[IC] The Battle for Astrea II [Always Open]

[Animus]

Before Isen'roy could respond to Ashaad's question regarding his 'creed', Adrian Somberwald had decided it was the most appropriate time to cut in.

“The Water Kingdom higher ups, in their ever brilliant wisdom, decided to send me here to take over for Ward and Coy.”

Ugh, Isen'roy thought. One of the types of people he hated dealing with, were pompous government dogs. They always left a foul taste in his mouth. Isen'roy began contemplating whether it was their pointlessly flashy words or that snotty air they had about them off more.

“Individually, I am probably of the same caliber in combat as either Ward or Coy, but my tactical sense is supposedly going to make up for being one person short.”

The latter was always irritating but it definitely had to be the prior. It somehow really got to him. Isen'roy decided to let Adrian finish his speech before deciding what to do.

"...foremost and I am here because I was ordered to, nothing more."

"Can't say I'm fond of dealing with obedient dogs just following orders," said Isen'roy. "Also, you say you're as capable as Jade and Reiner were?" Isen'roy had sparred with Jade before. She had an unorthodox style of wielding her blades but she skilled with them and while she lacked power, she made up with her magic. And while Reiner sometimes seemed like a whackjob at times, he was a sureshot and a master of on the go improvisation.

"Prove it."

@Against This@TheDarkTemplar

[Bubsy 2]

Hazel was much too flustered to explain to Marianne that she had absolutely no intent of being taken apart by any hands, even hers. The combination of Solanne laughing at her and Mari's message had shattered any composure she had. Instead she turned around, and let out a squeak that sounded vaguely like the word 'Eat'. She did indeed try to relate the fact that she was going to go to her tent to eat, but was unable to finish, or even start her sentence. She began to walk away from Mari, Solanne, and Amadeus at top speed. She had no intention of staying and making herself look more stupid. Having friends is much too hard... she thought to herself as she was beating a hasty retreat.

[Against This]

"Obedient dog." Adrian's expression was completely unfazed by the backhanded comment, but the words echoed in his head longer than he wished. It wasn't the first time he had been called such, but such a thing had long lost its teeth against him. But it was the testosterone filled challenge that caused him to pinch his brow, eyes closed, in exasperation.

"I seem to have offended you," he said, not sounding the least bit apologetic. "I assure you that was not my intent and I have no wish to spar with you." Adrian opened his eyes and looked Isen'roy dead on."But if it is any consolation, the gruesome deaths awaiting us should ensure we do not have to tolerate each other for too long," he remarked, his tone all too serious.

[Crimson Lion]

'I'll never under stand girls' Amadeus though as he watched Hazel stutter and leave. In the corner of his eye, he sees Isen'roy, Ashaad, and a third person that he'd never seen before talking to each other near a camp fire.

"Hey Miss Mari, I'm going to go over there for a bit, I'll talk to you later Okay." He said as he removed Marianne from his side, leaving Solanne and Marianne, and began to walk over to the trio at the campfire.

"Prove it." He heard the Phoenix say to the one he hadn't seen before, Amadeus walked next to Ashaad, "You are Ashaad right? The Sand Stalker?" He asked the turban(?) wearing man, "My name is Amadeus Cross."

He then looked at the other two people and then back at the older man, "Ummm, do you know what's going on?" He asked.

@TheDarkTemplar

[TheWendil]

Unlike the Crimson Hound, Marianne was not shy in her giggling to show off just how amused she was by this whole situation. Yes, Hazel had proved to be a very interesting person to talk to. As much as Amadeus had incredible eyes, perhaps she was looking in the wrong place all along? It was hard to tell at this point.

“Farewell for now Mister Amadeus,” the dark mage said to the boy as he departed. That left only her and Solanne to stand in the clearing. A familiar gleam reflected in Marianne’s good eye, one that Solanne was all too aware of.

“So let me guess…”

“There’s no need to say it aloud big sister. You know me better than anyone else, so it’s pretty much a given,” Marianne replied happily. “Now if you’ll excuse, I have more research to conduct.”

She bowed slightly before skipping off towards Hazel’s tent. Said “research” would include messing with the so called Child of Omen a little more, all for her entertainment. Maybe she could even sneak a few organs with her when she was finished.

