RyuShura

A Hero Tale: Mikhael

Mikhael blinked a few times when Ezekiel pointed out the aged stump. He looked back into the woods they had just passed, seeing his marked trees. Leaving their side for a moment, he stepped forward to get a closer glance at the landmark, "You're right this is the same one as before...!" rushing forward a few paces even further, "And this bush over here too. I remember these red berries!" in a shocked whisper, "But how? I swear I've been marking our path this whole time. There is no possibility we could loop around, we'd see at least one of my gashes beforehand."

He looked at his partner incredulously, "Have we stumbled upon a trap? A spell?"

Scattered Shades: Arcadia Chronicles

Pincy nodded many times at her warning to stay quiet, his head bobbing like a little spring toy. He has heard this speech a great many of times, more than he'd like to admit. Not many high-brow organizations would like to associate themselves with him. Not that he can blame them. Or cared for that matter. He dabbled in things people didn't like to discuss or know about. The less people knew about his dealings, the better, if he had to anything to say.

"That's quite all-right, ma'am. I'd get quite the bad reputation where I'm from if the skittering rabble found out I'm part-time for the CMAS now. Not that many of them like me much as it is, any-who..." glancing to the side, feeling all the dark humanoid figures surrounding him. He can't tell faces apart, but he can definitely feel their cold, wary eyes. Just like any others. "Though I wouldn't mind to have a bunch of underlings following me around. I guess one is as good a start as any..." Pincy piped up happily when she confided his idea, bringing both his hands together in a resounding clap. "Oooh! Volunteers, you say? In other words, these individuals are 'expendable', as far as you are concerned? I'm a bit picky with my assistants, though I don't really mind their gender one bit. So long as they are... Well, I'm sure there will be someone who can be of use."

When they ushered him to move, the lanky man bounced up from the chair, narrowly hitting his pointy head on the ceiling and pushed it neatly back underneath the table. Patting his tapered coat with a flick of his wrist, he looked at his new employers expectantly, "I'm ready as can be!"

Scattered Shades: Arcadia Chronicles

I've been feeling really sick, but I'll try my best to post when I can.

A Hero Tale: Mikhael

"I'm thankful for your concern, brother..."

He started, but stopped short, a deep frown pressed against his pale face, "But for now, my only concern is for everyone to be safe."

The young knight continued deeper into the woods, cutting marks upon the trees, pausing periodically to properly find the words that can describe his timid thoughts. "I envy those who are selfless, because I find it hard to be..." he said after a sigh, "I am not the hero everyone deserves... I am cold and heartless, vicious and brutal. I have to remind myself that there are others who want to help me, otherwise I forget. " Mikhael cast a gaze up to the stilled giant resting across his shoulders, "These few, Lilith, Henry, Lucas... I treated them with resent since the begin ing, yet never have they scorned me. To be honest, anyone here is more deserving of the glory... That's why I find it hard to swallow that this is 'all for me'." shaking his head from the gloomy mood, stabbing his spear into the ground to hoist himself up a steep hill they had been working on, "If killing whatever cast this spell will free Lucas and return to us Henry, then that is what I will put all my effort in. We will all see this road to the end, all sharing in the glory together. That much I owe them."

...

Scattered Shades: Arcadia Chronicles

Pincy turned his head in thought at the proposition, already thinking of all the possibilities presented by this, his fingers tapping excitedly against his mask, "To be granted the profound resources of the CMAS, in exchange for the head one of the most prominent figures in our history... hmm, a very tempting offer indeed." nodding as he giggled, "Yes, yes, I will be able to conduct my research into the dream without fear and without anymore dilemma!"

But his joy quickly faded as a solemn truth filled his pale eyes. As great an offer as it sounded, there was one problem with what they are asking him. The task itself was simple enough. He was no stranger of following magic nodes in the darkness of the 'Cosmic Dream' when he is searching for greater beings to contact. A small calibration to peer into lower depths would allow him to find those still living. Since they already have a general idea of his location, this scrying would be made even easier. But despite what anyone may think of him, Pincy is not an assassin, nor a murderer. At least towards respectable others in his class. He may dabble with the dead and taboo here and there, but he would not dare end the life of a mage so powerful as Sulfrax. The sudden vanquish of such a potent soul will leave a gaping whole in the veil of the Dream. The results could be catastrophic for those living in this plane, possibly shifting a whole quadrant entirely and killing countless cosmic denizens.

The greater beings will take this as an offense after so graciously granting him these privileges, for tampering with their beloved home and surrogate family. Those who inflict the rage of these entities are haunted relentlessly by horrors in the chaotic dimension.

Judging by how they kept him now, there was no way they would allow him to reject their wishes. Disobeying the CMAS is one quick way of getting his arcane network silenced. Or worse.

