Crimson Paladin

The Epic of Beginnings - Fragments of a weathered scroll

Novak

With the hunters dealt with, Novak would accompany Nobunaga in escorting their captives to the village. Their captives seemed adequately restrained. If not, Nobunaga would easily deal with them, and even if they escaped, there wasn't anywhere for them to go. The village would know of their misdeeds by the time they got there, and the woods certainly weren't safe for them.

The hunter's words continued to worry him. Novak didn't want to accidentally doom the village with their meddling. He certainly didn't want to doom the world, either. On the other hand, he didn't want to see someone like Enli get killed for some convoluted plan. All they knew for sure is that according to the hunters, the Illuminator claimed that if Enli were to die, the culprit would become known. Perhaps one of the outsiders could come up with some way or have a power that'd enable them to root out whoever was degrading the seal.

Once we get back, I should speak to the others, see if anything happened here while we were gone, he thought. He was unsure if anything had transpired in the village. Ideally, Enli would have alerted them to the hunters' treachery, so there wouldn't be any misunderstandings from the locals when he and Nobunaga enter the town with two captives.

Once they reached the village, Novak would turn to Nobunaga.

"You think we should take the hunters to Enli?" he asked. "He's the one who Akando said will be judging them." In any case, Novak would head to Enli's place, to check up on the village's chief and share what he learned.

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The Epic of Beginnings - Fragments of a weathered scroll

Novak

Novak complied with Nobunaga's request, searching the hunters for anything that could be used to bind and restrain them.

"Think of it this way," he assured them. "With the Kyrinth still out there, surrendering to the custody of the village is your safest option. And my friend here is a very deadly, very ruthless swordswoman." Nobunaga was right, they couldn't trust these hunters to be left to their own devices. Perhaps they believed their actions to be justified, but if so, they could justify their actions to the village upon being tried by whatever process the locals adhered to.

Novak's primary concern at the moment was that depending on how eroded the seal was, his assurance might not be entirely true. If the hunters believed that the seal breaking was imminent, they'd be liable to do anything, no matter how risky, if it meant preventing this entire region from being flooded. There was also the slim possibility that whatever justice system the town had might lead to a fate worse than being cut apart by razor winds, but so far he hadn't seen anything suggesting it. Because of this, he remained on guard, half-expecting the hunters do do something foolish, keeping one hand on the hilt of his sword.

@VitaVitaAR@Rune_Alchemist

The Epic of Beginnings - Fragments of a weathered scroll

Novak

Novak pondered what the hunter told them. It was a lot to take in.

So, if this goddess gets free, this entire region will be swallowed up by the oceans. Novak was rather unnerved by this notion, and by the hunter's claims that the Illuminator had tormented them with nightmares. If I were put through an ordeal like that, I'm not sure what I'd do.

It seemed they believed that Lazhira must be the one who was eroding the seal. Novak wished he could disbelieve it, but after everything he had seen of the mysterious girl...it made a lot of sense. Novak knew that she knew more than she let on, and that she had powers of some sort. Furthermore, shortly after she visited the temple, the fog became more widespread, implying that the seal had weakened even further. It was always possible, he supposed, that someone else was behind it, using Lazhira as a scapegoat, but the fact remained that this seal was weakening and there was a good chance that someone was behind it.

Lastly, the hunters mentioned that Enli's death was to turn the rest of the village back to the Illuminator, and to draw out the culprit behind the seal's weakening. Perhaps that was why the Illuminator was antagonizing the Kyrinth, to drive the people away from it and to him.

"This sounds pretty serious, Nobunaga," Novak said to his companions. "If this seal is at risk of breaking, it's not just the village that'll be in danger."

He didn't want to reveal his connection to the Illuminator, not under these circumstances, but there was information that it might be useful to share.

"I didn't want to say this, Nobunaga, but the hunters' suspicion of Lazhira isn't unjustified," he spoke up to his companion, visibly worried. "When we accompanied her to the Illuminator's temple, it became very clear that while she tries to hide it, she's not some simple village girl. She appeared to be familiar with the temple's layout, almost as if she had been there before. She has knowledge of past events that transpired there. And I'm fairly certain she has supernatural powers. And..."

Novak hesitated to speak, unsure how everyone present would react. He glanced at Nobunaga, at Akando, and at the captured hunters.

"...I think I know what she's up to. She seeks an orb that used to reside in the temple, which from what I have gleaned is a key to the seal. I've also learned that the Illuminator doesn't want her anywhere near it."

@Rune_Alchemist@VitaVitaAR

Dungeon Clearer! A Fantasy Adventurer RP

Léon Reverdin

Just as it seemed like they had the goblins on the verge of defeat, a spell flashed from behind the goblin horde. The goblins slain by the adventurers stood back up, reanimated by foul magics, and the still-living greenskins rallied around it, unconcerned with seeing their fellows' bodies defiled by such dark magic.

There was a necromancer among them.

Neffy surged forward, asking the others to cover her. No doubt she intended to slay the necromancer and destroy the keystone holding this goblin band together. Unfortunately, she did so just as Corrine finished channeling another one of her destructive spells.

"Neffy! Be careful!" shouted Léon as he watched the Nem Corrine's spell finish and fire. Fortunately, thanks to the cleric's water magic, the lightning chained to the wet goblins instead of the dry Nem. It hadn't been his intention to soften them up for a lightning spell, but it was a welcome surprise. Clearly, Corrine was smarter than she let on, to utilize lightning magic on soaked goblins.

