Animus

The Hourglass Order

Carmillia Carbonneau

Place: Carmillia's Dorm
Time: The Past: Orredes, Assani 13, Dami-Zept 54, 3:03 HI

Even for someone like Carmillia, going without sleep for two nights was starting to take its toll. The past two days had been eventful. Twenty-five students who had passed his test had been summoned into the Paradigm's study. Right after, Hugo split them into teams and casually used temporal magic to dispatch them to their assigned missions. The Lorentine Queen had ended within that night itself, late into the hours of Shune. Though some others in her team had taken the day off, Carmillia herself had gone about her lessons as usual. The rest of Pandes was spent socializing and assembling the rest of the hand.

Which meant it was only now, in the wee hours of the morning, that she was finally alone. It would be prudent to get an hour or two of rest, enough to power her through Lepdes but there was one last matter to attend to.

Sitting upon her nightstand was a tome. It was one of items, amongst several others that Hugo had retrieved from the Lorentine Queen on his accord. Which meant our mission was entirely a farce, that old fart could have retrieved the Lyre on his own. The haul consisted of three chests; two containing freshly-harvested spratz and the other containing gold, five schluckodil eggs, an exquisite-looking and bejeweled wand, a strange map in a waterproof tube, a box of Kerremen watches and lastly, an old and leather-bound tome.

Truth be told, Carmillia's interest in the items had centered around the chest of gold. However, Hugo had other plans in mind and had chosen to divide its contents amongst them. Manfred had abstained for some reason, the Kerreman had been throwing a fit ever since what happened to Dorothea. Even after the mission and back in Hugo's study, he was still staring daggers at her. Not that Carmillia minded, as there were more spoils for her. That meant the remaining five of them each received an egg each as well. Out of the remaining items, Carmillia had almost requested for the wand when Zarra single-handedly began making a huge commotion about the demonic looking tome and how it was a perfect fit for him.

It had been tempting to challenge him for the book as a petty revenge for the trouble he had caused her aboard the casino. Her fractured relationship with Dorothea and Manfred's anger at her were largely a result of his chaotic actions. But Carmillia was not the type of irrational individual that would do so for such an inconsequential reason. Much to Zarra's dismay, she had called for the book only due to the fact that it had called for her.

The tome had laid untouched in her dorm, but it was now time to unravel its secrets.

Now, what exactly do you contain, little grimoire?

As if sensing her thoughts, it began emitting a shadowy and ethereal glow. It was a new reaction, something it had not revealed itself capable of doing back in the study. Carmillia wagered if Zarra knew the book was capable of this, he would be kicking up an even bigger fuss. The very thought made her smile in glee. In response to that, the tome now began pulsing.

"Impatient, are we?" said Carmillia.

Taking risks was folly but a life spent avoiding them was tantamount to insanity. She had ignored the aberration back in Zeno Fades-in-Moonlight's townhome because the risk hadn't been worth the reward. Her instincts were roaring at her that this was not the case here. She reached out and grabbed the tome.

The backlash was immediate.

Malevolence.

Though she had discerned sentience in the tome, no, grimoire when it had first called for her, that faint sensation was unlike anything she was currently experiencing. What dwelled within the book was a being of unfathomable power and malice, to the extent that even Carmillia felt repulsed. Despite her attempts, she found herself unable to let go of the ancient book.

ℭ𝔞𝔯𝔪𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔦𝔞 ℭ𝔞𝔯𝔟𝔬𝔫𝔫𝔢𝔞𝔲.

Though the word weren't spoken out loud, she heard the whisper clear as day. And just as she did, flashes of imagery and knowledge seared themselves into her mind. Pain. She was subjected to pain far beyond anything she believed possible. It was as if her brain had been forcefully ripped apart and meticulously put back together, albeit with additional parts. In that split second, she developed a sparse but unmistakable understanding of what dark magic was, and the being that had given her that knowledge.

She felt her knees buckle but she held strong, her pride refusing to let her kneel. Her entire body shivered with weariness.

"...Belthagor," said Carmillia, after a brief pause.

ℑ 𝔥𝔞𝔳𝔢 𝔟𝔢𝔢𝔫 𝔴𝔞𝔦𝔱𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔣𝔬𝔯 𝔬𝔫𝔢 𝔴𝔦𝔱𝔥 𝔞 𝔡𝔦𝔰𝔭𝔬𝔰𝔦𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫 𝔰𝔲𝔠𝔥 𝔞𝔰 𝔶𝔬𝔲𝔯𝔰. 𝔅𝔢 𝔥𝔬𝔫𝔬𝔯𝔢𝔡 𝔠𝔥𝔦𝔩𝔡, 𝔣𝔬𝔯 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔤𝔦𝔣𝔱𝔰 ℑ 𝔰𝔥𝔞𝔩𝔩 𝔤𝔯𝔞𝔫𝔱 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔞𝔯𝔢 𝔣𝔞𝔯 𝔣𝔯𝔬𝔪 𝔱𝔯𝔦𝔳𝔦𝔞𝔩.

Carmillia was not one to miss significance in words. Gifts. Plural. She immediately braced herself, and she was right to do so. While it was several magnitudes less than the previous assault, more knowledge was smashed into her very being. This time, she refused to even twitch.

If what Belthagor had engraved into her mind prior was a foundational understanding of the concept of dark magic, what had just came was a level higher; the skill and knowledge to cast five elementary spells of the school. As if to test her new-found powers, she raised her remaining empty hand and fired a bolt of dark energy towards a stool on the opposite end of the room. The bolt sizzled out of reality midway but not before taking nearly half the stool with it.

There had been no impact. No explosion. Instead, part of the stool had simply been erased from existence.

She stared at it in amazement. Though her skill with it was mediocre at best, she had just drawn more energy that she had ever used for any singular spell and in an instant. The results of the dark bolt were also terrifying.

She could sense Belthagor's amusement.

𝔚𝔬𝔲𝔩𝔡 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔟𝔢 𝔦𝔫𝔱𝔢𝔯𝔢𝔰𝔱𝔢𝔡 𝔦𝔫 𝔭𝔞𝔯𝔱𝔞𝔨𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔦𝔫 𝔞 𝔤𝔞𝔪𝔢 𝔬𝔣 𝔠𝔥𝔞𝔫𝔠𝔢?

The imagery of an advanced spell flickered in her mind. It was a spell on the level of the Paradigm himself. The possibilities of such a spell were limitless. She could spy on whomever she wished, steal whatever she desired. In a way, it even granted her invulnerability.

"And if I lose?"

ℑ 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩 𝔯𝔢𝔳𝔬𝔨𝔢 𝔪𝔶 𝔩𝔞𝔰𝔱 𝔤𝔦𝔣𝔱.

