With fairly few options left in terms of escape, Misaki ultimately decided that the safest place was, in fact, Mie's entourage. They were a neutral party, which just as easily meant that they could turn them down (or in, assuming they wanted to keep trading with the town), but given that the alternatives were getting run down in the wilds or run through in the middle of the village, this seemed like the option with the highest chance of survival.
Once they had arrived at Mie's tent, the foxgirl (who was now starting to feel the pain in her hands from haphazardly lobbing the jug of water at Lazirha's assailants) took a few deep breaths before turning to look back over her shoulder. Given the commotion outside, it was likely that the hunters were still on their tail...
"Worse than trouble, I'm afraid," Misaki spoke, giving an apology as she bowed her head towards the merchant. "Two men just attempted to kidnap Lazirha, and I'm afraid they're still after us. I will give you my apologies in advance, but could I ask if you could give us some shelter until things settle down?"
It was a damn shame about all she had started to work on at this point, but labor could be redone and efforts salvaged; the cost of a life far outweighed such things in the long run.
Augusta had a busy day ahead of her and with a good night's sleep, she was ready to do so. "Good morning, Octavian." She told her pup as she rose from bed and used her eye. "Growing and Satiated..." She made sure the girl was fed before they went to sleep, but should she really still be "satiated" this long after eating? Hmmm... The queen seems to be uncannily good at know things going on in the castle... She roused the dog and got ready for the rest of the morning. Perhaps today she'd try to have Isidore watch Octavia. Really, she wanted to see if it was Octavia being around that bothered Leuca. She was ready rather quickly and she asked her pet-like companion, "Would you mind hanging around with Isidore for a bit today until after I'm done with my early morning studies?" If the demon dog didn't seem to opposed, she'd go to Isidore's room to ask.
Unexpectedly, she saw the Prince outside his room. "Oh, good morning to you. And I was just fine last night, Isidore. Thank you for asking. Octavia and I slept on a very comfortable bed. In fact, would you mind watching her for this bit in the morning? I'd rather her not be around Rullphana for now, if you understand." She asked him, "I need to get going though so I'll leave her here with my future husband." She teased the Prince before heading off towards Leuca's room so they could get a start to their lesson with the magical Shadow Elf Rullphana.
"That wind looks like the Kyrinth's doing," Novak noted as he regained his footing and looked at the area cleared of fog. "And that's probably that hideout the hunter mentioned," he continued, looking at what appeared to be a path underground ahead.
Novak hurried towards the lair, expecting that Nobunaga wouldn't be far behind. It seemed fortunate that the fog had been cleared, as it now revealed the hideout's entrance ahead, in the side of a hill. As he approached, he briefly glanced in the direction of where the temple used to be- how did an entire temple just disappear overnight? Perhaps the answer could be found in the hunters' hideout.
Novak drew his sword and tentatively made his way into the cave, and down the hallway. He didn't see any door to block their path- was this hideout's entrance always this exposed? At the end of the corridor, he saw several hunters, Akando, and another man- an outsider from the look of it- that he had not seen before. He kept a tight grip on his sword, not knowing yet just how hostile they'd be, or if the mystery man was on their side.
Akando...is he one of them, too?
"Akando, I didn't expect to see you here," Novak addressed the lead hunter as he emerged from the hallway. "Might I ask what's going on here? You're not...err...with these Illuminator worshipers, are you?" he asked, his voice a little broken up at the possibility of the friendly lead hunter being part of the same cabal that tried to kill him multiple times.
The commotion was enough to rouse the sleeping Bastelian from her slumber, even as her mind had been dreaming over the words the goddess had told her. Adrenaline surged into the feline-like humanoid's body as her eyes shot open, pushing out what initial tiredness or grogginess might have been there in favor of emergency energy in a pinch. Without a word the catgirl moved off of the bed she was lying on, leaping to her feet and landing on both of them rather well. Yet her mind did not have time to ponder a proper if it was because she was catlike, or if it was the martial arts, or a bit of both. Her mind and body were in a pure 'fight or flight' style response.
And this was a full-on 'fight' response.
No punches pulled, and no mind to sit about doing nothing. The goddess' words returned to her mind, even as she darted to get into the next room to deal with whatever trouble had come knocking. Well, if any of said trouble was still in the house at this venture. And indeed, the catgirl's own feelings on the matter were settled enough as it was despite the heat of the moment.
There is likely information you do not have, for he keeps information close to his chest. Seek what you are missing. I can not know what it is, but there is likely some discrepancy in what you have been told. Do not be soft, either. Sometimes force must be used to understand a situation.
'Force, eh? Not my first idea at least, but that's one thing I can definitely work with right now!'
Fight. Punch. Kick. Hit dirty spots. Utilize the enemy's force against them. Snap limbs and twist them horribly. All of it and more from her old life was as clear in her mind, and as much as possible in her body thus far, even as clear as the purest crystal. And then some. She'd beat the hell out of whatever cultist asshole stood in her path! Then she'd get the information she needed by force!
Discrepancies in the info she'd been told. Him hiding information in this whole thing. The suspicious clash between what Narkissa and company had been asked to do, and what she'd been told by the god himself. that would have to come as she worked on her feet, or if she could get Lazhira and company aside. Narkissa was right about one thing now, as indeed she needed to talk and they needed to get things communicated. Fast. Especially if this was the part of the whole shebang where things went to hell and everyone was running about. Maybe.
