Crimson Paladin

Epic of Beginnings - Dawns Cradle

Novak

Novak was surprised at being let back in by the white-haired woman. Whatever she said to the Yaga must have been very convincing.

"Thank you, very much," he replied as he re-entered the house, but not before glancing around to see if anyone else was nearby. The wards had already failed to keep two people out, after all.

He took a moment to think, then the Yaga witch in the eye, and spoke.

"Here is my case. The caravan whom I belong to is besieged by the Krysa and Yaga, trapped and unable to flee. They blame us for an assassination attempt of a Krysa noble, and will accept neither surrender nor withdrawal from their lands. I only managed to slip out because they didn't recognize me as one of the caravaners. If the caravan cannot get out of there, they will die whether by starvation or being killed for a crime they don't even know about."

This wasn't anything so far that the Yaga didn't already know, but he wasn't finished yet. Lady Mie had tasked him with a contingency in case he couldn't find Dawn, and if Dawn was unable of get them out, he might not have any choice left but to go with it.

"There's more to it than that- if the Krysa and Yaga cannot be convinced to let us go, or we cannot somehow escape, we are going to escalate things, and it will get bloody. Lady Mie has ordered that, if all else fails, I am to head to Chawaga and seek the aid of the Oni clans, to come here and rescue what's left of the caravan by force. If they want to bring battle to peaceful caravaners, we'll oblige them the likes of which they won't expect. And heavens help the Krysa and Yaga if the rescue is too late, because if the Oni of Chagawa come all the way here only to find Lady Mie dead, the bloodshed probably won't stop there. Unless, of course, the Krysa and Yaga can be convinced to let my friends go."

He wasn't sure how feasible it was, only that it was what Lady Mie instructed him. Would the Oni listen to him? Would they go all this way here to save Lady Mie? And could it even be done before she and the other caravaners ran out of food?"

"Look, I've been trying my hardest to piece together this puzzle myself, in hopes that with the aid of the folks from Dawn, we could gather enough evidence to convince the besiegers to let the caravan go. But with the Krysa on edge and suspicious of everyone, with an intelligence officer snooping around on the orders of their Tsarita, it's difficult enough to gather the basic facts without painting a massive target on my back, let alone assemble a case that could bring pause to the rat-folk.

That was his case. He turned to the newcomer, silently waiting for her to make her own case. He was unsure if a goddess would deign to intervene in a mortal matter, but he needed to try every possible angle to help Lady Mie's group.

@Click This@Rune_Alchemist

The Storm Cycle: Reclamation

Ethelred declined the crude earplugs. "I appreciate it, but a curse prevents me from removing my helmet to insert them. Like with Elnith, however, it should provide some resistance to other curses." Unsure if she heard with her ears plugged up, he tapped his helmet and tugged on it slightly to show that it could not come off.

He wasn't sure what to make of this woman, but he couldn't see any fault in her logic or reasoning. He was willing to work with her for now. Besides, unlike that elf, this newcomer didn't disparage him for being cursed. She made some blunt remarks and jokes, perhaps, but he sensed no contempt in her tone.

As she tried to convince Lugh to take the earplugs, which he declined due to the size of his Tuatha ears, it happened. Something changed. Birds started to drop out of the sky. In the distance, Ethelred could hear a haunting sound.

It was singing. A strange, unnatural singing in words that Ethelred could not discern, probably in a language he did not know. They had found the source of the disappearance- but it had also found them.

Ethelred turned towards the source, gripped in its compelling spell. He felt a powerful urge to press on in that direction. A part of him wanted to flee, to resist with all his might and do the opposite of what the voice wanted, regardless of the pain and exhaustion it might bring him. He saw the aftermath of one who had followed the singing, he knew that those who fell under the spell perished.

He could not, however. They were here to find this voice and silence it forever, and that meant heading in the direction that it was pulling them. He feared that doing so might make it harder to resist.

He looked about. Lugh was pained by the singing. Ethelred's horse was visibly agitated. Both of those things made for strong motivations to resist this magic. The druid was behind them, promising to keep them safe. Could he trust her to watch his back in this...afflicted state? It's not like he had much choice- he had to put this thing down.

