Fantasy A Medieval RP

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Anashea

The body Anashea had in her hands hit the ground with a thud, a scowl on her face. Her recon mission was turning out to be a real bust and it was definitely pissing her off. Failure was not something the she liked dealing with, even more so when she feels like her time was being wasted. The man she had just dropped was supposed to be her informant, but it turns out he was lying to her the entire time. His lies were convincing enough to believe for the past week and now here she was looking like an idiot for having taken a chance as big as this. Not only did she hate being lied to, but she hated when people wasted her time as well. She knelt to the ground, looking at the darting eyes of her victim desperately trying to move his limbs. It was amusing to watch, that was for sure, but it wasn't making her feel better as far as everything else went. Usually when she killed some of her victims she did it in ways that were easy to pass off as an accident but this time she wasn't going to do that. She wanted who ever he belonged to, who ever had found him, to know that he was murdered and that she felt no remorse for it whatsoever. The only issue she had now was figuring out how she wanted to do it and how messy she should get... She had settled on a simple throat slice, standing behind him to avoid any sort of blood splatter. It was still light out and she had a long way to travel back to her homebase. She hated having to travel so far away but Mordred had asked her to do this.

Had it been anyone else giving her orders, she would have simply laughed and told them off. There was only one person who she not only respected but listened to and that person was Mordred. No one understood how such a small person could have worked their way into a strange dynamic would the bigger man, but it wasn't for them to. Though if she were to be honest with herself, she didn't understand how it worked either. They were unconventional, that much was for sure, but it worked in its own way. She was helping him find the Princess but not because she fell behind the cause like many of the people who followed King Darius had. He made her a promise that once he completed his own task that he would help her find her missing brother. It had been about 10 years since her brother had supposedly died. Even though she saw him get struck in the chest she just didn't believe he was dead. A part of her still felt that he was alive and she wasn't giving up. Plus, she had never seen the body and until she saw a body she would continue searching. So while she was out doing her actual job, she was looking for him and any information on the side.

The journey back to her Commander had been long an tiring, Anashea having a slight attitude when she finally arrived. It wasn't just the failure of her trip that was bothering her, but because of how much sleep she had gotten. Her sleep pattern was already horrible but it was worse when she went on missions herself, not wanting to miss anything important. She stormed through their camp and ignored anyone who said anything to her. The one thing she wanted to do was bathe and drink, especially before she went to give her report of her trip. She had someone bring her clean water to clean herself with and by the time she got to her tent it was already there. The men were just as afraid of her as they were their commander and didn't know if that was a good or bad thing. Either way, they steered clear of her as she sought out Mordred after she changed her clothes. When she found him, she gave him a smirk and began making up for the lost opportunities on teasing him. "There he is, the man with a face only a mother could love. Ready for some bad news?"


Mordred ( Athanas )​

 

[Pumpkid]

Zeia
Interactions: StaidFoal Lucas & Melanin-Gxdess Jayera / Location: Waterfall​

Zee smirked over the girl's teasing. He watched as she hovered gracefully in water and turn her attention elsewhere taking in every detail from the shape of her lips to the soft tone of her skin. Something about damp hair that makes a woman appealing. The sound of footprints grabs his attention. Before he could judge, the comment about jugs threw him off.

A young face no more than 15 to 19 stepped out in a long robe. From the look in their eyes, they seem harmless. Zee quirks a brow coming back to the kid's statement. Did he really not understand the context? Even the white-haired girl understood. "Jugs as big as yours? I don't think a guy can even grow any." He snickered growing into a laugh only to be cut off when the kid squealed. It appears as though he realized the lady in the lake was in her birthday suit and made a fuss about it. He began chanting causing Zee to be on alert. Is he trying to cast a spell of some sort or a curse?

The beauty seemed unfazed and mumbled exiting her bath and take her belongings behind a tree to change. Zee sighed concluding nothing bad is going to happen and the kid was just too innocent to notice lewd scenes. "Now that, my dear, is a virgin." Zeia pointed out the difference between men with and without experience. Once things have calmed, the mystery woman revealed herself and her lovely attire. "Ah, so there is a name to that face." He crossed his arms. "My name is..." He pondered on what name to hand out. "Zee."
___________________________________________

Xan Blackwell
Location: Camp near the trees / Interactions: LeelLu
​

Petra's sigh was a good sign to be able to engage in a conversation without any misunderstandings. Xan hadn't thought about his name being unusual given it's his birth name, but then again, he's never heard someone with a similar name either. "Xan is just short for..." He paused dismissing the sentence. "Never mind." He said. Petra's response about the kidnapping waa a bit puzzling for he wasn't there to witness the events. However, judging by her clothes, he pieced the puzzles that she was a stealth type of person much like him. "Our ambush was more civil. They approached us with caution and talked it out and willingly agreed out of boredom." Xan sheepishly confessed.

Hearing a glint of the blonde's troubles saddened the man. He knew exactly what it was like to wish to see their parents. Unfortunately, it never occured to him because his parents were the one who abandoned him in the first place. "I'm so sorry." Is all he could muster. The topic itself seemed to be touchy to his surprise. The peppy woman, however, appeared to be taking it fine as if nothing could truly bother her. An admirable trait he wishes everyone would carry and never let their flame die. If there were more kinder people, the world would be a little tolerable.

Suddenly, Petra began to tug her shirt down causing him to turn away flustered. "Whoa hey!" He squeaked with a cracked voice. "What are doing?" He peeked, calming down when she mentioned her mark. He sighed relieved it wasn't anything lewd although he basically turned it that way otherwise. Xan mentally took in the details of her mark as she proudly explains her ability and displays an example of materializing a flower from nothing. "Intriguing." Xan gasped with starry eyes. The steps it took to manifest a simple flower was incredible. He's never encountered another mark nor witness their powers until today. He spun the flower in between his fingers checking to see if it was real or an illusion. The texture and scent answered his question, but more was asked of him from the excitable woman.

"I'm a marked as well along with the others that were brought here." He smiled. He stared at the flower for a while debating on revealing his powers. It only seemed right since she showed hers, right? She was kin even if they weren't blood related and need to watch out for another, though he could hear Zee nagging about being a little on guard with the situation. Xan looked up at her and froze the flower completely and puffed out a cold mist from his mouth. He returned her creation, "I can control ice." He replied. "I am not the princess's follower at the moment. I'm deciding if I should accept her invitation or not. It all depends on my partner." He frowned. His eyes shift to the woods where his friend disappeared.