She hoped it wasn't that far along, but that was not the most important thing to worry about if it was. She couldn't be soft with such a thing, or fumble about in worry and indecision. If her body was a weapon, she needed to apply it to that sort of situation now more than ever.
...Though next time she didn't need to pray to a goddess before fulfilling that little divine request made of her. Yeah, not something her tired mind had thought of before.
Nomura scratched his beak as he watched the commotion commence around the village. Whatever's going on, the merchant is happy to comfort himself with the idea that it wasn't his concern... or at least, it shouldn't have been. He doubled back at Mie's tent, watching as another fox girl made her way into it. Seeing as she matched the description of this "Misaki," Nomura pondered if he should go after her or not.
In the end, he decided to just let her go, for now. It seemed she was going into Mie's grasp already, and it'd be much more efficient if he went out to find Donovan, wherever he was. He figured it'd be much easier to just ask him for the heirloom back, given their rapport.
Still, just to make sure, Nomura looked for Ayumi, making eye-contact with the fox before gesturing towards Misaki. Covering more ground would be ideal.
"... Oh? Ah, yes." Nomura looked to Haruno, bowing in return. "Are you familiar with the foreigner called Donovan? He's about this tall, tends to grasp at his precious regions whenever we meet, spoiks loike this. I was going to ask Bolcha if he knew of him, but perhaps you know where he may be?"
It was clear the Kyrinth had been through here, and that meant there was no further time to be wasted.
In truth, there was a part of Nobunaga who desired for an outcome where whoever they encountered lay down their foolish worship of a wicked and thoughtless deity and surrendered. But she had no illusions about the likelihood of such a thing happening. No, they had already proven themselves quite willing to kill their village's leader in order to obtain their goal.
Therefore, she was prepared to do what she must.
On entrance, Nobunaga noted with some disappointment that Akando was present. But no matter, she had a goal to pursue.
"Lay down your arms and do not consider fighting back," she said, simply, "Or you will be cut down, one way or another."
Her hand tensed, prepared to draw her blade immediately.
"I am well aware of what you are doing here, hunters," she continued, "And it is time for it to end. Be it willingly or with your deaths."
So, it’s the Illuminator, again. In a different guise, was it? Then why was he being vague, as if he hasn’t just met her the other day in the now disappeared temple? She decided to voice as much.
“I feel like we’ve already met.” She then froze, eyes widening slightly as he dropped the bomb that he might have known all of her –and everybody else’s—knowledge ever since arriving. Aside from an ever-eroding sense of self-agency, it was very disconcerting to know that her brain could be read… however it was done. Her eyes narrowed again as Narkissa realized she needed to think fast.
Especially when she started hearing yelling and a grand commotion nearby.
“If you picked my brain,” she began carefully, “Then you should know of at least a dozen ‘powers’ to do such a thing, and the techniques for half of that.” Narkissa didn’t know how to make a nuclear warhead, but if she knew of it, then the gods here would know of it—and wasn’t that the most terrifying thing she thought of since hearing of the whole village fiasco? But considering he was asking for information, it could very well be a bluff…
Frankly though, she didn’t give a damn about the designs for a gun a god made. She could make one herself. It was just making the design into a real thing that was the hard part. She wasn’t a metallurgist. But…
“Supplying the power is easy. Creating designs is easy, I can do it myself-- It’s a bad deal for me. I’ll consider it if you give me the means to make such designs myself… now what giant do you want to kill...?”
If he agreed, she supposed she could reveal the formula for gunpowder. It was a very bad implication, but… she herself had been winging it up til now, and had been very lucky. Being able to make something with actual power was very, very tempting. She peeked anxiously in the direction of the noises, and then back at the god, and then back towards Lazhira’s house. Leannah, where the hell are you?
She really didn’t have the leisure to negotiate for much longer if something in the village was throwing down.
“How do you know about the seal?!” One would shout, though the rumbling from further within the temple, and a harsh wind that would blow out any torches and normal sources of light would quickly silence him.
“And what do you know about the village!” A second would grip the weapon in their hands tightly, obviously both scared and indeed, ready to fight their way out of here if they had too. They most certainly looked ready to fight their way through Donovan and Akando if they had too - but thankfully for Donovan, it seemed he was going to have a little help here. Akando would turn his head to the newcomers - Novak and Nobunaga.
“You are...the ones who helped that day.” He would shake his head. “We don’t have the luxury of time, Novak, but Donovan...convinced me that helping the Illuminator is not in the villages best interests for now.”
The hunters would grit their teeth. They could fight their way through two of them. Even if it was Akando and Donovan, their chances would be good, and likely have enough time to flee before the Kyrnith would come for them...but four people now? There was only a moment longer of hesitation as Nobunaga made her desire for blood obvious, a stark contrast to Donovan’s sympathies.
“...fine!” The apparent leader of them would frown, tossing his weapon to the floor. “We surrender.” The others would follow suit not long after.
“Hm? Now that’s weird.” Mie would say, a curious tone. Briefly, she’d glance towards the forest. “Someone’s angry eh~” An idle comment as she’d move back inside her tent. “Not my problem though...you want me to hide you, I take it? Alright, since we’re kin I’ll let you.” She’d allow them to enter the tent, motioning to the two guards outside to stand at the ready in case someone decided to cause trouble.
