Octo

The Lion's Banner: A Fire Emblem-Inspired Anime Fantasy RP

Lirrah's body practically vibrated, twitching like a nervous rodent as Irian prepared himself. Lirrah tried to catch her breath, but couldn't. She breathed in and out rapidly, but somehow felt like she was suffocating. As Irian's quiver glowed, however, a small part of her panic was assuaged. He weaved magic into his archery. That would surely be a boon. More than Lirrah could do, certainly.

Her surprising speed, and Irian's swiftness in turn, would bring then quickly back near where Lirrah had fled. Her arm trembled as she pointed towards the chamber, where the sounds of combat still echoed. She tried to explain the situation better on their short trip back, but mostly ended up crying and sputtering. Then, as if she had just run twenty miles without rest, Lirrah collapsed to her knees well outside of the combat area.

Despite her selfishness, her manipulative nature, and her cowardice, she really did want to stand with the Lions.

But her legs did not listen to her heart.

"T-this... a-as far as I... I can g-go," Lirrah wheezed through her pained hyperventilating, "h-help them... I would... g-get in the way... t-this time."

The Lion's Banner: A Fire Emblem-Inspired Anime Fantasy RP

Lirrah swallowed heavily as the Witch giggled, but the smile never left her face. What did she mean by that? If she was going to make any Nem into a doll, she'd want Lirrah, wouldn't she? Lirrah was simply too cute and amazing, and would make too fantastic of a doll to pass up. Lirrah slowly backed away. Her negotiating didn't pan out quite how she wanted it to. If anything, it probably made her seem an appetizing plaything.

As Velvetica and Tabitha continued to talk, a few things came to light, but Lirrah was a bit more concerned with making herself look very small and non-threatening to give the words much credence. These tidbits were thoughts for later. Thoughts for when they weren't right in front of a super powerful doll woman. Still, things seemed to be calming down.

And then, when things were at their calmest, the storm broke out.

Sworn to Velt? Test your resolve? Lirrah nearly had a heart attack creeping through an empty tomb.

And Lirrah was no Lion.

The moment Tabitha's murder-doll sprang forward, Lirrah bolted. What could she do? A few plans ran through her mind, but they were all filled with so many uncertainties that she dare not even try. Acid was the only thing she had that might work, but the splashback might hurt whoever was engaged with it. Her experience in Nem archery made her a prime candidate to gum up the doll's joints with arrows, but she didn't know if she had the power to put an arrow into what she assumed was some sort of magically-enforced material. She was a slightly above-average archer with average gear.

But she did know of a better archer who might have better gear.

When Lirrah sprinted, it was glorious. Her stubby legs somehow carried her farther and faster than almost any Lion. Lirrah was always very proud of her speed, though that speed couldn't really be turned into power or competence on the battlefield. She jumped, slid, and rolled across the ancient debris like water flowing through a creek, never losing speed, and called out for Irian so as not to lose any time. They needed his help, not hers.

"IIII-RIIII-AAAN," Lirrah's terrified squeak echoed through the hallway, bursting through the entrance where the Elf was keeping watch, "THERE'S A WITCH! NOT FIGHTING! MURDER DOLL IS FIGHTING! SHOOT! SHOOT SCARY BLADE DOLL! NOT WITCH! NOT SHOOT WITCH!"

The Lion's Banner: A Fire Emblem-Inspired Anime Fantasy RP

Lirrah trembled as she made her way into the tomb. Irian would need people more skilled than her in the case of a counter-ambush, and though her eyes would be of good use in that respect, she personally suspected a higher likelihood of a trap inside than a force that Roger hadn't detected from the skies. In that way, she considered that she'd be of better use spotting for the explorers. It soon became readily apparent, however, that there were no cultists and no traps. In a way, that put her on edge even more. She'd hoped that the third party, whoever they were, was somehow swift enough in their machinations to have cleared out before the Lions reached the heart. Lirrah didn't particularly sense any magic about the place, but she was untrained in the mystic arts, and Velvetica seemed to agree with the mage. Well, if there was magic, and it wasn't of the expected type, then it might have belonged to Lirrah's suspected third party. Theories could harmonize, after all.

It was the effigies being destroyed that really sealed the deal for Lirrah. Only someone not affiliated with the cult, and certainly not whatever they planned on summoning, would have done such a thing.