Tomfoolery. This was not a gamble by any means. Her understanding of Belthagor told her how much the creature valued its words. Revoking his last gift meant she would lose the knowledge of the five spells he had given her. But that was it; Carmillia was not barred from relearning them on her own. Carmillia lacked in the RAS department, but her aptitude for learning magic was prodigous. This was by no means a heavy penalty. But the spell he was offering? It was at a level that could take her years even if she dedicated herself fully to the task.

"I accept. Begin the game."

She could see a twenty sided die in her mind's eye. Though the numerals that laid on its faces were of a language she did not recognize, she knew their meanings.

The shadowy die began rotating, increasing the speed of its revolutions till it become a blur before abruptly stopping. Nine. Though Carmillia was unaware of how much she was required to roll for, a number that dwelled in the middle didn't bode well.

The book becomes frigid to the touch. Sound deadens and lights flicker. For a moment, the world wavers and something else peers through the translucent fabric of reality.

ℭ𝔥𝔦𝔩𝔡, 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔥𝔞𝔳𝔢 𝔩𝔬𝔰𝔱. 𝔅𝔲𝔱 ℑ 𝔞𝔪 𝔪𝔢𝔯𝔠𝔦𝔣𝔲𝔩. 𝔜𝔬𝔲 𝔪𝔞𝔶 𝔯𝔬𝔩𝔩 𝔬𝔫𝔠𝔢 𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔢. ℜ𝔬𝔩𝔩 𝔞 𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔯𝔱𝔢𝔢𝔫 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔞𝔟𝔬𝔳𝔢 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩 𝔨𝔢𝔢𝔭 𝔶𝔬𝔲𝔯 𝔣𝔦𝔳𝔢 𝔰𝔭𝔢𝔩𝔩𝔰. ℌ𝔬𝔴𝔢𝔳𝔢𝔯, 𝔯𝔬𝔩𝔩 𝔱𝔴𝔢𝔩𝔳𝔢 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔟𝔢𝔩𝔬𝔴 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩 𝔣𝔬𝔯𝔢𝔳𝔢𝔯 𝔩𝔬𝔰𝔢 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔞𝔟𝔦𝔩𝔦𝔱𝔶 𝔱𝔬 𝔞𝔠𝔮𝔲𝔦𝔯𝔢 𝔱𝔥𝔞𝔱 𝔰𝔭𝔢𝔩𝔩.

Yet again, it was an easy choice for Carmillia.

"I refuse."

𝔜𝔬𝔲 𝔞𝔯𝔢 𝔶𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔤. Belthagor's voice crackled and hissed like flame in her mind's ear. 𝔄𝔫𝔡 𝔫𝔬𝔱 𝔥𝔞𝔩𝔣 𝔞𝔰 𝔟𝔯𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔦𝔞𝔫𝔱 𝔞𝔰 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔟𝔢𝔩𝔦𝔢𝔳𝔢, 𝔟𝔲𝔱 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔥𝔞𝔳𝔢 𝔩𝔢𝔞𝔯𝔫𝔢𝔡 𝔞 𝔩𝔢𝔰𝔰𝔬𝔫 𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔰 𝔡𝔞𝔶; 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔭𝔬𝔴𝔢𝔯 𝔱𝔥𝔞𝔱 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔫𝔬𝔴 𝔥𝔞𝔳𝔢 𝔞𝔠𝔠𝔢𝔰𝔰 𝔱𝔬 𝔦𝔰 𝔫𝔬𝔱 𝔞 𝔭𝔩𝔞𝔶𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔫𝔤. ℑ𝔱 𝔦𝔰 𝔫𝔬𝔱 𝔠𝔥𝔞𝔬𝔰. 𝔗𝔥𝔢𝔯𝔢 𝔦𝔰 𝔞 𝔯𝔥𝔶𝔪𝔢 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔞 𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔰𝔬𝔫 𝔢𝔳𝔢𝔫 𝔱𝔬 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔳𝔬𝔦𝔡. 𝔜𝔬𝔲 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩 𝔩𝔢𝔞𝔯𝔫 𝔦𝔱, 𝔠𝔥𝔦𝔩𝔡, 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩 𝔭𝔯𝔬𝔰𝔭𝔢𝔯 𝔟𝔢𝔶𝔬𝔫𝔡 𝔶𝔬𝔲𝔯 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔡𝔢𝔰𝔱 𝔡𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔪𝔰.

The die began spinning once more. Belthagor had not requested of her choice in the matter this time. Fortunately for her, it stopped on a larger number, seventeen.

𝔗𝔥𝔦𝔰 𝔡𝔞𝔶, 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔥𝔞𝔳𝔢 𝔟𝔢𝔢𝔫 𝔰𝔱𝔲𝔫𝔤 𝔟𝔶 𝔶𝔬𝔲𝔯 𝔤𝔯𝔢𝔢𝔡 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔦𝔪𝔭𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔢𝔫𝔠𝔢, 𝔟𝔲𝔱 ℑ 𝔥𝔞𝔳𝔢 𝔡𝔢𝔠𝔦𝔡𝔢𝔡 𝔱𝔬 𝔯𝔢𝔱𝔲𝔯𝔫 𝔱𝔬 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔱𝔥𝔞𝔱 𝔴𝔥𝔦𝔠𝔥 𝔴𝔞𝔰 𝔩𝔬𝔰𝔱. 𝔇𝔬 𝔫𝔬𝔱 𝔢𝔵𝔭𝔢𝔠𝔱 𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔰 𝔪𝔢𝔯𝔠𝔶 𝔞 𝔰𝔢𝔠𝔬𝔫𝔡 𝔱𝔦𝔪𝔢, 𝔣𝔬𝔯 𝔦𝔱 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩 𝔫𝔬𝔱 𝔟𝔢 𝔬𝔣𝔣𝔢𝔯𝔢𝔡.

Four spells would be returned to her. One would have to be forfeited. This was Belthagor's mercy.

Place: The Student Faire
Time: The Present: Lepdes, Assani 29, Dami-Zept 54, 1:07 HE

Her application to The Fauna Society would likely go without a hitch. Beryl Mundi had excitedly chatted about Rody. Schluckodils were a rare sight in Ersand'Enise and she was pleased to have one added to their society's registry. Carmillia duly noted that unlike Evander, Beryl had abstained from asking Carmillia how she had come upon him. An implication that many of the exotic creatures that were shown in the faire were obtained by shady means. There was perhaps a business oppurtunity after all.

The Fauna Society was the only selection that deviated from her original plans.

Carmillia had quickly dropped by The Gamers Union. Originally, she had deemed it necessary to join at least one 'surface' club in order to maintain appearances. Now, those clubs numbered two, including The Fauna Society. The Gamers Union was a logical enough choice, it was large club known to all and there were plenty of opportunities to be harvested. Though it was kept hush, given that many of its members possessed economic clout, it was no surprise that rumors of an illegal gambling ring existing spread. It was two birds with one stone.