“Now why would someone want to kidnap Lazhira?” She’d ask, taking a seat at her usual spot. “I swear things in this village are getting worse by the day. I don’t even think the Oni would be so bold.” She’d chuckle. “Well, come on, have a seat. Buy something if you’re up for it. And since I’m being nice, maybe you can give me something in return hm?~”
Leannah would rush outside, having found no trouble within the cabin. The only sign of trouble she’d see, was a hunter running away from the cabin. A bit further on, she’d barely see Lazhira ducking into the crowd around Mie’s tent. A second hunter was lying nearby on the ground, groaning in mild pain from the burns sustained from the boiling water, trying to seemingly soothe them in a pile of snow.
Well, there were only a few things that could have happened here, but it seemed the immediate danger had passed. She had a singular hunter to interrogate if she wanted, or she could just go after Misaki and Lazhira, or find Narkissa.
“...have we? Oh you must have met her” The god would say with a long, drawn out sigh. “Pain in everyone’s collective side she is, ever since she fled the nest, as they say!”He’d chuckle. “I’m all for a little chaos, but that one...that one needs to remember who made her...” The dark inflection to that tone certainly indicated something amiss, and perhaps even hatred and dislike. “That aside though, lass. Aye, you caught me in a bit of a half lie. I did. But...just because I learn something doesn’t mean I know how it works, how it is. That’s the fallacy here, isn’t it? Ah, it drives me absolutely batty. Knowing everything, but not knowing how one knows. Like being able to answer all questions on a test without having to think about it. Boring, ain’t it?. Ah, rambling again.” He’d chuckle, turning to her second question.
“I want you to kill a god. Which god? I don’t know, I don’t know which one needs killing yet! Me? Auntie? Maybe even my cousin, ahaha! That depends on how this whole thing...plays out...” He’d look towards the commotion. “I’ve got a design. All the parts are in place. I just need...something to get it started.”
Bathing. A more modern luxury than one might give it credit for. Certainly they had baths, but modern plumbing seemed to be something currently beyond them. Perhaps, that should be something for one of them to fix, soon. Regardless, the water would most certainly wipe away the fatigue of the day, soon his body relaxing with the aches and pains melting into the water as he’d begin to consider his own abilities again.
Fire. Heat. Fuel. Energy. All of these were needed to make an engine run. So he would feede the vehicle that was his body. His heart would start beating faster, faster and faster still as he pooled his energy into his heart. In his meditative trance, he wouldn’t realize just how dangerous such a fast heartbeat might have been in his previous life. Nor would he register the pain. Yet, this pain and beating of his heart would soon disappear, fading into nothingness.
Even if he hadn’t entirely realized it at the moment of meditations end, his will would bring forth new power for him.
Ability Gained: Fervent Engine Your heart is your engine. This is true for all, but for you, its truer than most. Your heart boils as does your blood. Your fire flows through your heart now, as does your veins. Stronger, able to coax more force out of your muscles. Faster, able to react and move quicker than your peers as fiery adrenaline guides you.
Remember to not overexert yourself, however. For such a powerful engine needs rest after going full force. Also grants resistance to cold, as your body burns from within. Synergizes with your fiery blood while active, making those who strike you suffer burns from coming into contact with your blood.
He would waken, feeling oddly invigorated despite the travels. Upon opening the door, Nesherit would greet him with a decidedly disinterested look.
“L-last night? Augusta?!” Isidore’s comment though, would cause the young elfs face to flush with mild embarrassment as he’d quickly turn away, but before he could protest further Augusta showed up as well. “I-I don’t- W-we didn’t...uh...” Frowning, the Prince would instead focus on the matter at hand. “...As I said, Mother wishes to speak with you about some matter.” He would say, managing to focus as he’d start walking towards the throne room. “It’s likely regarding some troubles in old Naraheim lately. ” Octavia seemed happy enough to travel with him, for now, trotting alongside the pair happily.
It wasn't long until the pair would reach the throne room, the queen sitting upon the throne as ethereally beautiful as ever.
"Isidore, I am glad you are here." The queen would say with a small smile. "Before we continue, I have a feeling you are the man to ask to solve more...difficult problems. We have had some problems regarding old Naraheim...the old realm of the demons that lay beneath ours."
Stepping into Leuca’s room, she’d be greeted by both Sorcha and the young elf. The two of them already seemed to have been up for awhile, judging from a plate of already eaten food, sorcha being completely dressed in her usual armor while Leuca had seemingly finished a bit of practice doing something that caused her to have been sweating a bit.
“...Augusta. Good morning.” Sorcha would greet. “Here to get started then?”
“Hello, Augusta...is Octavia not here?” She’d question hesitantly. It certainly was looking like Octavia was the cause of Leuca’s uncertainty. “Oh, well...I thought she’d be coming...alright. Uhm.”
“I’ll start,” Sorcha would say, placing a gentle hand on Leuca’s shoulder. “Take a seat next to Leuca. I won’t be repeating myself. Any questions can be asked after I return from training this evening.” She would say, standing in front of the bed. “The Leargas...hm, Is easiest explained as ‘All the combined experience of the Elves.’ Some call it their ‘Ancestral Memory’” She’d begin. “I won’t get into the history, since its not important, just know its an ability the Old Fey created all Elves with so they could better perform their jobs as the Fey’s guardians.”
“U-uhm, its basically sort of...asking the spirits of your ancestors to guide and help, while also making yourself stronger.” Leuca would say. “Uhm, all elves can do it, but it usually requires...really, really, hard training. Some even...die...” Leuca would say with a frown, as if recalling something.
