Cyril, the Wanderer, and Company
The times like these made Cyril honestly wonder if he had some minor curse placed upon him. Situations always seemed to have a tendency to spiral out of control around him (or at least that's what it felt like), and the moment was no exception... in fact, it was rapidly becoming a prime example. Even as Cyril tried to get Alasa to set the male stranger down, more and more of his own travelling group arrived to... complicate the situation. The first was Ennis, whose comment didn't really change much, but Joy showing up afterwards.... Well. The man being held up didn't seem too pleased with the way she referred to him, actually kicking his legs back and forth as he seemed to struggle to free himself from Alasa's tight grip.
"He is a man, not a girl!!!"The struggle was to little avail though as Drosil made his sudden unexpected entrance. The Prince blinked in surprise as he heard the Jasian's voice, turning away from Alasa and the two strangers and almost forgetting them entirely as he instead looked to Drosil. Where in the name of the Divines had he come from? It took a fair amount of willpower to not demand answers from the man then and there, especially about Shadar, but Drosil's attention to the strange man helped him decide to save it for later, and he couldn't help but be slightly amused at what Drosil had to immediately say to the captive.
"He is a man oh what's the point anymore?" Sighing, the stranger suddenly went limp in Alasa's grip, hands and head hanging down as a defeated expression came over his face. Cyril could almost see the dark, depressed cloud gathering over his head, and he could almost see it pop in alarm as Sir Mauls-a-lot made his glorious entrance. Cyril quietly swore to himself before he brought up his hand to the bridge of his nose yet again that day, having already forgotten how many times he had done so already; Sir Mauls looked fresh from the slaughter, and it didn't sit well with the local population. Meanwhile, the man being held jumped in Alasa's grip slightly in surprise, though he remained perfectly still during the Deathcrawler's inspection of him, apparently not bothered by the touch of the antennae.
However, what could only be described as the fear of the Divines was placed into the man as his companion began yelling. It startled the Prince slightly, him looking to her in slight confusion while also being somewhat impressed by just how loud she was getting, but the man on the other hand... He froze immediately and went pale, and went even paler (if that was possible) as her yelling turned into a tirade against him. While Drosil moved on to his companion, the man just looked to Alasa, a pleading look in his eyes.
"Please, take him far away immediately. It might extend his life by a few hours."Alasa blinked as his brow furrowed, before he suddenly dropped the man back to the ground. Whether or not the man's words had this objective in mind, he ended up landing on his backside heavily with a slight, "Ooof," sitting there for a moment before picking himself up slowly. As the Wanderer stood once more, finally on his own feet, it was in that moment that Lora finally identified what a few of them were already suspicious of: this strange man and his very loud, very angry companion were the two who had prevented the destruction of the village.
For a brief moment, it seemed as if the Wanderer might deny what Lora had to say. The fearful look on his face from his companion faded as it almost became shifty, as if he was trying to find any way to get out of the situation. It eventually faded into one of acceptance as he glanced around to them all after a brief sigh. Lora had seen them personally, there was no possibility of denying this situation. His gaze went to the Prince last, hands being held loosely at his side, though they didn't approach his blade.
"These two are the ones she speaks of, but there is no need to thank us. We would prefer to just... leave quietly, if it is still possible."Cyril gave a slight nod in acknowledgement of the Wanderer's request (though not necessarily accepting it). The gears were clearly turning inside his head, and slowly a sort of smirking smile came over his face, one that made the Wanderer bristle slightly in anticipation.
"Well, if that's the case, you can leave with us now. We're making our way to the north pretty quickly, and word of your exploits shouldn't extend all the way to Gurata."For a moment both were silent, and then suddenly the Wanderer started slightly as it became apparent what had just happened. His jaw dropped ever slightly as his eyes widened just to the point before bulging, a slightly strangled noise leaving his throat. Though what the Prince had said was simple enough, something about his tone (and that smirk) made it very clear he wasn't going to take no for an answer, and if the Wanderer attempted to refuse then more difficult questions would follow... And for someone who wanted to try so hard to stay anonymous, the situation was like being stuck between a rock and a hard place.
"Nnnnnn... Very well then, it would probably be best if these two leave quickly..."Cyril's smirk grew slightly in victory, before he looked to Alasa.
"Make sure the rest of the Sentinels make it to the other side. We'll catch up soon."The look that Alasa gave Cyril was almost weary.
"You're absolutely certain about this?"
"Better than the possible alternatives."
"Fine." Alasa brought up his hands slightly in resignation before he turned, pulling himself back up onto his horse.
"Just be quick. We've made more than enough of a scene already." He flicked the reins slightly then, making his way beyond those still stopped outside the inn.
As Alasa made his exit, Cyril stepped forwards. As he passed the Wanderer he patted the shorter man's shoulders slightly, which seemed to cause them to slump a little. Cyril didn't pay attention to that too much though, instead making his way to Drosil and saying,
"Drosil, ask Sir Mauls-a-lot to stand down. She'll be travelling with us now, after all." He came to a stop, crossing his arms slightly as he did so.
"And if you could give me even the slightest semblance of an explanation, it would be greatly appreciated."Meanwhile, the Wanderer had begun to shift slightly in small, sliding steps away from the Prince, the Jasian, the Deathcrawler, and his companion in a futile attempt to quietly remove himself from what he knew would be coming next.
Izurich