Ether Posted July 27 Share Posted July 27 Roxanne had mostly expected to sit until they linked up with the other contingent of the Iron Tigers that they had split off from near the end of the battle, but what she hadn't expected was Krystal coming over to help her off the ground. The sheep helped push off the ground as she was lifted by the arm, Krystal clearly straining even though Roxanne had shed her armour in the magic blast. Well, she wasn't exactly the picture of physical prowess, after all. "Thank you, Krystal... I..." Roxanne wasn't quite sure how to address her as she trailed off, though perhaps luckily, Cinead came bounding around the corner, first on the scene. As he approached, coming to take her off of Krystal's hands, the dragon also brought quite a few expected questions. Roxanne at least had answers for the most part, leaning into Cinead to take extra pressure off of the smaller woman. "Miria got hurt pretty badly, but Krystal already tended to her, so she should be outside of danger, as for me... I just pushed my magic too hard." The sheep answered the question of the hour, also giving a pointed hint to the unasked but obvious question that lingered. What exactly had happened? Roxanne didn't know... what she had cast. If she could observe the blast from an outside perspective she could most likely identify it, but at the moment all she knew was that it was beyond her ability. Would she be okay? Hard to tell until she could feel her own magic again and assess if she had cut off the flow in time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRoon Posted July 27 Share Posted July 27 Renais didn't say much, but she appreciated Syndra joining her. Despite their victory the castle wasn't safe yet. The pinkette hurried her footsteps until she saw a familiar tall dragonman: Cin was on the scene. She stopped to view the scene before her, the aftermath of the sound she heard. She confirmed bodies of the deceased before her in the damaged hallway, but she didn't recognize any of them. She did recognize Miria and Roxanne however, and they both seemed fine. She spotted a third girl with the duo too, one in an outfit lacking coverage. It seemed like they had support at least. "Oh thank goodness you're both alright..." She rushed up to the group as Cin helped the sheep up and Miria nearly stumbled. "I sensed the magic spike with the group in the main hall, I expected you both to be worse off but I'm glad you had help. Is everything alright? Does anyone need extra healing? I'm Renais, the cleric of the Tigers." The introduction was meant for Krystal more than her companions, she felt the need to say it. She looked Miria over especially, there were signs of magic from her that Renais can sense. Exactly what it meant was beyond her. "I sense your active magic, Miria. How are you feeling?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy12510 Posted July 28 Share Posted July 28 (edited) Following behind Renais, Syndra made her way towards the hallway she'd passed by when she began her charge towards the center, or at least, what was left of the hallway. It appeared like a raging fire had swept through the place, charring marks blackening the walls. Well, none of the mages we brought with us use fire magic, and no one that worked for Kazran could pull something like this off... so who? As she approached she encountered Cinaed, so she began thinking maybe he was the cause, recalling what he did when they fought with the knights a while back, but looking a bit deeper. Syndra also saw Miria, Roxanne, and... a woman just wearing a bikini. It was the same one that had been fighting with them earlier, but Syndra never got her name. She did know Roxanne and the other woman were both mages, powerful ones at that, but not enough to cause this much damage. Then Syndra sensed another magic force among the trio, one coming from Miria. It was rather faint, but both her and Renais seemed to be able to sense it. Judging from both how exhausted Miria and Roxanne seemed, and how non-existent the soldiers around them were, Syndra could've surmised who caused this. Considering that they went off in this direction to handle any stragglers, this would probably be the first chance to inform them of what happened in the center area. "I'm Syndra. Kazran's finally dead, so when we felt that shockwave Renais and I rushed over to check what went down over here. Are you all okay? I'm not a healer like Dame Renais is, but if there's anything I can do to help feel free to ask." Edited July 28 by Billy12510 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldsbroTSG Posted July 28 Share Posted July 28 Miria was ready to try and help Krystal despite her condition, but when she started a jump to approach, she let out an exasperated groan as she lurched forward, quickly pulling herself back. Despite everything, she still had that instinct. She watched as Krystal lifted Roxi, and prepared to shuffle around and make her way back to the boat, and Cin made his way here, and started helping with Roxi. The cub sighed, and prepared to speak after Roxi, but then her thoughts were cut off by seeing another show up; Renais, soon followed by Syndra. Miria sighed, and started shuffling towards the duo, "We're as fine as we can be, things got... well, complicated." The cub gave a small smile, trying to keep up her positive attitude despite being in clear pain. What actually got her ears perked was the news from Syndra that Kazran was dead. They had won. Miria got overly-physically excitef and stumbled again, falling over, until catching herself on Renais, keeping herself afloat. "Oww... sorry I'm, really, really tired." She straightened herself out as much as she could. "Thank you." She gave an exasperated sigh. "Roxi was so cool just now, though. I'd never seen anything like it before." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xinnidy Posted July 28 Share Posted July 28 (edited) "Much to talk about indeed..." Owen had many questions, but the timing demanded they be asked later. For now, the heiress had to be assumed a good person, especially if she took such a quick stance in his favor. "Perhaps some stability will be rewarded to our lands after tonight, still... Kazran's previous allies --if they could be called that--, will likely become importunate nuisances at your border. We'll have to monitor their reactions in the coming days." It seemed like the disgruntled and discomforted former men of Kazran were not planning to make a move, so Owen eased the grip on his sheated sword. "You'll have much ado to keep these lands, and your families, safe. Or you could leave. I will not stop you so long as you don't take an axe to my front door, just think well on it. Your lands are safer with a united front under a capable ruler, and she has the birthright." That was all Owen could add in Lati's favor. Hearts couldn't change so quick, so he'd be best saving his breath and giving them the comfort of silent thoughts. ...And that would have to be it. "The keep is yours, Lati Serdio. There might be some work involved in fixing the disarray... would it be best to wait for the morrow?" "Hah... come back for me..." Giovanna didn't mind Sylmaria's claws, returning the tight hug. "I'm grateful, Sylm. I was all but sure you got killed in his stupid plan... Seeing you there made me realize how wrong this all was. How tired I was of it... thank you. He's dead now, and we don't need to be here anymore." Sylmaria was free, and Giovanna... her future, her house, everything was in disarray. It'd be some chaotic days, but she wasn't afraid. Somewhat beyond caring, with simply loose ideas of where to go from here. A better fate than under Kazran, for certain. Edited July 28 by Xinnidy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanami Touko Posted July 28 Share Posted July 28 Suddenly, people. So many people. Krystal rolled her eyes. One of them had spoken to her directly, so she slowly hoisted Roxanne his way, slumping. "I don't care who you folks are, just get her outta here... They'll both be fine. Miria tried way too hard, and the sheep... is a dummy, that couldn't hold her emotions back. They just used too much magic... Nothing that'll last. Now! Before I have to stand in a crowd full of people in this DAMN bikini any longer, can someone show me to like, a SHEET, if nothing else? I'm almost naked. I might as well be naked." She sighed, so tired, having spent more magic than she had in weeks, months, perhaps her entire life. "Anyone...?" "Have to be the bigger people? No." Versaris shot an ice cold glare towards the rest of Kazran's followers, shaking his head. "They're just as terrible as he was. People lost to their ambitions, their teachings, ingrained in them so deeply that they couldn't imagine a different world. Even her," he motioned towards Sylmaria, "she's one of us. This country's indoctrination is so deep, so rooted in their history and all of their teachings... Nothing will save them, and honestly? I'd rather we just kill them all. But~ This is her castle, now... So long as no one's going to challenge her right by birth, I'm not going to spill anymore blood... just, make no mistake, Alriana. If you chose to keep fighting? I'd never chastise you for it. This sickness must be cut out, the same way they feel we must..." He sighed, shaking his head. "There's good left in Islexia. Owen, Lati, even that mage and Sylmaria... There's good left here. We just... need to pave the way, so it can reach the surface. It's buried. Too deep..." He wouldn't hear any arguments against his feelings. An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind, but such philosophy only stands when both sides have it in them to stop. These people are broken, beyond repair. The least we can do is give them a quick death. Amera couldn't quite understand what was happening, only hiding behind Seila as it occurred, happy that nothing had come, nothing had dared to aim their way, just burning and destroying the men ahead of them all... What terrifying power. "You think so...? I think it's a great thing. People this strong that aren't going to turn that power on us...? Seila, I'll be honest with you... I'm tired. Tired of worrying about finding a group, finding somewhere to stay, finding people that aren't gonna care that I meow and purr and... just, am me. This is that place... Sure, that was scary, but geez... If that's what we get by being here, fighting alongside us... Sign me up." She hugged the mage and helped her upright, letting go to stretch out her arms. "We gotta tell Ember that these people are the ones..." "He's... He's really..." Sylm shuddered as the words drifted from her mouth, finally loosening her tight latch onto Giovanna, no longer her only rock in a sea of storms, but... "Now what?" It almost hurt to ask, looking up at the woman in front of her, so lost, free from abuse and terror, but now... Adrift on open ocean with no wind, no heading, no sail. "What... What am I supposed to do now? Just... Accept, what these people say? That I'm, I'm not some... Abomination, that... Agree that they're right? Go against, everything I've ever been taught. Throw away all of my life... I... But... But he was so truly, truly awful... In some part, they must be right, but I-I can't..." It was all too much to accept so immediately, Sylmaria knowing she wouldn't reach port any time soon... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy12510 Posted July 28 Share Posted July 28 "They're just exhausted. Well, it's a relief its just that, thank you." Syndra said towards Krystal. She did bring up her own state of undress, which meant it was likely one of Kazran's perverted ideas, given that she was one of Kazran's prisoners before the Tigers showed up. Syndra then started taking off her suit jacket and offered it to the Clouded woman. "It's not much, but this should suffice until we get back, if you're willing to take it." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JakezuGD Posted July 28 Share Posted July 28 "Then that's what the Iron Tigers will do," Natalya replied with a solemn nod. She'd kept one eye on the remaining stragglers, but despite the brimstone in their words, they seemed to lose their nerve from that earlier earthshaking explosion. Just as well, if they were the magic-fearing type... She had half a mind to address them with something, but they wouldn't listen to a Clouded, not even if their life was on the line. Focusing on what her friends were saying was more important, and Vira looked like she could use some winding down from the battle... but Gean's voiced concerns came first. "No, I think we're about done here, unless any of those people figure they'd rather be a splat on the floor. Plan now is to sweep the castle and make sure all of Kazran's forces have surrendered, but there's one matter we might be best suited to tackling, and that's seeing that we don't have any ballista operators on the run," the tiger answered, scratching the back of her head a little. "According to Syndra, those were directly on loan from the Belroses, and we don't want them learning of our involvement. Since you're helming the ship, I'll leave you to that, but make sure to tell anyone else you see on the way, yeah?" Owen was hopefully listening enough to pick up on what she'd said, but it bore repeating as many times as needed, as long as the message was delivered. A familiar look in the mermaid's eyes told her that that probably wasn't everything, but Gean was a grown woman - if she needed to talk about something, she'd tell her later directly. For now, Tasha turned her attention to the tense dragon with ice at her fingertips, walking up to and behind her girlfriend, a gauntleted hand gently patting her on the head. "Hey. Big job's done, but we've gotta make sure the premises are clear before we leave. I'll watch your back if we sweep together, alright?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ether Posted July 28 Share Posted July 28 As Renais and Syndra came onto the scene shortly after Cinead, with direct confirmation of Kazran's death, a bit of tension she hadn't realized she had been holding dissipated from Roxanne. It had been easy to surmise from the booming echoes from the main hall, but hearing it directly from a trusted source that had been able to make it's way over unaccosted truly did wonders. It was truly over, then. "I think insofar as healing is concerned, Krystal covered us pretty well already. Miria's wounds have been mended, we're both just... spent. Her physically, and I magically." Roxanne answered, her vision wandering to her inert conduits on the ground. Before things started moving properly, they had to be recovered. Reaching out her hand towards the closest grounded funnel, Roxanne attempted to recall the implement out of instinct... only for the connection to fail, and a deep, burning sensation to race up her arm along her circuits for her efforts, eliciting a sharp wince from the sheep. "Aha... I really don't have anything left, I can't even recall my conduits... Syndra, Renais, if you wish to help, might I ask you gather them for me? Just the pieces of crystal on the ground, they should stick out quite readily... anything from my armour should have dissipated by now." Roxanne added, leaning further into Cinead as she shook her head to try to dispel the sensation, a small chuckle hoping to mask the pain, though it likely wouldn't accomplish much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluemask 96 Posted July 28 Share Posted July 28 "Sure thing. I'll see you back on the ship." Tasha seemed to have caught Gean's look, but moved on to other matters. I'll have to talk to her later then. As Gean left the throne room, and the fact that this battle was truly over, a thought came to her mind that brought a smile to her face. Kise was one of the few elected to stay behind on the ship, and for a second Gean pictured the kitsine lounging about on Akai as usual. "Maybe she'll meet me downstairs, I could use a good cuddle session right now." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanami Touko Posted July 29 Share Posted July 29 It didn't seem like these fools were going to stand down, not until talks continued... There was still vitriol, anger and hatred, but it seemed they were done pushing their fight. Things would end here, with the death of the problem, and they would go their separate ways... For now. Tasha's hand met her hair and she slowly let her magic fade, crossing her arms and leaning back against the tiger. "Yeah... I'll watch your back, Tasha. Just can't believe these people, including that meatheaded oaf. Maybe it's poor to speak badly of the dead, but he was the most pigheaded, bluffing, empty headed fool we've dealt with... At least that creepy Luthier fuck had the abilities to back up his boasting. This guy... He got here with luck, intimidation, and brute force. Nothing good for a leader, let alone a 'king'. What an idiot..." She let out a hefty sigh and shook her head. "It's over. That's what matters the most... It's over. Hopefully Owen can make it last... and we can finally get on our way to Lufiria." Her goals had remained unchanged despite this speed bump. They would get to Lufiria and she would make good on her promises to the Gods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercenary on the Winds Posted July 29 Author Share Posted July 29 (edited) Kieran focused on the armless man in front of him, his staff wasn't having too much effect, and despite the makeshift first aid, the man's condition wasn't improving. It had been about an hour ago that he had agreed with himself that the clouded man was going to die; his wounds simply just hadn't been treated soon enough, too much blood had been lost, and despite his knowledge, Kieran was not experienced enough to help him. But his hands wouldn't stop moving, his magic wouldn't stop flowing... it was all he could do now. The Tigers were all above fighting against Kazran, going to make a difference, and here he was, just waiting for the good news. It wasn't like he felt like he deserved the chance--the Tigers had every right to kill him, and honestly, if he had gone upstairs, there was no telling if there weren't a good number of them that would have killed him and then called it an accident. "Give it up, Istavion's going to die. Let it be." Kieran looked over his shoulder at the lizard woman, bandaged, but with a bored look on her face sitting up against the side of the ship. "He knew what was going to happen. He resolved himself for it. You're just going to burn yourself out for when the others come back." The light from Kieran's staff continued to waft over the man as he shook his head, "They've got healers, and none of are gonna want anything to do with me. I'm just guarding the ship at this point. Might as well do what I can." Kika clicked her tongue, "That antsy, huh? What, think they aren't gonna succeed? The boss is with em, and they crushed the guard--Kazran's head is going to be rolling on the castle floor before the night is out." Kieran hesitated, "Yeah, I guess I am antsy." Kieran's eyes shot up and then a shockwave pulsed the cave, everything shook for a moment, but it subsided almost as quickly as it began. Kieran kept his eyes up, and then chuckled, "...I guess that's it." "...What's it? What the hell was that?" "Magic. Strong magic too. So strong even I caught it. You know what that means though? It means that someone from the Tigers pulled that off. Kazran wouldn't ever have someone that magically adept around him. If the Tigers can do stuff like that... He doesn't have a chance. Bet you the battle's over." The footsteps above had people departing from the ship to make sure that things were alright upstairs, but it felt like there was no need. Istavion fought to hold onto the warmth coming from the man's staff, but everything was uncomfortably cold. Everything was heavy, blurry, and it hurt to even breath. But he needed to know. He needed to know that their deaths, his death, wasn't for nothing. Everything shook, and yes, the healer and Kika were speaking... it was tough to make out, but the smile on the healer's face seemed to corroborate what he had felt. Incredibly powerful magic... it felt familiar, the underlying current... it felt like the first officer. Istavion's face struggled, his muscles losing all of their strength, but finally, he smiled, "...Thank you b...oth..." Istavion knew then, that he'd succeeded in one thing tonight: Outlasting Kazran, and his pack of fools. East of Beacon Castle... Roughly 2AM. Jeremiah flicked the last bit of blood of his blade as the last of the men fell to his blade. There were less of Kazran's men here than he had expected, but that made things easier--both for him, and for the Tigers. By now the Tigers had control of the keep; Kazran was a formidable fighter, but the Tigers were more than a match for him. Especially without Kazran receiving more reinforcements from the east, a little misdirection here, some dead men there, and his entire chain of command, or lack there of, fell apart. Now the question was... whether anything here was linked to what occurred in Hecatia. Attacks on Intelligence branches were not simple to accomplish, they'd have to have the personnel to achieve, and know who and where to strike at. While such a thing wasn't likely to exist within Islexia, the skeleton existed everywhere and where best to start than with one of the worst men on the continent. Jane, the spider child that had been rescued at the ruins, she had been accosted and handed over to the underground through Kazran. Which meant that Kazran, unsurprisingly, had ties to the underground--but the man appeared to have closer ties with the organization than it appeared. Kazran's mark had been on some of the men that he and Lucretia encountered, and sending a message back to Miriam, it had appeared on some of the men who attacked them too. So he had some level of involvement. Unfortunately, the Tigers alone would have to handle it--even this was perhaps too much assistance, but he couldn't sit idly by. "I suppose I'll have to take a glance after everything is said and done. The closer I get to the underground, the closer I feel I get closer to figuring out that name..." Jeremiah turned, and started his way back to Beacon Castle. Hmm… I can only hope that pulse I felt was something positive, and not a last gasp attempt. I can at least be sure that it was someone with the Tigers. Kazran’s forces wouldn’t possibly have someone with that much magical potential. With the moon now high in the skies above Amaranth, so too, drew to a close perhaps the Tigers' finest hour. Battered, bruised, exhausted, but victorious, not just against one of Islexia's greatest dangers, but against an underlying rot that pervaded all through out the desert country. A fight that was not theirs, but one that they took knowing it was their way forward, and upon it's completion, perhaps more important than they'd ever realized. Lati Serdio, apparently the progeny of the felled Islexian Warlord, but raised in Lufiria, and thus without the shackles that weighed down many within Islexia. With her arrival, and acceptance of control over her father's lands, the Gaffneys and the Tigers gained an ally from nothing. Yet, the men