“According to Leuca and the King, you’ll gain brief access to all the knowledge your ancestors did, as well their combined combat experience among other things. As you can imagine...it can even turn a novice warrior into a force to be reckoned with. While all Elves can try - the only ones that have to...are the royalty and their relatives. Any Elf that desires ruling or the throne, must learn the Leargas to prove their worthiness.” Sorcha would fix Augusta with a serious, almost challenging expression. “You can die from attempting this if you are unready. If you still wish to go through with it, then I will test you in combat as both part of your training with weaponry and for this.”
“...I can’t say I’ve met him, no.” Haruno would reply with a frown. “Forgive my impudence, but is there a reason you are asking?” The warrior Oni would ask curiously. Ayumi would run off, having taken Nomura’s cue to leave and go search on her own. Hearing Donovan’s name however, would cause Bolcha to perk up, looking in Malphas’ direction with a mildly surprised expression.
“What are you looking for Donovan for?” He’d ask, perhaps, some mild concern present in Bolcha’s voice.
Some preserved food Enough for two people to last a few days.
Roll of what seemed to be a mat of thick fur, likely for sleeping on Comfortable, but only one.
A heavy looking fur/cloth blanket. Cozy, warm and heavy. Good for sleeping in colder climates.
Communication horn Made from bone, hollow and likely used for communication.
A small pot and a ladle
Frozen canteen of water
Map of the Under roads. A map detailing some routes used by the Dwarves and Shadow Elves to travel in their subterranean homes. Its not entirely complete, but it at least shows the routes to the two most notable settlements and several other places of note. Unless you travel off the paths, you probably won’t get lost.
Before any spicy details could be imagined or sputtered out by Nesherit, Augusta swept in, her presence acknowledged with a nod from Isidore. After last night’s discussions, perhaps she had developed her own reservations about having made a deal so quickly with someone of such influence and prestige. Still, he recognized a favour for a favour and acquiesced, taking a bit of the preserved meat from his pack and feeding it to Octavia.
“Good luck,” Isidore intoned, his gaze lingering briefly on her back as she left. After a couple moments, he returned his attention to the Uruthan prince. “Treat her well,” he said, tone just a touch lighter than before. “And if you lie, know that if she believes you, she’s only playing along.” Well, it was also a question of whether or not Augusta would simply make him obsolete as a royal and relocate him to some comfortable, isolated part of the world after the honeymoon was over. The dark-haired youth personally hoped that things didn’t go in that direction, but this engagement really was more business than romance.
Perhaps the Queen knew of Augusta’s eyes and wanted it.
But such thoughts were unnecessary when he had no means to verify it, and as they neared the throne room, Isidore focused his mind upon the presence, his back straightening some more, his gait taking a more orderly, purposeful measure. Mentally, he reviewed the weapons upon his person again, halberd strapped to the side of his back, longsword at his left hip, dagger on his right thigh. His fatigue last night had prevented him from experimenting with the other avenue of magic he wished to pursue, but he still had a new card in his deck to play if things became dangerous.
When Vasserasa spoke of an underground complex though, of demons sealed away, Isidore recalled the demon-flower rotting away in the depths of that prison and suppressed a smile. “I am flattered,” he spoke, leaving more left unsaid. “Has the Urutha’s relationship with the demons changed? Or does this involve the Elder Beast who continues to worm its way through this mountain?”
“And no, its just a simple cloth and gift from my employer. I was born with a rather nasty disease that rendered my eyes extremely sensitive to even the smallest amounts of light.”
Ah, so it was not anything extraordinary. Although, Nick can't remember any disease back in Earth that made the eyes very sensitive to light. The closest he could think of was epilepsy. "I see. Sorry about your eyes."
“If its a source of light, Viorel can light the lantern for you when you leave. He’s capable of at least that much. Need to get back to work. I think your friend is getting antsy to leave already.”
Nick raised an eyebrow to the last comment and turned his head to the church doors to find an impatient Elisette waiting for him, tapping on her arm and... was she bouncing? Nick let out a sigh. "Yeah, looks like this is goodbye for now. Wish us luck, yeah?" And with that, he parted from the light-sensitive maid to meet up with Elisette. He could not gleam much from his talk with Cynthia about who they were, but he supposed there'll be more chances later.
"Hey, Elisette. Ready to go?" He waved at his warrior companion, feigning ignorance at her impatience. "Let me just ask Viorel to light this torch and we can head out. By the way, what'd you get from the survivors?" He would ask while brandishing his flammable stick.
For the briefest moment, Don's hand rested atop his hammer. Though he preferred not having to use violence here-- Donavan had seen all these men before during his time in Dawn, and knew they didn't pose much of a real threat to his or Akando's safety. Thankfully whether it happened to be by pure chance or some measure of divine intervention, he'd be promptly be joined by two other reincarnators; neither of which Don could recall meeting previously. He wasn't sure who they were nor what they intended to do, but Akando trusted them... So for the moment, Donovan would too.
"Appreciate yer help, lad n' lass." Donovan said, flashing Novak and Nobunaga a bright smile before turning back toward the hunters. "Now, you lot drop yer weapons an' follow meh. Don't yah try any funneh business cuz aye'm fast enuff' tah catch even tha likes ah Soyala, an' if yah won't play nice with meh... Well, then aye'll let tha lass deal with yah."
Taking care to ensure the hunters were disarmed as he'd hurriedly guide them out, Donovan would lead the group around the back edge of the fog; away from the temple, the Kyrnith's territory, and far enough from the town that they wouldn't be spotted. Glancing up, Don would scowl as he noted the sun sitting directly overhead.