 

[Athanas]

The waiting was always the worst part of a campaign, the quartermaster had once told him. Sure, the fighting's dangerous, and the marching's tiring, and the digging hell on earth, but what truly caused the most discontent amongst soldiery was simply sitting around. The anxiety that the warriors had managed to suppress returned with a vengeance. And the worst thing that a soldier could start doing was think. Mordred had resolved to at least keep himself busy by doing some physical training. Taking advantage of the privacy of his tent, he had stripped down to his trousers and was currently performing sets of different exercises. He was already at peak physical performance, of course, but one shouldn't let up just because they're good at something.

Thankfully they wouldn't have to wait for much more. The reinforcements they were waiting on had been delayed a bit, their commander's greed the most likely cause. Raiding caravans was good practice, of course, but-it was not something to be done when he needed troops, and needed them now. Then again, the man had not known this. As far as he was aware, they were mobilizing by the end of the week.

A part of him couldn't help but feel a small twinge of anxiety at that final thought. Godsdammit, why had he gone and given that order? The villages would be good loot, of course, but after that? The Baron ountnumbered his own men considerably. Even with his own immense combat ability, he was not sure it would be enough, They'd be determined, as only men defending their own homes can be. Sure, they'd abandon their walls and sally out, he was sure, but that was only a minor boon, if anything.

He most likely would have continued worrying over the problem had he not been interrupted. He looked up from his prone position, spotting the form of Anashea standing at the opening of his tent. If anyone else had interrupted him so rudely without sending in one of his personal guard first, they'd have at best received an earful, at worst, a lashing. However the assassin was an exception to this rule, in part due to her unique set of skills, mainly due to the fact that she happened to be a good friend of his.

One wouldn't suspect that the latter was true if they heard them talking. Anashea had a biting wit that'd put sailors to shame. He tried his best to respond in kind where he could, although he was far from her equal in that regard. Yet in spite of all her odd mannerisms, she was invaluable to his band. She'd snuck into places that he'd been assured were too well guarded to be snuck into. She'd gotten information that was supposed to be top secret. And she'd easily caused as much destruction as him, only in her case, absolutely no one had known who had done it-in most of the cases, no one even knew anyone had done anything in the first place. Her special skills against marked were only icing on the cake.

"Pfft. Hey, some of us lack beauty, others lack combat ability. It's just the way of the world, ain't it?" He did his best effort to smirk right back at her. Of course, the jab was unfounded-Anashea was beautiful, and her usual outfits usually did nothing to conceal that fact. But of course he wouldn't admit that. He hadn't grown that bloody soft just yet. Standing up, he grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat off of his body. Although his build and muscles remained as impressive as ever, he couldn't help but notice that the scars had grown at an absolutely astounding rate. The grey skin was littered with dozens upon dozens of them, from small marks left by arrows to massive gashes caused from waraxes. No matter, he resolved. He donned a loose-fitting shirt before facing her again, motioning for her to sit at the table in the middle of the tent.

"Bad news? You're barely back a quarter of an hour and already it's bad news? Eh, fine. Incidentally, I also had horrible news to deliver to you. Wait-before you say anything, let me steel myself first." He reached for a small barrel of decent wine that he'd stashed amongst his personal possessions. He quickly filled two goblets, putting one on the table in front of her and wolfing the other. "Alright, that's beter-go ahead and make me sad now. And something tells me that you'll need yours, too-I'll also make you quite sad in a bit."

He refilled his own goblet, facing her and waiting for her to finish her report before he'd inform her of the change of plans.


Anashea( Melanin-Gxdess )

 

[Lazaro1505]

Abelgard Müller the Plague Doctor

Location:
Sitting next to a tree after getting breakfast, while also struggling to understand what Sera is saying

Oh he wished he had not accepted to converse with Sera.... because not much longer, after the woman sat down next to him after making the request, she did say she was glad of it was to talk to another trained physician who also done some work throughout the years, talking about her time when traveling across village to village when she met other kind of doctors that did not have the same training as him and mostly stayed within the settlement they lived within. He could understand her excitement as well, it was rather some time he spoken to a medical professional that wasn’t one who stay within their places. But things rather got... much more complex, as he was now assaulted with an onslaught of questions to his very ears, not even quick enough to open his mouth as he was too focused on making sense of the rapid fired words his brain was trying to translate, all the while the woman stared at him with her brown eyes.

Thankfully, she had finally realized what she was doing, and apologized for what she had done, before eventually asking for his own name and began picking at her own food. Now regaining his composure once more, he could finally respond back to the woman, the Raven merely looking down below, as Abelgard made his response.

“Well.... most others call me by the name of Abelgard Müller, sometimes Dr. Abel in certain cases, but I don’t mind which name you use to call me by, as long as it isn’t disrespectful...”

he finished, as he now let out a breath he didn’t know he had within him, and began to continue eating his food, making sure to pay attention in case Sera spoken to him once more.

MagicPenguin​

 

[MagicPenguin]

Sera Albion

Sera frowned. Abelgard had answered one question, her last about his name, and shown not much reaction to anything else Sera mentioned. Nor had he told her much about himself and his own training, as she'd hoped he would. Though she supposed in hindsight she had no right to, she'd expected Dr. Abelgard to jump into the conversation with as much enthusiasm as she did. Perhaps he was more used to speaking with other doctors than she was, so it wasn't as remarkable an occasion for him. Or maybe he was a more private sort of person and didn't enjoy talking about his work like she did. Either way, she couldn't help but feel sad she had apparently overwhelmed him and perhaps made a terrible first impression.

Despite her doubts, she quickly regained her winning smile. "Dr. Abelgard, it's such a pleasure to meet you," she said. "I'm so sorry if my rambling is a bother. I didn't mean to get so carried away, but the stress of last night and this whole..." she gestured to everything in the camp around them "...situation...we find ourselves in...well, I suppose it got the better of me. I hope you can forgive me."

Sensing from his reserved body language and furtive glances that Abelgard was perhaps anxious and not too eager to engage in this conversation, Sera decided to jump right to the question she'd intended to work her way up to after she'd gotten to know him a little better. She wasn't lying when she told him she was excited to speak to another professional about their work, but a desire to make new friends wasn't the only reason she wanted to learn more about Abelgard.

