Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars

[JakezuGD]

So it wasn't just those two, there was something else strange going on as well. Cerezia's emptiness and Celine's lateness could have been for the same reason, for all they knew, but they wouldn't be able to find out before they actually met the lady knight herself. Elisa's attention quickly shifted to the new arrival, a large wolf by the look of things, though it seemed to be making itself look as little of a threat as it could, and Renais soon said why that was. "The fox has familiars too, huh?" she mumbled, thinking it was perhaps silly of her to be surprised by that. If Mikoto was as old as she said she was, surely she'd had the time to master several difficult and unusual types of magic, teleportation and summoning clearly being included in that.

As much as Renais's resolve was admirable, she didn't quite sound convincing, and like Cin pointed out, she seemed to be misunderstanding their concern. Again something that reminded the strawberry blonde of herself, years ago... "He's right, you know. You being able to do your job is good and all, but what does it matter if you're hurting inside, whether because of it or not?" While the dragon went for a pat on the shoulder, Elisa wanted to do more, arms wrapping around the healer's waist in a soft hug. "Don't worry. Your friends are here for you, we're here for you. And if anything was to happen to you, I'll come running before you know it. You let your hood down, so let people see the person under it too!" One tiny squeeze to let her warmth linger and she let Renais go, free to either climb onto the wolf or start making her way back on her own power.

[mcd900]

Laniva sat there, rather red in the face, as Tio, Syta, and Versaris had their exchange; she had a strong feeling both of not-quite-being-in-the-loop, and more distinctly, plain embarrassment. The whiplash of being rather aggressively pet one moment, followed by Syta stonewalling the Evoker on her questioning the next, left her with something of an indescribable feeling. She couldn't really comment on the secret being kept, though; there was probably a very good reason for not saying more until Celine arrived, and either way the two of them were keeping a secret from the rest of the Tigers (save one coy many-tailed fox) anyways, so it's not like she had much place to interject.

"Mm... things are pretty messy right now, huh. I guess that means we're going to be doing some searching soon... I hope Celine arrives soon. The Evokers have kind of been on edge, recently..."

[TheRoon]

Cin's shoulder rub did help put Renais at ease, and the hug from Elisa was very welcome too. Of course she always enjoyed her hugs, but this time Renais' wild imagination was toned down from the intense situation and all she could manage was a small blush. "...I really do appreciate it, Cin, Elisa." She looked back at the two and nodded. "But I'll be fine, I just...want to get back to the others now." She put her hand on Akai's side and just walked off with him. She didn't want to ride him at the moment, she still wanted to make sure she had the strength to keep on her feet. Thankfully, her nerves slowly calmed down as they walked back to the inn and her friend's words stayed fresh in her mind.

[Xinnidy]

"Uh... shouldn't say?" It didn't seem like a topic the girls were inclined to talk about to him, which made Üllr yet more curious about it. He tilted his head, looking at Iris and Aly with slight suspicion. "Why not say it in good company? It is bad?" Puzzling. Didn't seem like Aly wanted him to pry it at all, maybe asking Iris later would work better. At least the tall elf man seemed to find it funny, for whatever it was worth. At least until Ms. Ti-- Tio reached out to him with mention of a thief and some Amarillys thing that definitely vanished from his mind the moment he heard it. Complicated word.

"Are we going after that thief? It should be easy to find good places to stay in forests, I can help look." Tio seemed to be bowing out, but maybe the elven man would tell him something more. He wasn't used to the geography, but Üllr hoped his general instincts would help. At this point, he really wanted to see this thief the Knights assumed was him.

[Nanami Touko]

"Mmm... I mean, if it's who we think it is... Yeah, I'd like to find them before Hecatian officials, but... If we find them, can we even do anything? You already can't stick your neck into things in Islexia because of the politics involved, can you really... Stick your necks into this one?" Maybe it was less serious because Glacies and Lufiria were allies, on paper, but still... This wasn't just someone being where they shouldn't be, it was someone stealing a national treasure from an unallied nation... he sighed, as Ullr spoke up, glancing over towards him and the lizards. He gave Alriana another smirk, before focusing his attention on the boy... Man? He was pretty short...

"If you want to help search once we hit woodlands, I can't imagine Tio, Elisa or Natalya would complain. Just make sure you speak up. Maybe you can take Iris with you?"

Iris was trying to avoid answers Ullr's questions about if the subject they'd read was bad or not and this sudden question gave her a good out. "Yes! I'm great in the woods! I can climb trees super fast and I'm tiny, so people have a hard time seeing me... and I can turn stuff to stone so they won't get away! Just leave it to us~"

"Good... sounds like I can rely on the two of you once it comes to that." Sari smiled, glad to see Iris getting along so well with someone.

Syta let the conversation walk away with Tio and Sari, dropping her guard some and staring back at Lani. She gently patted the woman's shoulder instead of returning to her ears, managing to control herself. "I'm sorry for adding to some of the stress, Lani... I'm sure she'll be here soon enough. Hopefully before you all leave town so we can get this sorted out... But if not, one of us will probably get sent after you guys to share details. Either way... It'll be okay. Promise." It would likely not be okay, given the severity of things, but Syta wanted to remain optimistic.

There'll be war if this gets out to the wrong people, you know. Are you sure you can trust everyone in this room, Syta? Kisara was suddenly back in the woman's mind, almost making Syta jump.

That bad, huh... I guess I haven't been thinking about the ramifications, but... Yeah. It really will be that bad... Still, that's no reason to stop being positive. We won't get through this if we let it get to us.

Your optimism is blinding, my dear... Let's hope it holds out.