It was already midday. He was running out of time.
"Arright then you lot--" he would address the group of captive hunters with a clap of his hands, "Aye'm gonna keep this brief; got ah tight schedule tah keep. Name's Don. I'm a follower ah Suthainn, an somethin' of ah warrior-priest aye suppose. Tha other two'll have tah intrahduce em'selves-- but aye ain't got th' time tah wait for em. Yer gonna answer meh questions. Quickleh, an truthfulleh. First, why kill Enleh? Second, why try tah make tha kyrnith attack tha town, an whose idea were it? Third, what's th' Illuminator's goal ere? Last, what'd he promise yah tah make yah turn against yer own?"
Misaki's eyes would widen briefly before she bowed in thanks, a smile of relief on her face as she entered the tent with Lazirha. Despite the apparent safety, though, the foxgirl felt somewhat awkward when she heard Mie's followup response. With the woman opposite her seated in her usual place and giving them all the more shelter...
Well, it was difficult to buy anything, given her distinct lack of cash, which only really left giving information in return. Given her current plans, Misaki was disinclined to speak at length about papermaking. But as her gaze panned around to the other items floating around the shop, other things to dance around came to mind; maybe not all of them were feasible to pursue in terms of knowledge, but it wouldn't hurt to try and speak about those topics in the interim.
"Hm... Well, I would like to keep the project I began the other day under wraps until I can present a proof of concept to you," the white-haired girl began, choosing to take a seat perpendicular to Mie's own, "but in the interim... I'd like to speak about the ores that you have here. I don't know where you obtained them or where you can obtain more, but if I said that there were more efficient ways to extract more value out of them than the furnaces here do, would that be in any way surprising?"
Her earlier romp around the village made coming to that conclusion fairly straightforward, and given the weapons on the oni (or, at the very least, the ones she had seen), they had the capacity for improved metallurgy beyond just ironworking...
"Of course, you might want someone more versed in metalworking to confirm if my ideas hold up, but, well..."
Hopefully that little bit of information would be enough to dangle in front of Mie and tide her over, if only for now.
"Good morning, Leuca. Sorcha. A pleasant morning, isn't it?" She greeted them. "A busy day requires a early enough morning." She replied to Sorcha's question about starting. "And no. Octavia is not here today."
At Sorcha's behest, she took a seat next to Leuca and listened intently to their lecture on the Leargas. Combined experience of all elves? Asking ancestor spirits to guide and help? Augusta was starting to wonder if she could even dip her fingers into this power, considering her ancestors were from an entirely different world. Hell, this wasn't even her own body. And the attempt to use it could result in death? Well. Perhaps it was because of her certainty in herself, but Augusta didn't seem to have any qualms with the point. "I won't say the idea of death doesn't frighten me but I were to let this stop me here, I might as well not even think about doing more." Augusta stated, looking into Sorcha's eyes with fairly confident eyes.
He didn't expect things to go this smoothly. Perhaps it was just all the trouble that the hunters had put him through, but Novak was pleasantly surprised that they were willing to surrender. He was equally pleased to see that Akando was on his side, opposing the other hunters.
Perhaps now I can find out what they know. Even with how deeply I've gotten into this, I'm still in the dark.
Novak wasn't sure if he could trust the hunters, and he wasn't sure what they'd do with them. After all, if they were released, what would stop them from making further attempts to kill Novak, Enli, and the others? On the other hand, these were villagers who had families and loved ones and every one that they killed would cause mourning among the rest of the village. The best thing to do would be to question them, uncover their motivations, and only then would they have enough information to know how to disarm the threat that they posed, and whether or not it could be done without killing the conspirators.
Novak followed Donovan, taking one of the hunters' surrendered spears with him. He might end up having to give it back depending on how things went, but there was no harm in familiarizing himself with the weapon.
When Donovan began questioning the hunters, Novak saw no reason to chime in, but rather listened carefully to what the hunters would say. Assuming the hunter understood Donovan's words through his thick accent, the man's questions largely coincided with what Novak wanted to learn.
"Ah, he has business with Lady Mie, yes. She told me I should speak to him directly about it." Nomura lied as naturally as he breathed. While it would be helpful to ask for Haruno's help, he's not sure how the Oni would treat poor Donovan if they were to find out the truth. Plus, Nomura himself doesn't know if Mie has kept this a secret to even her Oni or not. Hopefully, this will shake her curiosity off for the time being. Nomura's attention would be grabbed once more at Bolcha's interjection. For some reason, he had a feeling the craftsman would know Donovan. They seemed to be kindred spirits, in some sense. Maybe it's the smell?
"Ah, you have met Donovan too?" Nomura replied to Bolcha, walking over to him if Haruno chose not to stop him further. "Do you have any idea where he may be? I need to speak to him regarding business with Lady Mie. It's quite urgent." He added, before leaning in closer as if to whisper in his ear. "He may be in danger. The sooner I can find him, the better." The matter of whether Nomura truly cared for Donovan's well-being or not is questionable at this time. What is true, however, is Nomura needs to find Donovan and take what he may have stolen from Mie before anyone else could. This may be his last ticket to ensure his safety, after all...
... Oh, and he needs to grab two fishes at some point. But that's on the bottom of his priority.