It turned out she was probably right-ish and probably wrong-ish.

Lirrah had assumed that someone close to the Lions sold the information and coordinated with a party that wanted something with the cultists, but didn't have a large enough force (or not enough drive to get a bunch of their people killed) to do it without a big, distracting murder party. For that, Lirrah was probably wrong on all counts.

Because they were apparently dealing with a capital-W-Witch.

She'd only really heard legends about such things. Legends so infamous and wide-spread that some had even reached her homeland. She was certain that such a creature could have figured out anything about their plans through any number of magical methods, if she had the inclination.

There were too many unknowns, but since Lirrah wasn't dead yet, the Witch probably wasn't hostile to them at the moment. It might have been safest to remain quiet, but Velvetica seemed to want to talk. It was Velvetica's duty to find out what was happening in these lands, and it would be at their peril. Well, if that was the way it was going to go, Lirrah would have to assist. If she couldn't be counted on to talk, then what use was she?

"S-safas ma tasu, miss Witch," Lirrah greeted, smiling pleasantly. If the Witch could understand those words, it would likely make her feel in-the-know, and build some immediate rapport. If she didn't know them, and she was the curious type, then it might engage her.

If it made her feel small and stupid, Lirrah would probably be dead soon. But 'probably dead soon' seemed to be the order of the day. At this point, she could only gamble and take her shot.

The doll body, Lirrah noted, seemed to be very detailed and well-made. She had on a frankly beautiful dress, with ribbons and frills, and had coordinated her entire person with cool colors that went well together. This was a person that lovingly chose every aspect of her appearance, and due to being a Witch, probably didn't have a lot of people to compliment her work. In short, she was probably pretty vain. None of her choices served any practical purpose, and Lirrah understood this well.

"My name is Lirrah. I love your dress, py the way. You look radiant today~"

Lirrah hoisted her biggest, sweetest smile over the fear on her face.

"It seems you have done us a service! L-less work for us, of course! We were merely wondering why. If it were me, I'd pe afraid of getting too much plood on my nice dress. Forgive us this curiosity, put might you sate it?"

The Lion's Banner: A Fire Emblem-Inspired Anime Fantasy RP

Lirrah's body was still on high alert, despite the fact that the fighting was over. Almost everyone that wasn't ripped apart, stabbed, or exploded, Lirrah was relatively certain she had killed while their backs were turned. Or, had she accidentally missed a vital and left a few alive, they were probably taken care of by the other Lions on the way to the cultists' hideout.

Lirrah did not particularly care to look, if a few needed to be finished off.

Once they got to where the group supposedly made their dwelling, however, they were greeted with an unexpected sight: destroyed effigies and barriers. Ones that they hadn't seen to. There was a lack of manpower, and a good deal of blood at the entrance. The blood was fresh, but there were no dead bodies in sight. Lirrah's eyes wildly scanned everything she could see, because she was still under the dominion of her adrenaline-soaked brain, but she heaved the sort of not-at-all-bothered smile onto her face that she was used to affecting. She was a Lion, for the moment, and Lions weren't bothered by all the things that tore into her own little Nem heart.

"I-it would have had to pe near-simultaneous, wouldn't it?" Lirrah mused, smiling with an almost disturbing amount of calm for someone's first sortie, despite the shaking words nearly getting caught in her throat.

Lirrah dare not go further than anyone else to investigate. That was for the tough ones. The brave ones.

"A coincidence of such enormity that it must pe elevated to the level of a miracle," she went on, trying to figure out how and why such a thing might happen, hoping to be of at least some use as long as she was going to be there, "which is to say, something like an impossipility. At almost the exact time they left to take our pait, a different force rushed in to take their hideout. However, since I cannot pelieve in such miracles, the only explanation for that is that the other force somehow knew our plans to the moment. A most disturping thought, put that is only one theory. If that was the case, though, then the other force must want something that they think the cultists have. Something that we might take if we were the ones raiding. Otherwise, why put their own lives on the line if we were just going to take care of it?"

Though Lirrah's response was an extension of Velvetica's initial confusion, she spoke to anyone who might listen. The longer she was talking, the more likely someone else was to get closer to the entrance and not her.