Jonas Hahn, the current head of The Gamers Union was manning the booth. Through a combination of her inconspicuous magic and distractions with her silver tongue, she ended Jonas' 15-0 streak in chess, begrudgingly earning his respect as well as five incantors. However, Carmillia wagered if a rematch were to occur on equal standings, she'd lose nine out of ten times. The alumni was irritatingly capable at chess.

Her victory had resulted in an awkward silence from the surrounding crowd but Jonas had quickly rebounded from his dismay and turned it into a celebratory occasion. He was pleased that talented new member was entering the fray.

The two remaining clubs she aimed for were the underground ones: Faceless and Rat Bastards. It was necessary that she entered them under a secret identity, less the backlash affected her public appearance. Faceless had been the more difficult of the two to gain access to. Through his own efforts, Bernhard had finally managed to find a seller willing to sell his invite, though at an exorbitant price. If not for the gold bar given to her by Hugo, she wouldn't have been able to afford it with the current funds she had brought to Ersand'Enise.

The Rat Bastards on the other hand, was a whole other story. As long as you could prove it, any bastard or orphan was allowed to join. Even if you weren't one, you could buy your way in. But the latter method came with its own disadvantages. The camaraderie that existed within The Rat Bastards wasn't extended to such people, not at the same level. It turns out that bastards and orphans are a scrutinous bunch. Bribes to administration had to be paid for Carmillia to meticulously create a false identity believable enough for her to be accepted. Elena Albiso, codename: The Muscle. The codename assigned to her irked her.

The Muscle, really? Eshiran damned bastards.

Carmillia’s Club Selections

Guild: Magicians’ Guild
Clubs: The Fauna Society, The Gamers Union, Rat Bastards, Faceless

The Hourglass Order

Carmillia Carbonneau

Place(s): Corridor to Upper Deck and Lower Deck Corridor, Lorentine Queen
Interactions: Various @Medili

Pentad be damned.

The events onboard the Lorentine Queen were far past simply grating on her nerves. Her frustration was peaking. Time and time again, her plans were constantly foiled by either imbeciles or strokes of bad luck. All she had left to do was to maintain appearances for little while more before heading after Leon and the Lyre. But with gigantic reptilians sieging the ship, her reputation with the peasants would be tarnished if she were to leave now.

"So, what now..." Mortas faltered when he realized he didn't know how to address her.

"Carmillia. Carmillia Carbonneau."

"What now, Miss Carmillia?"

The two of them observed the scene of chaos before them. Already, most of the rioters had fleed to the upper deck. Only a few had remained, those loyal to Mortas and others who had been inspired by her earlier speech.

"Well, first off, I'd like to give you my commendations, Mortas. You wouldn't have been much of a partner as an up-and-coming revolutionist if all it took to send you running was a few big scary lizards.

Mortas gruffed in annoyance.

She smiled.

"People tend to exaggerate when in a panic. I doubt there's four of them. Probably two, at most. If we're lucky and that lad only had a single ball, there's only one of those demon spawn."

Carmillia turned to look at Mortas, awaiting his response. She was testing him.

"We'll have to take it on in the corridors. Use its own size against it. We'll need to bring it around in circles. Buy us enough time to get this boat to shore," he said.

"Live bait! How exciting. I'm starting to like you more and more, Mortas."

Mortas scoffed.

"Stop it, woman," he responded. "Their hides are too thick. Even if we had a proper spear as opposed to—" Mortas bent down to pick up a shaft of wood from a splintered table. "—...this, only an enhanced gifted would have enough strength to pierce through their skulls. You might have been acting earlier, but I doubt you're secretly a leadvein." He paused. "Are you?"

He's quick on the uptake. A good asset. Mortas understood that running away to the upper deck was tomfoolery. It only delayed the inevitable; once the ship sunk, they'd all be fishfood. He was also coolheaded and rational enough to understand that they couldn't simply take the schluckodils on.

"I'm not. Your plan's good, Mortas, and as much as I would enjoy seeing you get chased around by schluckodils for the rest of the night, there's no need. I have allies on the ship who are capable of taking down giant lizards."

"You...didn't...need...to—"

"Shut up and keep running."

Carmillia, Mortas and a bunch of other rioters were running through the corridors on the lower deck. Carmillia's earlier deduction had been right; there was only a single schluckodil. However, it didn't make situation any less terrifying. The massive beast barely fit within the corridor walls. The sides of the creature were smashing apart the handrails as it barreled after them.

They had found the creature near the kitchen, feasting upon the remains of rioters trapped underneath the rubble of destroyed wood. It didn't take much to get its attention. Schluckodils were extremely territorial.

Mortas had insisted to be the rearguard which left Carmillia without much choice to be by his side. Without Mortas, the deal was likely to fall through. It was an incredibly daft thing to have the old man run at the rear and he was clearly struggling as he ran through the water. But in order to lead the peasants, one had to lead with their own actions. Mortas knew that. Begrudgingly, so did Carmillia.

That said, things were getting dicey. There was no doubt that her allies would attempt to save the ship by killing the schluckodil. However, she didn't know their exact location. Leon was nowhere to be seen when she passed the entertainment hall. It was unlikely that the rest had remained at the cargo hold either.

All she could do now was keep running.

The Hourglass Order

Carmillia Carbonneau

Place(s): Corridor to Upper Deck and Entertainment Lounge, Lorentine Queen
Interactions: Various @Medili

"Is it not our rights to take what is owned to us from those so-called noble leeches? Indeed it is! Today, this boat! Tomorrow, the country! Down with the Rednitz!"

Pointless talk. You've got guts, I'll give you that. But even a monkey is more capable of forethought.

The type of person she hated the most was someone who lived within their assigned 'roles', never seeking better. In that respect, Carmillia felt a hint of approval towards these rioters. Of course, all of that was washed away by the imbecilic way they were going about things. Did they really think they'd make a difference like this? This was just random violence. Burning down a boat and killing a bunch of mages assigned to run the steam engines achieved nothing.

She dismissed her reprovals with a sigh and started working the cogs in her brain.

There was an oppurtunity to be harvested here.

"You might not be noble scum, but you money-grubbing merchants aren't much better. Why should we listen ta' you?"

The man speaking to her had introduced himself as Mortas Dred. The current ringleader of the rioters on the upper deck. Carmillia had approached him and curtly pointed out the futility of their actions. He didn't seem to take her words too kindly.

"Eshiran's Bones! Tell me why we shouldn't be gutting you right now instead?"

The men at his side moved to surround her. Knuckles were cracked. Sneers and menacing grins were shown. Essentially, they were doing their best impressions of third-rate thugs trying to be intimidating.

She refrained from yawning. Without batting an eye, she gave her response.

"Go ahead."