Sera's ability was only as potent as her knowledge of the human body and of how disease and disorder affected it would allow. If she did not understand something about how a sickness affected physiology and anatomy, her ability to heal it was severely impaired. As such, she was always searching for new sources of information to broaden her knowledge and understanding. Some people trained their bodies by exercising physically, or trained their abilities by using them more and more over time. For Sera, it was a little different: studying was her training; the more she did it, the better her ability naturally became as a result. Meeting new physicians with different skill sets and experiences than herself was always a prime opportunity to do just that; therefore, whenever she had the chance, she always made the same request of every doctor, medicine man, wisdom, or otherwise medically inclined person that she met as she was about to make of Dr. Abel.

Sera reached into the travel bag laying at her side. After Silver's invasion the night before, she'd been sure to bring it with her rather than leave it out of sight back in the hut where anyone could wander in and take it. She rummaged around until she pulled out a large, thick, hard-covered tome. Its pages were well-worn and it was full of bookmarks made out of different colored leaves and foliage. Sera had spent a good amount of money on this book when she first left her home town, and the wear and tear on the cover and the pages showed its age.

Within its pages were handwritten notes about every patient Sera had ever treated since obtaining the book: who they were, what illness they had, what remedy had been attempted, how well it worked, what follow-up, if any, was performed, and miscellanious notes of interest about each case. In addition to that, she had also written inside her musings, notes, and theories about the human body and about different ideas she'd had for new medicines mixed from different types of plant extracts and other common ingredients. Despite all of that writing--nearly 8 years of her personal medical practice and theory--there was still at least a quarter of the book that was comprised of blank pages, a testament to just how thick this book was. Journals such as this, as well as the implements and the ink used to write in them, were luxuries usually resigned for merchants or rich nobles, but the necessity had demanded that Sera splurge a good chunk of cash to first obtain it and then, over the years, to maintain it. When this one was full, she'd buy another, and then another when that was done, and on and on until she either died or retired (unlikely as the latter ever was, she thought perhaps naively).

She placed her forgotten plate of food down and presented the book to Abelgard. In her experience, some medical professionals did not keep notes as she did, but many--especially ones with formal training the likes of which Dr. Abelgard probably had--usually did have something similar.

"Dr. Abelgard," she began her pitch, trying to hide her anxiety about his answer. "This may be presumptuous of me, but I was wondering if we might share our notes? This is the journal in which I keep records of all my work. I'd be happy to let you borrow it a while and read it. I'd also love to borrow any journals or notes about your work that you keep so I might do the same. It was my uncle's belief--one that I share wholeheartedly--that the more information we doctors share with one another about our line of work, the better we all will become at saving lives. What do you say, Doctor?"

Some people she asked this of, whether because they viewed the practice of medicine as she did or because they were simply curious for their own selfish reasons, were more than happy to share knowledge with Sera and to partake of hers as well. Others--unfortunately and counter-productively, in her view--were more secretive about their expertise, treating their journals and notes as if they were guarded trade secrets never to be revealed lest the "competition" get a leg up on them.

She held an anxious breath, waiting to see which of the two categories Dr. Abelgard would fall into.

Mentioned: WillfulWren (Silver)

Interacting: Lazaro1505 (Abelgard)

 

[StaidFoal]

Luca de Malvaela
Interactions: Pumpkid (Zeia) Melanin-Gxdess (Jayera)
Mentions: MarieK (Adelaide) Morrighan (Aless)​

"What? Grow? are you aware of how pottery works? It's not some farm you tend to." The two looked amused, strangely. Was it his height they were laughing at? If they saw how big the artisan had made her jugs, they would surely be surprised! It was the jugs that were big, not he who was small! Then the man pointed out the difference between the two of them, being their experience in adultery. For some reason, he felt a twinge of frustration from the man. "You say that as if it's a bad thing. The 5th Constriction demands that our eyes be devoid of lust. That way we are closer to Shaione's good will." Clearly, the white-haired man was not of faith. Then again, nobody else here seemed to be, either. Who could blame them? Especially with the 7th Constriction ruining their image.

He looked away from him with a "humph." Truly, everyone here is... "Hm?" Luca looked at the green vial, taking it from the dark-skinned girl. He fumbled it around in his hand curiously, looking at it from every angle as if he's seen nothing like it. He looked back at his stained robe, smiling. "Yera? That is a pleasant name. Th-Thank you..." He raised a hand to try to hide his cheeks as he stuffed the vial in his pouch for later use. Not everyone, then...

Taking a breath, he calmed himself to answer her question. "I am Luca." His brow twitched as he remembered past experiences. "Not Little Lucy. Not Lucy. Simply Luca." He put on a glare to let them know he was serious about the name. Too many times did strangers think it "cute" to call him Lucy. "I assume you two are Marked?"

As the two princesses left, the dove flew with. It landed softly on their tent, burying its head in its wings.

 

[StaidFoal]

Auriel Garner​

Auriel stepped on the wooden podium, Troy following at his side. It has been a week since the Heavenly Watch arrived in the area, starting construction on a local church and spreading their presence. Knights in pearly white armor patrolled the place, offering their hand to those in need and reciting the Constrictions when asked. They promised protection and care to the townspeople, converting much of the village in the process. Now, they gathered before the 2nd Deacon of the Church with anticipation.

Auriel chuckled to himself as he saw how many villagers had attended. Troy sat in front of his leg, sitting patiently. "I extend my greetings to all who inhabit this fair village. Though she has moved on from this world, I shall recite Mother Helena's decree: 'It is the duty of those of faith to report potential Marked for all's safety. Should someone you know be nervously pulling a cloth over a patch of their skin, stay shut in their homes more than usual, are clearly hiding something, are acting different or erratic, or have an odd rune drawn on their body, please report to the nearest inquisitor. Harboring a heretic is punishable by lashes equivalent to the days thyself has kept them.'"