"Ah, yes, Jesse," Ren replied, nodding. "We were given another task, but Syta and I decided that the Evokers would be more prudent, given we don't know who our thief is, and Sophie tagged along. So she's off looking into that... With the Evokers informed and leaving," she said, gesturing to Tio's walking out, "there's not much for us to do until Celine arrives. We could join Jesse, but given what Tio just discussed, it seems our thief doesn't like crowded spaces. I doubt they'd enter a town without a seriously good reason... So all that walking around would do is leave us more tired for when things matter. Best to rest and wait for a good course of action, I think." Ren nodded again, satisfied with their decision. "So! I'll be staying right here until I catch word of Lady Celine's arrival. I hope you'll have me~"

---

Akai gave a tiny bark of approval as Renais started walking, panting happily, staying next to her the whole time. He'd brush up against her ever so slightly now and again, just making sure she had his support and presence. From what he'd learned over the years, people loved him and those like him, even big ones, once they got over the size fear. So have him she would, as fluffy and soft as ever, as long as she needed. His mistress would surely be happy that he'd supported the one she had her eyes on in her time of need.

[Mercenary on the Winds]

As Nyx separated from Aegean, ducking down the alleyways. Her feelings of unease did not subside as she wandered alone through out the city. She felt as if she may have been being watched. Yet, she could not figure out from where, or why; the streets of Cerezia were clouded, and mostly motionless. Except, for the voices that she could now hear coming from the street. 

"I already told you that I don't know where he's gone! I haven't seen brother in days!" A feminine voice shouted.

"We know that you know something; either about your brother or about this... Lydia. Your father wants them both found."

"Look! I don't know! Why on earth would father want both of them found?! What would they have done now!?"

"I can't say. Orders are orders, Luia. Tell us what you know, or we'll have to take you in as well. Our brothers and sisters are already investigating your brother's other holdings. You won't be able to keep things quiet for long."

---

"I..." Tanvir paused a moment and sighed, "Sorry, this is just... So close. Unfortunately, that doesn't change what I said. We need to search quickly." The two wandered off to begin their search, and Tanvir did the same. His hand gripped the handle of the axe on his back tightly. This Vidar's father appeared to be the main culprit of this attack, Tanvir looked over the bodies, looking for anything of note... when one of the bodies stood out to him. One of the attackers, but more importantly was the way it appeared that he had been rendered unconscious--the man was still breathing, if only barely--but he had been magically attacked. His clothes were singed in a way that implied thunder magic, and the attack was almost implausibly pin point; right above the links in his armor. He knew very few people who could pull something like that off.

Just relax. You know that's her. She's the only one who could do that. No way they captured her here. 

Lydia found herself dragged away after Yana reprimanded Tanvir for his brusque response to the situation. "I'm... he is right, I'll be... okay. I just... fuck, none of this should be happening. We did everything we could, and still he..." She took more deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. She was a member of intelligence, certainly, but she was fortunate to almost never have to operate as such. This sudden escalation was a little much for her. "I'm sorry... I'll just need a moment. They're... alive, I know they are... I believe they are... But..."

Lydia rubbed her face, "This... looks like it happened only a couple hours ago... if they're being pursued, they wouldn't have gotten too far... Princess Lucille is injured, as is her pegasi, so they couldn't have sent her on ahead... So if they're still running, she's with them." 

"I'm inclined to agree, then." 

Tanvir slowly moved over, "I found a body that matches the princess's MO; they definitely escaped and are running from their pursuers. Any ideas?"

"I... I need a little more time, but I think... they're going to go straight for the gate, if I know Vidar."

Tanvir nodded, "Then search for a couple minutes, and then we ride to that gate, full speed ahead. Expect combat. Yana, make sure to stay close to Lydia, because I expect that we're going to have more than a little combat to deal with. One job. Catch up to the princess, and then protect her and anyone else aligned with her. And slaughter anyone who gets in our way..."

[scorri]

"Sometimes everything isn't enough." Yana sighed, scratching her head for a second before continuing. "Sorry if that's blunt, but it's the truth. This world, well she's a cruel mistress and we don't have a way to stop that. We're just along for the ride doing what we can to enjoy our part of it. So you all did everything you could. The problem is, you needed people for that. One of them must have said something. So it goes. All we can do now is our best to find them, and we will. We'll get the princess and your elf boy back, alright?" She wasn't usually this serious, it was boring and a downer, but somehow she suspected that her normal method of handling situations wouldn't be extremely well received by Lydia right now. So serious it was, even if it made her antsy.

Thankfully, Tanvir was back to interrupt them soon enough, changing the topic just enough that they weren't focused on the failure side of all of this. She gave him a sloppy salute, knowing how much he hated the formality, and grinned. "Sir yes sir, sticking close to a pretty girl, you spoil me." This was better. They had a goal and she could be a little more herself now that she wasn't trying to keep Lydia from spiraling into blame. "Come on now, Lydia. If I'm going to be protecting you, we should chat about your style. How you fight, all that. My little brother is good at hiding himself, so I can focus all on you~"

"I'm not. We're twins." Kas sighed as he returned from his investigations, an object in each hand. The first one he offered to Tanvir, a scorched piece of paper with writing just still legible. "I found this on someone who I suspect was higher up in one of the mercenary groups. It confirms her suspicions of who ordered all of this. It's... Likely there are still others out there that weren't here, if I had to guess. There aren't enough bodies for how many groups are involved, from my quick estimate. So I think you're right about a lot of combat. The only good news there is that there are only four of us, so we can move quickly. We may be able to make up our lost ground." The second object he offered to Lydia. "I, found this. I don't know if you would recognize it or if it's meaningless, but I thought I should ask." The small earring slid easily from his hand into hers, gleaming gently in the sun.

---

Cin sighed as Renais pushed both him and Elisa gently away with her words, but he couldn't argue with her actions. It was past time they were back with the group. Things were too quiet here, and it was probably his imagination, but he felt like if he turned around, he would find someone watching them from the shadows. "Then let's go." He walked slightly behind her and the wolf, still on edge, watching for more bad news. I hope... I hope this doesn't all explode in our faces...

---

"Thief... Right." Well they weren't talking about him. He knew that much. Otherwise, he wouldn't still be sitting here. "Erm, what uh, what thief would this be, exactly? I would have thought the Amaryllis had better things to do than chase a thief." Though, it seemed that they weren't even going to be doing that with Celine delayed, meaning that they planned to stay right here. With him. Lovely... "Ah, no, why would, that be a problem? Clearly Tio has no issue with you being around, so I can't see the Commander objecting. There should be no reason you can't stay here until your leader shows up."