Noone moved. Carmillia's lack of concern was no doubt confusing to them. They were worried she unfazed due to the fact she was a powerful mage. It couldn't be further from reality. Her napalm canisters were used up and she was fatigued from overdrawing. She still had her trusty dagger but the odds weren't looking great. Despite all that, she continued her charade by raising an eyebrow.

"What's wrong? You don't actually think I can take on all of you at once? Go on, kill me. Then you can continue burning this ship till it sinks. Tomorrow, you can storm the capital and finally kill the oh so hated Rednitz. Once that's done, the country is yours. It's a bloody great plan, if you ask me."

The weight of her words seemed to finally penetrate their thick skulls. Even these obtuse men understood they were simply that they'd hadn't exactly thought everything through and that there would be consequences for their actions. That being said, rabble like these don't take well to be told they're wrong. They'd rather suffer than experience the humiliation of admitting their fault.

"Shut the hell up, ya stinking merchant whore!" yelled one of the men. He swung a fist straight at her. She was capable of dodging it but she took it square in the face. A sickening crunch could be heard and the blow her sent sprawling onto the ground. After a moment's rest, she got back up despite the throbbing pain. Blood dripped from her nose.

"That's what ya get for running your mouth. And it's far from over."

The man was grinning, his frustration at her words replaced by the satisfaction of violence. Cheers could be heared from his comrades. They were all elated at putting Carmillia in her place. They jeered at her.

She burst out laughing.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" She sputtered. "I'm sure the Rednitz are going to enjoy it just as much when they do it to your families."

It was as if her words were an icy hell that froze them all over.

Rabble would rather suffer than experience the humiliation of admitting their fault. But would they choose to make their loved ones suffer?

"Maybe all does go well. Maybe when you storm the capital, you manage to kill all the Rednitz. I can't say it's impossible. But what are the odds of that happening? You might be willing to bet your lives on that tiny chance but are you willing to bet the lives of your families?"

Carmillia had intentionally let him hit her. She wanted to drive home to them that right now, she was a helpless girl at their mercy. Just like how their families would be at the mercy of the Rednitz House if their revolution failed. And it would fail. They knew it. They had no plan. They had no means of taking the Rednitz down. They were just indulging in a fantasy and getting high off the chaos.

"Get of your damned high horses. Look at what we're on. A river casino. Instead of being at home, spending time with those that actually matter, you're here getting drunk and pissing whatever meager coins you have away. The irony. Who do you think owns the Lorentine Queen? You're throwing back your coin at the Rednitz!"

At this point, she was surrounded by far more rioters than Mortas' original lackeys. They had come to observe what was happening. They had heard her words. Now they were all speechless and at a loss. The silence continued until Mortas spoke up.

"So we suffer in silence? Live our lives like their dogs and be happy with what we have? If that's the case, I'd rather spare my family from living a life of servitude!"

Mortas had yet to give up. He was still trying to breathe life back into the riot but his words lacked the charisma it had earlier. It was glaringly obvious. Everyone observing could sense it.

"No, you fool. You avoid pointless deaths and senseless violence. You play the game they play. The game of plots and schemes. Sure, you might not have any experience in it but fortunately for you, you have me."

"Ha! You're just some girl."

"Am I? Even without resources or tools or power, I've brought all of you to a stop with just my words."

Murmurs could be heard all around.

Mortas was stunned. It dawned upon him that Carmillia had orchestrated and planned everything from the start. That even getting hit was part of her calculations. He shuddered at the thought.

"...even if you are that capable. And I'm saying if, why should we trust you?"

Carmillia took out a handkerchief to wipe away the blood off her face. She wrinkled her nose and regretted it instantly as pain shot through her face. On the bright side, it was starting to clot.

"Because I'm a money-grubbing merchant. And when things change for the better, you'll owe me a cut of the revenue from the spratz. Along with other benefits like tariff exceptions throughout the Feskan region and what not. The only way you can trust anyone is if they need you. And with this deal, we'll need each other."

Carmillia looked up at Mortas and then around her.

"Any disagreements? No? Then first up is getting the rest of the rioters up to speed so this boat doesn't sink. Can't have you drunks be drowning before we actually accomplish anything."

Noone seemed to move. Until Mortas spoke up.

"You lot heard her, get your asses moving."

The Hourglass Order

Carmillia Carbonneau

&

Leon Solaire

Collaboration between @Jumbus and @Animus
Place(s): Covered Verandah and Entertainment Lounge, Lorentine Queen
Interactions: Firebrand & Various @Medili@Force And Fury

---

As Carmilla took Leon’s hand and, therefore, his offer to dance, Leon gently pulled her toward him. Then placed her right arm to come around his chest with the hand landing on his back while Leon rested his left hand on her shoulder. Their other hands joined out toward the side and they were beginning to dance. The place Leon decided to position Carmillia’s hand would not go unnoticed. In Perrence and surrounding cultures, it was expected for the male to symbolically support his partner’s back during such a dance. Leon had intentionally reversed the gender roles of it.

While the decision to dance nor the reversal of gender roles was out of place, especially during such an event as this, it was nothing that couldn’t be explained away as more of Leon’s eccentric behaviour. But only to Carmillia would the real message be revealed as she felt something against his back. She had seen nothing out of the ordinary earlier. But sure enough, the wooden frame of an instrument could be felt there. It was the lyre. He was using illusion magic to hide it on himself.

Meanwhile, Leon seemed not to acknowledge this discovery at all. Without a word, he was telling Carmillia that he possessed the lyre while keeping suspicion from onlookers.

Carmillia matched him beat for beat, the revelation of the Lyre's location seemingly not bothering her. Any curious onlookers that had noticed the pair dancing on the verandah and come to observe would have found nothing amiss, other than the fact the two of them were twirling about admist a riot. But such an act wasn't too surprising when one was talking about the likes of Leon and a person he'd chosen to dance with.

In truth, Carmillia's inner thoughts were in turmoil.

I could snatch it right from him right now, she thought. Even though all signs of Leon's laborious breathing had vanished when they begun dancing, either out of false bravado to put up a front for her or the various beaten, bruised and drunk observers that were streaming in, the occasional tremble told her enough.

And do what with it? She admonished herself. Her innate greed had always acted as a powerful motivator but it was pointless unless she was in control with it. Leon was an ally, for now.

Contrary to Leon's expectations or intentions, he was having fun with the dance. Of course, it was not the focus of such a conversation. But he did not expect Carmillia to dance so well. For a shy girl, at least shy in his perception, she danced with a degree of confidence.

They were performing a standard Perrench waltz routine, albeit with reversed gender roles. Carmillia chose her time to speak carefully. As Leon twirled away in a spin, she gently snapped him back with a tug and he rolled back into her arms.