The townspeople murmured among themselves. Auriel twitched his mustache during the pause, resisting the urge to scratch his philtrum. Troy wagged his tail. "Those who are Marked are men and women of sin. The Goddess of Decay, Iena, chose them herself. They are apostles meant to bring wanton destruction; to decay humanity and those of good will." Now the villagers showed fear at the thought of crossing a Marked. Later, many of them would pray to Shaione that none of them would suffer the wrath of a Marked. "Lastly, know that it is through foiling many heretics that Mother Julia earned the favor of previous Mother Helena, earning her the rightful position after her passing." At the back of the crowd, an inquisitor arrived on horseback. A news bearer. Auriel gazed at him for a few seconds before addressing the crowd. "That is all for now. Remember, you are advised to follow the 7 Constrictions to have a greater chance of receiving Shaione's good will. May He bless you all."

Auriel stepped off the pedestal while Troy followed, lolling his tongue out in the sun. He approached the inquisitor who respectfully bowed as he neared. "Father Auriel, the church is complete. This village is now under divine protection."

His mustache curled up as he smiled. "Good, good!" Establishing their presence in this village was vital in coordination with the 13th Deacon and Mother Julia's plan. He and the inquisitor walked out to the entrance of the village. Troy followed close by Auriel. Peering out in the distance, he spoke. "Once more of the Heavenly Watch arrives from Kestramor, I plan to establish our presence in the three villages nearby. The fewer places there are for heretics to hide in, the more we close in on rescuing the princess." His hand habitually traveled down to pet Troy, who panted in the heat. "And please, fetch a bowl of water and leave it at the church for dear old Troy."

The inquisitor saluted him—a fist above his chest, as the Church had them. "Right away, Father. May He bless you."

"May He bless you." With that, Auriel and Troy made their walk back to the church. If all went smoothly, they'd spread their influence and create a base for the Heavenly Watch against the Marked; possibly combine the four villages and start a city in the process. But with a more destructive force hunting the Marked in the same region... 'smooth' would be far off. For now, they wait.

 

[LeelLu]

Petra Florence
Location: Campsite
Interactions: Xan / Pumpkid & Open to @ everyone on Campsite

The comment about his name caught Petra's attention, though for once she managed to keep her tongue at bay and not bring it up despite her curiosity. If he wished to speak of it, maybe it would be mentioned at a later point. She knew her own name was old-fashioned, but it was not uncommon. Slightly exotic maybe, but not uncommon throughout the Kingdom. Speaking of exotic; the whole situation with fellow Marked ones was intriguing to Petra, maybe because she could make new friends who understood the struggle of not being normal in the society they had been brought into? Until now she had been on her own. The change was nice - especially when she did not thrive the days she was forced to hide away.

"That's very nice of them! Not to ambush you, I mean, but that they were civil and talked it out! To be fair, my kidnappers weren't exactly stealthy, so it was a fun encounter. It seems people are falling in from all over the place. The faces around here are all new to me!" Petra shrugged with an entertained expression. Her gaze moved over the camp that she could see, though the people had thinned out visibly, a couple remained in smaller groups.

It did not phase Petra to speak of her parents. They had been gone for as long as she could remember. It was only when she became old enough to understand why they had to leave her that she decided to go look for them again. So far, no luck - but another day meant another opportunity. When Xan apologized, Petra seemed surprised. "No, no, they did what they had to do. They are alive somewhere, so it just remains to get on the same track. This Kingdom is so big!" Petra brushed the subject off, but the explanation seemed to be more of a reassurance to herself than to Xan. It was unknown what had become of her parents or if they were even alive, but Petra refused to accept that reality until it was confirmed. Until then, her parents were alive somewhere.

Xan turned away when Petra revealed her mark. Her grin turned into a loud laugh. It seemed the proof of the mark was enough to calm her new friend down and hopefully keep him away from the thoughts of her being a pervert. That thought had not even crossed her mind, so it was simply amusing in her eyes. "I did not mean to startle you with my feminine traits," Petra snorted in laughter and fixed her top back into position. The thing that seemed to catch Xan's attention the most, though, was her revealing her magic. "Pretty cool, huh?"

Petra's array of questions did not seem to phase Xan in the least. More often than not, the eager and energetic personality she had could be overwhelming to many. With his responses, Petra nodded eagerly in reply. The next happening made her gasp loudly in surprise and excitement. "No waaay, shut up!" she squealed and grabbed the flower she had offered him from his hands. With eager eyes, she inspected the flower. Petra put the flower in the palm of her hand and thought for a second. A small giggle left her lips. "That would be a pain in the ass for me if we were to get in a fight. Imagine the cold-ass ground. Yikes."

"Did your partner go into the forest? Do you want to go look for him? It seems breakfast is already underway - but I can help you look for him if you want!" Petra chirped with curiosity and looked in the direction Xan had shifted his focus. "I am sure he will come around. Who can resist all of these powerful people around them? And so many pretty ones too!"

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Anashea

There were various times Anashea had walked in on Mordred, not caring about his privacy each and every time. The only time she hadn't walked in on him would have to be when he was cleaning his body but other than that, there were no formalities. This time she seemed to have caught him when he was doing a bit of a workout. From the sweating, she assumed he had been at this for a while as she watched him stand to his feet. He gave her a retort to her statement, causing her to shake her head. She would give him an 'A' for the effort at trying to keep up with her as far as the teasing went. Each day was a new opportunity for him to come up with something that rivaled her wit and each time he failed. It was amusing enough for both of them, so she kept it up.

Watching as he wiped the sweat away from his body, she couldn't help but watch for a moment. She had always found the number of scars on his body peculiar, considering he was still so young in age. It was a miracle he was alive from the looks of things, but she just chalked it up to his size and strength. There seemed to be new scars every time she did look at him, though some of the times she thought that maybe it was because she missed them. Anytime she did look at his body it wasn't because she was lusting after him, something she hadn't done, but because she was so interested in them. There were even times when she wanted to touch them but never dared such a thing. To actually touch someone with no intention of hurting them? It was unheard of in Anashea's world. She hadn't realized that she was staring until his voice spoke out to her, the woman regaining her composure and paying to attention to her surroundings once more.

She moved towards the table just as he did, stretching her arms up above her head. Telling him she had bad news had only gotten her her own set of bad news given right back to her. This was going to be quite the day, wasn't it? She opened her mouth to speak only to be put on hold while he gathered liquor together for the two of them. While he did this she moved to sit on the table and watched with a raised eyebrow as he gulped his drink. He let her go first in the telling of bad news to which she obliged him in telling him about her failed mission. "Played for weeks about the intel of some location where they would be. Perhaps we were getting too close and someone was sent to throw us off the trail so that when we realized it, it would be too late. I normally don't get blindsided this way and it won't happen again." She basically growled those last few words, failure being something she wasn't good at managing. She picked her own cup up and swallowed it in one go. "He's been taken care of, of course, but the fact still remains." Her cup slid back over as she asked him to fill it again before she shook her head. "Now, what's the bad news you have to share with me? Something to make things worse I presume?"