[Nanami Touko]

"... Oh." Ren blushed out of embarrassment, having assumed that everyone in the Tigers was aware of the information that Tio knew... But of course Koba wouldn't know, he'd only arrived the day before. "I, uh... You're with, the Tigers now so it, should be fine, uhm..." Ren leaned in a little, whispering, "someone stole the Escaflowne from Axios Hall... The Evokers and the Amaryllis are both looking into it. I assume Tio and Elisa are because they're present, at the least... Which means the Tigers are wrapped up in this at the moment. My apologies..."

[MRDRHAWK]

Nyx had half a mind to turn away from the woman who she’d run into at the arena. They didn’t seem to be on good terms whatsoever - not that Nyx could blame her for being pissy with her still - but… damn her and her conscience. She couldn’t just leave someone behind when they needed a hand, even if it was from her.

”Oi, wha’s th’deal o’er ‘ere?” Nyx popped her head out into the alleyway, before slowly emerging from the rest of it. With her suit from Gean, she almost felt like a crime boss again. Almost. “Look, if th’lass says she don’ know, then she don’ know. Ain’t ye got anythin’ better t’do?”

---

Ah, so Koba was one of those people who she shouldn’t get too touchy with. Sophia nodded, and parked herself onto a nearby chair, listening intently to Ren’s conversation with the goose. Her feet kicked back and forth beneath the chair, and Sophia couldn’t help but wonder why Ren was talking about the thief who stole the Escaflowne.

“Heeeeeeey…” Sophia piped up, finally. “You’re gonna help the nice people here, riiiiiiiiiight Koba? Mayyyyyyyybe when you’re done with thaaaaaaaat… you could help us find the Escaflowne. I’m suuuuuuuuure Ren would like to have you stick aroooooooound some more.” The sheep giggled in her seat, happy that Ren had apparently made a friend. And who knew? Maybe Sophia could make friends with the goose, too!

[Bluemask 96]

Jesse just stood back as the three people with her had a heart to heart moment. It seemed that the wolf who approached was a friend of theirs, so there was no need for worry. "Well if you're returning to the inn, may I accompany you? My companions were also heading in that direction, so it'll nice to round up with them. I don't think I'll get anything else from searching in the city at this point." Jesse chose to bring up the rear, or at least stay close to Lady Elisa. "Speaking of, do we have any time to speak on my armor Lady Elisa? You and your wife yesterday mentioned someone in your company also having armor in a similar fashion?"

---

Gean quietly made her way back into the breakfast area. There were some new faces for sure, and Tio was leaving the room. More notably, Rene, Cin and Elisa were gone. She hadn't passed them on her way back, so she assumed they must have taken their leave to get ready. 

Gean made her way over to Sari, who was in the middle of entertaining queries from S- Iris and Ullr. She did say Iris was her name now right? I did kinda storm off there. The clouded girl got close enough to speak in a softer voice before asking the charismatic man. "I see we have some new faces here. Something come up boss man?"

Edited February 4, 2023 by Bluemask 96

[Xinnidy]

"Right, I'll talk to them." If there was a way Üllr could help, he'd do it, it was better than just leave this thief to their luck.

And catching the person those greasy knights took for himself was a nice kind of feel. "Yeah. You can help too, Iris. If spread out, we can cover more before the sun goes down." And the sun coming down would certainly be annoying, at least for his sight.

Conversation was not his strong suit, but it was nice to get an idea through. He'd just need to talk to the stacked women duo on their way to Islexia...

[Mercenary on the Winds]

Luia turned to look at Nyx, her eyes widening, "What... what are you doing here?"

One of the men questioning her rose an eyebrow, "Eh? Who are you?" He looked Nyx over, once to see who he was dealing with, and then a second time with a smile before he cleared his throat, "This don't concern you. We got questions for the lady; she's being investigated. We can talk later if you really want, but this is a matter of importance, so if you could keep out of the way... unless you know something about what we're looking for?"

"Don't lump me in with her!" Luia shouted. "Neither she, nor I--especially not her--know what happened to Vidar, alright?! I haven't seen him, or Lydia for days at this point; he's probably off somewhere getting real cozy with her. More realistically, he's probably doing some merchant work somewhere. Why don't you go and ask his connections or something, since you're not going to tell me what they did."

"Not a chance. The boss said to grill you until you talked. He said that you'd do a lot to protect your 'brother', so we ain't going nowhere until you tell us what you know."

[MRDRHAWK]

Nyx cocked an eyebrow at being dismissed like that, but she chalked it up to the passage of time making it hard for some people to recognize her. Luia getting cranky about Nyx being lumped in with her had the archer half tempted to simply ignore the whole thing, but that just wasn’t her style anymore.

”Look, if th’lass says she don’t know, then she don’ know. An’ besides, I got it on pretty good authority that some fancy ass knights are pretty close t’ here, an’ how ye think they’d be if they found a couple’a goons like ye interrogatin’ this lass? She’s got ‘er own job t’do.” Nyx tried to stand between the two men and Luia, folding her arms. Sure, maybe this was a stupid idea, but Nyx also wasn’t about to leave a lady alone in an alley with no backup. 

[Mercenary on the Winds]

"I think you must have missed the part where this don't--" One of the other men put his hand across he tried to step towards Nyx. 

"Must be some real lousy authority you got there, missy. I have it on actual authority that the knights ain't close enough to do anything, and even if they were, when we explained, it would be the two of you in trouble. So why don't you stop with the grandstanding? Whoever you think you are, you're not."

"Okay, maybe she isn't, but I might be."

The men turned to see a tall, tanned skinned woman looking at all of them with a raised eyebrow. The attire marked her as someone from the Knight Outpost. "Sounds like you've got some info that I'm not privy to yet... care to share? And why, exactly, are members of the Displaced Front harassing Ms. Emeria, hmm?"

"Ah... Miss Eclair. I didn't realize that we were causing enough of ruckus to draw you out of the outpost..." The man's tune changed quite a bit towards the new arrival.