In a way, this theory may have been a reflection of herself. She could come up with it, because under different circumstances she could see herself selling the Lions' information for coin and collaborating with a third party. Cultists get killed either way, less strain on Lion resources. Everyone wins! Only, Lirrah would not do that. Information like that is precious, and could easily be sold back to any number of people who intend the Lions harm. Or maybe the group she was collaborating with were very good liars.

Though it made her nauseous, Lirrah knew well that there might be a world in which she did just that and counted her coin as her compatriots got slaughtered in a counter-ambush. Lirrah, looking slightly sick, shook her head.

"But I didn't, and wouldn't, do that."

The Lion's Banner: A Fire Emblem-Inspired Anime Fantasy RP

Lirrah's expression was utterly ineffable to all. Even she didn't know what the feelings on her face were meant to convey. A strange cocktail of terror, excitement, and outright mania coalesced into something like an enormous smile as a third flask ruptured inside an enemy formation.

It wasn't her own actions that rampaged through her mind. It was that of the other Lions. The ones who were competent at killing. For a moment, Lirrah nearly mistook István for a monster. He descended upon the mass like a fearsome Djinni right out of the bedtime stories of Near Eastern children, but she doubted your average storybook Djinni could possess the sort of bloodlust that István seemed to relish.

Your wish is granted.

István had ruthlessly rammed his heel into a cultist, stomping him into the dirt like a cockroach, illuminated in flame. He had normally seemed so calm when purchasing his coffee beans. Gruff and big and scary, but relatively even in temper. She had never really imagined him like this.

But they were all answering her call. All wish-granters, delivering on her plea. Lirrah might have been rendered catatonic if she hadn't seen similar slaughter before, when Velvetica had rescued her from brigands.

Ah, Velvetica. Lirrah could not help but think that the way she killed people was so beautiful that it might have been a harmless, expertly-choreographed dance. The blood spurting from that man's throat might as well have been a quantity of ribbons they had prepared beforehand, for effect. It seemed like he might get up after Velvetica was all done, and take a bow with her other victims.

But of course, Lirrah knew that wasn't going to happen. She could ruminate on the fighting styles of all the Lions, but was thankfully jerked back to reality by Kayliss, her newest customer. Cover her. That was something Lirrah could do. She had illuminated all the cultists who had been in the back by now, and they were swiftly being taken care of by Irian. The least Lirrah could do would be to look out for her newest prospect.

Lirrah shook her head, and concentrated on Kayliss, who had taken to the very edges of the battle. There was no doubt in her mind that Kayliss would avoid most detection even without Lirrah's help, what with the darkness and the confusion of battle, but some of the enemies had started backing off. The Lions struck like lightning, so it was easy to imagine the tripping of the fight-or-flight switch. It was the fliers that Kayliss was probably worried about.

Lirrah had her bow at the ready. Her hands were shaking, so she smacked her own cheek.

"Get it together," she thought, "no one will come to hurt the Nem merchant in the back. Everyone else is too dazzling for them to see you. You're safe. Calm down... and shoot."

Lirrah re-steadied herself just as a fleeing cultist began to bolt in Kayliss' direction. She might not have been as practiced with the bow as Irian, but Lirrah's night vision was amazing and fleeing enemies were relatively predictable in trajectory. She let loose an arrow, and one cultist fell.

Ah... now this was something she could do. Pick off the runners. It didn't seem very knightly, but Lirrah was no knight, after all.

Pull, aim, release.

With the added benefit of not needing to shoot into melee. She wasn't confident enough in her skills to not hit an ally this far away.

Pull, aim, release.

She hoped everyone would want to try her food later.

Pull, aim, release.

The Lion's Banner: A Fire Emblem-Inspired Anime Fantasy RP

Lirrah nodded at the Steel Princess as she packed an explosive flask into her sling, and began swinging. Light up the back and kill them all before they can join the conflict. Lirrah had thought about how to put her vision to use, and she was glad that Velvetica approved. She wasn't very experienced in this sort of conflict, but it was easy enough to not feel too bad about the blood that would be on her hands. Necromancers? Hadriyu. Savage creatures that only killed and consumed and caused havoc.

Lirrah had killed Hadriyu before. Marking a few cultists for the archers and mages to slaughter was little different. There would be no hesitation in her throw.