Mordred ( Athanas )​

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Jayera

The young woman couldn't help but be amused by the younger teen. He seemed to be the religious type, based on his earlier mumblings and by what he was now saying to the other male. Yera didn't have a problem with it, being religious herself. However, her religion wasn't as strict as others and allowed her to be free and more herself than others. This young boy's seemed to be just the type with how wound he was. He was a true believer of his faith, one she was vaguely familiar with. Therefore, she wasn't going to tease him about any of it and just rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, I'll be sure to keep my clothes on around you then so I won't seem like a 'temptress'." She reassured him. Religion was important to her too and she wouldn't want anyway testing her faith so she wouldn't do it either.

Watching as he examined the vial she couldn't help but watch in amusement, trying to hide it behind her hand. It was completely understandable considering she was a stranger to him and was handing him something that could be seen as poison. If anything, she was expecting him to give it right back to her but he hadn't which meant something. To be honest, all of her encounters today would help her decide if she should stay or not and hers with the young boy was tipping the scale. She didn't know if it were because of how innocent he seemed or if it were because he reminded her of the younger boys she had encountered in her life but there was something. He thanked her for the vial and she just nodded her head. "Don't worry about it. If you're sticking around, or rather, if I am, you can always stop by my hut if you run out." He went on to tell her his name, stressing the fact that it was indeed 'Luca' and 'Lucy' She could feel that momentary feeling of annoyance before she nodded her head in understanding. There was a lot to unpack there, but it was too soon to be asking such personal questions. "Well, Luca, not Lucy, it's nice to meet you." She turned her attention to the older man and nodded her head at him.

"Oh, there's more to me than just a pretty face and a name." Placing her hand on her hip, she watched as he paused before telling her his name. "Zee, is it? A nickname or the whole thing?" She asked, tilting her head to the side. Granted, she had just given the both of them a different version of her name but she hadn't been so obvious about it. When asked if she were marked, she momentarily tensed up. They all were, right? So, why would he be asking that question if he weren't marked just as she was? For a moment she stared at him, her mind trying to decide if she should say anything. It wasn't until she remembered what one of the men who had taken her there had told her about being within a mixed company. Some were and some weren't marked so she relaxed a bit. She lifted her belted sash and lowered her skirt slightly to reveal the intricate Mark on her hip and nodded. "Yup. Granted, I wish it were somewhere else as I had tattoo ideas for that area but nonetheless."​

Interactions:
Zeia ( Pumpkid ) Luca ( StaidFoal )

 

[Fenris]

Leonard Whitlock
Outskirts of camp -> near dining tent​

The rough cloth about his face wafted with earthy scents, clearly having served another purpose previously. It wasn't the most comfortable thing to stumble through the woods blindfolded but at least the ragtag group escorting him didn't make any attempts on his life. In fact that was the one thing they had been rather clear about, they didn't intend to harm him even if blindly wandering through a forest came close to his own definition of such.

When they finally did allow him to remove the fabric he starred out into an encampment, rows of tents lining the forest floor while lanterns and rope bridges swayed in the tree's above. There was already a fair bit of activity as various people hustled about and rays of the rising sun piercing the canopy lent the whole scene a rustic beauty.

After a moment or two of taking it in Leonard turned to one of his captors, “You're certain not be some tribe of mountain bandits? Its the merchandise you're supposed to take, not the merchant.” his sullen tone eliciting no more than a raised eyebrow until dark haired woman cut in, “Enough, you're here because of that trick with the floating coins. You're one of the marked and that's all there is to it.” The rather fruitless attempt to impress her had landed him in this predicament to begin with and he was still regretting the amount of spiced wine consumed the previous evening. Falling back into step Leo muttered, “Her ability must be absolute lack of humor..” which drew an annoyed scowl from the woman and an amused smile from another of the group.

----

The promise of getting to know some of others new arrivals was enticing; the prospect of getting some food to chase away the lingering hangover almost divine. Following the instructions to the dining tent Leo rounded a corner only to come face to face with a massive feline tearing into a bloody carcass. Clearly unsettled he turned to the remaining guide and noted, “No leash? It...it doesn't exactly seem entirely docile.” Eyes darting to the contrast of fresh blood matting the silver lions fur around snout and clawed paws. For the first time the dark haired woman appeared genuinely amused as she casually waved to signal her departure, “Perhaps you can use that coin trick to impress her. Good luck.”

Feeling more than a little abandoned Leonard looked to a group seated at nearby table for help as he slowly began to circle around the mountain lion toward the now far more precarious promise of breakfast. “I'll just keep walking, you just keep devouring and were on track to become fast friends. Wouldn't eat a friend, would you?”

Mentions: WillfulWren / those near dining tent​

 

[Lazaro1505]

Ashotop Qarmzi

Location:
Hidden within the forest, inside a small camp site

Hidden deep within a forest, underneath a small could of black smoke being sent into the air, was a campsite, accompanied with a series of tents set up around it, as well as some interesting individuals starting out their daily activities aground it, considering their choice of strange attire for this environment. Sitting right next to the fire, we’re three individuals, two of them were wrapped in a combination of silk cloth for their clothing band as well as some pieces of leather armor were present in their form. The two seem to be conversing with each other in an unknown language, quite possibly their native language, as they were cleaning their weapons, some sort of king stick like contraption with some pieces of metal sticking out, with a rag. The third individual was a man in a large suit of armor, much more different than the two men sitting next to him, having their helmet still on, which seemed to mimic a face of a bearded man, with the exception of four small gaps within the eyes used to see through. The man seemed to be sharpening a large curved two handed blade with a whetstone, whistling with every spark created when sharpening the blade.