"Onward, we...need to silence...this thing forever!" he commanded, his voice audibly pained. As he headed towards the noice, he took his lance and scraped its spikes against his helmet, trying to create an abrasive noise in his ears to drown out the singing.

@BrokenPromise@Rune_Alchemist

The Storm Cycle: Reclamation

Ethelred wasn't too surprised that the cat to talk back to him, or that it was quite smarmy. He was, however, surprised to see its shape shift into that of a human woman.

By all accounts it was good news that this cat was actually a druid rather than a disguised Unseelie. He wasn't too pleased with her attitude, however, although he wasn't entirely sure if she was insulting him on purpose or if it was what passed for compliments from someone removed from human civilization.

"If you must know, we're knights of Queen Sorcha. My name is Ethelred, and I can assure you that despite my appearance, I am human. The swordswoman is Elnith, the squire is Lugh. We've come here to investigate Unseelie activity and some disappearances of local villagers," he answered, trying his best to act professionally. "I've been told that the Unseelie have been using singing to lure people into the woods. Judging by these unnatural flower beds, the monsters, and...this," he said, pointing his lance to the arm that he had excavated, "Our foe shouldn't be too far away."

"What about you, Druid?" he asked. "What brings you here to the site of the Unseelie's murderous games?" As long as Lugh wasn't sensing any corruption on her, the Frozen Knight was willing to give her the benefit of a doubt.

@BrokenPromise

The Storm Cycle: Reclamation

Ethelred was clearly incorrect about his theory. As he withdrew his lance from a flower and beheld an impaled human arm, however, he realized that there was indeed quite a horrifying secret to these flowers.

I think I may have found what's left of the missing villagers.

Just as he was examining this disturbing find, Lugh voiced his observation of a cat. The Frozen Knight almost immediately dropped what he was doing and turned to where Lugh was looking. Indeed, there was a cat sitting on a nearby tree branch. Normally this might be something not worth paying attention to, but with everything else they had seen in and around this macabre flower bed, its presence was awfully suspicious.

"What an odd sight. A cat, here among the Unseelie beasts and flowery grave. Just what are you?" he asked as he approached the feline, his eyes narrowing beneath his helmet. He probably looked silly, questioning a cat, but he didn't trust this thing. If he was wrong, if this was just an ordinary animal, it still would be worth observing closely.

@Rune_Alchemist

Bible of Ichor: Septet for the Dead

Captain Argus Fellborn

The day they almost caught Captain Argus Fellborn

Cynthia was right, they needed to get out of there. They might be able to fight off the skeletons, but now some variant of sea creature had joined the fray, seemingly assailing the floatsam that they stood on. In his current, weakened state, with only a rusted sword for a weapon, he was not in any position to fight this beast.

The skeletons were determined to prevent the duo from reaching safety, however. One of them swung an anchor at the vampire, and two more were coming. Argus didn't bother trying to parry the anchor- it'd just break his sword. Instead, he dodged the clumsy swing, then stepped up close and punched the skeleton in the jaw.

When the next skeleton came up, swinging its cutlass at Argus' head, the pirate was ready for this. He shoved the anchor-wielding skeleton in the sword's path and simultanously ducked as to avoid being struck. While crouched down, he took the opportunity to wrest the anchor from the skeletal minion's hands and swing it right into the torsos of the two incoming foes before they could ready another blow.

At this point, Argus momentarily considered his next step. He couldn't escape with the anchor, it was too heavy to take along the path of floatsam before him. Part of him wanted to drop the anchor on top of the sea monster currently menacing them, giving it a painful lump to remember him by. The rest of him, however, had a better, more prudent plan.

Argus spun around to build up speed and threw the anchor like a hammer in the direction of their escape- if any skeletons were in the path of the nautical device, they wouldn't be there for long.

"How's that for a path, Miss Cynthia? Let's go!" He took off in the direction of the mast, sword ready to knock aside any undead that hadn't gotten the message to get out of his way. As he escaped, if any undead in his path happened to possess a pistol, he'd attempt to swipe and holster it- even when running for his un-life, a pirate needed to be opportunistic.