He lowered his head, shaking it, "Ah, but I have one problem... Alas, I'm not a cold-hearted murderer. I have a sense of morality and justice, believe it or not! As you may already know, I am famous for doing odd jobs, really anything no one else would be inclined to do. So long as my clients present me with something interesting, I am already compelled... though a little compensation doesn't hurt either." laughing at that last part, "But I have a solution to this moral conflict! I can do this for you, tracking down this Sulfrax, so long as I do not deal the killing blow. In short, I will need an 'Assistant'. Or a few..."

Looking at Sarah, "That won't be a problem, yes?"
...

Scattered Shades: Arcadia Chronicles

"Yep. Been blind like a bat since I was a wee babe." nodding to himself, "Shame too. I can't see your eyes. I'm sure they're lovely. I can practically feel their warm embrace from over here!" turning to one of the figures surrounding their table, "Say, what color are they?"

Pincy then copied her position on the table identically, however taking a more casual approach, resting his chin in both his hands like he was staring at close friend, contrasting to the coldness she presented forth. He either knew of Sarah Eridal and pretended not to, or he simply didn't show much interest in her prestigious position in CMAS. It was unclear which he was leaning more on without seeing his actual face, and his empty, unblinking eyes didn't reveal much of anything.

"As a respectable mage and intellectual regarding all things Arcane, of course I've heard of Sulfrax! The man is quite the legend, both for undertaking and abandoning one of the greatest projects known to recent history. I'm quite disappointed, really. For someone so established and well-regarded, I would expect more dignity to finish what he started. And here, I've been spending all my life scurrying in dirt and blood to fund my personal projects..." he cocked his head to the side as he spoke again, a light waver to his voice, "But what I find interesting-- amusing actually, is your question. My opinion of Sulfrax's... 'kindness'? Of all the things I imagined you'd ask me, I surely didn't expect this! Nyeheh--!" putting a hand to the mouth of the white mask to silence the sudden burst of laughter, "Ahem, excuse me, I just couldn't help myself. You are so direct, yet you used such an indirect method." shaking away the shivered giggles, "I find these little unexplained intricacies much too funny..."

Spinning in his chair, looking again at the others in the room, "I can't be the only one, right...?"

...

Scattered Shades: Arcadia Chronicles

Oh, okay, I'll fix that. I should've known since it is mentioned in the terminology. XD

Scattered Shades: Arcadia Chronicles

I managed to get my post out since the baby is finally asleep... woohoo~

Scattered Shades: Arcadia Chronicles

Pincy soon feel himself being shoved into a tight room as he left the carriage. It was dark, as it always was, but he could feel the many figures quickly take shape around him. With how much tension there was, it felt he was trapped in a thick bubble than this musky room. Why did they want him? The masked-man stared at the faces surrounding him inquisitively, his head never one unhinging from the eerie tilt. He may not exactly know where they are, but he could feel their eyes boring into his skin.

He tried making casual conversation with his captors, but each word and attempted sentence fell flat as though they had been thrown against a wall. It looked like the CMAS were really not into the business of entertaining their guests today, though he didn't really have much else context. This was the first time he has been caught by their agents. Well, that's not exactly true, rather, this is the first time he has been taken into custody. What he did wasn't exactly legal, but it wasn't exactly illegal either, and it really was just a string of bad circumstances whenever they decide to poke their heads in and happen upon him doing something deemed 'wrong'. Slipping away was a relatively simple task since he was an expert at misdirecting attention and laying harmless traps. Now, if only he was better at keeping himself from entering these bad situations in the first place.

The dreadful silence was eventually pricked and oozed, relieving him, when a figure entered the room. He turned his eyes towards the sound of the opening door, but he didn't know the gender until they spoke.

"Umm... why sure, Ma'am." he nodded, speaking with a cheery tone, "However, I just want you to know, I might have a hard time keeping my mouth shut or on topic, for that matter..." shrugging, "Ahaha, I have quite the tendency of droning on and one when I'm under a lot of stress. My physician tells me it has something to do with my blindness, see, it makes me feel vulnerable when there is a lot of empty space around me and so I try to fill it with--"

Sighing suddenly, "And I'm doing it, aren't I?"

A Hero Tale: Mikhael

Mikhael shook his head firmly, "It's nothing. I'm fine now." purposefully dodging the topic, "I'm more concerned about how we're going to continue to fight while also protecting Lucas. Do you know any way of snapping him free of this unnatural slumber?"

It was clear he didn't want to talk about the issue, turning his head away. He had begun periodically cutting marks into the sides of the dead trees with his dagger as they went along. After the attack by the swarm of bugs kicked in his old survival sense, he was thinking more like his olden self, the untamed urchin kid that lived purely on refined cunning and resourcefulness. He was mostly paranoid they would get lost here forever if he didn't create any sort of trail leading back, but it would further serve as a good retreating point if things ever got dire. Just as he moved to carve another deep slash into a drooping tree, his eyes looked across the incredibly aged stump and foreign plants in a secluded grove, the sight filling him with a renewed vigor. They were getting deeper. This made it clear they were actually making progress. Even if just a little.

He quickly made the incision and pointed it out, "Older trees. We must be getting deeper in the forest... though I'm not sure if that is a good thing."