and women who departed from the castle both in fear and disgust were proof that this was only a turning point in a much longer, and more difficult conflict. Owen and Cassandra furnished Lati and her loyalists with a handful of soldiers to shore up the castle, and gain control of the area, with more expected in the future now that Kazran's threat had been extinguished. The Tigers however, had more left to do. With victory secured, all that was left for them was to return to Eslcas, and to plan their route through Islexia to find the envoy. Things were truly beginning to look up; now that they had the support of not one, but two Warlords, and their ranks were beginning to swell with allies from unexpected places. Yet, perhaps all of that was an omen for what was to come. Islexia had always been considered to be a powder keg, a place waiting for an errant spark to set everything in motion. The Tigers were now but one group of players on a stage grander than any they had agreed to, and now, finally, it was time for the second act to begin... Location: South of Sinian June 15th, 7PM (Same day as the Tiger’s attack on Beacon Castle) The sun had begun setting across the night sky, the visage reflecting along the Jasmine river. It had been a few weeks since the attempted assassination of Nicolas Belrose, and while all efforts had been made to keep the matter quiet, those people closest to home were growing restless over the mastermind still being out free. It was to this end Nicolas sent out his two sons; Jalen and Cyrus to find them and “make an example” of them. Jalen understood what it meant, it was a chance to prove to his father that he was the right person to lead the family going forward. It didn’t matter who the unlucky bastard that got picked to play the role of “assassin” was, but that didn’t mean Jalen couldn’t use this as a chance to also settle some old scores. The Celeas. It was just a few years ago now that Pashmina had flat out rejected the proposal to tie the two families together with a marriage between her and Jalen, a social scarring he couldn’t let go. Now though was a chance to get back. An easy enough job, all he had to do was take some soldiers, find her and bring her in. It had been around ten days now since then and still no real success. “Sir? We’ve word that Pashmina’s been sighted in the city. We’re just-” A soldier walked up towards Jalen to report, but he cut him off. “Just what? Twiddling our thumbs waiting for me to tell you what to do? Fucking hell man, it’s just one woman and her pack of rodents against the best military force in the nation how is capturing her this hard?!” Jalen yelled, the gaze from his ebon eyes piercing through the soldier’s face. “U-uh sorry sir! It’s just that she’s dug in real well and-” “That was the same excuse I heard yesterday! What the hell do we let you guys parade around with our family name for? Grr…” Jalen was losing his cool, but he still took a deep breath and exhaled. “My brother will be here shortly, when he arrives we go and put the screws to Pashmina and her band of circus freaks, just go get into formation, or dig a latrine or something else but bothering me with the same old stories, got it?!” Jalen barked at the soldier. “Y-yes sir, right away.” Man, what did this woman do to him anyway? I know what we’re doing here but Commander Jalen’s even more irritable about this whole thing then he usually is… The soldier left just as quickly as he had approached, so Jalen was left alone again to stew in his thoughts. I’m surrounded by morons. Hmph. I will not allow this bimbo to keep embarrassing me like this! Then Jalen took a moment to gaze up towards the setting sun. It’s fine it’s fine, she’s running out of places to hide, and once Cyrus and his troops arrive it’s over for her. And when that time comes, she’ll finally be of use to the Belrose family, like she was always meant to be… In the distance, cutting against the flow of the river and the sound of insects, Jalen could hear the beating of wyvern wings overhead. It seemed at least that Jalen wouldn’t be waiting for long for his brother to arrive. By now, Jalen should have captured his target, and returned to them triumphant, yet, his forces were still around, a lack of direction about them, and a sense of urgency. “Down, Chrysalis.” The large wyvern crashed to the ground not far from the most lavish tent in the camp, no doubt Jalen’s own. A group of soldiers rushed forward, and Cyrus waved them away. There was exactly one person that he needed to speak with. He jumped off of Chrysalis, and beelined for the tent, not even bothering to announce himself. “Where is she, Jalen? You said you would have this done in a matter of days. It’s been ten.” Jalen heard the crashdown of his brother’s wyvern, followed by him storming into his tent. Cyrus immediately came out with his questioning of why Pashmina wasn’t theirs yet, and he wasn’t wrong. This should have been dealt with by now. “Just down to business as always, eh Cyrus. Well I can’t lie, we’ve had a few… setbacks in trying to capture her. This is one of the most connected women in the country, hell maybe even the world after all. It’s fine though, I have it all under control. She’s just up north from here hiding away. I was just waiting for you to arrive because…” Then Jalen sighed, he hated having to make excuses and then beg his older brother for help, but he was sure it would all work out, after all it happened all the time back when Syndra was still around and he needed to pawn off his work to the two of them to pursue more fitting tasks for someone like him. “I need your help to just block off the exits to Sinian so that she can’t take off through the air, lord knows it's happened before. My troops can handle the groundwork from there. So lighten up! Pretty soon we’ll have the Celea family strings completely pulled and that pesky assassin business dealt with and everything can keep moving along as it always has. Come on.” Jalen then stretched out his hand towards his brother offering it to him. “We’ve got this under control now, one magically inclined bimbo and her traveling zoo aren’t a match for two of the Belrose siblings right?” Cyrus sighed, “A few setbacks still would have seen you capture her, and her entourage with how many of our forces you’re committing to this.” The taller brother shook his head, “I wouldn’t mind sticking around to assist, but father only sent me to inform you that he won’t be sending anymore reinforcements this way. He seems adamant that the assassin isn’t here, and he wanted the girl brought before him so she can be drawn and quartered. He believes that they’ve headed east, so that’s where I’m being sent. The messages to Kansei, and Hecatia have been sent, and they confirmed they too would be sending reinforcements, but unless Miss Celea can somehow weather you for far longer than she already has, you won’t be seeing them.” Cyrus then tilted his head, “What I can do is lend you my forces. I’ll be leading the forces heading east, so I’ll hardly need my own. Cutting off all of her support should let you finish them off. Father won’t mind even if this truly does turn up nothing. The Celea Family has proven to be a frustrating associate, and if the head truly was involved in the assassination attempt hardly matters at this point… that is why you’re so keen on this, right?” Well that was a bit of a disappointment, but there wasn’t much else Jalen could’ve asked for. The idea that Kansei and Hecatia were mobilizing would be welcome news to anyone else, but Jalen’s pride was already taking a beating to the point where he was already asking his brother for handouts. “Bah, I’m not putting my faith in a bunch of outsiders to take care of this anyway. After all, we ponied up fifty grand to have the Underground bring Syndra back to us and she’s still not here is she? No, no I’ll handle this with whatever troops you’ve got to spare. You are right though, this is more than just a little personal for me. So you’re heading eastward then? Hmm.. I couldn’t see the assassin hanging around near the capital, not after everything that happened? Then again I couldn’t imagine anyone actually being dense enough to try offing our old man in the first place, so what do I know? Well then I’ll take your troops, initiate our little siege, and send you on your way. After all, we can't keep you here that long, especially with such an important and dignified task on your hands. I’ll get underway myself, good hunting Cyrus!” Jalen said while saluting towards his brother. He knew now he was rapidly running out of time to get his mark, and if a foreign army had to clean this up he knew he’d never live it down. “I wouldn’t put much faith in them either. I hear, at least on the Hecatia side of things, that they are sending the Amaryllis. Amongst their best, but… many of the unclean are a part of it. Explaining that to our person would be… difficult, so let’s hope that their assistance never becomes necessary.” Cyrus frowned at the mention of the underground, and their failure to capture Syndra. They hadn’t been his first option–he thought it would have been simpler if they handled it themselves, but Nicolas’s need for building alliances seemed to have won out. “I suppose things regarding sister will fall to us eventually. We know that she’s still within Islexia, so our chances will come–I wouldn’t be surprised if Father himself decided to enter the fray, and if that happened, there is very little on the continent that would stop us from returning her home. She knows that, so she’ll do her best not to cross us. Before that, we have to regain control of Islexia; finish things with your old flame, and then bring your forces east–we’ve reason to believe that the assassin will break towards the old capital, towards the coasts.” Cyrus turned, and began walking out of the tent. “Don’t mess up, brother. We may be closer to changing the paradigm than you realize. We just all need to be here to see it.” Cyrus paused, and then turned, “Right, I almost forgot. With regards to that did you handle it? A stroke of luck for you that they coincided.” “That? Sure I handled it. Honestly I’m surprised they thought they could sneak through our home like that, even with help from the Celeas. Our little friends don’t need to worry about them anymore. We just need to tie up the loose end.” Jalen thought about the idea of their father actually taking the field to drag their sister back. As amusing as the idea of watching her sister being dragged by her hair out in front of him was, he wasn’t sure it was the smartest idea. “Are you sure he would? Isn’t the whole idea to prop up the idea of a strong, united Islexia? The hell are people supposed to believe in that if the head honchos aren’t even united as one? Bah, I guess that’s not important to think about right now, not with the assassin still on the loose. I’ll take care of my shit here then I’ll go to Old Asqua and back you up, least I can do for everything you’re giving to me for this mission.” Cyrus shrugged, “It’s not as if people aren’t aware that Syndra abandoned her post here in Islexia. She returns now as our country is in turmoil? I wouldn’t be surprised if we eventually labeled her, and her group as party to the attempt. However, you are right, there are more important matters before us, which means that I should depart. We’ll see what our ‘little friends’ do in the meantime, from the sound of things, they’ve been quite animated over whatever had happened in Hecatia. No concern of ours, of course. Be safe, brother. I don’t even have to warn you to not kill the Celea woman–I think you have other plans for