@Rune_Alchemist

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

Fleuri's warning had come none too soon. Just a few moments after Tyaethe and Lilette had the chance to hear whaat he had to say, Fanilly sounded out a warning. A moment later, Lilette stopped an incoming projectile with just her hand, with the reflexes and precision expected of an elf of such legendary reputation.

Normally Fleuri would be giddy to meet another of the original Iron Roses, and even moreso to see her in action. But this was the middle of an assassination attempt of the crown princess, and the only things on his mind was the safety of the princess and the subduing of the assassin- preferably alive.

As the Crown Knights moved to bar the exits, several of the Iron Roses took off in pursuit of the assassin. Meanwhile, the younger princess was quite literally in good hands. Fionn rushed over to the captain and remaining knights carrying Maletha in one of his arms. Having concluded that he'd be of any use in the pursuit with so many knights already chasing (although admittedly, he probably wasn't much use here either, considering the considerable skills of Tyaethe and Lilette), and unsure as to whether the assassin had accomplices within the crowds, Fleuri drew his sword and stayed where he was, ready in case there was more danger lying in wait.

"I'm ready to move if that's what you want," Fleuri spoke to Fanilly regarding Fionn's proposition. The former mercenary had a point, there could be other assassins and the princesses weren't out of danger yet.

@The Otter@VitaVitaAR

Epic of Beginnings - Dawns Cradle

Novak

This new arrival was a mystery to Novak. If those wards that the witch mentioned were any indication, he himself would not have found this place without Ayumi- so how did she get here?

Novak assessed the newcomer. The most distinct feature that he noticed was the woman's sword. It was long, straight, and double-edged, definitely not a Krysa or Chagawa weapon. The safest assumption was that if she was carrying it, she knew how to use it.

"I don't know why you're here, but good luck with her. She's not the...easiest person to deal with," he spoke to the white-haired woman. "And if anyone asks, you didn't see me, and I didn't see you. Come, Ayumi, let's go." The fox had already helped herself to some of the Yaga's food.

Novak turned back to the Yaga.

"When the Krysa eventually close in on your location, good luck in fending them off. If you kill enough of them, I might not need to get the rats to make peace with my caravan. Well...I suppose there's still the Yaga to worry about, but hopefully your kind are more reasonable than the rat-folk."

Was it wise to say that in front of the stranger? Probably not, and in hindsight he should have kept his mouth shut. On the other hand, this human-looking woman looked like an outsider, and she didn't have a squad of Krysa or Yaga behind her. Novak wondered...could she be the third member of the group from Dawn whom the Mothraki had mentioned? He knew nothing about this "Lissa", but who else would have any business (aside from the rats) to be be snooping around here?

"Oh, and miss?" he asked the white-haired woman as he stepped out. "This is a stab in the dark, but is your name Lissa by any chance?"

If he was wrong, and this was a third party with their own agenda, this mission would get even more complicated.

@Rune_Alchemist@Click This

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

Fleuri should have known there was something odd about that girl when she effortlessly identified "Lady Cteline" as a man. He had simply assumed that from the girl's low vantage point, she had managed to notice something amiss about Lein's figure or some small detail about the way he moved. As he escorted the girl to the cake, he couldn't help but wonder if Lein had gotten a little too excited about this game, beyond that which would be conveyed solely by tail-wagging.

When the girl whispered her warning into Fleuri's ear, and when the cake vanished in the few moments that he had turned his gaze away, however, he knew that there was something very strange going on. This little girl was no doubt magical, and probably not nearly as young as she looked. It also meant that Lein's disguise took more than a child's glance to see through, but that wasn't important anymore. What was important was that the Iron Roses be alerted and the Princess protected.

"Did you catch that?" he whispered to Lein, visibly spooked at both the message and the very unnatural disappearance of the massive cake. "That was no ordinary girl. She told me that the princess could meet an unfortunate fate if nobody watches her."

At least he assumed that the girl was talking about the Crown Princess. They'd better keep an eye on the younger princess as well, just in case she was the one that the mysterious girl was warning them about. It figured that a mage couldn't be bothered to give a straightforward answer even in the matters of direst urgency.

