didn’t ask to be born with his grandfather’s past. We didn’t do anything wrong, so anyone that wants to tell us we did can take a long walk off a short cliff.” Cinead’s reaction was identical in a number ways to his mother’s; disbelief over what they were hearing, but a rather quick acceptance of the truth. Jeremiah had no reason to lie, he had been there, in the center of it all. Jeremiah cocked an eyebrow when he mentioned a vision, Cinead was now the third person to mention a vision to him; first Alvira with the Sol Incantio and Mercuria, then Aegean with Catherine, and now, Cinead with, “...Red hair, and pink clothing?” Fire that was strong enough to burn fire dragons already cut the possible number of people down to a handful, but that specific meant only one person, “...You must have seen Virion. He’s the only person who could do all of that, and would be wearing the colors you mentioned. Though… just from what you’ve said, I can tell you that’s not a vision of the past. Because your grandfather is alive, right at this very moment.” The lizard flipped back into her defensive posture, angry at what Jeremiah was suggesting, angry at Lufiria’s poor response to the pain that had been inflicted. Jeremiah faintly smiled at her passionate, even righteous anger, reminding him of Serena’s tendency to do the same. Jeremiah let her finish, let her words run their course before continuing, “If that’s all I was here to do, then I wouldn’t be much of a Celestial Knight. I already said that I am aware that Cinead, and his mother are not at fault. As Head of intelligence, and Royal advisor, my word does carry quite a lot of weight. While I can’t protect you from the whims of the populace, I can at least guarantee your safety from the other Celestial Knights. Virion and Rosaria both might be distant, but the two of them are not Lady Hilda–so long as Cinead hasn’t been involved, they’ll do what they can to protect him, and Serena won’t be an issue.” Jeremiah turned to the door, “I apologize for the weight of what I’ve told you, but I couldn’t let you move forward without knowing what you might face, and who could potentially be there to support you. Lufiria has made enough mistakes to fill the oceans with blood, I and the other Celestial Knights have to put a stop to that.” Virion... and his grandfather being alive. Cinaed stared at Jeremiah as the man continued to explain, though the words were more of a background noise at this point. Alive. His family was alive. After all they had done, the people they had gotten killed, they were still alive and given who was looking into them, planning to cause trouble once again. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he couldn't even try to calm Siorel down. Her words made sense, why should he be blamed for the past, but he couldn't help feeling like a heavy weight had been placed on his shoulders. He couldn't just ignore the sins of his family. As Jeremiah started to head towards the door, he finally spoke up again. “My gran... Tomos. If he's alive... What is he planning? Do you know? I can't imagine... If everything you said happened, and I. I have no reason to doubt. What good comes from your words otherwise, after all. If it's true, I can't imagine he's just. Living peacefully. Not with you out of Lufiria looking for my family. So... what is it? I can't claim ignorance anymore. I need to know. So I can do... something. I don't know what. But even if I didn't ask to be born to this family, I still was. And I... I may not have links to Lufiria but people I care about do. I can't let my family bring them pain. I can't. I have to protect them, if I'm able.” “Oh, Gods.” Siorel rolled her eyes and flopped against the bed. She couldn’t be part of this conversation further without saying something she’d regret, so she grabbed the blanket and buried herself in it. I was about to ask him about Rosaria, but now I’m just ticked off… No, Cin, you don’t have to protect them. Who is even ‘them’? This idea is so abstract, and basing it all off news you just heard about someone you barely, truly knew… Ugh. No, I’m not getting into this. I’m already mad enough at Jeremiah for adding onto the stress we’re facing down right now, I don’t need to blow up. Two very different reactions to what was said, Cin’s altruism, and Siorel’s understandable exasperation, between the two, Jeremiah figured he aligned more with Siorel’s exasperation given what she’d already shouted at him for. Jeremiah simply shook his head, “I know that he’s alive, unfortunately, the dragons have been in Lufiria for years–they have all sorts of channels and pathways that we’re currently unaware of. We’ve found some of them, which is why I know he is alive, but as of the moment, I couldn’t tell you what he’s planning or even where he is.” Jeremiah peered over his shoulder at Cinead, “I appreciate your words, but you don’t owe anything to Lufiria. Lufiria has a mountain of debts that it will never be able to replay in its current state; while I despise what your family did, I don’t entirely fault them. Lufiria is certainly the best place for monsters and clouded, that much is true, there remains a deep mire of issues that keep it from being the place many dream that it can be. Many wish to change it