"You weren't. I was just going to your base of operations to see where everyone was; since so far, I haven't had a single person walk into the outpost." She stepped into the alleyway, unamused glance until her eyes fell on Nyx. Portia's eyes flew wide open, and she flailed for a moment, before she composed herself, "...I'll deal with that in a moment. I'd like you," She pointed at the group, "To tell me how you know that the knights aren't around yet, before even I knew that, and then... to tell me why I can't find any of the mercenaries that were in town. You three are the only ones that I've found. Surely, things are touch and go recently... but for everyone from multiple guilds to just vanish and without at least leaving a notice of some sort... I'm sure you realize how odd that is."

"Aha... yes, well. We've had... scouts because we're searching for the thief, and a couple of our scouts noted that there was knight activity in the mountains southwest of here. That was yesterday evening, and that was when the rains were heaviest. Didn't know that they were supposed to be coming around here. For the second... question... well, it's trade honor. It's between us and the client. We're all... working together on a lead we got last night. That's all I can say."

[MRDRHAWK]

Well, there was the backup in question. Nyx had to squint a little to see if she recognized this person, but her brain wasn’t supplying anything, so she instead shrugged. “So, wha, ev’ryone heard somethin’ n’jus’ took off? Sounds sketchy. What if s’fake intel? Then ye got no bodies in case somethin’ happens to Cerezia.”

Honestly, Nyx didn’t want to point out that she was also in a mercenary group that was very acutely aware of their own lead involving the thief. And something told her that would have been inviting a bit too much trouble. So instead, she walked off in the other direction, now that Luia had someone else to help her. “Gotta go. Hope yer still nae pissed about all dem years ago!”

She knew she was already. But shockingly, Nyx didn’t care.

[Mercenary on the Winds]

As Portia walked up, the woman she recognized seemed to take that as her cue to leave. Not before dropping a rather important question. "That is a little plausible, isn't it?"

"Well--" A hand shot out across the man again, only this time there was a hurried panic in the movement. 

"You talk too much." He cleared his throat, "I think we're done here... we need to go catch up to the rest of them. Boss isn't going to be happy that we took so long to get back to them. They've probably already found what they looking for."

As Nyx wandered off, so did the Displaced Front mercs leaving Luia and Portia alone. Luia breathed a sigh of relief. 

"Do you know what that was about?" Portia asked.

"He wouldn't tell me anything. He just kept asking me about Vidar and Lydia... it sounds like the Displaced Front is investigating them for some reason. But I haven't seen them in days. All I know is that Vidar said something about a "guest" and that was the last time I saw him."

"Guest?" Portia was looking in the direction that Nyx had walked, half paying attention. What the hell was Favio's old target doing here? And helping someone? Am I dreaming or something? The Envy Empress turned over a new leaf?? What the hell is going on today?

---

Four and a half hours later.

The Tigers finished all of their preparations for the upcoming trek, and pooled all of the information that they'd gathered. With Nyx's return, the group learn of knight movement to their southwest, but Celine was still nowhere to be found. However, at the same time, Nyx and Aegean both alerted the group that the myriad guilds of mercenaries around Cerezia had all but vanished; supposedly following a lead on the Escaflowne. With the fog now lifted, and the sun high in the sky, the Amaryllis and Tigers agreed to head out and search for the thief as the Tigers began to make for the border. They knew that the princess they were searching for was an elusive sort, and was likely going to be found hidden in the many forests before the Serdio mountains, if not the mountains themselves, and Tio's pathing took them through a good number of those as they tried to stay out of the way of the riled knights. 

They headed out early--The Tigers were mostly waiting for the Evokers to gather the supplies, and finish devising the route--and headed off from Cerezia, perhaps the last time in this journey that they would be allowed to truly relax. Their destination was the farthest checkpoint gate--the closest to Eslcas--which would have taken them several hours of reach at their pace, and then they had to cross the mountains, before finally hitting Islexia sometime in the early afternoon the next day. But before they could even really start making their way towards the far gate, their attention would be pulled towards the closest gate... the heavy flapping wings of Wyverns were impossible to ignore. 

Tio clicked her tongue as another one flew over head, "That is. The 6th one that we've seen in the past hour and a half... what world is going on? They're all heading in the opposite direction of our gate..."

[Xinnidy]

Keeping an eye as they looked trough the forests, Üllr continued to wonder the kind of person the thief was. So far, no tracks off the road showed sign of recency. It was after a bit of scanning that Üllr remembered a fact throw by his captor knights --the thief had a pegasi. He'd have more luck finding signs of recent shelter than tracks.

A development with wyvern knights was pointed out by one of the Evokers, and Üllr strongly agreed there was something up. If they were hunting a flier, bringing wyverns made sense. "I can go see what it is. Could be the person you were after." He spoke up, approaching Tio with a restless step.

[Mercenary on the Winds]

Tio sighed, "They're flying in the direction of the nearby gate... Something is certainly up, but it would take us a lot of time to investigate and also get back on our own path..." Tio looked over at Natalya, "What do you think? I'd personally like to not waste time, but... something is definitely off there. If the Tigers are willing to devote some time to look... I'd like thoughts from you two as well," gesturing towards Ren and Jesse.

Tio couldn't shake the feeling that something was really happening, but if they were wrong, it would be hassle to explain to the knights. "If you'd like to get a bit closer, Ullr, I don't think that would be much of an issue. Separating at this point isn't a good idea, but..."

Edited February 8, 2023 by Mercenary on the Winds

[Xinnidy]

"Hmm..." It was true that it was a long way as detour, which could be bad for the rest of the group. Üllr, however, was more maneuverable than an entire group and their horses and contraption. "It's okay, I'll get closer." It made sense, and that was what he offered to do when he talked with Versaris earlier. Taking his leave, he followed the direction of the wyvern, keeping an eye to make sure he wasn't too easily spotted... and then he stopped.

A fortuitous wind had blown on his face, it wasn't just a refreshing breeze... it came from their direction, and carried with it a faint but distinct scent. Üllr's senses could pick it up.

Smoke.