Solanne watched her go with a sigh and a scratch to the head. It was times like these that she wished Solomon was conveniently around to comment on their strange days. No such luck so far but she hoped the Emerald Glaive made an appearance soon.

“Probably off stealing away poor horses again,” she said to herself before noticing something happening near a tree. It was the gathering Amadeus had left them to go check out. With nothing else better to do, Solanne found a nearby tree and leaned on it with crossed arms to watch whatever happened next.

[TheDarkTemplar]

"Prove it." He heard the Phoenix say to the one he hadn't seen before, Amadeus walked next to Ashaad, "You are Ashaad right? The Sand Stalker?" He asked the turban(?) wearing man, "My name is Amadeus Cross."

He then looked at the other two people and then back at the older man, "Ummm, do you know what's going on?" He asked.

@TheDarkTemplar

@Crimson Lion

Ashaad was getting ready to watch the fight when someone approached him. Looking away from the two bickering Jaegers he stood to greet the man who addressed himself as Amadeus Cross. "That is I. Thought the name 'Sand Stalker' was not of my choosing", Ashaad answered with a slight bow. Looking away to hear Adrian's response to Isen'roy's challenge Ashaad frowned from behind his shemagh. He was actually looking forward to seeing this fight. Combating monsters was one thing, everyone here had to be strong enough to slay them but Ashaad had wondered what a sight it would be to see two warriors of such prowess square off. "Pride", Ashaad answered Amadeus with a disappointed tone in his voice. While sparring with each other would be good to relieve stress, this was more than that. It was infighting, which could prove detrimental to the Jaeger's performance. "Are your men this...egotistical?", he asked Amadeus as he gestured for him to sit by the fire. The two of them could watch the possible brawl and converse further. Ashaad would deal with the Jaegers later.

[Crimson Lion]

"Are your men this ... Egotistical?" Ashaad asked the prodigy child.

Amadeus chuckled a bit at the question, "Only two of them, although there egos can sometimes compensate for the rest of us, and then some." He said, referring to the two other members of team Babette's that where his age, "Who is that?" He asked the man as he pointed with his thumb towards the black haired man.

[TheDarkTemplar]

"Adrian Somberwald. Hails from the Water Kingdom. He is to be the replacement for two of my men", Ashaad answered as he grabbed his flask of Qatar-Shan Fire Wine and held it out to Amadeus. It had been some time since he had an actual conversation and so far it was going rekatively well. Whenever he would enter the tavern back in Qatar-Shan he'd see the men sharing drinks so he figured he best do the same, increase trust between his team and the Babettes. "Tell me, Cross. Where are you from. Your attire tells me Earth Kingdom but you don't look to be from the cities and you are definitely not from the Sandsea", Ashaad already had an idea where Amadeus was from but he wished for the man to say it himself.

[Crimson Lion]

Amadeus cringed a bit at what Ashaad said, "I ... I'm originally from the Sky Kingdom, but some things happened and I had to move to the Earth Kingdom when I was young. I guess no matter where I live I'll still wear Sky Kingdom style clothing." He said scratching his head. He grabbed the drink that Ashaad offered "Thank you." He said as he took a sip and immediately realized it was alcohol. 'I don't exactly like alcohol, but this does taste pretty interesting.' he thought as he drank a little more of the wine.

"I had heard that two Jaegers had left, but I didn't know you guys would be getting a replacement so fast." He said as he tried drank a little bit more of the wine before handing it back to Ashaad. "Interesting drink, what's in it?" he asked curiously, the drink had a sort of kick that would definitely jolt awake any man.

[TheDarkTemplar]

"A fellow wanderer. I fear the war with these creatures will make more of our kind", Ashaad couldn't help but feel somewhat jealous. While Amadeus had to leave his home at least his still exists. As for Ashaad there was nothing left for him. Nothing but a scar across the side of his face. "Spiced Qatar-Shan wine spiked with sand snake venom and left to age for ten years", he answered as he was handed back the flask. Taking a swig himself he shuddered again before putting it away. "At this rate I shall run out of wine", he thought to himself as he heard Amadeus speak about the Jaegers. "Hopefully he is not the only replacement, I highly doubt he alone can fill the soace left by Ward and Jade".