for that reason. If you go to look for your family, then do it because you want answers, not to protect a country that has failed its mission time and time again. You have things to protect, concrete things.” Jeremiah smiled, “I think if I stay any longer, your friend will explode, so unless there’s something to ask of me, I’ll leave you both to your evening.” It seemed like the information about his family was all tapped out, the fact that Tomos was still alive being the biggest one. Jeremiah reassured him that he owed Lufiria nothing and that if he sought out his family, it should be for answers and nothing more. “I... I don't want answers. I don't think. It doesn't really matter why they did it. I just don't want them to hurt the people I care about. It seems likely you and the other Celestial Knights would be high on a revenge list for them. Hurting you would hurt Gean and she's one of my best friends. That's who I meant when I talked about protecting people. Her and Renais. Besides Siorel and my parents, they're the two most important people in my life. I just don't want the actions of people I'm related to to hurt them. That's all.” He sighed, before shaking his head. “No... no more questions. You've given me enough to think about already. Thank you. For trusting me with this. And for not holding it against me.” “We certainly will be. Virion especially… I can only imagine how it felt to have their plans halted by a traitor. But if they come for us, then I suspect that your vision of them will come true. We have no intention of faltering, not now, and certainly not to them.” Jeremiah then turned enough so that Cinead, and Siorel could see his smile, “I’m glad that Aegean had found a capable and caring group to support her; she doesn’t seem like it often, but she needs that support. So does the woman next to you, Siorel, I assume. It’s not often you’ll find someone who will protect you so passionately, even when they’re also afraid, so you’d do well to cherish her.” Jeremiah then turned once more, “If that’s all, then I'll leave you two be. And, thank you as well, for being so amiable. I certainly understand what I’ve said to you, and you have little reason to believe anything I say. I made a fair amount of mistakes with the group so far, so I have to improve. Thank you for your time.” Siorel waited a few moments after the door shut before poking her head out again. “Is he gone…? Finally… So frustrating.” She sighed, glancing at Cin, wondering if she should say anything, but a conversation about not taking any of the responsibility related to his family felt fruitless. Cin was a pretty sincere guy. Perhaps to a fault… Getting him to change his mind was tough. Not an argument she wanted right now, so she gave up before trying and flopped back against the bed, groaning somewhat. “Exhausted again… People that know too much should just get it out of the way.” “I... understand. Thank you for the information. I know that I am lucky to have the people around me that I do, especially Siorel.” He smiled, looking down at her briefly before looking back up at Jeremiah. “That is all. It’s all... a lot. I have no reason to doubt though. Not with what Sari already told me. Even if I don’t like what I’ve heard, I have no reason to argue. I appreciate you coming and talking to me.” As the door shut behind the man, Cin leaned back with a sigh, all the information leaving him drained. As Siorel emerged from the blankets, he smiled at her, reaching out to pull her into a hug. “Yeah, he’s gone. Sorry that you had to deal with that. Especially when you’re so tired. I’m glad he told me though. After talking with Sari, I wondered what had happened to make my family name hated. I don’t like it, but it’s still good to know.” He sighed again, looking down at her. “You reacted to him pretty strongly. Was it just all the emotions building up to be too much? I know that you haven’t eaten much the last few days, so I would get it if that was it... I can find us dinner and bring it back here, if you want. But if it was something more... You know you can talk to me about anything, right?” There had been a bite behind her words that felt like more than just annoyance at Jeremiah. He knew that she was hiding her past from him and he hadn’t wanted to push before now. With how much everything seemed to be affecting her though, he couldn’t help but worry. “It’s fine,” she said, slowly sitting up. “I'll be fine. We should just get something to eat like we were planning before everything went tits up. Hahhh… Always something with these people. Never just here to be only helpful. Have to know something dark and mysterious about your past– if it was so important you would've already known…” Siorel could feel her brain working itself up again, so she sighed and stood, stretching a bit. “Let's just go, or I'm gonna upset myself again. At least I'm not feeling anxious anymore…” “Mmm... Fair enough. Let's go get you some food then.” He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss, before leaning back and stretching. I had no way of knowing though. That’s what she doesn’t get. If I’m to go to Lufiria, I needed to know. I’ll wait to push on things for now I think. She’s not in the place for it right now. Some day though... Some