"Mess With Waifu, Lose Your Laifu 2: Electric Boogaloo"
Hunters. Well that made it simple to see who else was in on whatever the hell was going on, and who was part of whatever the hell The Illuminator was actually trying to do. The one guy had run away from Lazhira's house, that much was good, and there was no trouble remaining within the house itself as well. Good. But the idiot trying to cool his burns in the snow? He wasn't going to be so lucky. Wasn't hard to tell that if Lazhira was running away from her own home these idiots had something to do with it. She was going to oblige their foolishness as well with her own two hands, because the time for answers was here and she wasn't going to hold back on it.
Without stopping, Leannah walked over and grabbed the collar of the burned Hunter, stomping one one of his legs and then yanking him up like a ragdoll and pulling him up to her face. She then channeled all the malice she had into what she said next.
"You're coming with me, asshole. Try to resist, and I will break a limb for each attempt without hesitation. You try to mess with Lazhira or ally of mine again in any capacity or worse, you lose 'ability to walk' privileges for life. You will answer my questions once we get to my destination.
So be a good little follower for me, and be obedient."
From here, the Bastelian would begin to drag the hunter along with her in the direction of Mie's tent. If Lazhira and company were there, she wanted to bring along her prisoner for the ride. No idea where Narkissa was, but this was not something that could wait either. However, just in case...
"Narkissa! If you're around here, I'm headed this way! Have one of the assholes who tried to kidnap Lazhira in tow!"
She shouted aloud so, if Narkissa was at least around Lazhira's house, she'd be hopefully able to hear her. Leannah then continued her trip to head toward Mie's tent with the intent on finding Lazhira and co. Mostly to make sure they were ok, but also to bring a little souvenir along for the ride and for a nice and simple interrogation. If the prisoner tried to struggle she'd follow through with her threat of a limb for every escape attempt. Any attempt to harm Lazhira or co would be met with the promised punishment as well.
Was it cruel? Yes. But she was getting more pissed at the situation with each passing moment. It was time to get things moving.
Whenever she got to the tent guards, she's simply stop there out of respect and politeness before trying to call out into the tent to Lazhira. Let her know she was here and wanted to help...and see if she and anyone else in there was ok. Also that the Bastelian girl herself had a prisoner in tow. One who would have to answer for his actions, admittedly, but that would come sooner than later.
Oh god, this guy really did have a split personality. Literally.
That response was… interesting, though, and she knew there was more to it, especially given what Leannah had told her earlier. From his change of demeanor when reflecting on his other personality, though, it was probably pushing her luck if she pursued the topic.
Equally as interesting, though, was the half-lie Narkissa had apparently caught the Illuminator in. Did that mean he could only do a surface-level reading of her memories? If he simply only knew trivia, but not the underlying principles, that was actually a pretty gimped version of a god of knowledge, not gonna lie. She… sort of understood how the god was so insane, now. To know of everything, but not able to truly understand it all, that was nightmarish.
Then again, she couldn’t predict anything from this guy. “To kill a god,” she pantomimed, with a deadpan expression, before muttering. “This deal is getting worse by the minute.”
But could gods really be killed by something as simple as a bullet from a gun? Was it that easy? It couldn’t be. She looked at him in irritation as she thought about it. If she could just give him a bit of gunpowder without the recipe, that might be acceptable. It really depended on who the being wanted to kill, though, and how much actual firepower he needed.
“…You’re going to have to tell me what god you intend to destroy. But yes, I suppose I could sell you the product that creates such a power…”
The noise from the commotion nearby continued to escalate, until she heard Leannah calling for her… apparently in the aftermath of an attempted kidnapping. She shot the god in front of her a look.
“What is this now. You don’t have anything to do with this, do you?”
The hunters would comply, dropping their weapons, though slowly as they’d fear for their lives. Thankfully, they were not zealous enough to just throw their own lives away. Now whether they’d behave or not was an entirely different question - they would follow quietly, leaving the doomed place of worship along with the reincarnators. As they’d leave out the front door, they could see it - swirling winds, strong and vicious forming into the shape of a cone, starting from the ground and reaching high into the air. It would rip slowly through the path - even ripping chunks of the land and carrying it. No doubt, the entire complex would be rubble. Anyone left inside...well, they were likely not going to survive if there were any left.
“Suthainn?” The hunter would frown. “A foreign god has no power here.” One would grunt.
“We’ve got no reason to answer you.” A second would retort with clear hostility. “Maybe we just wanted to piss him off. That old man has sat on his ass too long.”
“...are you all fools?” Akando would speak. “Look around you! This fog - even I can tell its dangerous! And you want to help him make more of it?”
“The Illuminator has nothing to do with this fog! Its just...a side effect.” It was hard to gauge the truth of their words, and they did have every reason to lie. It seemed like they may need a bit more persuasion than just simple talking at this rate, and two of them were obviously looking for an opportunity to flee now that they weren't being confined in some indoor space between an enraged beast an four people that wanted them dead. "Outsiders, stop meddling!"
“Gah!-” A shriek of pain, as Leannah’s foot would come down on the hunters leg. The burned hunter didn’t have the ability to resist even if he wanted too. She might have gotten a bit too heated there, but he certainly wasn’t going to be fleeing or otherwise attempt wrestling himself from her grip. And drag him she’d have too - he wasn’t in any position to be walking after that injury at least not quickly or fast.
Of course, this would draw quite some attention from other people and the villagers, whispering about stereotypical Bastelian savagery and such, giving Leannaha a wide berth...though the hunters had definitely taken note as she’d drag him up to Mie’s encampment, and towards her tent.
The Oni would stop her before she could get too close, and the other hunter after seeing what Leannah was doing, would flee in the opposite direction, for now their objective seemingly thwarted.