One good thing about the sling was that it didn't take a strong arm to use one effectively. Most of the force came from the swinging, so even someone as small as Lirrah could throw a good distance. She was only accurate for so far of her maximum range, but pinpoint accuracy wasn't required of her now. Just a general area.

And when Velvetica called down the storm, a general area is what she got. What must have gone through the blackguards' minds when the world exploded into bright flames all around them? With one last swing of her arm, Lirrah hurled the flask and lit up the cultists who had waited in the back like the midday sun. She loaded up another, began swinging, and when the fear and confusion was at its peak, she let another fly into a second group.

"Kill 'em, kill 'em, kill 'em," Lirrah squeaked, her little heart nearly pounding out of her chest with the excitement and stress of a battle joined.

The Lion's Banner: A Fire Emblem-Inspired Anime Fantasy RP

As Lirrah watched and waited, she set out a few explosive flasks and got her sling ready. She had thought over and over about how to put her vision to use, and came up with the idea that she'd fling the flasks at farther away detachments that were more difficult for others to see. That way, she could light their positions up noticeably to point them out to the archers and mages. Of course, she'd do this once the cultists were concentrating on the bait team, when the ambush team was starting their assault.

Lirrah glanced up at Irian when he came up to her, and flashed him a friendly smile. Even for the merchant, it was difficult to tell if he was being sarcastic (Veltans and their biting sarcasm), but the truth remained: he had approached her. This was enough for Lirrah to guess at a degree of honesty behind his intentions.

"My, my, did I say that out loud~?" Lirrah pouted sweetly, "I was joking, of course~ but if you're hungry... hm... I only have the field rations I packed for myself. I would pe happy to share, though, Iri~"

Lirrah was already in her bag unpacking some flasks, so in a motion so immensely swift that it would have been uncharacteristically fearsome if she had been grabbing a knife, she set out a couple of parcels. A part of her wanted to ask Irian for money, but knew that the better practice was to build comradery. If she could have some of the Lions sample food from her homeland risk-free, and they liked it, she might actually be able to sell some. Samples make sales.

"I have some flatpreads filled with melon paste and... ah," Lirrah realized her mistake. She had packed some of her special jerky that was, while profoundly flavorful, also profoundly spicy. She'd scarcely met a Veltan that had even seen a spicy food before, and was leery regarding whether an average person from Velt wouldn't just die attempting to eat her meat.

"Actually, that meat isn't really... suited for a Veltan palate," she said diplomatically, "try the melon."

As if on cue, foreshadowing the danger of Lirrah's jerky, Velvetica announced the presence of enemies. Lirrah was soon able to to note every despicable presence, and grabbed for her sling.

"I'll light up the petter-hidden ones when we strike," Lirrah announced, strangely serious for once, "I don't think it'll pe accurate enough to do much damage at this range, put it will give us good vision."

Lirrah took this opportunity to give Irian a nod, and then turned to the Hundi, who she at least knew was a mage, but she had her eyes closed for some reason. Well, if the order was to strike fast and hard, a fiery explosion at their feet was probably a good way to begin.

The Lion's Banner: A Fire Emblem-Inspired Anime Fantasy RP

Lirrah's eyes widened as Kayliss began speaking. She seemed much more talkative now, and had relaxed her threatening glare. Well, things like that didn't much scare Lirrah in the first place. It was very big people that scared her, possibly because they reminded her of Hadriyu in some ancient corner of her mind. Even then, however, none of them were safe from her hunger for favorable business transactions.

Lirrah smiled from ear to ear as she looked up at the woman. So, that was an act. A face she put on to try and force Lirrah into the deal she wanted. Lirrah wondered, briefly, how many faces the woman had. Not that it mattered, of course. Business was business, but noting it now might be useful later.

"Oh, fantastic," Lirrah chirped happily, clasping her own hands together and resting them against her cheek in a cutesy, almost prayer-like invite for affection, "that sounds like a wonderful deal~ of course, we'll have to set an order minimum or it won't be worth it for either of us..."

Lirrah beckoned the woman to her tent to look at some of the herbs she did have in stock.