Getting closer, he was certain about it, there was a scent of smoke coming from that direction. There are many things that it could be... but he doubted the wyverns would make something that carried the scent in such short notice.

He quickly turned around, backtracking decent distance before speaking up.

"Smoke! The wyverns are not alone! I'm going closer!" If an altercation were to happen, he'd be the first to hear with his senses as well.

[Mercenary on the Winds]

"Wh--Smoke?!" Tio looked over in the direction that Ullr was now sprinting, and nothing was sticking out to her. Ullr's senses were almost definitely much stronger than her own, so there was a good chance that he was picking up something that she just wasn't going to be able to from here. "What on Amaranth would be causing smoke out here?" Tio groaned because she knew what she was going to say; ignoring this, and the potential of a fire, or some more devious was not something she could do. "Commander! This is your call. I can't sense anything from here, really, but..."

[Nanami Touko]

iris watched Ullr run off, tempted to run after him, antsy, swaying in place, her tail swaying all over the place... When he came back and called for smoke, she did her best to smell it on the air... Failing to smell anything other than the fresh forest and mountain air, leaving her a little frustrated. She couldn't just sit still anymore, though! "Let's go, Ullr!" She bounded forward and jumped onto all fours, rushing to catch up to his position ahead of the group, so they could keep going ahead...!

[TheRoon]

Renais had kept with the rest of the tigers as they marched on, she had no time to really get to know most of the new people given recent events, but thankfully she was mostly out of her funk from said events. It was all thanks to a certain kitsune woman, who Renais spared a glance at every now and then. 'It really is a nice name, Kise Hikari...' One she promised not to say in public, she had to keep her promise after all.

Dark Past, Unknown Future

Spoiler

Mikoto slipped down the halls of the inn that the Tigers had been staying at, concern on her mind, as well as the want to reveal something very specific to someone she felt was deserving. Akai had come back with the group she'd tasked him to follow, leaving the fox to scold him gently… What was of larger concern was what he told her had transpired. If I'd known this would happen… Mrrhhh. I should've followed her… 

Mikoto sighed ever so slightly, reaching Renais' door. She wished to tell several things to the girl… First, would be an apology. "Renais? Are you there? I need to speak with you… If you'll allow me to."

The pinkette had returned to the inn, and as soon as she did she was bombarded with so much care. Miria and Alvira specifically, Tio as well to a point (she was still busy). It embarrassed Renais, to the point where she felt like a weight. So she retreated to her room, fast enough to avoid Gean too. She didn’t want to see her. She simply laid back in her bed with her book over her face, she was too upset to do anything else. “...” Then a knock came, it was…Mikoto. Probably not someone she wanted to see either, but at the same time it didn’t seem like an awful idea. “...come in…” She mumbled from under her literature based mask.

"Ah…" It was barely a whisper, almost blocked entirely by the door. You're as upset as he told me you were, aren't you? Goodness… Mikoto gently brushed into the room, spying Renais on the bed. The fox huffed ever so slightly, making her way over and kneeling down, resting against the mattress, staring at Renais.

"I… Ah… Mmm." She didn't know how to say it; she hadn't done this in quite some time. "I'm… I'm sorry." She sighed, looking away from Renais. "I said something… Tactless. Born from jealousy… And then you had a terrifying moment in town. If I'd known, I'd… I'd have gone instead of Akai. I just… I thought, I'd… Thought you wouldn't want to see me, or anyone, so… So I…" Mikoto whined, her tails flattening against the floor.

"I'm sorry, Renais. That I was so spiteful… And that I couldn't have been there to help keep you safe."

Renais was…surprised. It really did sound like Mikoto cared, and while yes that may have been true it did still surprise her a little bit. She slowly pulled the book up to show her mouth. “...you didn’t know any of that would happen, Mikoto. I’ll be fine really…” It was her usual reflex answer, she didn’t want anyone to worry about her. Despite the fact it’s impossible otherwise. “It won’t hamper my ability to carry out our mission, it’s fine.”

"My apologies, but I'm not worried about your ability to perform your healing… I'm worried about you. Look at you…" Mikoto sighed, sitting up ever so slightly now that Renais didn't seem upset with the fox. "Is there anything we can talk about that might improve your mood? Anything you'd like to vent? Anything I can share… I…"

She bit her lip, her now six tails swishing slightly behind her. "I'd come here with the hopes of apologizing and revealing a few things… A few things about my past, but… If you're not well enough to hear them, I don't want to push them on you."

Well, Renais would be lying if she said she wasn’t curious. That aside… “...I really don’t mean to be rude, Mikoto, but why are you so nice to me?” She still didn’t move. “I thought you held a grudge against Lufiria for…whatever reason you might have, and you know I am one. Yet here you are trying to cheer me up. Why?” The fox was as sly as she expected, but this was a side of her she never thought to see. Renais had nothing but questions on her mind about Mikoto’s angle.

"Why?" Mikoto stared at her and tilted her head. "Because I like you. Why else? You're pretty, fun, plenty amusing to tease, and…" Mikoto paused and stopped talking, gaze trailing off towards the bed, melting into it a little more with her lean. "I suppose it's nice to be treated well by a Lufirian. Even if you didn't know until recently… It's still…"

She sighed. There was no easy way to explain all of this. "I don't hate, the people. You know? I'm not a monster… My grudge, it's… Against the crown, I suppose. The people in charge. They let what happened, happen… I…" She looked at Renais again and swallowed. "If I say anymore, I'm going to get into all of it… Are you, willing to listen?"

Things only got more curious, Mikoto certainly had an air of mystery about her, but she also was doing her best to be sincere about things. “Mm…” Also the compliments caused a small blush across her cheeks. So with her mind made up she pulled the book off and slowly sat up. “..well I’ve always liked a good story, you seem like you have a lot of them.” She closed it and put it aside. “Sure, I’d like to hear it.” She brushed her hair a little with her fingers to make herself look like less of a mess.

"Mmm… I'm only telling you this because I trust you. Seems like you didn't share my grudge with Tio, else the Evokers would likely have questioned me about it… So…" Mikoto sat up and cleared her throat, thinking back quite some time. She hadn't gone over these memories in a while, but to hopefully make someone understand, she'd find them.

