Time: Morning
Location: Avian City
Interactions: Yuka @princess, Orias @Helo, Aiko @CitrusArms, Xavier @potter
Mentions:
Captain Verencia’s eyebrows perked up when the exuberant lioness took to the front of the group to introduce herself. He could not avert his gaze, and frankly, under certain circumstances, he wouldn’t want to. Now was not the time nor the place, however. In business and introduction, Caelestis believed a woman’s place was at the rear.
Her explosive personality that had taken him by surprise at first had seemingly lost its flare as the avian’s stern icy gaze returned. Hanami Designs… A staple in Roshmi. He’d have to be a hermit to not know the brand this close to Roshmi. From what he could see, the woman was not armed, and to be fair, his orders were to get rid of the more noticeable weaponry. Swords, axes, crossbows, war-hammers, polearms, and even bows had been confiscated, tagged, and stored in a makeshift armory. Those possessing items such as daggers, whips, gauntlets, and other weapons not traditionally used in warfare were instructed of their prohibited use. Anyone disobeying this instruction would be engaged by the Skyguard. He fought the urge to roll his eyes at Yuka’s invitation to her body. Not the time nor the place…
When the dark-haired elf pulled the woman behind him, Caelestis’ stance relaxed. Not only did his shoulders drop, but his facial expression was less scrutinizing. Finally, a… It was too good to be true, of course. That seemed to be the theme of light elves from his experience. Not only had the elf dismissed his questioning, but he also refused to hand over his weapon. And he had the nerve to claim he came in peace. To come to a foreign place and disregard the rules of the people who live there. The utter disrespect caused the captain’s right eye to slightly twitch. His hands dropped from his chest and he rolled his shoulders while allowing his wings to flare out. The disrespectful elf appeared to be trying to seek agreement from what Caelestis could only assume was his kin.
And agree he did, but with immensely more tact. It was a sign that he might have been longer-lived, especially with the faded scars he wore on his face. He claimed they were representatives of the Sun Elf Kingdom, yet why did his brethren control the Roshmi fashion designer. There were many possibilities why that was, but he would not simply leave that to his own imagination. The largest threat to a refugee operation was spies and infiltrators. This was a risk that Avian City was aware of and attempted to mitigate as best as possible. The biggest hole in their effort to safely shelter the refugees was magic. It was not the easiest thing to shackle down and could not be confiscated. It was fortunate most of the arrivals were demi-humans without any notable abilities to speak of. So when unnamed elves suddenly appear in this city while seeking exemption from the mandatory confiscation of weapons, being representatives of the Sun Elf Kingdom attempting to engage in talks of an alliance seemed… suspicious. Claims of non-aggression meant nothing to a liar and a permitted weapon meant everything to someone intending to commit violence. This elf was correct. This was a time of war. Unfortunately, his own words betrayed him as keeping the refugees safe was the current charge of the Avian City Sky Guard.
The last of the quartet spoke up, drawing tension away with their clever words. He may have entertained the fox on another occasion, but the elves held his ire. The fox demihuman had also failed to provide their background. Was this a ragtag company of people who met by chance? Impossible. It was more likely they were dark elven spies that had failed to get a proper cover story together. There were so many flaws. The only woman had the most sense and took initiative. Slightly too excitable but compliant. The dark-haired elf was simply defiant. His scarred brother was also negotiable. If they were spies, I would have had him speak first. And the fox came across as cool and collected. More interested in what he laid his eyes on than what was being said.
“Elf. You speak of vermin beneath our door, but I think you fail to see how that compares to you and your company. You don’t simply keep vermin out because they’ll eat your stock of food. It’s disease. That is what truly harms the people in their home.” His eyes scanned across each of their faces. “Stopping them entirely is mere fantasy. They will always get in, always. A vermin’s weapon is the sickness they carry and we of Avian City under these circumstances have the ability to remove and control this. The Skyguard is what provides safety for all in this city!” As if on cue, three armored and helmeted avians circled above. Their shadows danced across the five below. “Ambassadors, fashion designer, and… you there. Choose to forgo your weapons to my subordinates, and I will entertain your plea for an alliance between the Sun Elf Kingdom and Avian City. I assure you, we will return them once you are no longer under our protection.” A smug smile formed on his face, revealing how seriously he took the group and their explanations. The three Skyguard avians landed gracefully behind Caelestis. If the group agreed to give their weapons up, the three avians would move to collect them. If not, they would not advance beyond this point with their words alone…