her, but convincing father will be the difficult part.” He smirked, and then turned to leave the tent. Once outside, he looked up at the evening sky and turned northeast. “Hmph… I wonder how Kazran fares with his conquest of the Eslcas corridor?” “Pff, if she was so willing to leave in the first place, then I doubt that she’ll care or be surprised if we did do that to her. Don’t worry, I don’t plan on killing her Cyrus.” Although, accidents do happen, especially if one of these glory-hounds were to get a bit overzealous in their duty… Jalen got up and stretched a bit, now that he was done dealing with his brother. Seriously though, all these years and Cyrus is still all business all the time, I’ve seen corpses less stiff then that guy. If Syndra turns out to be a thorn in our side then we take care of her like anyone else, Father might not be too happy about the idea, but fuck it, not like she’s in line with what we’re after in terms of Islexia’s future anyway. Especially with how she treats that pet of hers. Jalen thought back to how Syndra had upstaged him by taking his prize wolfgirl that he worked so hard to catch away from him, and even got her to listen properly. Being friends with these impure bastards, what a joke. Well, I’ll make sure to get the last laugh with regards to the two of them one of these days. Jalen then left his tent and headed over to the troops that were assembled. “Alright boys, get yourselves fighting fit. We’re heading out to Sinian, and we’re not leaving there until we have Pashmina Celea in our custody. I don’t give a fuck what you have to do to make that happen, just make sure that it happens! Understood?!” “Yessir!” “Good. Let’s move out then.” Time to pay you back for all the embarrassment you’ve caused me Pashmina… Edited July 29 by Mercenary on the Winds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercenary on the Winds Posted July 29 Author Share Posted July 29 June 17th, 1218 PAF Location: Northern Boundary (Hecatian Channel) Minutes from Eslcas Time: 7PM Smooth sailing. Aside from the winds fighting the Maelstrom on it's triumphant return voyage to Eslcas, the Tigers met no resistance as they approached the port of the walled city. By the time victory had been assured almost two days ago now, no one had the energy to make the return voyage. Lati, and her forces provided a place to stay for the night, and come morning, with as much of the logistics planned as the Warlords could muster, the Maelstrom departed for Eslcas. Kieran was starting to find himself impressed with the Tiger's ability to head off somewhere that would kill men and women for so much daring to speak its name, and returning, not only with everyone alive, but somehow with more people. There was the pink woman, dressed in a suit coat, and not much below that, and then--assuming he heard correctly--a daughter of the Kastille family. As far as he had known, the Kastilles had been all but destroyed by Kazran and his forces. Though, with what he knew of Kazran, one look at her told him quite a bit about why Kazran might have spared her. The rest of them seemed to have only returned stronger. He couldn't quite place it. The Tigers were entirely different from the corp he had been a part of. It's almost infuriating to know that there are groups this strong... I guess that's more reason to figure out what Glacies is about. Kieran looked up, and then grinned, "Look alive, everyone, port's just ahead! Looks like the Maelstrom's voyage is coming to an end..." It felt so weird to say. He fully expected everything to come crashing down in the ending moments, but... the Tigers really just weren't going to be stopped by anything. Even that blast of magic that he was right to believe signified the end of the battle, had come from the sheep that they'd acquired right before departing. If one of them could do that, it was a wonder what the rest of them could do. "Hold us steady, Aegean. I'll go and start getting the ship ready to land." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanami Touko Posted July 30 Share Posted July 30 (edited) Versaris sat near the stern of their vessel, idly wiping down the sword he'd purchased a while ago. The magic one had suffered no blemishes, but it was losing its charge. Only time would tell how long it would last before it turned into a dull piece of metal, no matter than any other iron... The one interlaced with silver had been handled a bit roughly this day, but it had been necessary in removing Kazran. Removing him. Fully... He turned the blade and stared at himself in its reflection, seeing the stains that were on it the day before. "... No. This time... this time you did good." Normally, he'd chastise himself. Wasn't fast enough, wasn't strong enough, didn't do enough, took lives that didn't have to be taken... No. He'd done everything in his power, directly contributed to the end of that warlord, and none of the people they fought-- that didn't change sides mid combat-- deserved any less... He found himself smiling. "One step closer, Jeremiah. Don't get too far ahead of me... I'll be there. Just you wait." For the first time in quite a while, the distance between him and his teacher shrunk ever so much. He picked himself up and spotted someone he'd made little time for, a mistake on his part. "Natalya, I hope the trip has been finding you well." The tiger was, of course, near the bow of the ship, overseeing its progress across the water. "I must say... pardon me if this is overstepping, but... When we first met, I thought, 'wow, quite the veteran, but time's caught up to her; these fresh faces will surpass her in no time'... Yet, here you are, providing not just helpful, but essential backup in the slaying of one of Islexia's most infamous warlords. That... was a very long winded way of saying, my first impressions were quite off, I apologize, and I'm very, very happy that you're both here, and the leader of this fine group. You are an inspiration, and I don't say that lightly..." Talulah had spent some time after the battle stabbing her sword into the fallen and allowing it to reap what it could from them. There had been too much going on to take the charge against so many leaving Yscavelne hungry and wanting. The corpses quieted the blade, but did little to truly sate it... She would have to find something to kill once the ship arrived at port. To that end... Her only contact had been Lati, leaving her quite the loner in this state of affairs. The other elf that she'd fought alongside, the one with the silver hair, he was speaking to a woman at the bow of the ship... She put aside her worries over the sword for a moment and approached. "My apologies for not introducing myself sooner." She cut into their talks quite swiftly, knowing such trepidatious introductions would slow things. "My name is Talulah... Through happenstance, I found myself in the company of Lati, on her way to deal with her family issue. Having helped solve that, I am... once again, aimless. Would you be against my following your party for a time? I relish a good fight, and your group seems to get its nose stuck in serious trouble." "Er... Hello, there. Talulah." Versaris hadn't expected her to join them, giving her a curious smile. "Well, commander? Shall we indulge such a request? The Tigers seem to be growing in size quite readily..." The elf had been at the lead of most of their fighting in the castle, holding her own against Kazran's strongest, with equal grace and deadly precision... Such a curious style of fighting, but... I feel as though I've seen it before...? Maybe I'm, thinking about this too hard... ... ... ... Still. It couldn't hurt to ask. After. Alvira had been rolling a ball of magic in her claws the entire boat trip. It was beginning to get exhausting, but she didn't care... She'd forced an orb of fire out of her body, concentrating on keeping it present, feeling it, keeping that connection to her flame open. The more she stressed it, the easier it got; fragment by fragment that seal the ice witch had placed on her was being forced open. Not much longer now, Mercuria... You'd better be ready for what I have in store for you. I can't wait to hear the anguish in your voice when I wake Fomalhaut. Curse you and your name until it leaves the minds of all forever... Finally, she snuffed the flame, taking a heavy breath. Roxanne had been exhausted since they'd left on their return voyage, Alvira discovering that the sheep had been the source of that magical blast. She was sat port side, not at her best, but not as dreadful as she had been previously. "Roxanne! You holding up okay? ... Don't think too hard about my own lack of magic. Ahah... I'm messing around with things that are best, left unmessed with, but... I can't help myself, y'know? Stupid witch took away my fire and... Getting some of it back, piece by piece, makes me wanna push myself even more. Like you, right? That huge explosion... You, uh..." Alvira knelt down next to her, trying to find her eyes. "You wanna tell me what that was all about? These losers weren't holding up a candle to you... What happened?" M sat alone, buried in some shadowed corner of the boat's stern, next to a barrel and a tarp she was under to hide her from the sun's rays. She hadn't slept. She hadn't done much at all. As soon as the fight finished and the adrenaline wore off, the weight of everything returned, and coming back to the ship to see Istavion dead... Something inside of her broke, tired eyes staring off at nothing. "... My fault..." She wouldn't dare ask for forgiveness. She couldn't even look Roxanne in the eyes... Kika was alive. That was it. Her, Roxanne, and Kika... Everyone else... She flinched thinking about it as one of the sun's rays crossed her face, turning her head away from it and wincing. "Set, already..." Her hand was idly fiddling with her revolver, the exhaustion yet to hamper her ability to spin it around her fingers. "I should be dead," she muttered, "dead with them... I was planning on it... But if you're alive..." Roxanne had given her one final sliver of hope, the only reason to keep going. "Be okay... Be well, healthy, alive... please..." Likewise, Sylmaria simmered in anguish, leaning against the starboard railing, staring out at the ocean as the sun's rays reflected off of it. Eyes drooped down to the claw she held out... Black scales, deep red skin on her palms. Nails sharp enough to scratch and pierce... The sensation of magic that emanated from within. There were no two ways about it. She was alive, and she was a beast, the ones she'd been taught deserved to die. Deserved to wallow. Deserved nothing but slaughter... Those 'beasts' had won, defeating Kazran, saving her and Giovanna, and giving the people of Eastern Islexia... hope. It was... wrong. It had to be wrong, didn't it? "How can... how can something meant to be so horrid, instill such... hahhh..." She'd given up trying to make sense of it. Giovanna had told her it was fine. She always did. She always had... And even if it was just to hurt Kazran, just to get back at Kazran... she'd turned on her fellow Islexians all the same. Spouted threats and curses. Shot her magic at them. Killed them... "Then I'm... part of all of this. I am a beast, but I... I helped. So many people. I did 'right'. I just..." Her claw curled and that closed fist weakly slammed the railing, no more words following. Amera had been unable to keep still on the boat, rushing around every part of it the entire trip. Several times Seila had gotten her to sit still for a time, pet her, brushed her hair some, but inevitably, she was up and running, finally bumping into Ember, quite literally. "Hey! Hey, you should've seen me out there. Like this, hoo, hwah, sh, sh--" the flurry of mock punches collided with the dog woman's abs, Amera making swift shifts around her like she was weaving between blows. "It was crazy... So many people were really, following Kazran like that. So aimlessly, just because he was strong! I mean, I never got to see the guy fight, but I did see what was left of him... huge fella. Big axe. Everyone looked so tired... Gotta say though, what surprised me the most? You, running in to check on us~ When'd you get that soft side, eh?" Since returning to the ship, everything regarding the burst of magic had been explained, so fears regarding it had been quelled, but, still... "Was nice to see you so worried... I mean, I always knew you cared, but seeing it, mroww, very fun, very fun~" At some point, someone had thrust a suit coat at her, Krystal finally thankful to not be breasting boobily about the group anymore. It wasn't like she hated the attention, she just hated that it was Kazran's idea... She'd hit the town once they reached Eslcas and find a fitting, plenty revealing outfit of her own taste. Still black-- he at least got that right, but a bikini? Gawds, the man had as much taste in clothing as he had brains. 