“The ores?” Mie would hum thoughtfully. “Well, I only sell raw iron we mine from Chagawa. I do pick up more special and rare things from time to time in my travels...though I keep those under strict lock and key.” She’d smile. “Unfortunately, refining metal is a slow process that takes some time. If you have some way of making this process more efficient...well, I’ve got two furry ears that are always listening for information.”
Lazhira would meanwhile just take a seat near Misaki, having fallen a bit quiet again, understandably being somewhat pensive about what just happened. She didn’t have much to add to the conversation aside from just listening.
“If it helps, there’s a particular metal found in the deepest parts of the mines. The Oni call it ‘Serpent’s Marrow’ after the giant serpent killed by the guardian beasts. Brittle on its own, but has a curious effect of being able to make other metals stronger. Unfortunately mining and refining large quantities of it to usable states is fairly time consuming, if you can even find it.”
It was around this time the familiar voice of Leannah could be heard outside, calling to Lazhira. Understandably, she’d stay put, not immediately replying until Mie would frown, rolling her eyes slightly. She’d get up, and poke her head out the tent.
“Are you dumb cat?! Keep your voice down-” Upon seeing the prisoner though, she’d narrow her eyes slightly. “I may buy and sell lots of things, but people are usually below me.” She’d make a rather dark joke. “...hm, I think I know why you’re here though. You,” She’d turn towards one of her guards. “Take Leannah and our guest here to one of the empty tents near the back.”
“Me? No! I’d never lay a hand on my cunning little creation.” He’d reply. “Her on the other hand? Well...she’s behind everything, isn’t she? And here I am just trying to have a good time, ahaha!” A boisterous laugh as he’d continue with Narkissa’s other line of thought.
“Auntie! The one sealed beneath here. Well, not really kill, you can’t kill something that’s already just a carcass, but you can...put it to sleep, with enough persuasion.” The Illuminator would sigh. “And don’t worry your head, I won’t be using something as mundane as a mortal construction...I’ve got a little something that can help.” He’d chuckle again. “Well, if it comes to that...if she’s taken care of before it breaks...well, maybe this whole disaster can be avoided.”
“Luck has nothing to do with anything.” Cynthia would say, not bothering to watch as he’d leave. “Succeed by merit, not by luck.” Back to cleaning and looking after the tidiness of the building she would go, not sparing another glance.
“Hey hey!” Elisete would greet him as friendly as ever. “Find anything from the maid?” She’d ask, following Nicholas as he’d go ask the Priestly man to light the lantern. “I talked with a few of the locals...apparently the witch we’re looking for was a kid that isn’t even human.” She’d say with a frown. “I couldn’t get much more out of them, though.” She’d sigh, quieting herself as they’d approach Viorel.
“Hm? A light? Oh, certainly.” He’d make a flourish of movement with his hand, ending with a snap of his fingers and a small flame lighting the end of his finger. “Here we go.” Opening his palm, the flame would soon engulf the torch. “I don’t think the torch will last you long out there, especially if it gets windy. I’d keep the lantern lit, too. And...if you don’t mind me asking, how do you plan on getting past the Undead?” He’d ask.
“Good question.” Elisette would huff. “If it were just me I could just mow them down, no problem.” She’d look to Nicholas. “But this cute guy here’s tagging along and I’d rather he not be zombie food.”
“Hmm...if I may, then.” He’d smile, leaving the podium and walking over to Cynthia. The two would seem to have a small discussion about something, something Cynthia didn’t seem too impressed with, before sighing and seemingly handing him something. “Here,” He would hand a small, silver plated charm to Nicholas. It was of a cross, with a small skull engraved at the top of one arm, something that seemed to be a rose on another similar to embellishments on Viorel’s own vestments. “Just a small protective charm. Should help you remain undetectable to most undead.”
“Woah woah, really?” Elisette would blink in surprise. “Where’d you get something like that?”
“Just something valuable I picked up in my travels.”
Item Gained: Silver Rosary A silver plated amulet in the shape of a cross. It depicts a motif of a skull and rose. Perhaps reminds you of similar religious imagery back on earth. Somehow, it feels less warm than those might, and more cold and still. Like a still, quiet, grave. Has the effect of masking one from most forms of low and mundane forms of undead unless one intentionally aggravates one or makes themselves known.
“If you had something like that couldn’t you get these people out!?” Elisette would ask, understandably a little perturbed.
“If I had enough, but that is the only one I had.” He would shake his head. “You should get going, I doubt you want to be out for long at night.”
“Well, alright then. How do you wanna do this, Nick?” Elisette would ask.
“Hmm...I see the belief that we consort with demons still runs true among humans.” The Queen would say with an almost tired sounding voice. “I suppose I can not blame them, no matter how incorrect it actually is. It is true that in the past, we turned to them for survival. Our ancestors had no other option, you see. The...Sirithen abandoned us, fleeing from the calamity into the forest with their Faerie masters.” She would fold her hands in a triangle shape in front of her, as if contemplating something.
“But that is the past.The only relation we have with the demons is that we leave them alone, and they leave us alone...not that there are even many left, but regardless, the issue has nothing to do with them, anyways. Not directly at least.” She’d stand from her throne, motioning a guard to walk over, handing a sheet of soft, silken cloth to the Queen, and for Isidore to see.