Leon returned from the spin with a tug from Carmillia, perfectly timed with the imaginary rythym. Now close to her, he awaited a response. He could only hope she had read between the lines of his actions.

"I'm not too sure either Manfred or Eun-ji would be happy that you made off with it like this." Though her words were chiding, her tone was gentle and hushed.

Leon chuckled. Then spoke matching his company's volume in turn. "No, I'm not sure they would be happy with all this at all. But Manfred and... Eun-Ji, they don't need to know right now." Leon's gazed wandered onto the walls of the entertainment hall they came from, his head turning to adjust to where the waltz took the two. "People who follow orders so tightly are rarely good at dancing after all." He remarked in an offhanded but matter of fact demeanor.

Carmillia momentarily pictured either of the two dancing. She could imagine the stoic Kerreman being versed in standard ballroom dances due to his noble heritage. Eun-ji most likely knew some traditional Tan Keoulian dances. She doubted that they would have been particularly skilled at them.

The thought faded away quickly. They weren't of importance at the moment.

What was important was to steer the conversation towards the topic of the Lyre. What were Leon's plans for the artifact? Patience, she thought. There was no need to rush. He had revealed on his own accord that the Lyre was on him. That discussion would come organically. Humor him.

Though she was still somewhat fatigued from the earlier brawl against the agents, she worked her magics on him. She was normally wary of employing her magic on him but she doubted he'd detect it in his current condition.

Leon was lost in the dance while waiting on Carmillia's response. His thoughts wandered to Manfred and Eun-Ji. How would they really react when they saw he had the lyre?

Manfred would probably try to take it from Leon by force if nessecary. It was about as much as he expected from a Kerreman soldier. And force would be necessary to take it from Leon's hands. He could not fond out yet.

Then Eun-Ji. Truthfully, he didn't know how she would react. But he doubted he could have much fun flirting with her afterwards.

Leon would let them know eventually. But first they had to learn to dance as Carmillia does.

"Are you implying I'm not good at following orders?" she asked, smiling as she did so.

Tendrils of magic worked their way into Leon, releasing endorphins that would relax him and cover up his fatigue. A temporary rejuvenation spell.

Carmillia's response snapped him out of thought. His gazed gently returning back to her. With a refreshing surge of energy, he was feeling a lot better. Even on the surface, his smile grew wider. But this time the smile held a more genuine quality to it.

"I didn't say that Carmillia. Truth be told, I know very little about you." Leon readjusted Carmillia's on his back, further onto the lyre. "But there is a reason I chose to waltz with you under the pale moonlight and not them."

Carmillia raised an eyebrow.

"We made an agreement to help one another. And I always keep my word."

"I'd argue that the one who's providing aid at the moment would be me."

Leon looked back toward Carmillia with some confusion. "How so?"

She smiled at his reaction. "Why, I was worried and came after you, did I not?" She paused momentarily as Leon bent backwards during the dip and continued when he came back up. "And I'd say the dancing has helped quite a bit, seeing as you no longer look as miserable as you did before."

So she did take notice of his fatigued state. That was cause for some concern in Leon's mind. But she wasn't taking advantage of it right now, and besides people get tired all the time. He chuckled after coming up from the dip with some relief. "You do have a point. But we must not forget the reason why we are dancing in the first place. Unless, you care little for such novelties?"

The Lyre.

"I wouldn't say that I cared little for it. The important question is, what do you think I want with it?"

"Well everyone who is anyone seems to want it. I just thought you would be the same." Leon took a pause to think out his next words. "As for why you would want it, I have no clue. I'm not even sure what to do with it myself."

"Are you implying you made off with it just for me?" she asked innocently.

"For us." A well told lie.

Carmillia refrained from believing she had Leon in the bag. Her experience with Dorothea served as a grim reminder. The students in Ersand'Enise were far more unpredictable than the rabble she usually dealt with. And she considered Leon to be several tiers above Dorothea in that aspect.

"For us," she echoed.

"I'm not sure what I am going to do with it. I just know that I want it right now. Out of the hands of the Traveller and those silly nobles."

"That is a notion I can agree with. Whatever the Lyre may actually be, I think it's time people like us take it away from their political chessboards."

And onto mine.

As the male role in the dance and consequently the lead, Carmillia changed up the tempo. Gone were the slow waltzes and foxtrots as she delved into a fiery tango, confident that Leon wouldn't fail to follow. The onlookers that had been mesmerised by their delicate dance were snapped back to reality as Carmillia used the escalating screams and cries of the riot as the musical backdrop their dance.

"I couldn't agree more." Leon matched Carmillia's pace in no time at all. He was fully prepared to dance the night away having little to gain but risking everything to try and help the riot. "I have been meaning to ask. Why is this ship sinking? I thought you and... those other two were going to stop the riot." Slowly, Leon began to take the lead of the dance despite remaining in the female role.

Carmillia adjusted accordingly, taking a background approach and letting Leon take center stage.

"The plan was to stop the riot. What actually happened was..." Instead of words, Carmillia used the dance to finish her sentence, shrugging twice, the moves uncannily timed with the sound of two quick explosions. "Let's just say Zarra went on a trip and Dory got caught up in the abberation."

Leon squeezed Carmillia's hand a bit when she mentioned aberrations. But released as soon as he realised and readjusted his smile.

It was not something Carmillia failed to notice.

"Ah, cuddling up with abberations. Madness and tragedy is sure to follow. You were happily to whispering with her just earlier. Could you do nothing to stop her?" Leon made sure to keep a playful tone, keeping out any accusatory inflections.

Carmillia showed a mock grimace. "Unfortunately, no. Dory took the lead in the negotiations due to her heritage. She got swept up by the pressure and we were seperated by dozens of rioters when she had taken in the abberation."

As if to show her dejection, her movements slowed down and she no longer matched up to Leon's lead as well as she did before.

Leon was slow to match back down to Carmillia's speed. "So then there was nothing you could have done could you..."

"I'd have stopped her if I could," she responded as she slowed to a stop. The dance was over. She gave a remorseful look, clearly blaming herself though whereas one might have intepreted her as feeling guilt over not being able to help Dorothea, the reality was she was actually frustrated by how she had naively believed in Dorothea's capabilities.

While the curiosity of what Carmillia could actually do perked up in Leon's mind. He could see it was not the time or place for that. He had clearly hit a sore spot for the girl.

It was at this moment that Eun-ji appeared.

"Mr. Solaire, Ms. Carbonneau, you are both needed. It is quite likely now that this ship is going to sink if we do not act. There are holes on the ship that need to be patched up, fires have broken out and are threatening to spread wildly. But most importantly, this chaos needs to be controlled. Otherwise, countless lives will likely be lost. Please, do whatever it is that you think can help. All of us need to work together if we are to manage this situation.”

Once she had finished her message, she dispersed into a puddle of water.