[Crimson Lion]

Amadeus looked down with a sigh, "Blight, monsters that can destroy towns with little effort. Appearing out of no where as if they had crawled out of hell. I wonder why they're here. Where did they come from? Why are they so hostile." Amadeus stopped his rambling before looking up back at the Qatar-Shan, "Whoops sorry, didn't mean to start thinking out loud again." he said embarrassed.

"But I do wonder if there will be another replacement, I can guess that Mr. Somberwald is here to replace Mr. Ward so I am kinda curious on who will replace Ms. Coy." He stated as he reached into one of his many pouches and took out a hand full of hard candies, "Want one?" he said as he unwrapped one and plopped it into his mouth.

[TheDarkTemplar]

"Tis quite fine", Ashaad affirmed while taking one of the candies. "You show that you care for the people, a noble quality. As for these creatures...The three realms have been at war for years. Perhaps this new threat heralds a time of peace. First we must fight for it", Ashaad had hoped his words were true. He'd lost too much to this damn war. To see everything he worked for destroyed by these monsters was not an option. Pulling down the shemagh to eat the candy Ashaad revealed the scar which adorned his face. It was grissly, looking as if that part of his face had been shredded and burned and put back together. It healed badly and left a large scar which looked like his skin had been made to liquid which hardened.

"As for another replacement, I only hope they aren't as unruly as these two", Ashaad commented as he put his shemagh back on.

[Crimson Lion]

Amadeus was surprised to at the scar that adorned Ashaads face but quickly looked away, not wanting to be rude. "Nothing brings people together better than a common enemy." He said as he stood looked down at his watch, "Whoops I was supposed to meet someone awhile ago, I should probably hurry." He said, "It was nice talking to you Ashaad, I hope we can talk again later." he said as he bowed slightly and began to walk away.

Meanwhile at the other side of the encampment, a man brown hair, six katanas at his side, and a bottle of sake in his hand, walked into the encampment looking around, "Now where oh where is this so called 'Prodigy Child' that I'm supposed to meet." Kazeharu said aloud as he took a swig of the alcohol in his hand.

[Eleventhfret]

In a burst of thick black smoke, Harley appeared next to Hazel, a black barbed tail flickering behind him, snaking from his lower back, a grin on his face as he waited for Hazel to ask about it. "What's up, buttercup?" He asked, flashing a wink and a grin, revealing fangs. "Like the new look?" His outfit had also changed, he now wore a black suede vest with a hood attached, studded leather and a red shirt under that, black pants and shoes, and at his waist were two hilts, no sheathes, or blades. He shrugged, grabbed Hazel's food, and arm, teleporting away.

Harley glanced around the thick foliage, they were in a dense forest, even with magic, it'd be hard to track their location. "So, Hazel, what's up? How's things, you especially." He asked as he turned away, glancing at a four-armed monkey sleeping in a treetop before turning his attention to Hazel, walking back to her and running a hand through his hair.
@Diggerton

[Bubsy 2]

Harley found Hazel in a state of disarray. She was definitely still flustered from her encounter with Mari and Solanne. She first snatched her tray of food. She looked at it, then cast it off into the foliage. She had certainly lost her appetite by now. She huffed. Blowing air out of her mouth in an exasperated fashion that was her way of refocusing. She barely registered Harley's change in appearance, despite being questioned directly, and despite the fact that he had become the 'Black Devil' in more than name now. Instead she threw her arms up in exasperation, "For the love of Atros, please warn me before you do something like that!" Hazel has clearly undergone one of her very characteristic mood swings, now all fire. She shook her head. "Don't even get me started! I managed to make myself look stupid in front of Mari and Solanne..." She paused, "And Amadeus too, I guess..." She took another pause before bellowing, "Again!"

She huffed. Again. "And where exactly have you been?! You certainly could of helped..." She finally paused to look at him, taking in his 'new look'. "... And what exactly happened to you?!" She grabbed at his new tail, yanking on it to bring it to her face, examining it. "I'm sure this is the work of that... 'thing' you carry around."