Elsewhere, a group of 8 individuals within a combination of not only white colored cloth on their bodies but also steel armor on their torsos and helmets, decorated with a couple of white feathers on top of their head. They were in different locations, patrolling the camp, making sure no unknown stranger enters their grounds, as well as another fully armored individual joining their patrol as well. It seemed that all was calm within the camp, with everyone fulfilling their roles inside the camp, as in another tent, breakfast was being prepared by another man with the same kind of stick like weaponry set next to him as he was preparing a kind of soup from a caldron. In the trees however, upon their branches, a trio of shadowy figures lay in wait, preparing for when they must be called upon again by their master. Within another tent, a conversation was taking place between two individuals, and this is where Ashotop’s story begins.

“Father, why must we stay out here and wait... it has been weeks after our last job within these lands and we might as well missed on multiple possibilities as well....”

“It’s because of what is going around here in the area son... rumors of some sort of large band of raiders pillaging the lands... there must be others who are fleeing the lands to escape this threat, and not much would hire a mercenary when they are much more focused on something else.”

“Who cares about that at all, we could be out there, chasing a bounty or escorting a caravan yet here we are, rotting our skills away while we wait within this camp...”

“You do not understand what I have been trying to teach to you for all these years... all that training I was trying to make you see the truth...”

“But huh never even tell me what it is! Or even hints in the first place, I’ve done everything I could... I learned to fight, I learned to hunt, I learned to kill... I learned everything I could, but nothing I do even makes you bat an eye of what I done, my achievements, my life, all but something that you don’t even care in the slightest!”

“...”

“I.... I... I’m just tired of the same old thing each day... I will leave to calm down now father...”

A figure said, before a figure dressed in much more unique leather clothing and a metal helmet exited the tent, now walking towards the campfire, before settling down next to it, trying to calm down unless he wanted undo all the progress he made. The individual inside, the supposed father of the son, merely let loose a sigh, as they then turn to face a gold helmet lying on the floor next to him... judging his every move... reminding him of his past mistakes, his past sins... his past- the man merely grabbed his helmet, looking upon that same old face of his within the reflection of the helmet, before:

“I have come back with some news within the town”

a loud and booming voice echoed, as something, or someone was seemingly approaching the camp. Now was not the time to think about the past.... as the man then out on the helmet, making their exit out of the tent, their gold and steel armor seemingly glowing within the light of the large yellow star in the sky, in which all other stars were born from the the great yellow sphere within the sky; the red cloth and robes being unnatural to the landscape of the area around him, tress and grass, bushes and flowers decorated the lands around them. Walking to the front of the camp, two individuals were approaching, wearing the same cloths and wielding the same weapons as the lightly armored men with strange wooden weaponry. The small group, now focused upon something else, now began to group up, especially with the ‘Shadows’ within the trees now peeking interest at what might be going on within the camp. Speaking to reporters he apparent leader of the camp... one of the two men spoke their thoughts about something to him:

“Sir, we received word of someone willing to hire us for our efforts... someone who has a ‘little’ problem on their hands and as of now, requesting our aid. They have also given us a letter as well for you to see.”

As the group member went forth to hand the leader a letter, the individual taking it and opening it up, and grabbing the contents within, now beginning to read the black ink words of the letter.

‘Ashotop, Captain of Mercenaries, my Lord, Mordred Bhaltair, the Butcher, has taken notice of your abilities, and asks for your services. You are to pursue all supporters, agents, and informants of the rebel cause that is responsible for the abduction of the princesses Adelaide Bhaltair and Alessandra Bhaltair. Should you choose to accept this contract, present yourself to the middleman awaiting for you in the nearby town, or, if you must, come seek Lord Mordred directly. Either shall discuss with you on matters of pay and give you more information regarding your quarry.’

“So it appears our deeds have gone unnoticed... hmm... it seems we finally have a mission after all this time... a long one as well... especially that of Royalty within these lands. Let us make haste men, we must not let them wait...”

And with those words, the camp bursted into activity again, as everyone now prepared for the journey they would take... and for the longest mission they may take as well within these new lands. But throughout the organization and preparation of the departure, the son of the leader, the leader now known as Ashotop, couldn’t help... but feel like his father had completely changed whenever or not in they face of allies nearby.​

 

[WillfulWren]

Silver
Outside the Dining Tent
Interacts with - Leonard ( Fenris )​

Considering she was blocking the entrance to the dining tent, the shapeshifter hadn't been bothered as much by people seeking breakfast as might be expected. Most simply skirted around her - a few even having the nerve to step over her as if a large feline eviscerating a deer in the dining area of the camp was simply an everyday occurrence. Who knows, perhaps in a camp full of Marked, it was.

At this point, she'd already eaten her favourite parts - the heart and liver, respectively, having spilled less favoured innards onto the floor. Namely the lungs and guts. Now the feline was gnawing contentedly on a haunch, silent except for the occasional rumbling purr. She wasn't paying much attention to people moving around her, though she'd look up as someone spoke.

“I'll just keep walking, you just keep devouring and were on track to become fast friends. Wouldn't eat a friend, would you?”

The animal tilted it's head to the side, ruby coloured gaze fixed in him in a way that seemed eerily.... un-animal like. And then all of a sudden, it was no longer an animal, the young woman with feline traits quickly rising to her feet and immediately getting way too comfortable in his personal space. "Really?" She asked. "We can be friends? I've never had a friend before! Except maybe Sera counts, I don't know, but she gives good ear scratches and.... do I have to give you something so we can be friends?"

She was still streaked with gore, the deer's blood smeared all over the pale skin of her face and hands as she looked about for something to offer and settling on the discarded viscera. "Would you like some guts?" She asked, seemingly genuine as she held said organs out.

 

[Lazaro1505]

Abelgard Müller the Plague Doctor

Location:
Sitting next to a tree after getting breakfast, and conversing with Sera

Well, it seemed that whatever he did, put a frown on the Sera, after giving his answer to her with the only one he could understand much clearly and not rushed out like the others. Did she hear about him? Did she think badly of Abelgard, was she expecting something else? Abelgard didn’t know, but then his damned crow Nevermore had to start cawing again, before swooping down and stealing another piece of bacon from his unprotected plate, now going back to its spot within the tree branch it was resting on earlier, Abelgard breathing in and out... before going back to the conversation, hoping to at least salvage it so that he would still have someone too converse with other than Nevermore... because he doesn’t get many chances to talk with a medical professional about these kinds of things, especially more the once.