'More skin good durrhurr' pbbbbbbbtttt, what a MORON. She rolled her eyes, then smiled, happily leaning against Dwight, who was likely panicking out of his mind. "Dwiiiiiight, aren't you happy~? You survived! Like I said you would... And so did so many others. I told you we weren't there to play eradication on everyone. Kazran had to go. He went. Fight stops! Simple as that... And I know you're probably not the happiest to be on a boat filled with ~monsters~, but... Think about it this way." She latched onto his arm and leaned in real close, staring out at all the groups across the Maelstrom. "Look at how beautiful all these beast women are... Ample everywhere it matters, supple, and what's in the way? A horn here or there? Some scales? That just enhances everything... Makes them more exotic. Like, Sylmaria, those claws? Just imagine it's someone wearing long gloves in bed... The cat girl? Those fluffy ears? ImAGine the noises she must make if you pet those in the middle of things... You've just gotta expand your horizons. Like you did, with, me~" Having sated her hunger, to a point, Kise was curled up on her tails in the crow's nest, playing pointless lookout for the ship, and catching the finals rays of the sun's dying moments. "Hahhhh... Mmmn, I didn't think Islexian would taste so terrible... Maybe they're better fresh~ Hopefully I'll get to find out, honestly... These prideful little mercenaries, not even asking me to join them to deal with Kazran. Imagine how easy I would've made things, khhihihihihi~" She giggled to herself, flopping back and rolling over a bit... Her smile slowly faded, as her tails shuffled ever so slightly beneath her. "Mmnnn... Something had felt... wrong. Ever since that bastard stole from me... No matter, at the moment, but I cannot shake the feeling. I'll have to make sure I teach him he did wrong the next time we meet. Pry out his teeth and feed them to him while he still draws breath? Or tear out the heart... I wouldn't get to enjoy his suffering as much on the latter, but... The shock on their faces when they see their own heart, kihhhhahahahahah~!!" Kise giggled furiously, delighted in her own thoughts of torture. "Ahhhh... I have so much energy. I need to let it out... I need a victim. More Islexians, please... Attack us~ Give me something to kill~ Mikon... It's been so boring, just waiting for Gean and Renais to return... Now Gean's captaining the ship, and Renais..." Her stare grew sour once again, frowning deeply for a moment. "What did I do...? She's... been so afraid of me. Ever since my bout with Jeremiah... He lived, didn't he? He even hurt me plenty... Maybe, m-maybe I'm overthinking things, and she's just... Just been nervous because of the assault on Kazran. Yes! That must be it. It's not me... I'm the goodest girl there is~ Mikon, it's impossible that she's afraid of me! Me~!? That just couldn't be... Hahhhn, okay... Mmmn, I should crawl down and see her soon... Konkon...~" Edited July 30 by Nanami Touko Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldsbroTSG Posted July 30 Share Posted July 30 (edited) Miria, for what felt like was the first time since leaving the boat to fight, walked out from inside the boat, and embraced the sky and the ocean. She had been almost entirely bedridden since they returned. Whatever that thing was she did, it took a lot out of her. But it gave her time to think on it. There would be time to try it again, but on a boat, probably the not the best time to try. One wrong move and she's setting a whole boat on fire. At least, that's what she assumed would happen. The cub rubbed her eyes as she got used to the sunlight. She was still feeling a bit sluggish, but, she was fully functional again. Taking a walk around the boat, she was giving herself a bit to pace around and let the blood flow, and see what who was around. Some people were already having conversations, some were at work, but someone took Miria's attention. It was that dragon lady that had joined them before fighting Kazran. To Miria's understanding, she tried to attack Owen but, they were working together, now. From the way she was leaning, she seemed... unwell to the little cub. Starting to walk over, Miria dug through her pouch, and pulled out some of her trusty bread. She hoped that was enough to let the person know she was there. Leaning along the starboard herself, Miria handed the bread over to the dragon. "You hungry?" She simply asked, giving a warm smile. Edited July 30 by GoldsbroTSG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ether Posted July 30 Share Posted July 30 (edited) It had been an exceptionally long set of days, after the fall of Beacon Keep. It didn't help just how exhausted Roxanne’s display had left her, things had continued on despite her lack of energy. Firstly, upon regrouping with the ship, it had come to light that Istavion had succumbed to his wounds during the fighting. He had been left untreated for too long, and while it would have been unlikely to have made a difference due to the condition of their cell... Roxanne couldn't help but feel the pit of guilt in her stomach. If she had diverted, gone down the other hall after him and healed him, would that difference in time have changed his fate? When they had found out, something in M had snapped. Ever since that night, she had refused to meet Roxanne’s eyes, and the sheep had only caught any glimpse of her former Captain a few times at best. The weight of it all must have hit her anew. It was truly just M, Kika, and Roxanne herself remaining. To have to bear the guilt of making that choice... even just wondering if she could have saved Istavion alone was eating at her, Roxanne certainly had no envy for M. On top of having to come to terms with the new reality of her life, the consequences of saving the life of Miria had taken their toll on Roxanne. Even the morning afterwards she had been unable to cast her magic, and while the sharp burning had faded to a smolder, it wasn't until later in the afternoon that she had first been able to spark her magic once more. At least by the time they had come to the shores of Esclas, Roxanne had managed to confirm that all of her previous casting ability had returned, a dull ache in her circuits the constant reminder of her folly. She was lucky that was the worst of it, really. Having put her conduits away while they had been actively seafaring, Roxanne had satiated the need to ensure her magic was still flowing by igniting, dissipating, and reigniting a blade of light through her left bangle. It was during this exercise that she had been approached by Alvira, the dragon shooing away her flames as she came to chat, leaving Roxanne to do the same to her blade, looking up from her wrist to meet the dragon's gaze. "Ah, Alvira. I'm... about as well as can be expected. I've regained control over my magic, so things could have ended far worse. As for yours... never apologize for scholarly pursuits!" Roxanne waved her finger pointedly in Alvira's direction for a few moments, before releasing a light chuckle, her curls bouncing with the rhythm of her laugh. "I can hardly blame you. As soon as I felt my spark come back, I couldn't help but confirm what I could still cast. The life in pursuit of magic is full of boundaries pushed, limits tested... just, perhaps take it from me, and don't go at it with quite so much vigor." Roxanne clarified some, pausing for a moment as the question of the hour, the day, the trip came to bear. What happened? Roxanne’s nose crinkled as she took in a deep breath, releasing it before tackling that particular question. "It was all a blur, really. The sound of Kazran falling, the speech by... I believe Lati was her name? Several of Kazran's enduring forces made an attempt to burn down one of his treasures rooms and studies. Miria ran ahead to attempt to stop them, but it was only her, Koba, that Krystal woman and I present on our side. She was swiftly overpowered, nearly killed." Roxanne began, a grimace covering her face before she continued. "Aside from me, of the pirates, only M, Kika, and Istavion... survived the initial clash. And he didn't last the night... sad as it might seem with how little time I've known you all, I couldn't stand to watch one of the few people I've left perish in front of me. I just... willed forth every drop of magic my body could muster, none the wiser to the form it would take. That was it. An act of desperation... in solo combat I'm sure none of Kazran's men would have bested me, and I wanted nothing more than test the man himself and sunder his limbs from his body. But... seven, eight men at once, all while trying to prevent a coup-de-grace and protect those two at the same time?" Roxanne shook her head, the answer to such a query immediately obvious. Maybe, fought perfectly she might have scared them away were she alone with no one to protect, but with Miria near catatonic on the floor and two unarmoured companions at her back? There was no other option. "So I did the only thing I could do. Willed forth... some abomination of a spell. I don't even know what it was... perhaps had I witnessed it from an outside perspective I could have identified it, but... it did what I needed it to do. It reduced every last one of those men to less than ash, scorched and melted the very stone of the hallway. I couldn't even feel my magic until the sun had begun to lower in the sky the next day." Roxanne concluded, sparking her blade of light once more, as she had been before Alvira had approached. "But... it's still here. It came back... so it was worth it. Even if it hadn't... hah, perhaps I'd feel differently if it was truly lost, bitter beyond measure, but that has to be worth not needing to bury her." The sheep looked back up towards Alvira away from her light as she finished speaking, a slight blush adorning her face alongside a look of realization. "Ah, I'm prattling along again, aren't I? Awful habit... apologies, Alvira." Edited July 30 by Ether Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xinnidy Posted July 31 Share Posted July 31 (edited) The following day had been quite busy, ensuring that Lati would be offered a modicum of safety as the start of their diplomatic relationship was wise, but Owen still couldn't help but speculate the struggles that could happen in the future. Civil unrest would be the last thing we want blowing into something