"... Mm. My people were… Hunted down, for centuries, for the magic we possess. Originally… Perhaps, the Lufirians had good cause to do so. Some of the more powerful kitsune were experimenting with ancient Lufirian magic… Using it on anyone they could get their hands on. Even what I do, could be considered heretical, harmless as it is… But what was done to us, was…"

Her tails bristled, the memories far from pleasant. "Hunting down those of us that were going beyond ethical scopes of magic, as much as it pains me, I cannot say was wrong of Lufiria. My issue… My pain, my grudge, is that they turned on the rest of us. Those that could barely use magic. That didn't even know why they were being slaughtered… And those they didn't slaughter, they…" She narrowed her eyes, scowling at an invisible enemy. "Used some terrible form of magic to seal us away in trinkets… Make magical accessories of our very beings! They… I was just… I was not strong, back then. I could do nothing but run… And even now, those of us that did survive, are once again starting to disappear. It's never enough for these damn…!" 

She felt her anger starting to flare, her magic working itself up. She took a deep breath to try and calm her emotions, hiding her face in her hands for a moment, letting her breath go and flopping against the bed. "I can't forgive them, Renais. The people that massacred mine. To pin the crimes of one group on us all and use that as an excuse to wipe us all out… Some of us couldn't even have begun to fight back. I am a rarity among my people… Martial prowess does not come easily."

Her tails began to sway, her eyes focused on nothing. She was back in her memories and they weren't pleasant. "I haven't formed any bonds with people in quite a long time… Stuck to my business. Used my charms to try and swindle life from those I came across. Even you all… But despite that, you all… Have come, to accept me. You don't look at me with fear… Some of you even seek my guidance, hah. Trust in my knowledge. There is a part of me, deep down. I know she's still in there. A part of me that wants to forget; let go and live a happy, normal life… But I'll never forgive them. Someone has to pay for what they did to us… Even if I never get strong enough to burn it all down, someone has to…"

Renais wanted a story, and boy she certainly got one. A tale of literal fox hunts, all over using Lufirian magic. It was enough to make Renais’ eyes widen. “...even if it was their own magic, to slaughter so many of your people…” Then came up the topic of sealing some into trinkets, it only got worse as she went on. Before Renais could comment on it she could feel the fox’s anger rise, and her magic only matched her emotions, but she didn’t flinch or fear it. She understood why she felt that way. 

“...Mikoto…” She watched her lay back on the bed, and felt sorry for the woman. “...you’ve been through more than I can imagine, and you’re still going on. You’re very strong, Mikoto.” The pinkette slowly brought her hand to Mikoto’s arm and gently brushed it. “I didn’t know any of that history, not that I would. History books on Lufiria are incredibly rare, and something like that…it’s not right.” She looked Mikoto in the eye. “Words fail me, I’m sorry…”

Strong… Perhaps in a literal sense, but… That I’ve gone so far, so far away from my old self, all for the sake of vengeance… Am I truly strong? I’m not sure… Maybe if I could have done so as Kise, but, as I am now, this… Mikoto… The fox thought about Renais’ words, watching her hand.

“Mmm… Your sympathy means enough. I know your apologies and sadness won’t fix anything, but that you would get upset over me… Perhaps, she really still is…” Mikoto hadn’t clarified who this ‘she’ was, shaking her head and gently taking Renais’ hand to hold. “My… Old name, is Kise. Kise Hikari… If you’d like to– No. I’d, like it if you called me Kise when we’re alone. It would be nice to give her some good memories… Renais?”

Mikoto was suddenly looking right at Renais, almost staring through her. “I truly feel, something for you. I realize… That, Aegean may have beaten me to the punch, and you aren’t well right now, but… Do you think, maybe… You’ve room in your heart, for two?” The fox let go of a breath she didn’t know she was holding, shoulders sinking some. “As long as I’m with you all, I’d also… I’d like to help you find your family. Who you used to be… If you’d allow me.”

Despite Renais’ state of mind, she was happy to help Mikoto, if even by a little bit. “Mm, I like helping people, so I’m glad I could do the same for you.” She tilted her head as she mentioned a “she”, a sibling perhaps? “...oh, Kise Hikari.” Then it all became clear to her. “Well…sure. I can do that, Kise.” She nodded.

Then came the fox’s next question…which got a hell of a blush on Renais. “A-ah? Two?!” She gawked and leaned back a bit. “...Mikoto I…I’m not worth it.” She shook her head. “I’m going to tell Gean this too, but I don’t know if I’m good enough to be in a relationship. I’m a massive pervert, I had a crush on a married woman, and I constantly think of other girls even when I’m with Gean…you both deserve someone better than me. Someone reliable, someone who understands love…and I think I might be involved in some trouble on top of that, those two men scared me…”

“What?” This nonsense again. Aegean really had upset this girl over this, hadn’t she? Mikoto picked herself up and sat next to Renais, stealing her into a hug and frowning down at her. “Stop this. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with you. Nothing. I’m not going to comment on anything between you and Aegean– that’s for the two of you to discuss, alright? But as far as I’m concerned, you’ve done nothing wrong. You’ve a healthy fascination, so what? Are you acting on it? Would you chase after someone knowing you had either of us? I don’t think you would, so who cares if you’re gawking? I don’t.” A hand came up and gently began to pet her hair, a few tails coiling around to give Renais something soft to rest against.

“You being in trouble is even more reason to have people close, you fool… How are you to keep yourself safe all on your own? Are you saying you’ll sacrifice yourself to these people just so we aren’t harmed? I won’t allow it. I’ll keep you safe against your will if I must…” Mikoto huffed a little, quite serious about everything. “I know that nice words won’t flip switches or immediately change your mind, but please… One moment of frustration between the two of you is no reason to push everyone away.”