That would explain the complete lack of awareness, she thought. Carmillia snapped back to her usual self, any signs of her prior dejection gone.

"Any proposals, Leon?"

Leon's gaze was on the puddle which had once held the shape of Eun-Ji. What an interesting technique. He considered asking the girl to teach him that one day. But he wouldn't be willing to give away his own tricks in turn.

"I suppose we should go help. I wasn't paying attention if Hugo had mentioned how to get out of here." Leon looked toward Carmillia. "Besides, one should be wary of dancing for too long anyway. Or they risk being lost to fantasy forever." Leon took Carmillia's hand and kissed it with a bow as a sign of respect for his dance.

"Shall we save this boat?" He gestured toward the hall.

Truth be told, Carmillia would have preferred if they could have made off with the Lyre on one of the remaining rowboats but the repercussions would have been dire. It was much easier to attempt to salvage the mission and instead hide away the Lyre when Paradigm Hugo recalled them.

The two of them went back into the entertainment hall in hopes of quelling the riot. Things were looking grim; Carmillia lacked the ability to employ chemical magic over such a wide scale at a significant effect and Leon was running on fumes.

In the midst of the chaos, something caught Carmillia's eye. Two were dressed in similar garbs to the Traveler agents they had fought earlier. But that wasn't what caught her eye, it was the fact of the two, the man had been focusing on putting out the smaller fires in the hall. He had even just saved a woman and her two children from a rioter. She felt the gears in her head turning. She pulled on Leon's hand and went after him.

Carmillia had waited for the agents to seperate before making her appearance.

"So that's it? You stir up this... this chaos and run away with your tail tugged in between your legs?"

Leon was taken aback a bit. He did not expect Carmillia to be so confrontational. He was running on fumes but he did need to show it. He simply stood in a confident pose, but back a bit allowing himself to play second fiddle to her.

I'm lucky Carmillia is none the wiser to my weakened state. But I need to fool the agent as well.

The agent whirled to face her and Leon. Perhaps the tensity had gotten to him but he hadn't picked up on them sneaking up on him. He stared capriciously, eyes flitting between them. Carmillia sensed his lack of conviction and tugged.

"Is this what the Traveler stands for? Senseless violence and death?"

Carmilla could feel him drawing on energy, he was ready to engage in battle. He had no plans on talking things out. Not yet anyway. She waited till he made his move. Two more agents manifested, one on either side of him. To the naked eye, they were perfect clones. There was no shimmering of any sorts to imply they were illusions but unlike whatever Leon had did earlier, any trained magus could sense the arcane energies these possessed.

This was perfect, she thought.

Just as he was about to jump on them, Carmillia interrupted him.

"Yesterday's enemy is today's friend-"

He paused. In that instance of hesitation, Carmillia worked her magic onto him, stirring on his uneasiness and doubt.

Leon kept quiet, but kept his composure. He had made his stance with the Traveller clear back in the cargo hold. But its not as if news would have spread to his agents yet. Nevertheless, Carmillia was making sense.

"-and you can still make a difference instead of running. The innocents on this ship don't deserve to suffer for the war you have with the nobles. Help us. Help us save them." Carmillia waved at rioters senselessly dying before their eyes.

"What...what do you need me to do?"

"A ceasefire of sorts sounds like a good idea, no? No side wins if they all go down with the ship." Leon looked around the unconcious bodies scattered around the floor. "To make a change, you need people left to actually make it." He stopped himself there, allowing Carmillia to lead the conversation again.

Carmillia gave the quick run down on her plan. Leon would seize the attention of the rioters in the entertainment hall in order to put an end to the violence. As he was still fatigued, Firebrand would make up for the theatrics. Fortunately for them, Firebrand was a skilled arcane illusionist.

"I am perfectly able to cast of course. But it would be more fun to see an agent of the Traveller be my lights show."

While the riot is distracted by Leon's performance, Carmillia would seek out the original riot 'leaders'. Those that held influence over the common folk rioting. She would convince them to stop the riot.

Without casting, marbles, or an instrument Leon was pretty light on options. And no, he wasn't about to use the lyre of the gods just for a tune. Luckily, it wouldn't take anything fancy just enough to get their attentions off fighting. And a big display was needed for that.

Leon took an elevated position on a nearby table that hadn't been smashed in half. Then with the signal given to Firebrand, harmless but flashy light bathed the room emanating from Leon.

"Ladies and gentlemen. I think it's time we stopped fighting and looked upon the entertainment for tonight. Me."

An acrobatics show was just what the crowd needed and Leon was there to deliver.

With the crowd's attention on Leon, Carmillia bade her way towards the rioters of influence, recalling several from the upper deck where Dorothea had gone wild. Even an agent of the Traveler could see the senselessness of the riot which meant rabble like them could easily be convinced. She still had enough in her to sway them with her magics if needed.

The Hourglass Order

Carmillia Carbonneau

Place(s): Cargo Hold and Entertainment Lounge, Lorentine Queen
Interactions: Leon Solaire(s) @Jumbus

---

Carmillia watched as hand passed through the shoulders of the Leons. She felt a mild relief that it hadn't been some sort of trap based spell but also frustration. The Leons were continueing down the hallway unphased. Though they gave off no energy signatures indicating they were illusions, there was no denying it now.

She could double back and check if Leon was still in the cargo hold but she doubted he was still there. Somehow, the real Leon Solaire had escaped with the actual Lyre and these fakes were merely a diversion of sorts. Some sort of elaborate spell that was uniquely his. It's definitely something that he'd come up with. The real question was where was he? It was possible that these Leons were heading right to him but his capricousness knew no bounds.

She made another decision once more.

She followed after the illusionary Leons. Wherever they were going and whatever they were going to do, it'd give her more information to work with.

Well, that was unsurprising. Carmillia watched as the Leons vanished into a burst of glitter. Her hopes that had temporarily raised that he would be here when she heard his voice earlier were now, expectedly, dashed.

Leon was not here.

But she was no longer lost. She hadn't missed the Leon that had strode in from the left exit. The way that one had moved was surely a hint to whatever trickery Leon had performed. The importance of that realization wasn't about how to solve his intricate spell but a reminder that the information required was always present if you knew what to look for.

What did she know of Leon?

She hadn't known him capable of such a feat but what she did know... was that Leon loved being the star. He would've chosen to be a direct part of the performance if he could. That meant he had a reason for hiding. Was it to protect the Lyre? Had he been injured by one of the agents?

You're sidetracking. Find him.

She focused her thoughts. Even if Leon wasn't able to be present in his own magical performance, Leon wouldn't have missed it. He was nearby, not in the entertainment hall itself perhaps, but nearby. Carmillia recalled the layout of the Lorentine Queen from back during the team meeting in Hugo's tower. There was only really one place Leon could have chosen to hide and be within sights of the entertainment hall.