day I’ll ask. He stood up, reaching down to give her shoulder a squeeze. “Right then. Time to go eat. Afterwards, we can come back here and relax. We should enjoy the break while we have it, right? Off we go then.” He reached down, snagging her hand. He’d gotten a lot to think about today, but for now he just wanted to enjoy his time with Siorel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldsbroTSG Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 Miria brought herself into the room slowly. It was the day they'd train with Jeremiah, and she had been anticipating it for some time. Before arriving, she gave herself a quick warm-up workout then ate a hearty breakfast. She was ready. If they were practicing she was putting her everything into it. "Good morning. I hope everyone's been well," She calmly spoke as she stood next to Syndra, and gave a smile to the rest of the people in the room. It was the best she could do in the moment. She was focused and determined, and gave some deep breaths. There was going to be a huge battle coming soon, and she wasn't going to slack on training from one of the strongest people in Amaranth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRDRHAWK Posted January 20 Share Posted January 20 While one half of the relationship was seeming to be in good spirits this morning, the other was… not. Nyx was grumbling and mumbling the whole way through to the training session, having slept, frankly, like shit. That knock on the noggin that she took from Krauser a while back was still bothering her, even after a week or so. ”Geh… seriously, Synnie dearest, y’fuckin’ got way too much energy this damn early.” Nyx mumbled, resting her head on her girlfriend’s. Normally, she wouldn’t be quite so grouchy — or clingy — but just for today, Nyx chose to be both. Might as well get her cuddles in while she could, before they were hard at work. Tanya, by contrast to the archer, was fairly sprightly this morning, tail swishing around as she adjusted her armour. It had been some time since she’d had a proper training exercise, and to receive it from General Jeremiah, of all people? It was definitely surprising, at least to her. She wondered if Papa would feel the same way, if — or, rather, when — Tanya told him this story. “Mrow… s’just a little too snug.” Tanya grumbled, as she was trying to adjust one of the straps holding her armour in place. She’d always had trouble with this one, and it was being particularly troublesome this morning. Conveniently, though, she found someone who might be able to lend a hand already waiting. “Hey, littlest hero.” Tanya called out, greeting Miria with a smile and a wave. “Mind giving me a hand with this strap? This one’s always getting stuck, and making it a little too tight near my bicep.” She hoped the request wouldn’t be too weird, especially since they hadn’t talked in a little bit. Shame, too; Tanya thought she was pretty, cool, and strong, to boot. She could learn a lot from spending more time with Miria. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercenary on the Winds Posted January 22 Author Share Posted January 22 Roxanne seemed to have a moment of clarity when Jeremiah introduced himself; it seemed like she knew who he was, or had heard the name. Either way, she took his hand for the handshake without any issue. Some of the other tigers started to funnel in, Miria, Nyxied, Cinead, and the odd one out of the unit, Syndra. As far as he could tell, she was the genuine article, the daughter of Nicolas Belrose. It was... odd to have the daughter of the most powerful warlord, and arguably one of the most destabilizing forces on the continent right in front of him. It was a simple reminder that as misaligned as the Belrose were towards Lufiria, there was still a family there. The Tigers hadn't removed her thus far, and even Owen seemed to believe in her, so there was nothing to do hope that it didn't come back to bite the Tiger's tail. Gean and Renais were both still missing, as well as Lani, the greatsword wielding cat, Versaris and both creations, the blue wolf that had been alongside Iris, and the commander herself--it was still early so there was plenty of time. A part of him hoped that the Evokers would drop by as well; they would be able to impart more assistance to the mages by way of actual instruction; magic was a skill like any other, and it helped to have experts along to assist. It would also give him an idea of their caliber; see the work of mages credited with dispelling a mana storm up close. "It's unfortunately the least I can do in this situation, Cinead. I'd take a more active role, but even this much could be problematic." Jeremiah shrugged, "Could be. In this line of work, you don't have the luxury of working in certainties. Both a boon, and a detriment wrapped into one. So I'll do what I can, and take whatever other opportunities come my way." The fact that Cinead didn't appear to know Roxanne seemed to lend credence that she was either one of Owen's, or a new arrival; making her apparent knowledge of him all the more curious. I suppose things will become apparent soon enough. "We'll wait for a couple more people, and then head ourselves to the training grounds--the others will know where to find us." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ether Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 It seemed more of the Tigers were arriving as the moments passed by. A few of them were faced Roxanne recognized, the first was the mage that had been present alongside Owen and Commander Liberia... Synnie, apparently, surely a nickname. There was also Miria, the chipper lass that had been present in her first encounter with the Tigers at all. The rest were unknown to her for the time being, although one in particular, an exceptionally large dragon, made a point to introduce himself. "Roxanne. Well met, Cinead. I'll be accompanying you all for the assault on Beacon Keep... as of now I've only been introduced to a few of you, but I hope we'll get along well." Roxanne replied, giving the man a small bow. There would be more people to come, so it was likely an explanation she would need repeat more than once. Better to dole it out in chunks rather than to each individual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluemask 96 Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 (edited) Gean rushed through the hallways of Gaffney castle. It should not have taken her this long to meet the other's outside, she had been up early to go on a morning run as a part of her new training regime. Still, she was glad that she took the extra time to get ready, and that Kise had a spare ribbon to tie her hair up. The gesture wouldn't mean anything to the rest of the group, but to her uncle, it would be a clear message. One that would show just how resolved she was. Still, now she needed to actually be there and present. Gean arrived at the courtyard, to find that most of the Tigers were already around. "Morning!" Came out in between short breaths as she gathered herself. She was in her usual attire, save one new addition. Gean's normally free dreads were tied back into a singular ponytail, wrapped by a pink ribbon. "Ready for today's training!" Edited January 22 by Bluemask 96 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanami Touko Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 Alvira waved back at Roxanne, then Cinaed, as some of the Tigers started to roll in. It was always a surprise to see which ones were morning folk, and which ones slept in later. Not seeing Laniva was a surprise; their greatsword wielding cat tended to be one of the first ones awake and training... Maybe she'd gotten caught up in something? Alvira shrugged. "Since the both of you are unaware, Roxanne is another individual working under Lord Owen. We're all on the same page, so hopefully we can get along in today's training... Speaking of... We're not all fighting against you. Are we?" Alvira studied the man's face for a moment, gently raising an eyebrow. "I do hope this training has less to do with our asses getting handed to us and more to do with your instructing us... I can't imagine any of us can hold a candle to you." "Some of us can," Versaris said, stepping out from behind Cinaed, having come out from seemingly nowhere. "Or at least, I'd like to hope I can hold the smallest bit of a candle to my teacher... It wouldn't do for me to be unable to touch him completely. What else was all that teaching for?" He shrugged some, leaving Alvira frowning at him. "For doing your job?" She gave the elf an unamused look, to which Versaris chuckled. "Of course, of course... but I'd say I do that swimmingly enough. The point is, I've been wanting to test myself against you for quite some time, Jeremiah." He held out a closed first towards his teacher, smiling, but his expression serious and strong. "Put me through my paces. I can't help the Tigers if I get complacent." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcd900 Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 It had been a rather pleasant morning. Syta had joined her for her morning run, which was a good addition to her routine; Laniva had been rather happy to find Syta willing to come along, and with Gean joining her for the occasional morning spar, she was finding herself to be spending a lot less of her days alone doing her own thing. Syta, of course, had been contributing quite a lot to that outside of the mornings; Laniva had certainly found nothing to complain about. This morning in particular, however, the morning run had led to them being slightly late - well, perhaps not even late, but noticeably-not-early - to the training exercise all of the Tigers (and the rest of their group) were committed to this morning. The two of them finished off their jog, filing into the courtyard somewhere around the middle of the Tigers' arrival, having decided to pick up their pace a little as they'd become aware of the time. "Whew... okay, here we are. It looks like they haven't started yet... look, there he is, over there." She turned to Syta, gesturing towards the small but growing group of Cinaed, Alvira, Jeremiah, Versaris, and that new face they'd met yesterday - Roxanne. "My armor is still back in our room... mm, it'll probably be okay. It's sparring... let's go join them." Still full of energy, she gave Syta's arm a little tug, already setting off from the courtyard entrance to meet the others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.