"...Put we can chat about that nasty money stuff later," Lirrah added in a half-pout, as if the librans involved somehow despoiled the simple joy of making a transaction (they didn't), "for now, let's get you what you need and head out~"

Lirrah's supply certainly contained herbs for cooking and for medicine, some of which might be used as poison reagents depending on the concentration and dose, and probably contained a few of the rarer subjects in small quantities that she had gotten hold of but hadn't sold yet. Desiccated, perhaps, but very usable. In addition, she also kept herbs of Nemish origin that weren't often seen in these lands. Things for folk remedies and home cooking (mostly for herself, as it hadn't quite caught on among the Veltans yet). Despite not being an apothecary, she had a somewhat favorable selection on hand.

"You know, sometimes it's hard to get all the herbs you need in one place. People ask questions when you need certain compinations... it's so confusing," Lirrah pondered aloud, innocent as the day she was born, "and the people who don't ask a lot of questions charge so much more! Well, not your good pal Lirrah! Eheehee, I don't know much about these plants, so I just tend to assume it's cooking~"

Lirrah winked and stuck her tongue out like a particularly dumb and charming orange cat.

"So whatever you want to order, I'll get it all, and at amazingly reasonable prices~"

The messaging, of course, was clear. No other merchants were needed. Lirrah could take the full list, and nary an inquiry would be made. As long as Kayliss understood this, Lirrah had no doubt that they would start a long and beneficial business relationship.

------------------

Lirrah felt almost like a real Lion, camped out with the others on the ambush team. The social clout and increased rapport from the mission would doubtless come in handy when dealing with the other soldiers, and maybe one or two would finally want to try some traditional Nemish cuisine. The Veltans had no idea how much time or money went into those dishes, so she could probably charge a lot once it got more popular. She'd blame a supply shortage for the price increase.

Lirrah smiled as she kept watch, knowing that it would be borderline impossible for the stupid necromancers to ever see her before she saw them. Nem had fantastic night vision, and Lirrah's was exceptional even among them. For a first job, keeping watch was a fantastic position for her to have.

...

Well, maybe she wouldn't overcharge for the Nemish food.

Even Lirrah had empathy. Love. The prospect of sharing food from her homeland and seeing the Veltans eat it happily was something she could take genuine joy in. Enough that it would be worth selling... at market price.

"Ila-nem," Lirrah muttered perversely, her sharp eyes scanning the distance, "I am so benevolent. Perhaps I should be a goddess~"

The Lion's Banner: A Fire Emblem-Inspired Anime Fantasy RP

Lirrah smiled sweetly as Irian extended his hand. His words implied, perhaps, that she would be expected to do more work than her own words suggested. Well, it wasn't as if she was planning on doing nothing, and it wasn't like the Elf would have the luxury of watching her the whole time, but it was significantly more expectation than she was used to.

Still, when a soldier offers a hand, you shake. This could not be refused, she imagined, as soldiers were a tight-knit group. Spurn one, spurn many. Befriend one, befriend many. That, and he threw in a nickname. Nicknames were excellent for business relations. Trading some small degree of combat expectation for this much social clout had Lirrah coming out like a bandit.

Lirrah reached out to daintily take his hand, and suddenly found her arm clasped in the bond of battle siblings. She trembled a little, but gripped the man's arm with as much force as her tiny body could muster. This was more than she had bargained for, but if she was gonna do it, she had to do it properly.

"Iri, then," she snatched up the offered nickname like a wolf to a steak, "it's a pleasure~ I am Lirrah Matayannah! As someone new to these lands, it is always good to meet new friends~"

'New friends' was, perhaps, a little presumptuous, but if she was taking the arm-clasp, she was taking everything she could.

And her smile was nectar while- OH ILA-NEM-

Lirrah practically jumped out of her boots when yet another scary person accosted her, this one brandishing an order in her face. With her pale face made even paler, she awkwardly broke the handshake to snatch up the list, giving Iri an apologetic smile.

As this went on, the discussion about the plan continued, including Cadmon's talking about using her as bait. If Lirrah was capable of shooting a terse death glare that would make someone fear for their safety, then Cadmon would feel it. She was, thankfully, not capable of this. Cadmon was fantastic as a potential customer, so she would just have to remember to overcharge him.