"We need to find the Princess, the Captain, and Tyaethe," he told Lein, as he took the Hundi's hands as if to dance again. "Just follow my lead." As he began to step around the Hundi, he looked past his disguised partner, carefully scanning the room without ever turning his head. After three rotations during which he was able to spot both , he stopped, having spotted the princess speaking to Tyaethe, and the younger one with Fionn. If it weren't for Tyaethe's striking white hair, Fleuri might have failed to spot the small-statured vampire.

"I see them, the older princess is speaking with Dame Tyathe, the younger one is with Sir Fionn. I'm heading over there to warn them." Fleuri was no longer asking Lein to play along- he trusted the Hundi to use his own judgment. Some might question the logic in placing any trust in that roguish gadfly's judgment, but after that stunt with the griffin, Fleuri wasn't exactly in a position to criticize or question Lein's choices.

Fleuri made his way through the crowd to where he had seen Tyaethe and the elder princess. He tried to avoid having to present himself to Elisandre directly, and consequently, he instead came up behind where Tyaethe stood.

"Dame Tyaethe, we have a problem. Lein and I just encountered a mage of some sort. She vanished the entire cake, and informed us that the princess is in danger," he explained, pointing to where the cake had once stood. "Unfortunately she didn't specify what danger or which princess, only warning me that we need to watch them closely."

@Raineh Daze@VitaVitaAR@PigeonOfAstora

The Storm Cycle: Reclamation

"There's definitely something strange about those flowers," Ethelred observed. "I've never seen flowers like these in this region, certainly not in such large numbers. "

"They might be more of those plant creatures, lying in wait beneath the surface," he whispered to Elnith and Lugh. "Pleasing colors, pleasing smells, all the elements of a deadly trap. People walk into the flower patch, lured by the voice, and all the sudden the monsters pop out of the ground and swarm them. Could be why those other Unseelie creatures were trying to goad us into chasing them."

"I'm going to put my suspicions to the test. Be ready for a fight," he advised his companions as he approached some of the flowers.

He wasn't going to leave anything to chance. He took his lance and slowly pushed it into the ground where a flower sat, wanting to see if there was indeed a monster hiding down there. Even if it proved to be nothing, if the flower's stem merely led to benign roots instead of a monster's head, he'd move to the next flower, and the next one, poking the ground at each one.

@Rune_Alchemist

Epic of Beginnings - Dawns Cradle

Novak

"Well, thank you for your help,," Novak replied, a bit taken back by both her professed innocence and her fear of the death goddess. There was no reason to press her further, he had all that he would be getting out of her. He in fact felt some sympathy for this woman and the Krysa's obsession with finding her just to use her connection to the death goddess. "I hoped it wouldn't have to come to this, but if I want to get to the bottom of this, I fear my only remaining course of action is to get information directly from the Krysa. I can't say I'm looking forward to that." He bowed respectfully to the Yaga and turned to leave.

Getting Mie out of there will be even harder if I give the Krysa a good reason to view us as enemies. They probably already harbor a grudge against us for the soldiers we killed in the initial attack.

Suddenly, a knock came at the door. From outside, a woman asked if she was interrupting. It was not a voice he recognized, and Novak feared that the Krysa had found them, perhaps having discovered his and Ayumi's footprints in the snow.

"If the rats have found us, you can count on my help," he whispered to the Yaga. He placed one on the hilt of his sword and tentatively approached the door. With some heavy trepidation, he slightly opened the door and peeked through to see who was knocking. He wasn't sure if the Yaga would approve of him opening her door, but if the ratfolk had found their way here, trouble would be fast approaching regardless.

It was of great relief when he saw that the person behind the door was not a Krysa, but a white-haired human-looking woman. Novak immediately released his hand from his sword and opened the door fully. He had no idea who this woman was, but she at least didn't look like she was with the Krysa. Perhaps she was the third member of the Dawn group mentioned by the moth girl- she certainly didn't look like one of the locals.

"Apologies, I was afraid you might be one of the Krysa patrols," he apologized to her, giving a small bow. "Friend of yours, by any chance?" he asked the Yaga.

@Click This@Rune_Alchemist