The stupor that his performance had created had now passed and the crowd was starting to devolve back into a violent frenzy. Carmillia ignored it, her sights set on Leon and the lyre he possessed, weaving through crowd as if it was a perfectly normal day. It fondly reminded her of her own days watching drunken brawls in the slums.

Leon was in the backmost of the ship, in the covered verandah. There was noone else in sight. Anyone that might have been here earlier would have been drawn into the ship either by the brawl or Leon's performance that came after.

Carmillia walked up towards him and saw he was taking in laboured breaths, mostly likely the after effects of his spell.

"You must not be very good at hide-and-seek, seeing as you're just standing about here in the open."

The Hourglass Order

Carmillia Carbonneau

Place(s): Cargo Hold/Corridor, Lorentine Queen
Interactions: Manfred:@Force and Fury, Leon Solaire(s) @Jumbus Eun-Ji & Various @Medili, Dorothea @jasbraq, Zarra @BreathOfTheWoof

---

Carmillia watched as the the force of the explosion launch the female agent several meters away. The loud thud that came from her smashing into the wall was extremely satisfying. If not for the current situation and the watching eyes, Carmillia would have loved to physically continue the beatdown on her unconscious body and more. Count yourself lucky that's all you had to deal with.

"Much appreciated, young lady. I think that solved that annoying little problem, hmm?"

"Yes, you have," responded Carmillia with an approving nod.

With their adversary down, Carmillia and the arcane mage watched as Eun-ji took on the remaining agent. Though she kept it from showing, Carmillia was reeling inwardly from the aftereffects of overdrawing. At the moment, she wasn't capable of launching any internal chemical magic strong enough to impact the fight. Likewise, the arcane mage refrained from interfering as Eun-ji and the agent were locked in close combat. If she intervened, Eun-ji could get in the crossfire. That said, it didn't seem like any help was necessary as they watched Eun-ji slowly but surely overwhelming her opponent.

With her awareness peaking from both the adrenaline and her own mental focus, Carmillia did not miss the thud coming from the trapdoor. She noticed Leon, or Leons, the moment they appeared from below. The Lyre!

She couldn't help but smile at the sight of the Leons waltzing about with the Lyre, seemingly oblivious to the gravity of the situation at hand. It was entirely a Leon thing to do. He truly was a wild card. With the exception of herself, Leon was the next ideal member of their team to have possession of the Lyre. Her foresight with Dorothea had been a miss but it looked like it had been accurate with the performer.

She reran over her schemes in her head, making plans on how to sway Leon onto her side and how to get him to agree to keeping the Lyre for themselves. Even when Zarra made his reappearance and the subsequent howls of pain from the agent, she paid them little notice. Her attention was on the Lyre. She watched as the Leons exited the cargo hold and continued down the corridor.

Even before the arcane mage had yelled "After him!", Carmillia was already on the move. She sidestepped and strode passed the gawking male arcane mage, Manfred and the now unconscious Dorothea. As she approached the Leons, she hesitated briefly. She had no idea if the magic he was employing was some sort of trap based spell that triggered upon contact.

"Leon, stop!"

She grabbed onto their shoulders.

The Hourglass Order

Woah. Collab.

So I was going to consider waiting until I got home to write this on discord but I have a moment now and I want to get it off my chest.

I am considering dropping out of this RP. There are a few reasons. I just have like no connection with my character. I’m just not able to find a fun way to write as Ysilla. I would be fine to keep trying, however…

I am missing a lot by not being able to be on discord. I didn’t even know there was a collab going for the Desert crew and there are only so many ways I can write “Ysilla sat in silence listening to everyone” before it gets boring.

I have full intentions to at least see the end of the Desert mission but if I can’t find any muse then I’ll work a way to write Ysilla out.

Definitely a “it’s not you, it’s me” thing.

@Pirouette

At times, I'm really active on discord and it's a fun experience. However, there are also times were IRL stuff keeps me busy and I'm too tired to try to go through the backlog (which can be hundreds of messages) to understand what people have talked about that might be related to the RP, since there's a lot of random banter as well.

I've also found it hard at times to write Carmillia. She's supposed to calculative, smart and in control and I can honestly say it hasn't really been going that smoothly for that concept due to interactions with others. There's a disconnect between her design and the actual execution to her in the roleplay.

So, I feel you. I really do, lol.

As for me, I'm still here because of various reasons.

#1: I often post late in the cycle so Carmillia is often left with a similar scenario to “Ysilla sat in silence listening to everyone.” The responsibility of acknowledging other posts and trying mesh them together also falls on the person posting late/last in the cycle. I was originally frustrated by this but decided to look at it from another angle and see it as a challenge. This made it a lot more enjoyable for me.

#2: Acknowledging the FOMO. No one wants to miss out. In fact, a lot of us would rather not be involved at all as opposed to taking part but feeling like we're not getting the whole experience. I decided to stop worrying about what banter others are making or cool lore/idea generations that happen when I'm not around and instead focus on what I was actually experiencing when I was involved. And I realized I liked what I took part it.

#3: FnF. Anyone who's been on this site long enough, especially those from before guildfall, know that it's a huge pain in the fucking ass to find a roleplay that continues. FnF has shown he's pretty damned dedicated to ensuring it continues as well as constantly building on the lore. He pushes for posts and helps make it easier when things slow down. Even after the bulk of our original starting cast dropped, he kept it going. For me, it's nice to know that the time I'm investing into my posts and character won't just turn to dust because others flake since I know this RP will continue onwards. It's been five months and THO is still going strong and the payoff from the investment is definitely a nice feeling.

I hope you don't give up!

The Hourglass Order

Carmillia Carbonneau

Place(s): Cargo Hold, Lorentine Queen
Interactions:Manfred:@Force and Fury, Eun-Ji & Various @Medili, Dorothea @jasbraq, Zarra @BreathOfTheWoof

---

Fortunately for her, Eun-ji was quick on the uptake. As crazed as Dorothea was behaving, Carmillia found it hard to believe she'd attempt to shoot through Eun-ji to get to her. Even if such a thing were to occur, the she believed the trained Tan Keoulian would manage to keep her unharmed. She snuck a peek at Dorothea from above Eun-ji's head. Even after being warned by one of the Feskan mages, Dorothea kept her gun pointed at her. It was then that Manfred stepped in and skillfully knocked her out. That's one issue resolved.

As Eun-ji was midway through the conversation with the female Feskan mage, they were interrupted by a scream. It was one of the Traveler agents that the rest of them had dealt with earlier; the female hiding behind the table. A wave of nausea and malaise assaulted her senses as the other agent who had been huddled in the corner, had also seemingly recovered and was charging right at them. I'm taking back my thanks. When The Crimson Hand dealt with such situations, she didn't need to worry about her enemies not being properly incapcitated once the battle was over.