When the fox hugged Renais, her first instinct was to freeze. That being said, she did listen closely to the fox’s words. They were quite genuine, this was a far cry from the teasing shopkeeper she met. “...no, I want to stay loyal to the people I love.” She answered back. “When I was a little girl, I wouldn’t respond to anyone or anything. The doctors said I had some sort of trauma…now I think I know what that trauma was. My sister, Liza, helped me recover. She did everything she could for me.” She looked back at the fox. “That’s why I became a healer, I want to repay everyone I love. It’s also why I want to be an Evoker.”

The embrace still had Renais blush, but her imagination wasn’t going crazy. “Miko-Kise, thank you…I can tell you really care. I feel like I misjudged you, and I apologize. I…have a lot to think about…” Her eyes turned a little. “...that being said, you and Gean have one thing in common. You both really love hugging me.”

“Of course we do… You’re quite the woman yourself~ All this talk of gawking at the evokers when you should’ve been looking in a mirror…” Mikoto smirked just a little, giving Renais a gentle squeeze. “I think that’s a lovely goal… And there’s no way you’ll accomplish it on your own. Even Tio and Elisa have each other. So… Even if you still need time to think over everything, please, promise me one thing. You won’t push us– Gean, myself, or this lovely group… Away from you. Okay…?” 

“Mm…you really are a tease.” She looked a bit embarrassed. “I’ve been told I’m a looker, but I guess I never really thought on it that often.” She looked Mikoto in the eye. “I’ll think it over, I have to talk with Gean too, but I think you’re growing on me.” It helped that she had very soft hugs. “Thank you, Kise. This helped a lot.” She smiled a little, for the first time in a few hours. “I won’t push anymore, I can’t outmatch everyone in the Tigers after all. You especially.”

“There’s that lovely smile~ Hmhmhm… Now. Shall I stay and give you something soft to rest on? Or would you like to be alone with your thoughts? I’ll respect your wishes… Even if I might whine, just a little…”

It was an incredibly tempting offer, but she didn’t want to fall into her wild side just yet. “It’s kind of you to offer, but I’ve rested enough. We’ll be out there soon enough and I want to make sure I’m ready to support everyone.” She looked aside. “...maybe I’ll take a raincheck on that after I think some more.” She slowly slipped out of her grasp. “Thanks again, Kise. That name is a secret, right?”

“A secret just for us… Mmmn, okay~ Okay… I suppose I can go brush Akai a little and give him a treat for doing so well today… One last thing. Those men, they were… Very powerful. Akai is not a pushover of a familiar, but he… Well, he was terrified. If you run into them again and you’re alone, run. Find me, or Tio, or Elisa… Anyone else, I fear won’t do. You promise?” Mikoto was standing again, giving Renais a serious stare.

Renais knew deep down those men were strong, and quite dangerous. If Cin wasn’t there things would have gone poorly for her. “I know. I’ll do my best not to be alone out there again, I have far too much to accomplish to let two shady men take advantage of me.” She clutched her necklace, and remembered their words. “I’ll see you out there.” She nodded once more to her foxen friend and walked to the door.

“See you… Mmmm.” Mikoto waited until Renais had walked out the door, sighing, arms folded, almost hugging herself. “Well, now look at what you’ve done… You know you won’t get to have a happy ending, Mikoto… So why the sympathy, now? These Tigers are making me soft… I’ll at least indulge you a little bit longer, Kise… She is, a bright, and beautiful woman.” Monologuing finished, Mikoto waited just another moment and left the room as well, a wolf on her mind.

As they continued onward however, Renais' glance turned to a certain mermaid ahead of her. She didn't find a chance to talk with her, and she found it hard to bring certain things up now. She wanted to make things up to Gean, though now wasn't the time. "...hm." That being said, she did want to try. So she took out her notebook and wrote something in a page. She tore it out, folded it up and rushed behind Gean. She slowly reached for her hand and gently grabbed it, and as she did she slipped the note to her and just glanced at her before she let go. "...when you have time." She stepped back and gave a small smile. Before she could elaborate though, Ullr made his report. and pointed out smoke. Not many in the Tigers could see it, but Renais just could thanks to her sharp eye sight. "...it's true, Tio. I see the smoke." She looked over. "We have to keep on our guard."

Edited February 9, 2023 by TheRoon

[Bluemask 96]

Jesse was relatively quiet during the joint search. Having been caught up with the current state of things, it seemed their best plan of action was to accompany the mercenaries Ren and her met the day before to investigate the mountains. Truth be told, Jesse knew little about the Serido Mountains, Cerezia was the furthest to the border she was familiar with, so she didn't really chime in on Tio's question. "I'm fine with looking i-" suddenly the mood was shifting and there was activity of in the distance, and things were beginning to move quickly. It seems they were getting to check on the disturbance. "I'll ride out with them!" And with a quick flick of the reigns for her horse Jesse was on the tail of Ullr and Iris.

Edited February 11, 2023 by Bluemask 96

[JakezuGD]

Though things had gone well after the early morning, business came back to the forefront of things as the group departed for their destination. The strange quiet of Cerezia, the odd encounter Elisa had told of, Celine still not being present, and now that they were on the way, the oddly numerous wyvern flights... Considering Nyx's earlier report, it felt likely that things were converging on the same lead they had, if from a different source. Though Natalya agreed it wouldn't be a good idea to split up, having a scout confirm anything out of the ordinary was, especially if Üllr had senses comparable to or even better than her own.

The call of smoke, then, was her cue to confirm things for herself. The boy was already running, and surprisingly even Renais seemed to be able to see it, but it was there alright, plumes of smoke in the distance. Same direction the wyverns were headed all this time. "I can see it too. Whatever's going on over there, we can't just leave a potential conflict this close to Islexia unchecked, and I'm sure the Knights with us can agree to that. ...Especially if it's got something to do with our thief. Alright, everyone, time to get a move on! Follow Üllr and Iris, we'll figure out what's up and return to our plan after!" The tiger called out her commands and turned the convoy around, obviously an easy target if they were to just leave it behind while they check things out. "Hey, Vira? Take the reins for a moment. I'm gonna get my guns loaded." The chilly dragon had clung to her as much as she'd been able, but this wasn't something Tasha could do one-handed. Her ears twitched, trying to listen for anything unusual over the noise of their movement... and with it came a small scowl, going over the possibilities in her mind. At the least, this was a large fire, and at worst, they found who they were looking for. Except they weren't the first to do so.