Before he could speak a word, Sera regained her smile, and continue on with her talking, apologizing for getting too ahead of herself when the beginning of the conversation took place, mostly due to the stress, and asked for forgiveness. Hearing this, Abelgard rose a brow and thought to himself ‘Oh thank goodness it wasn’t something I did.... would have been extremely bad if I just drove someone away by doing something I wasn’t aware of.’ as he then cleared his mouth, before saying “It’s fine, I didn’t actually mind it at all, and I completely understand your case as well, but still, I’m glad to be meeting another trained Doctor like me around here, even as different our careers seem to be.” he said in a calm voice, hoping to at least bring some peace to the general mood of the conversation.

It was, surpassing to say the least, who knew that he would talk to more than two people today with less than business terms... well, ok, maybe the first one did count, but still, good to see things finally change around here. But, he wasn’t completely sure if he should stay here... of course, this rebellion has a chance of changing the future life of Abel, and make things much more in favor to those like him... but many people would die during this... thousands... if not more would die during this... he is not sure if he could go on with this.... and while he does need to help others with his medical skills, he might as well be signing a death contract with the devil himself in a game like this. But if he doesn’t provide his aid, he would eventually be killed sooner or later by either the hands of someone else or naturally.... and nothing would change in the world... other than the extinction of all Marked kind. And the possibility of him getting married and his own children, living within a world were a single power was painting a target over your beating heart and running out in the open in front of a gang of archers. He didn’t want his future children... if he sets down to have them... to live in a world, where they have a chance of becoming Marked due to his own bloodline, and may get killed out as of a result of this madness.

Snapping out of it when hearing the noises of rummaging next to him, he turned to face Sera getting something out of her bag, taking out a large tome within, filled with so much bookmarks and worn pages.... this must have been where the woman had stored all her entries and experiences within.... much more larger than the three other Journals he often uses, though they usually contained specific information. Sera then present the book to Abel, who rose a brow at it, before being asked to share notes about their findings throughout their years, and see what similar or different experiences they had seen through their times on this Earth. He, he almost forgotten that sooner or later, he needed to share notes with someone, like someone who would be taking up his role as a medical professional, like an apprentice or even child, but he didn’t know it would be a time like this, and he didn’t even has his own on him right now, so it’s best to reject the book and try again later.


Raising a hand and shaking his head no, he then said “While I am thankful for even having a chance to see the experiences one may he throughout the world, it is highly rude of me to not give something in return, especially since I have left my own journal within the Hut I now call home. I can come back at a later time and we can perform the exchange from there, and likely know more on what to do in certain situations due to each other’s notes of what we come across, I just don’t feel that I should hold onto your journal until I get mines and perform the swap from there, so it feels much more fair, even if I would take the book now and give you my journal a bit later, just doesn’t feel good to do that, especially to a stranger.” he finished, hoping that Sera would understand his meaning, and wouldn’t get dissuaded from performing the swap again later. He then began picking at his food while waiting for the response... the tension within the air (or to him only) made him not in the mood to eat.

MagicPenguin​

 

[SilverInu]

sylvia watched the group as she ate she could see everyones coming and going as they like she had seen a monk moving about the camp as he was looking for a way out. turning her attention to him she watched him vanish from the camp with his to spiritual beasts. quickly finishing off her food she took off after the monk to see what he was about. she was especialy curious about his beasts. she had seen many kinds but to have to make theing more interesting she her self wanted to get one wbut was not about to use some of the methods to capture one and force it to submit to her. yes she was a killer but that did not mean she had to be cruel to thoes around her. going back to her tent she grabbed her blades and took off after the monk not knoing he had taken off in to the air. she followed her path untill it seeming ly vanished which told her he was nolonger walking easily scaling the tree she began to look fo sign of which way they had gone that in its self would be hard. taking a few moments she found a pegasi feather picking it up she took off in the same direction stopping every few miles to make sure she was on the right path before continuing on knoing that with him on a flying beast it would be hard to catch up unless he stopped for a few days.

 

[MagicPenguin]

Sera Albion

Sera giggled at the man's avian friend stealing his food before he could accept or reject her offered journal. "What a spirited friend you have there," she said. "Hello!" she called up to the bird in the tree, and gave it a friendly wave.

In truth, the bird's unexpected interjection had lightened things up considerably. Sera had been quite nervous about how Abelgard would answer, but now she felt a little lighter. She did grab her plate of food and hold it a little closer after that, though. She couldn't help but be reminded of Silver stealing her travel rations last night. So many animals and animal-like people around here trying to steal food from careless victims...

When Abelgard did answer, he didn't say no, exactly, but rather that they should wait and do it later. "Are you sure," Sera asked. "I don't mind if you take mine now and give me yours later. Really, I don't...but if you think that's best, then I'm happy to wait until later too."

The rest of the meal was spent in quiet conversation. Sera was careful not to let herself get carried away again. Though she felt she still did the bulk of the talking, Abelgard had plenty of chances to answer questions and to input his own thoughts.

When her plate was finished, Sera stood with a sigh. "Well, Doctor, it's been wonderful getting to meet you," she said genuinely. "I can't wait to read your notes. I'm sure I have so much to learn from you, truly!"

Sera pointed to a branch near the very top of one of the thickest oaks in the City in the Trees, the one from which her hut dangled (precariously, in her opinion, but no one else around here seemed to think it was unsafe). "That's where I've been assigned to stay. If you ever need anything please feel free to come and see me. If you can stomach such a tall climb, that is," she added jokingly.

Abel told her where his hut was--much closer to ground level, luckily for him--and the two agreed to meet again later in the day at his place so they could swap journals. "I can hardly wait!" Sera told him, grinning like a young girl the night before the holiday. "Until then, I hope you have a pleasant day."

With that, she went off to give her plate and utensils back to the cooks for washing. She'd originally planned to try to take a proper bath after breakfast, but something else had caught her attention that she wanted to address first, so she asked around about where Princess Adelaide and the woman with whom she'd been speaking at breakfast had retreated to. She hadn't gotten a very good look from far away, and the colors kind of blended together in a way that made it hard to tell, but Sera could have sworn she saw a moderate amount of blood spattered on the woman in dark clothing's attire. She also couldn't help but notice the way the woman subtly favored one leg when she walked, as though the other was in pain when she put weight on it. Sera didn't know how many medics were already in this camp, so perhaps it was presumptuous of her, but she felt obligated to offer her services. Perhaps she could help alleviate the woman's pain. Or if not hers, perhaps there were other patients who she might be able to help treat instead. Besides, she figured, this was a good opportunity to introduce herself properly to the leader of this so-called rebel force, perhaps get a better sense of who she was and what she was planning.