[Eleventhfret]

Harley winced as his tail was yanked, biting his lip. "It's actually for you!" Harley said, the pain that shot up his spine residing after a moment. "I got rid of her, this is the side effect, I guess you could say I'm...tainted?" He said, not really remembering the explanation. "I'm pretty sure Solanne thinks we're all idiots, Mari, loves you. And Amadeus is a lame ass, forget him." Harley said reassuringly. Harley looked at Hazel, taking in her fiery attitude. "I'd almost forgotten about the little Incinerator inside you." He shrugged, then yawning and stretching, he ran a hand through his hair. He recalled having a long, irritating talk with the demoness, and a small kiss, that nearly paralyzed him. He glanced around the thick foliage, slightly disappointed about the food, he'd kinda planned to eat some. "You're not in a hurry to get back are you?"

[Bubsy 2]

Hazel gave Harley and incredulous glance. "Hmmmm... I'm... surprised. I didn't think you'd get rid of it." She begrudgingly smiled, "But I'm glad you listened to me. Although I doubt that's the last you'll see of it, those things don't like being told what to do." She chuckled when he mentioned Mari loving her. "You're wrong about Solanne. And Mari. Although I have to say you've got Amadeus pegged." She yawned, stretching. "No, I don't think Mari can really love anything. She's... even more messed up than us, I think. But I still like her." She gave him a queer look when he asked if she needed to get back, "No, I suppose I have no need to get back. Why?"

[Eleventhfret]

"Because, I'm not particularly in the mood to deal with anyone." Harley motioned for Hazel to follow as he started walking through the thick foliage until a bench came into sight, even with his newly gained proficiency, such a far teleportation was gonna be difficult. "We're about five miles away from your tent." He remarked nonchalantly as he sat on the wooden bench. It was perfect, a bright red, it stood in stark contrast to the peaceful greenery it was surrounded by. A lovely bench indeed. a magical one actually, it never faded, and dispelled all but the strongest nearby scrying and invisibly magic. He cracked his knuckles, then back, then neck, the noises resonating. "Also, please don't yank my tail, it's connected to my spine." Harley remarked, gently rubbing the smooth surface of his new tail.

He grabbed the hilts at his side, holding them like swords, he focussed energy into his palms, suddenly causing the hilts to project blades, a Shiiing ringing out. "You dig?" Harley waggled a brow at Hazel, those swords certainly weren't easy to acquire.

[Bubsy 2]

Hazel followed Harley. As they came into the clearing she took in the scene. It was certainly an impressive bench, and not exactly ordinary. She could feel the magical power it held. She momentarily wondered who would take the time to place a magical bench in the middle of nowhere then shook her head, dispelling the thought. She took a seat next to Harley. "I'll only yank it if you make me angry. Consider it motivation to not piss me off." She looked at his new weapons, "Neat swords though... it looks like you've been pretty busy since I've last seen you." She decided now would be a good time to 'work' on Harley. It might've been hard for her to get Marianne's affection, but Harley was easy enough. She scooted a little closer to him, starting to lean against the boy. She'd managed to get used to him over the past month, unlike Mari, and managed to overcome her bashfulness. "So tell me, if you're not in the mood to deal with anyone, why exactly did you come and retrieve me?" She said playfully.

[Eleventhfret]

Harley blushed, the red tint on his bronze skin hardly lasting more than a second. "Because, I like you, I mean, a lot. Not too much! But enough, because, you know, you're uhh, ya know.." Harley then trailed off quietly, not really able to form anything resembling a sentence. "And good hair, too." He said as he regained his basic speech abilities. He looked over the girl, almost to make sure she was pretty, after all, while that demon hung around, anything with boobs was 'pretty'. He sheathed the swords. He chewed his bottom lip, looking at the bench, doing all he could not to look at Hazel, for fear of blushing, she was so close to him, he felt as if he might melt. "Did you know this was invented by a group of Assassins? They set it here so that it was as inconspicuous as possible, it's got protection from scrying and invisibility spells." He half-lied, he didn't know if there were assassins, but he did know about the enchantments. He looked over at her and blushed immediately turned to the table. "It's like, humid out here or something." He managed, albeit nervously and awkwardly.