As Lirrah looked over the list, she was able to connect it with the sorts of requests she'd get from certain shady individuals. She was no apothecary, and she didn't particularly ask questions, but she could recognize ingredients for a poison when she saw them now. Velvetica-sanctioned poison. Very interesting. Lirrah smiled up at the woman who, after the initial shock, actually wasn't so scary. She had dealt with customers that had gazes like hers before. They were typically the dour sort. Maybe a little sad.

"Oh, dear me, no," Lirrah apologized without apologizing, "the 10% off is for her personal use. If it was for anything the Lions needed, I'd be selling everything lower. I'd put myself out of a jop!!"

Lirrah pouted cutely.

"Although... I'll tell you what: I wouldn't like to leave a pretty woman like you disappointed. How apout we make it 15% off if you commit to a reoccurring order? Say... once a month, for three months at least? We can do more if you need, though. Some of this stuff I have, yet a few things here are hard to get hold of. The more you order in advance, the more likely you'll have it on hand if you need more than you thought. Isn't that a great deal? It's propably something you'd order anyways, put at 15% off! I'm gonna ruin myself at that rate~"

She gave the woman a honey-sweet wink as the battle discussion was wrapping up. To no one's surprise, Lirrah wouldn't be bait. They did get to vandalize evil effigies, though. She guessed that would be a big hit for most of the soldiers. They'd probably use the chance to flex their creativity. How productive!

The Lion's Banner: A Fire Emblem-Inspired Anime Fantasy RP

Lirrah had been hoping for a little more fanfare, a heartfelt declaration of protection, or even a mention of how cute and amazing she was and what a pleasure it would be to defend her. She had no right to expect it, of course. Not from someone of Velvetica's stature (social), in particular. Still, it was something. She smiled happily, her expression conveying that Velvetica's response was as pleasing to Lirrah as she could possibly have imagined.

All Lirrah really needed was Velvetica's word to do her best to protect her. Velvetica seemed the sort to put a lot of stock in verbal contracts (you shouldn't), and it would have been as good as the ink it wasn't written in that Lirrah would come back virtually unscathed. Well, she supposed it was hard to promise such things in times like these. Still, she was not expecting to be part of the battle plan. It was almost flattering, being treated as a mercenary asset. Like she was a real knight or something.

But real knights got killed.

Her eyes drifted to Guillaume once more, who was ecstatically hobnobbing with perhaps two of the most important and dour gentlemen she had been apprised of in the whole camp. How did a man that seemingly naïve survive this long? Perhaps she would have back row seats. Anyways, if she was on good terms with the knight, and he was on good terms with Cadmon, there may be some business prospects there.

Still, the business at hand was surviving. Lirrah gave Velvetica a polite curtsey, and smiled brightly.

"Thank you, lady Hraesleg. I will look out for any dangers that may come our way, and do my utmost with my meager compat abilities. Oh, and please feel free to stop py my tent more often! You have a standing 10% off 'Saving My Life' discount on any items you desire! I can get anything you want, lady Hraesleg. Anything."

Lirrah turned to the bowman next to her, who had asked about the battle plan. She supposed she would be grouped with him soon, and Lirrah hadn't had much of a chance to interact with many Elves. They seemed to be rather reclusive here, and borderline nonexistent back home. All she knew was that they apparently lived for a very long time. Maybe some of them had a lot of savings squirreled away, though she wouldn't assume. Either way, he was pretty and had a sort of austere regality to him.

Then again, a lot of the Lions were pretty. You wouldn't think it, but Ila-Nem were they pretty. Of course, Lirrah knew she was the cutest and prettiest, but a more insecure type would probably be grinding her teeth looking at everyone.

Well, maybe she felt a little threatened.

She smiled up at the archer and gave him a wink.

"My, you look tall and strong! I'm sure I'll feel safe with a reliable gentleman like yourself," Lirrah sang, pouring on the charm like strawberry jam on a dry biscuit, "Let's protect each other out there, shall we? I look forward to working together~"

What Lirrah meant by this, of course, was that the taller and stronger combatant should take some responsibility for protecting the shorter, weaker one. The way she said it, however, made it seem almost like an equal partnership. A joint business venture in which they'd both gleefully profit, when the reality was that she'd want Irian to do most of the tough work while she languished upon her own timidity and reaped rewards.