more right now. The other warlords might see that as an advantage, to grind us down from within with their spies... haah, becoming an united front will be a challenge. Some men have a price, or a cost, we'll be seeing cases like Kieran in the future, if I don't grant them safety from these elements... The feeling in his gut remained, an anxiety that moved him to keep his guard... for what little it served during a ship ride. "Haaah..." He had been sitting down at a table on the lower decks, antsy and looking through the notebook he'd brought with him. "Sure, Kazran's allies were all convenience, but some of them have higher odds of interfering, I just need to think what they're going through..." Moments of silence followed, broken by a groan. "I've been in this space for too long, perhaps some fresh air." He made his way to the stairs, finding the upper deck surprisingly occupied. "Oh... we're close." That'd finally put his mind at peace, at least. "Good... T'is good to see land, after all." Spotting his sister, Owen bothered to approach first. Slowly, not intent to give her a scare. "Good to see our home well, huh? We finally brought that man down" He paused, "What do you think of Lati Serdio, sister? She made a convincing speech to me, but I'd appreciate the extra opinion." Giovanna enjoyed the wind on her face quietly, staring at Esclas' shore, thinking of the plan that would have her invading these lands. "Funny how it works out..." After the downfall of Kazran, her life had been extremely hectic. Thankfully, his heiress seemed to be a decent enough person to leave the land --must've been, if she was siding against Kazran in all of this. As for the Kastille family... there was little left to salvage. Some jurisdiction of the land was hers, but had always been managed by a stand-in of Kazran's to make her talents worthwhile as tactician and managerial assistant. She had little connection there, and without a family to support, dreaded the thought of facing the people of the land as a traitor vassal. The faces as she walked the streets were enough. My land, but hardly mine, really... She had loyalty in those under her, those that understood she was the glue holding Kazran's ambitious and hasty plans together, and those that preferred a boss that didn't pull rank. Giovanna had little time to think of it in the heat of battle, but she was truly thankful for her own vassals. Those who turned the tables with her, risked their lives against Kazran and his elite with her. They'll do fine enough there with Lati... Islexia never needed a Kastille, anyways. A good Serdio will be enough. Her smile was almost melancholic as she stared accross Eslcas' shore. Her plan were in motion. A more amiable stand-in would take her place, and Sylmaria would find a better place among these people. No need to find herself among those that despised her existence. And Giovanna Kastille the Kinslayer... would disappear, along with that dark chapter of Islexia. Üllr had enjoyed a copious meal as they embarked back, glad to have been given time to recover from his wound. It was always annoying that his body scarred easily, but the soreness had gone. Nothing lasting to worry about, and as such, he kept himself busy with simple exercises, something to keep his body from going complacent. The lower decks were just too stuffy and warm, too, so it was an excuse to stay up most of the day. "Eight... nine... ten, again..." Another set of crunches done, and he'd burned most of his food away. Feeling overstuffed was weird anyways. "Hah..." Another set, and he took a break. It was enough to work up a sweat, which was good for now. He was sure one of the Tigers would tell him to not overexert if he'd kept going so soon after recovering. Mmm, could spar Cin, maybe. Once we're out. Üllr hadn't connected much with the others in the Tigers, as he thought about it. He was content sitting in his corner because he'd been used to it for so long, but the longer he'd been under their service, the wronger it felt. Most of the Tigers were Clouded like him, he wasn't alone anymore. Üllr might've not been invested in the spat between Islexian humans, but there were Clouded here he helped too. "Mmmr..." There was a visage that bothered him, now that he thought about it. One of the Clouded that they brought back, a real weird one --not from her visage, but from her actions. All cooped up in a corner of the deck... she stuck out like a sore thumb, and whatever she was going through was clearly eating at her. "Uh... hey..." Üllr dared to approach M, but quickly hesitated, hearing her quiet mumbles. "Are you okay? You look... ill." "Ay ay ay... pour quoi... the wheels are denteeeeed... the strings are loose... I definitely overdid it, waaaah..." A distressed Chris slumped over the base of his moving platform, head sinking against the plate, ears drooped. "I'm sorry, my baby, I'll fix you right up when you get home. Mrraaah... it was those stairs. Always the stairs. I hate them. Who decided to make the secret underground floor have different levels? If I had a word with the architect..." Grumpy and pouty, Chris lifted his head again to look at the wear and tear. "Mmmm, a couple replacements, reshaping a rune, some hammering... maybe Bella has something that helps." Still, resources not withstanding, it was a fine showing. Underneath all the whining, Christopher was happy it had been helpful. "Those Belrose ballisticians didn't know what hit them~ hahaha... I bet they're all wondering how I managed... You better have mages on your side if you wanna figure out this baby. Pbbbbt..." As amusing as talking to himself was, Chris figured it was time to tone it down, before somebody actually thought he was crazy. "...Time to ready it for landing again." Edited July 31 by Xinnidy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanami Touko Posted July 31 Share Posted July 31 (edited) "Who--" Sylm flinched as she was approached, calming down slightly at the sight of... the woman with the golden armor. She hadn't asked her name, or remembered many names from the people she'd fought alongside with. "Sorry... I don't, remember who you are. I... suppose I wouldn't mind." She truly hadn't eaten anything the past day, quietly eating the bread and staring back out at the ocean, eyes searching deeply into nothing. "Why are you okay with us?" They finally turned back to Miria, standing straight and looking up at her, albeit barely. She quietly pouted about that. "What makes you okay with Monsters? We're different, beyond just our looks. The history, even if Islexia has perverted it to its whims, lends towards our races living apart. We've too many different needs. The scales of power between Monsters and Humans are so flawed. I could flick my wrist and kill you. You could swing a sword at me and wound me, at best... And I didn't even have to train myself to do that. It came to me, naturally. It's... wrong. Why are you so okay with us?" She felt like she was at some sort of turning point... If someone could give her a concrete answer, someone that didn't know her, someone that wasn't Islexian, someone that wasn't involved at all... Just here on coin for someone else's whims... "Please." Alvira couldn't help the frown on her face. Not over the people killed; she felt no shred of remorse for those men, even the few that had survived. Even if they'd pledged themselves to Lati, it was all the same. Following someone in charge that had force there way there, past everyone else, through might and murder. Such was the doctrine that Islexia seemed to run on, despite Owen's best attempts at playing leader in his own diplomatic way. No, she was frowning because it was someone else pushing their magic beyond the bounds of comfort. Beyond the bounds of it ever coming back... She sat down next to Roxanne and let out a hefty sigh, tail idly flapping against the wood of the boat. "I... used to be able to cast my fire completely. In Lufiria, there are many meteorological disturbances... We call them mana storms, and sometimes they help someone, sometimes they fuck them up. The one that hit me, fucked me up severely... It cut me off from my fire, and it pulled my very existence into contact with a being of ice that was so far beyond me... I tried and I tried to push towards my fire, fight against her... And it nearly killed me. I'm lucky to be here, right now. Lucky to be able to," she held up a claw, focused, and forced out a small flame, "even cast this much... I'm not blaming you for what you did, or who you killed. They deserved to die, fuck them getting a proper burial or some moralistic shit like that... Just. Be careful with magic. You're lucky too. Things failing could've been... permanent. And then what? There's no telling that casting something smaller wouldn't have saved Miria. We can't run on hindsight... Just... be careful. Even now, I'm fighting this damn spirit to get my powers back." She sat back and stared up at the sky. "Kazran didn't mean much to me. A small set back. I need to get to Lufiria and free my God, fix myself... Meet my aunt, see my siblings again. So maybe I couldn't feel the same way as you, who has been living under him, who lost so much... So... feel free to ignore me if I'm being insensitive or just, don't get it. Just don't wanna see a fellow mage burn themselves out..." At the end of things, Cass hadn't been able to lay a hand on Kazran, not for any reasons of weakness, just that by the time she'd arrived, he was already did. The Tigers worked quickly... Truly a force to be feared, not any average mercenary company. With the defeats of both Kazran and a sect of the Underground under their belts, it was likely that Nicolas would be hearing of them soon. He had spies everywhere, and word travelled quickly. "Mm? Ah, Owen. What do I think about Lati...?" Cass had missed her speech, rummaging through Kazran's offices, only showing up when things were said and done. "Mmm... I think if she was going to be the same as her father, she'd have shot one of us in the back while we were racing towards him... and she didn't show a hint of fear or disgust at the sight of me, or any of the other Clouded. If she's genuine, it's a good thing, but words are only worth so much. She helped kill her father, which is enough action to get me to trust her for now... We'll have to see how much of an ally she is going forward. If it ends up that we can trust her wholly... Then the eastern edge of Islexia will be fully united. Do you understand how wonderful that is, Owen?" Cass scoffed, leaning back against the ship's railing, her dress fluttering in the sea breeze. She'd changed out of her blue, wearing a spare white now, the blood having deeply stained her clothes and her. The water had cleansed her body, but her clothes would require much more work. "I never thought we'd see this in our lifetime... A whole section of Islexia, united against what is wrong in our country. It's... beautiful." Cass let out something of a whimper, actually crying, now that she was truly thinking about it. "There's so much work ahead of us," she forced out through the sudden onset of emotions, "but that we've managed this much, in such a short time... Make sure Natalya and her people get paid what they're due. They've done so much good... I don't know if it's even dawned on them, yet." "... Am I okay...?" M glanced up at Ullr, shaking her head. "No. I am not okay... I'm responsible for the death of my entire crew... Only one person survived. One. I'm happy you people killed Kazran... I'm very thankful that their deaths weren't in vain, and that he still died... But they could have lived. All I had to