The Feskan mage directed her magics toward the agent hiding behind the table, exploding it. Arcane. Carmillia connected the dots. The two Feskan mages were probably the engine mages.

Eun-ji immediately kicked into gear and was dealing with the agent that had charged at them, leaving Carmillia recover from the internal chemical attack. For some reason, it seemed the attack had only been directed at her, given the Feskan mage and Eun-ji had sprung immediately into battle. Accursed bitch.

She stumbled briefly and braced herself. A nausea blast was a common attack under the internal chemical school. It was essentially the equivalent of an arcane mage using a fireball. Consequently, it was also easily resolved. Employing her own magic, she targeted various centers in her own brain to offset the effects of the nausea and malaise as well as stimulating the production of her own adrenaline. She was back to prime condition within seconds.

She assessed the situation.

Eun-ji was outperforming her adversary which was no surprise to Carmillia, the agents had already lost to them earlier and quickly at that. The two ship mages were dealing with the last agent. Between the two fights, she chose to aid the latter. She knew Eun-ji far better than them and believed her capable in dealing with her own fight. The two ship mages were the main variables. No more gambles.

Straining herself, she made full potential of her meager RAS, launching a revenge internal chemical attack back at the female agent. Carmillia wasn't capable of a nausea blast large enough to be useful and she knew that. That said, as long as one was creative enough, there were a plethora of ways to take use of the internal chemical school.

Vertigo.

Such a spell wouldn't incapacitate the agent on its own but it was a curse to battle under its effects, no matter how mild.

The Hourglass Order

Carmillia Carbonneau

Place(s): Cargo Hold, Lorentine Queen
Interactions:Manfred:@Force and Fury, Eun-Ji @Medili, Dorothea @jasbraq, Zarra @BreathOfTheWoof

---

Enhanced by kinetic magic, mild as it was, Carmillia had arrived on the scene in a matter of moments. And yet, the fight that she had mentally prepared herself for was already over. All that lay in front of her was the aftermath of a battle. Aside from Zarra and Eun-ji, there were five that she did not recognize. Two formally dressed men, presumably guards, were alive but incapicitated. Another was dead, a metal spear gruesomely sticking out his neck. Dressed similarly to the dead man was another, hunkered down at a corner. He was still conscious but clearly dazed. Carmillia wagered it had to with the earlier explosion of light and sound. She couldn't get a clear look at the last person, who was hiding behind a fallen table.

She silently thanked the fact her teammates were capable in battle. As much as Carmillia enjoyed her past escapades of brutality, they were always in controlled situations alongside the backup of The Crimson Hand. Getting into a gifted fight with agents of the Traveler was far down in her priority list.

Keeping half her gaze on the remaining enemy, she addressed the Tan Keoulian. "Where's Zarra? No, nevermind. There was trouble back at the upper deck. We were unable to stop the riot." Ignoring the fact she was far more interested in going after Leon and the Lyre, she quickly started giving a run down on the events that had transpired. She was midway through explaining how she had come to seek aid to save Dorothea when she noticed the sound of approaching footsteps.

It seemed like surprises were a recurring theme aboard the Lorentine Queen.

Four were fast approaching them through the corridor. Further back were Manfred and Dorothea. He must have saved her, she thought. She didn't recognise the two in front, though they were dressed differently from the Traveler's agents. A disguise, perhaps? No... They were dressed similarly to the guards she had seen earlier, though with more regality. Mages. Given that weren't poised to attack but rather walking with a purpose and that they were both Feskan, they were likely part of the ship personale come to investigate.

This was bothersome. Their mission from Ersand'Enise was incognito which made it hard to explain the scene of carnage behind them.

It was then that Carmillia noticed Dorothea drawing her pistol. She initially believed the Feskan girl must have mistook the two mages as enemies but quickly realized that Dorothea was aiming at her. Shunedammit, what in the Pentad is she doing now?

She was muttering something but was too far away for Carmillia to make out her words. Nevertheless, Carmillia was able to put two and two together after getting a better look at Dorothea's deranged expression.

She clenched her fists, nails digging into her palm till it drew blood. This. Is. Why. This is why you don't take these type of gambles. She reproached herself. Ever since she had come to Ersand'Enise, she had kept herself in the seat of control. She never relied on uncertainties. She always took precaution. Didn't touch the aberration that spawned by her bed. Even with Leon, she had taken her time to assess his potential benefits, his true worth, before considering him as one of her pieces on the chessboard. But with Dorothea, she had been shortsighted due to the allure of taking the easy path to the Lyre. Where had that gotten her?

The Feskan girl had stomped all over their original plans. She had partaken in the insanity of absorbing an aberration and stirred up an uncontrollable riot. Now it was clear she believed Carmillia had betrayed her and was out for blood. What was I supposed to do? Save you by jumping into the middle of a riot you stirred up? You should be thankful that the horndog of a Kerreman came to your aid so quickly.

Though she doubted Manfred would let her take the shot, Carmillia sidestepped to position herself behind the Tan Keoulian girl. "It appears there seems to be a misunderstanding."

The Hourglass Order

Carmillia Carbonneau

Place: Cargo Hold, Feskan Riverboat Gambling House
Interactions: Leon Solaire @Jumbus, Zarra @BreathOfTheWoof, Eun-Ji @Medili

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Carmillia could hear the clash of battle as she headed to the cargo hold. It seemed that Leon's drunken mass of fans had met Dorothea's little riot. Leon truly is what you'd call a wild card, she thought. Her gamble in Dorothea might have failed but Leon's own actions had unknowingly saved her. His fans would buy her ample time, making up for the fact that the fire clearly hadn't held long. Powered up by an aberration, it was unlikely for the Feskan girl to get into any serious hurt against drunken rabble. Otherwise the blame would have fallen onto her for leaving Dorothea behind.

Carmillia reached the corridor that housed the cargo hold moments later, greeted by the sight of three of her teammates, Leon, Eun-ji and Zarra. They were peeking into one of the rooms. Even at distance, Carmillia could pick up the sounds of fighting. Probably the guards clashing with the Traveler's agents.

From the looks of things, they were planning their next course of action. Carmillia accelerated herself with the aid of kinetic magic to join up with them but Leon had other plans.

“I have a plan to stop the rioters and protect the lyre. But I can’t fight here. If I can get into the cargo hold now, we can call this mission a success,” he had declared out loud.

Whether or not Leon had caught sight of her hurtling towards them, the showman had no intention of waiting. A flash of light exploded from within the room, lighting up the doorway—and with that, Leon was gone. Though she would have preferred convincing Leon of her plan to keep the Lyre for themselves before he actually got his hands on it, it beat having it in the possessions of the Traveler's agents.