There was no time to admire his companions, though- they had to shut down this necromancer before it could cast more of its evil magic, and Neffy needed support to keep the goblins from surrounding and overwhelming her. Léon put away his scepter, grabbed his hammer, and followed the Nem into the fray, striking a goblin in his way with enough force to send it flying. Normally, such an act would no doubt be foolhardy and risky, but the Nem needed them to back her up, and he was confident that Nuri would be right there with them.

@Rune_Alchemist

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Fantasy Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

Gerard's instincts were correct- the knights were not alone. A number of enemy soldiers emerged from the woods. Fleuri could distinguish the image of a boar on their shields- these must be more of those Golden Boars that Gerard had mentioned back at the fort. Their emergence coincided with Fleuri alerting the captain- it was no surprise that they'd abandon subterfuge and stealth now that their cover was blown.

Never thought I'd be fighting to defend a Cal, Fleuri mused as the captain barked orders to protect Veileena. Indeed, the fact that the Golden Boars' officer ordered them to capture the Cal girl lent further support to her claim that she had hired Alette's band. The question remained as to who hired the Golden Boars, and it was doubtful that the mercenaries would betray their client's confidentiality if captured, but perhaps one of them would have orders or some other clue in their possession.

The Golden Boars had a numerical advantage, but the Iron Roses were superior fighters, and Veileena seemed confident that her towering, heavily armored bodyguard alone would be enough. Even so, these mercenaries looked tougher and better-equipped than Jeremiah's bandits, so it'd be wise not to underestimate them.

"You heard the captain, let's show these mercenaries who they're dealing with," Fleuri spoke to Gerard and Runa as he spurred his horse forward. As he drew near to one of the mercenaries, he thrust his lance forward, the combined momentum from his riding speed and the thrust being sufficient to knock his foe back against a tree and push the lance right their torso and into the trunk. Fleuri turned his horse away from the mercenaries and let go of his lance just as it embedded in the tree, not wanting to risk his horse riding into the thick of the enemy or into the brush where more of the Golden Boars may yet lurk unseen. He drew his greatsword as he circled around, preparing to re-engage wherever the knights needed him.

It was perhaps a bit brash or even reckless rushing in like he did, but he trusted in the skill and valor of his companions. The Golden Boars won't know what hit them.

@VitaVitaAR@JessieTargaryen@HereComesTheSnow

The Epic of Beginnings - Fragments of a weathered scroll

Novak

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.

@Rune_Alchemist@Guy0fV4lor@VitaVitaAR

The Epic of Beginnings - Fragments of a weathered scroll

Novak

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.

@Guy0fV4lor@Rune_Alchemist@VitaVitaAR

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Fantasy Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

Fleuri listened attentively to what Veileena had to say when pressed by the other knights. According to the Cal scion, the shard had been in the hands of the Mages College, and their goal was to find a way to destroy it. Fleuri shook his head at this revelation, incredulous that the people in charge of the college could be so arrogant.

The hubris of these mages, to think that they and their mortal magic could succeed in destroying the shard of a weapon that took the combined might of the dual goddesses to shatter.

This would no doubt be a massive scandal for the college once it got out, but the political implications seemed like an afterthought compared to the danger posed by the shard in the wrong hands. Furthermore, Veileena's explanation left out one key detail- why was she here at the shrine? The Iron Roses were led here by the note in the dead guard's pocket, so what brought the Cal girl to this place, at this most suspicious time?

Fleuri was ready to chime in with this question, when Gerard suddenly alerted him to something moving in the trees. Fleuri adjusted his helmet and readied his lance, then rode to Gerard's side, ready to skewer any foes that might emerge. The younger Reonite may have been a knight for only a short time, but his mercenary experience had already proven very helpful to the order, and it looked like his perceptive senses might might have just saved them from being caught unaware by an ambush.

"Captain," Fleuri called out to Fanilly, "Sir Gerard spotted something moving in the trees. We may not be alone out here!"

Alerting the captain would no doubt tip off their mystery visitors off that they had been spotted, but he wasn't going to put the other knights at risk of being caught unprepared. Besides, they already would have noticed Gerard's reaction to them.

@HereComesTheSnow@VitaVitaAR@Raineh Daze@JessieTargaryen@ghastlyInc@FlappyTheSpybot

Dungeon Clearer! A Fantasy Adventurer RP

Léon Reverdin

Léon took a step back as the goblins poured into view. He was slightly relieved that they were facing a mundane foe rather than something unnatural or supernatural, but goblins could still pose a serious threat in large numbers and in confined spaces. This wouldn't be the time he had fought their kind, but he had never done it on their own turf before.

On the other hand, this was his turf as well. And he wasn't going to let these monsters desecrate this place any further.

From their movements, it looked like the goblins wanted to swarm them and make use of their superior numbers. Léon wasn't going to let that happen, and was determined to disrupt these little fiends before they could get into position. The cleric drew his scepter and began to channel Mayon's power.

Mayon, Goddess of the Moon, lend me the power to strike down those that desecrate your holy place, he silently prayed before unleashing his spell. A torrent of water shot out from the front of the cleric's scepter, aimed at the goblins emerging from the darkness. It wouldn't kill the goblins, but it would likely strike with enough force to knock them off their feet and prevent them from supporting their fellows in the battle, thus keeping the group from having to fight too many of them at once. It might make fire magic a bit less effective on them, but surely neither Nuri nor Corrine would risk setting this place on fire.

The Epic of Beginnings - Fragments of a weathered scroll

Novak

"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.

@Guy0fV4lor@Rune_Alchemist@VitaVitaAR