do was wait. Just a few more days. Just a few more... And Roxanne would've come back. Told me you all existed. We could've attacked them all. Together. But I couldn't... I thought my daughter was still in danger. I got so many trusted allies killed because I couldn't... wait just a few more days, and then. Roxanne tells me. That she was already saved. You all saved her... They died for nothing. Nothing..." Her eyes has gone back to staring a hole into the ship's deck, lost in her spiral. "If Jane wasn't still waiting for me, I'd have killed myself. I don't deserve to keep on living after this... Not for anyone's sake but hers. If she, still wants me to be her mother, then I will live, for that... If I have that much, then I will live on, and never forget any of them. Jacob. Fran. Istavion-- Ahkkkgnn..." She couldn't finish saying his name, burying her face into her arms and curling up against her knees as another bout of sobbing hit her, body trembling. "Saraya... Trevor, I'll never... Not one of you... Never, forget..." Quietly, in the shadows behind Giovanna, someone stalked, watching her movements, keeping an eye on her. Kazran's famous tactician, the last of the Kastille family, here, on their boat... Alone, unarmed, ripe for the picking... but truly, heavily saddened by something. Clearly not Kazran's death, else she'd likely be locked up or already dead. Marigold sighed and slipped out of the shadows, leaning next to her, staring up at her. "Hey. Sup. What's eating at you, Kastille?" She raised an eyebrow, giving Giovanna her best bored stare. "You're the one that sad dragon was so damn desperate to live for and rescue... And here you are. I guess she got her wish, and with Kazran dead, you both have your freedom... So what's eating at you? Someone you like die during it all? Just going through the motions? I don't mind listening. This unlife of mine's gotta be good for something~" Edited July 31 by Nanami Touko Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldsbroTSG Posted July 31 Share Posted July 31 Miria started with a smile at the initial comment, it was okay that Sylm hadn't remembered her name. There's a lot of people rolling around now, it didn't surprise her, "Well, the name's Miria~" She gave a small thumbs-up, easily unbothered by the idea. She watched as the dragon ate at the bread, then suddenly followed along with a question. "Wh--" The cub paused, as she continued to explain the question to her. From their differences in abilities, to even the history of humans and monsters, why was Miria okay with them? It was confusing at first, as to her, not being an awful, racist person was normal, but... Sylmaria clearly wanted more than just Miria answering, 'because I'm not awful'. Sylm would immediately noticed Miria's eyes shift, and had gone into a thinking mode. Then, a few fingers pressed on the girl's forehead. "I... uhh, one moment, mmm..." There were some obvious reasons; her dad immediately coming to mind, but... She's been around so many clouded and monsters, and at times she had felt dwarfed in comparison. Despite her own abilities, there are times where the cub truly was only a cub. Did that make Miria jealous? Or... disappointed in her limitations? Maybe not jealous, but, the cub most of the time never really thought about stuff like that, at least in a negative way. For her, she thought about how much it inspired her. "Well..." Miria leaned against the bow, taking her turn to stare at the ocean. "At least for me, it started with how I was raised. My dad's a clouded, and he was nice to me when he was around, so... I guess that built up my perception on it. And I guess from the idea about, us being so different, I just... try to think about the good parts of it. Like, if you're that strong, I guess, I'd rather be more happy that you're strong enough to protect yourself, as opposed to me being easily dying to it. And, if you really want to zap me to dust, well, you would've?" Her fingers still pressed to her forehead moved to her chin. "I can't imagine how Islexia treated monsters, clouded... It's just not in me to hate like that. In fact, like, I just think it's cool. There's so many people with traits I don't have. Tails, scales, different ears, fur, and that extends even to the crazy things those people can do compared to me. Even if some of those things are physically impossible for me, it gets me inspired. To excel in the things I can be just as skilled in. Like, um..." Miria bounced back a bit from Sylm, and got into a prepared stance. "You might want to cover your eyes for a second," After waiting, Miria focused, and summoned her armor. She felt that warmth still there. Not the burning from when that new form 'burned' off. "I think since being one of the Tigers, I've really gotten the hang of this armor I have. I've even gotten to tap into more of what it can do, and like, I wouldn't have without having all these unique people around me also improving and getting stronger." She focused a bit, and her armor wore off. After, she returned to her spot on the boat. "I guess though, that could be done with a whole group of humans, or of clouded, or monsters, and so on..." The cub sighed, "I'm sorry, I don't know if that really answered your question as well as you'd like. I just... I see people. I like meeting new people, making friends, and... I don't like making enemies." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ether Posted July 31 Share Posted July 31 "A mana storm, huh? Yeah, that would do it. They can have all sorts of effects on magic... oh!" Roxanne had been about to go on without even acknowledging the fact that might make all of these talks easier, nearly lost in the allure of magical theory once again. "Right, you wouldn't know. I'm from Ulara... mana storms are no stranger unfortunately... they're constantly whipping up inside the sands and wreaking havoc when folk got caught in them. The whole reason I need these conduits to cast properly is because I grew up with the local mana being so... off. Which is all to say... I understand. I don't know anything about this being of Ice you mentioned, but when a mana storm is involved, especially a severe one... I can't fathom an outcome I'd be surprised by." Roxanne added, reflecting back on the battle for a few moments, her face scrunching in thought. She had meant to bring this up to the evokers, but... it could at least wait until she had addressed the rest of what Alvira had said. "You're right, of course. If I had put less of my magic to bear, perhaps I could have still fought them off... but then, perhaps it was only because it was all I could muster that a spell I didn't even know I could call forth manifested. There's no way to know what ifs... I can only be grateful that it worked, and that my casting survived the attempt. I will need to ask Tio and Elisa to take a look at my magic circuits if they will humour me. While I can cast, and the pain is mostly gone, I still feel a dull ache through them whenever I cast magic." Roxanne held out her arm, open and closing her palm as she sparked her blade, the faintest hint of tension beneath her skin as her body naturally reacted to the stimulus. "Kazran should have been a footnote for me too. We raided him, because his sort deserve to rot. It went poorly... Captain M's daughter, Jane, was taken and sold to the Underground. We didn’t know that last bit of course... we just had to get her back. No kid deserves to be put through that sort of hell. But M's patience ran out before we regrouped, out of worry for her. So they went in without me. Without the army I had managed to find. And they were slaughtered to nearly the last man. I have no regrets for any of the men I ended that night... just that it came to needing push that hard at all. I have no intent on burning myself out, given any choice. I know I got lucky, this time." Roxanne shook her head, setting her arm to rest on her thigh, taking a break from maintaining her magic. It had returned, it wasn't just going to fade now. If it was gone it would have been gone. Looking up at Alvira with a pensive visage as she considered just how to bring up the next point. "What you said reminds me... connected to a higher power, huh? I... heard a voice, during the seige. No one was speaking to me, physically, but I could hear it in my head. She offered to teach me the secrets of Anima magic if I freed her, said she was trapped to the West, named Miz'Githon. I was going to ask the Evokers about it alongside taking a look at my circuits, but it sounds like your experience isn't entirely dissimilar... aside from yours seeming far more antagonistic. What... do you think? I have no means to look for any wayward trapped mages, but... mmm, it's odd." The sheep finally settled upon, watching Alvira’s expression with a keen interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xinnidy Posted August 1 Share Posted August 1 "Hmm... yeah, I felt much the same, she wouldn't stay at our side so long if she didn't meant it." Owen heard much the same opinion he held from Cassandra, which was reassuring. "And exactly, having the east united would be incredible for the future. I can only worry what Nicolas will think about that... but that will have to be a concern for another day." Watching the ship slowly approach the shore, he managed a soft smile. "We've made the first step, no point worrying about the ball we started rolling." Seeing the tears his sister tried holding back, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, a firm grip steadying her. "Yeah, we'll make a difference. We'll make an Islexia for all of us, Nicolas be damned." "Ah..." Üllr was expecting something sickness related, but this made just as much sense... Guilt. A lot of guilt. He gulped. "Mmm..." This monster had gone through a lot on her own, things he couldn't fully understand. To have the weight of another's life in your decisions was something far what he understood... it was a new dreadful feeling, trying to understand it. His grandfather didn't die due to his own decisions... but would he have had to run from his previous life if it wasn't for Üllr...? No, he was sidetracked, this woman was hurting, and she was the most pressing matter here."Uh... if we saved your daughter, then she is there, waiting for you." He eyed towards the land. "There at the castle of the guy with the fancy pants." He paused, still awkward about it. "I don't know what you went through... but you still need to take care of her, yeah? I think seeing you like this will make her sad... Your men that died... They, hmm..." Üllr wasn't good with words at all, he didn't know how to not be blunt. Maybe that's what this woman needed, but still... "I think they also would be upset if you made her sad. They fought and died for her." "Wh--" Giovanna jumped a little as Marigold sneaked beside her. A presence she just couldn't feel like that was far from reassuring. "Goodness, what are you? I couldn't tell you were approaching at all... I assume you're from Eslcas, since you know my last name." She sighed... so much about Monsters she didn't know. Some were far more grounded, like she expected, having an understanding from Krystal that most of them were about as differents as she was. Some on the other hand... she really was impressed at how different they could be. "Well... might I have your name? It's kind of weird to speak my story to a person I can't even address." "Hah..." Giovanna sighed, a silent chuckle. "You'd think it's reason to celebrate, yeah... I dealt the killing blow. I turned on him and ruined his plan. Me. The one who spent all those years afraid of the day he wouldn't have an use for me or Sylmaria anymore, and felt like my land, my title, all my livelyhood was in this stifling chokehold..." She had to pause, take a deep breath. "Hahahaha..." Her head lowered, shaking from side to side. "I killed him. I did... I've done it... and still..." Giovanna had to slow down, grabbing on the wood tightly. "Could I have done it earlier? Probably not, it never seemed possible, but I still find myself... pathetic. Sullied. I can't stand myself. I can't stand being here. I was expecting to die with Kazran's axe blade running through my torso. I was embracing the idea. I'm alive..." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluemask 96 Posted August 1 Share Posted August 1 Gean let out a long yawn. Despite the battle with Kazran over and everyone taking a chance to rest at Castle Serido, captaining the ship meant a lot of early mornings and late nights at the helm. If there was anything she needed at this moment, it was a nice bed and some deep sleep. Well now there's one less roadblock between me and Lufiria. I'm making progress. As Gean thought with pride on how much progress the group was making, Kieran announced they were close to their destination. It was odd, she hadn’t fully forgiven Kieran for his part in The Underground's attack, but his... more optimistic tone warmed Gean. "I guess some things can change after all." Now that Gean grasped that they were back at Eslcas, her heart found her way to her girlfriends. The biggest downside to being captain was that she couldn't spend almost anytime with them, and it left her longing. "Kiiiiissseee, are you around? Renaaaais...." Gean called out across the ship, not sure if the kitsune or healer could hear her, but hoping they did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanami Touko Posted August 1 Share Posted August 1 (edited) Sylmaria had seen her in the armor during the battle, but it was still shocking to see it suddenly form around her like that, the dragon left shaking her head. "... Cool, huh..." She stared down at her claw again, eyes tracing her arm where the black scales gradually faded into the rest of her arm, black leading a trail towards her pale skin. "I think... I don't know. I just don't know, but... Thank you. For being open and honest with me, Miria. I think... just one day ago, I would've found any excuse to rebuke you. You were raised by Clouded, you're not from here, you aren't thinking clearly... Any, number of excuses. Now... Now, I just don't know. I'm... too afraid to go back to how I used to think, but not strong enough to accept that I'm... 'okay'." She clenched her fist and leaned back onto the railing, continuing her stare off into nothing. "Nothing's ever simple..." That was... A lot. "Put, the voice aside for a second. You're from Ulara?" This was great! Probably. "Crazy question, but, if we ever meet any of the Lufirian royalty, could you vouch for me? I really... I need to get into the Lufirian archives in Ametrine, not for anything nefarious, just... It's the God stuff. When we get a proper moment to sit down, I'll do my best to explain everything. That, addressed... A voice?" Most people were likely to have written Roxanne off, but Alvira was well versed in hearing voiced. I don't think I should be proud of that. "My stuff with... her name is Mercuria," Alvira bit the name out with the least respect, "started as voices in my head. I was, praying to my God. Fomalhaut. I always do... A lot of fire dragons do, but... He spoke back to me, one night. And most people would've-- and did, call me crazy, but then... Another, deity, attacked me. And took away my fire for a time." She nursed the small ball in her claw, holding it close. "So lemme tell you, I believe you, completely. This, Miz, did she say anything else?" The situation with Jane and M was... nothing that could've been solved in time. Hindsight had perfect vision, and it was a terrible string of coincidences, but... At the very least, M had survived, Roxanne had gotten her revenge, their people didn't die for nothing. They shouldn't have died, but at least their lives went towards putting Kazran into the ground, permanently. All's not well, but it ended... well, or, something... I'm bad with these things, I shouldn't say anything. "I think the most important part is that you shouldn't trust them at their word. If they speak to you again, try and get more out of them. Anything else. Information, why they chose you, things like that... Mercuria seemed innocent for a moment, but then she slapped me in the magic because I dared to defy her. Cunt. So whoever this Miz is, don't trust her just because she sounds nice, or, whatever." "And why shouldn't you trust me, Roxanne?" The voice sounded in the sheep's head again, a smile easily heard on her words. "I told you what I would reward you with and I meant every word... So, perhaps not too much at your leisure, find me and release me. The wonders of anima magic will be yours~ Fully, and wholly..." Kise's ears perked up, hearing Gean's voice... She groaned, slowly peeling herself off of her tail and peering out over the crow's nest. "Hmmmm... You come up here if you want me so badly!" She was tired of kowtowing to the wants of the other two, huffing and flopping back onto her tail. "I don't care if you're captaining the ship, I'm staying right here!" Cass didn't say anything else, simply leaning into Owen and smiling. Whatever the future brought, they had done this much. It was a bright day in Eastern Islexia, and hopefully it only meant good things going forward... M slowly nodded. This wolf boy was right, wasn't he? "They... They wouldn't want to see Jane sad. Fel. Daniel... Howard. Hah... Haha..." Slowly, almost mechanically, M pulled herself out from her hiding spot under the tarp, staring off at nothing, but slowly standing and holding herself. Better than wallowing in a quiet corner... Fake it. Fake it until it kills you inside. Jane will be upset. Jane won't understand, but when she gets older, she will, and she'll be even more upset... and you'll face it. For her. For them. For everyone that followed you into that damn keep on a fruitless quest to get her back. They all did this for her. So don't you dare, ruin this day for her, Evelyn. Don't you dare. She slowly nodded, her body finally relaxing enough to stand there without looking like a rigid post, eyes then addressing Ullr. "Thank you. You... are right. Correct, accurate, true... I can't face her with a smile. Maybe that will change when I see her... but I cannot face her in tears. Not sad ones. I have to... I have to be there for her when we land. I have to. I have to." It was almost like a mantra;a lie she needed to feed herself until she believed it. "I have to..." "Shiiiiiiiiit I'm talking to a kingslayer... That's crazy. How did it feel? When you took that shit stain's life with your own hands?" Marigold figured she knew from how Giovanna was acting, but it felt prudent to ask anyway, make her think about it. It was definitely something only a handful of Islexians could possibly claim. Warlord slayer... "Name's Marigold... I've been working for Owen for a while, now. Managed to find the Tigers and bring them in on this, so I guess you could say I saved the day~" She smiled smugly, turning around and leaning her elbows onto the railing instead. "You are in fact alive. And you know why?" She pointed past Giovanna towards the dragon in white, shaking her head. "She walked into Eslcas like it was just another day. Stood around. No one questioned her because she's a monster... And then she almost killed Owen. Held her hand up and everything... Was ready to blast him with whatever magic she had at her disposal... and she crumpled. She cried. She demanded we kill her, and when we didn't, she demanded we kill Kazran to save you. So... No matter what you do with your granted life, Ms. Kastille, make sure you don't throw it away. Sylmaria gave her everything to see that you would live..." Edited August 1 by Nanami Touko Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy12510 Posted August 1 Share Posted August 1 Syndra walked out onto the deck of the ship as the Tigers and company were sailing back to Esclas. She felt something in her that she hadn't for a while. Pride in what she had helped accomplished. It was a full group effort in striking down Kazran, and in the moment, it was a time to celebrate. If Lati was as honest about her desire to truly change Eastern Islexia as she appeared to be from her speech, then it would finally be the step in the right direction Islexia needed. The problem being Syndra's family would do everything to snuff out such sparks of hope, but even then it would still take time for them to get moving. Syndra then made her way over to where the Gaffney's were standing, she meant to talk with them back when Kazran was defeated, but the incident with Miria and Roxanne diverted her attention. Now that they were recovering, Syndra could properly ask the Gaffney's how the felt about the matter. "Well, I suppose congratulations are in order Lord Owen; Lady Cassandra. It's a great thing that you've been able to accomplish, and hopefully its the start of brighter days ahead for our nation. Although I'd be remiss to ignore the storm that's going to come your way as a result of it. We all know my father isn't going to take the death of his friend and sudden rise of Lati Serdio lying down. He'll retaliate somehow, but you're already aware of that." Syndra then gazed off in the distance towards the shore. "I wish I could do more to help when that time comes, but there's always the chance I'm still bound to the Iron Tigers when that happens. Although if you asked her I'm sure Natalya would be willing to lend you our blades again when the time comes, and even in the event she can't, I'll still find a way to help you. After all, I'm well accustomed to having to clean up a mess my family has made." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ether Posted August 1 Share Posted August 1 "Vouch for you? Not that I'm opposed but... I'm just the daughter of a border guard... I don't think my endorsement would amount to much, especially not in Ametrine. If you think it would help though..." Roxanne offered, wondering what might have spurred on such a peculiar request. Alvira did elaborate on that somewhat, with a promise to explain further at a better time. Her god, and the other god... goddess? That had been the source of her woes, and whatever Alvira needed in the Lufirian capital was linked to these gods. Fomalhaut and Mercuria... neither was Roxanne’s mental interloper unless she had crafted an alias. "That was all she said. That she was trapped to the West, and that she would teach me the secrets of Anima magic if I freed he-" Roxanne began to answer, although as if like clockwork, the voice in her head rang anew, certainly worth an updated answer. As Roxanne’s head instinctively turned to the West, her expression grew pensive. That could be... troubling. "You can hear us? Are you... some sort of god as well? Where to the West are you, practically everything on the continent is West from here? Not that Anima magic isn't of interest, but why me? Surely a mage of that school would make a more natural first choice...?" Roxanne asked in response to the return of Miz'Githon. While Alvira would likely be confused for a few moments, hopefully the dragon would catch on. If nothing else her suggested questions were useful, a good grounding point in a situation that was otherwise far from grounded in anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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