[Mercenary on the Winds]

Ullr's call was corroborated by, oddly, Renais, and then the commander herself, there were apparently plumes in the distance that she couldn't quite see. Their choice was made. "You heard them, let's check it out! Elisa, see if you can sense anything over that way, you're better at it than I am!" She took the reins from her wife, and copied Tasha's turn, moving them in the direction that the three had taken off in. Somehow, I expect that this is going to be a huge issue. 

---

After several minutes of hurried travel, the Tigers approached the area where they wyverns were amassing, and the smoke was now plainly visible. It rose from just over a nearby mountain, but before they could even consider that. In front of them lay a large, armed force, all facing away from them. They weren't uniform; they wore a variety of outfits, and both human and clouded were present. One thing was for sure though, the rising smoke was not their primary concern. One of the men turned, and doubletook on the new arrivals, before jabbing his partner. "Did the boss call for more reinforcements?"

The other turned and looked them over before seeing Jesse, "Fuck, it's a knight! Oi, oi! One of you, go tell the boss!" One of the men nodded, and sprinted off. "Can't believe fucking Artorius already got knights on us. Tell the boys to hurry this up! We can't miss this chance! Rally up boys!"

On the other side of the valley clearing stood two figures, one, a familiar wolf clouded, and the other, a tall, armored woman. 

"Have you caught her yet, Zeit?"

Zeit craned his head up at her, "My apologies that the Displaced Front is outpacing the Iron Guard, Velura, but last I recall, this job is on both of our bills. Tristan's son knows how to pick his followers, but its the target that's causing the most issue from what I'm told. It would be easier if your men weren't so slow, but we'll make due."

"This would have been so much easier with your brother." She smirked at him, "Where is he anyway? Surely he agreed to this, yes?"

"He's off doing his own work, as per usual. He doesn't need to know. When he comes back, and Tristan's finally ousted that living fossil, he won't give a shit about anything else. We get paid, Tristan gets what he needs, and we stick it to the bastard. It's a win-win. Don't need his okay for that."

Velura snorted, "Glad to know that's still a sore spot. Frankly, I don't really care about any of that. Tristan's paying a fortune unlike any I've ever seen. If Artorius gets ousted at the same time, all the better. Shame we can't do anything about that village, but its not our objective at the moment."

"Yeah... I guess we can thank Artorius for one thing. Letting ass-backwards knights like that into his ranks. Managed to slow down our thief, and pull her out of hiding. Shame to take advantage of that sense of justic--"

"Boss!"

Zeit and Velura looked up to see a man sprinting towards them, "This is where you tell us that captured her, and the blade, yes?"

"Boss..." He pointed to the northwest, "Message relayed... they're knights up there! They don't look like Artorius's goons... they might be Sylph or Amaryllis."

"...What. I thought someone told me that they saw the knights to the... agh, it doesn't matter! If they get in the way, gut them. Tell everyone! Get in there, and capture her. Tristan said he doesn't care if his son is alive or in pieces! Just get her!"

The man nodded and sprinted away. Zeit looked over at Velura, "Get your men in there. Looks like we're on a time limit now. I'll lead the front, you make sure that she can't try to flee."

"Don't need to tell me twice! Up and at em boys! Let's move!" 

---

A pair of blades clashed, a tall elf grinned from behind his crackling blade. He forced his attacker back, and then slashed across his body finishing him off. 

"You really couldn't just leave well enough alone, eh, Princess? Really just had to make our lives that much more difficult...!"

Another mercenary appeared behind the man, and rose his weapon to strike, but electrified gusts of wind downed the man long before he would swing. He looked behind him as the huffing, and bandaged, red haired woman. "I wasn't... going to let knights... treat people like that... You can... surrender... if you want..."

He chuckled, "And leave such a beautiful woman to fight her way out of this? Lydia would kill me when she caught up to us. Speaking of which... if she hasn't been attacked, she'll find her way to us as well. Needless to say... I don't think we'll be punching our way through, princess. You might need to fly your way out of here alone."

She shook her head, before turning and frying another attacker. "Not... a chance. I've... already left enough... people. Besides... I can't fly away if Villkiss isn't up to it... Like it or not, I'm here... for a little bit. So instead of trying to... to get me to run... we should focus on... getting ourselves through this." 

The man smiled, and then bowed to her, "I admit... I have yet to meet royalty as charming as yourself! If it wasn't already apparent from my actions... I am at your service, princess. Vidar Emeria, merchant, and your escort for the time being. Glad to know that I'm helping someone with a strong compass." Vidar looked ahead, and scowled, "And it looks like we'll all need conviction as strong as yours... seems like something changed. They're taking a more offensive stance. Looks like they really want that sword from yo-- was it always shimmering like that?"

The woman looked down at the hilt affixed to her hip, and noticed that it was shimmering again, only this time more noticeably, "...No... it wasn't. I don't... know why it's been shimmering... but... it started doing it when they started changing... tactics. Which... might mean they're related..." She felt something pulling her attention to the northwest, beyond the mountain. ...What is that? Who's... approaching us? Are they the reason the sword is shimmering?  She pulled her coat over the hilt, before fixing the two hairpins in her hair, lingering on the wooden one. Hopefully Tica was doing alright. Then her eyes fell onto the ring on her finger, shining dimly with Shaw's magic suspended in place. She made a promise to the both of them. Tica that she would be alright, and to Shaw... to Shaw that she was come back and that she would have an answer. She couldn't let either of them down. She had to hang on, she knew that the Asteria would find her. She squeezed the ring tight, "I can... do this... I'll make it... I promised... Just... hang on." 

MAP START!

Objective: Capture the Target! 

Mastery: Defeat all other Bosses, before capturing the target. Aegean must either speak to, or engage the target, and Miria must engage the target and survive. 

Reward: ???

 

Edited February 10, 2023 by Mercenary on the Winds