“You see, in the old ruins of Naraheim lie creatures called silk-weavers. Much of our society's cloth and textiles come from these creatures.” She’d sigh, the exquisite looking cloth would have fetched a pretty penny even back on earth from the looks of it. “Harvesting them isn’t much of a problem, but recently something has...caused them to retreat from their usual habitats and the quality of it has also decreased.” She’d turn her attention fully to Isidore. “It may be the work of the Elder Beast of the Mountain, Stieneter, but It usually does not stray this deep. If it has, then that means something capable of scaring an Elder beast has moved somewhere into the land. In short, I would like you to investigate and solve this issue, if at all possible. Worry not, I will see to it you are amply rewarded for the efforts.” She’d make a small motion. The same guard would offer a box to Isidore, opening it and presenting its contents. Inside was a small piece of paper as well as a small ring engraved with what was presumably some sort of royal sigil.
“If you accept, take this written permission as well as the ring and present it to the ones who guard the gate to Naraheim. It will allow you passage unhindered.”
“I see...well, I won’t pry then.” The Oni replied. “If there is nothing else, I shall continue my patrol.” With no further interruption from her, Nomura would be able to speak with Bolcha about Donovan. The craftsman definitely seemed worried about something judging from his previous tone.
“Yes, we’ve met.” He’d reply. “Told me last night he was headin’ into the forest. I feel like...I can trust you a bit,” He’d say, lowering his voice. “Donovan’s the one who told me about Enli and those that have it out for him. I think he went to confront them.” Well, that was good to know likely. If it wasn’t for Malphas already having Bolcha trust and believe him a bit, he wouldn’t have gotten that information about Donovan’s whereabouts. “You could probably wait until he returns...but if its urgent he probably is around the old temple.”
The hunters weren't going to cooperate. Novak shook his head, frustrated in their refusal to give the information that he and Donovan sought. He wasn't sure if it was fanaticism or just spite and anger at having been thwarted.
"Think about your situation for a second," Novak replied, his voice conveying clear anger. "Your secret misdeeds have been revealed. Both the village and the Kyrinth now know that you tried to turn them against one another. Yet...all need not be lost," he said, his anger now subsided.
It was unlikely that they were doing all of this for giggles. If there was a good reason for their extreme measures, if this seal- or whatever was sealed- was a danger to the village, it needed to be found out, lest the outsiders end up causing even more trouble than they resolved.
You see," the reincarnated adventurer continued, "Before he died, one of the other hunters revealed that you protect the seal. Thwarting your guardianship over it was never our intention, we've only been trying to help the village and protect those who graciously gave us shelter, all the while trying not to be murdered for reasons we don't understand. We don't need to be your enemy, but if you spitefully withhold what you know, then your duty will go unfulfilled. Is that what the Illuminator wants? If, however, you are willing to explain everything, then perhaps someone may take up the responsibility to protect this seal. If this duty of yours is a worthy cause, then perhaps your machinations need not be in vain."
In addition to the important matter of finding out why these hunters were trying to stir up conflict with an Elder Beast, Novak needed to know what the Illuminator's agenda was, or at least what his worshipers were up to. It might not change the deal he had gotten himself into, but he would like to know exactly what role he had picked up when he agreed to recover the orb.
Some preserved food Enough for two people to last a few days.
Roll of what seemed to be a mat of thick fur, likely for sleeping on Comfortable, but only one.
A heavy looking fur/cloth blanket. Cozy, warm and heavy. Good for sleeping in colder climates.
Communication horn Made from bone, hollow and likely used for communication.
A small pot and a ladle
Frozen canteen of water
Map of the Under roads. A map detailing some routes used by the Dwarves and Shadow Elves to travel in their subterranean homes. Its not entirely complete, but it at least shows the routes to the two most notable settlements and several other places of note. Unless you travel off the paths, you probably won’t get lost.
“A belief reinforced by your advisor’s interest in them,” Isidore responded lightly.
The work itself was certainly interesting though. He knew nothing about the value of fabrics himself, only that the more people paid for, the less they got out with each incremental increase in price. To have such creatures though, and not make any progress towards raising them like farm animals…either the techniques of the Urutha were lacking, or it was simply culture that caused them to harvest from the wild what could be raised in their own homes. As he contemplated this commission, Isidore pressed his thumb against his chin, dark eyes gazing upon the length of silk that was placed before him yet focused on the troubles of the work ahead. If Naraheim had been a slums or something, that would be his home ground, but dark ruins inhabited by demons and monstrosities? For work that required the touch of an outsider, rather than any elite already in Vasserasa’s employ? It demanded caution, and that did not even include the limited amount of time he had to pursue such tasks.
Three days. Complete the investigation or solve the problem in three days, so she had something tangible to announce at the ball. Three days, compressing the amount of time he already had into something much tighter, much more consuming. It truly was curious, how much faster this world moved. It was something that the Storyteller prepared him for, giving him the physical ability to bear such a world.
“I am a stranger to these lands,” Isidore spoke, removing his hand from his chin and settling it upon the pommel of his sword instead. “As such, I have requirements.” His finger began to tap against the steel. “100 silver coins, to be paid immediately. Access to all information regarding Naraheim, demons, and silk-weavers. And a time piece, to keep on schedule.” With that same crisp, controlled audacity, he took the piece of paper and slipped it into the folds of his clothing, before examining the ring slowly, bringing it up to eye-level.
Framed by the contours of the ring, Vasserasa looked at once massive and minuscule.
“If this is agreeable, your problem will be solved.”
And if it wasn’t?
Well, Isidore never had any real intention of refusing. This would be a good test, after all. A true test of his capabilities in this new world.