The young doctor was directed to one of the larger tents among the sea of them stretched out beneath all the trees. She was told the other woman was actually the princess's right hand, someone with a lot of authority around here. As she approached the tent she could see a white bird perched atop it, as though the universe was trying to assure her that this was indeed the place she was looking for. The closer she got, the easier it was to hear the intense muttering coming from inside. Sera couldn't make out what they were saying, but both speakers sounded very serious, perhaps even worried or angry. Not surprising, given the Princess and her second-in-command were inside; Sera had no doubt that people like that would have no shortage of things to be worried or angry about.

"Excuse me! Is anyone in there? Sorry to interrupt, but might I have a word?" Sera announced herself from outside the closed tent flap and all the intense muttering suddenly stopped all at once.

Mentioned: WillfulWren (Silver)

Interacted: Lazaro1505 (Abelgard), MarieK (Adelaide), Morrighan (Alessandra)

 

[scorpiodragon]

He wasn't expecting anyone to end up following him, let alone that anyone had noticed his presence, for it seemed those bandits had not noticed his arrival nor departure. He certainly was not expecting anyone to end up to try tracking him or take interest in his pegasus or his pesudodragon. He wasn't sure how long he had been flying but when he had landed, he just assumed he was a good distance from the bandits that had kidnapped him. Who would be stupid enough to kidnap someone from a bar, let alone someone who appeared to be a monk? Bandits apparently, he thought to himself. As he approached the church, he wondered if they operated on the same principles as the church in his own kingdom, by giving sanctuary to travelers or those who needed it, such as the persecuted and poor. They had better not try to convert him because he had no desire to partake in a different religion from the one he had been raised within. Thankfully his uncle respected his customs and beliefs, or at least he acted like it around the monk.

Lifting his hand, he had Othar slide underneath his robes and raised his hand to knock on the door. When it opened, there was a priest there. "I would like a place to rest and board to rest my...horse," spoke Bagaskoro. "If you help people that are not your religion." The priest looked at the apparent monk and spoke.

"There be a hut on the edge of the town where ye can stay with ya horse but we can maybe put ya under the church's protection."

"I don't need protection, merely a place to stay is all away from others," said Bagaskoro. The priest frowned but gave him directions, the monk turning and heading off in the direction pointed, the church doors closing behind him. Ungrateful people here. He didn't say anything as he led Shelmithuh through the streets to the edge of town and found a rundown shack with an old half-destroyed barn. Still, it seemed sound enough to house Shelmithuh in so he put the mare in and got her some hay he found, using the old water pump to fill a trough of water for her and then headed into the shack after closing her stall and then the barn doors. The place was obviously old but the two-room shack was simple enough for now to live in and hopefully he could live here in peace for a bit until he made his way back to his uncle's castle or decided where else to go, since he couldn't go home to his kingdom, lest his stepmother kill him to ensure her son, his half-brother got the throne.

 

[Fenris]

Leonard Whitlock
Outside dining tent -> breakfast table ​

Nearby others where enjoying casual conversation over a hearty meal, seemingly oblivious to the lion in their midst; which might have been the secret to passing by unharmed, one Leonard had unwisely overlooked. Against the intended purpose, his soothing words roused the massive feline; earning him a quizzical tilt of its head. It's crimson eyes shining with an unnerving intellect, almost as if contemplating the merchants words.

Too late he remembered not to meet the predators gaze. Yet, instead of prompting a furious attack the impressive silver form simply disappeared, leaving an equally bloodstained girl in its wake. Fear quickly turned into utter confusion leaving Leo uncharacteristically speechless. While he struggled to regain his wits said young woman moved with cat like grace to close the distance. Her rapid fire questions doing little to clear the bewildered mans mind. It wasn't till her immediate proximity and the raw, coppery scent of viscera snapped him out of it that Leonard could properly reply.

Years of practice made it easy to plaster a smile across his features as he cautiously inched back a step and observed the curious woman. She was a bit shorter than him but sported a more athletic build, clear feline features, silver hair and drying deer blood completed the picture as she excitedly offered him a handful of dripping guts. Certain alarms in the back of Leonard's mind where going off as he reached out and spoke, “I can't see why not. Traveling, like eating, alone seems awfully drab so I'm always glad to make another friend.” plucking some of the guts out of her hand. She seemed genuine enough though he silently prayed Sera had not been the deer's name.

Fishing around one of the many pouches with his free hand the merchant produced a coin as he slowly moved into the dining tent. A few deft motions sent the silver piece dancing across his knuckles as he said, “This is a Kestamor Kreuzer, its used for trade in the southern parts of the kingdom. It's not edible or really worth much, as people here use a different currency; but back home it would get you a fresh loaf of bread or a large mug of ale. Please take it, I'd hate to be known as a merchant who doesn't uphold his end of a bargain.” with that he flicked the coin toward Silver, confident she would be able to catch it.

His own gift was still dripping and had somewhat taken the edge off of his hunger, but perhaps the cook could make the most of it before he managed to get too much of the blood over his clothes and it certainly beat ending up as breakfast. “So now that we're friends, what shall I call you? My customers call me Leonard, but friends may call me Leo.” Luckily neither the other rebels nor the cook seemed awfully put off by the handful of deer guts and Leonard quickly managed to secure a table as well as a cloth to wipe his hands. “Might be a few minutes till its ready...have you tried cooked deer before or do you always eat it, uhm, fresh? Sorry, I'm just curious and don't mean to keep you from more pressing business like Sera or...err...ear scratches. “

Mentions: WillfulWren / anyone willing to join the unusual brunch​

 

[Athanas]

Mordred huffed again, louder this time as she shook her head at him. Such insolence came part and parcel with having befriended the smaller woman, and he wouldn't have it any other way. Having someone who called a spade a spade, even in the face of what could most possibly the most dangerous man in recent history, was an admirable trait, and a thoroughly amusing one, if anything,although once again, it would be quite bizzare for him to admit as much, so, he would not. He still had much to learn in regards to teasting, but he would improve...eventually.

He was very much aware that she was looking at his body as he got dressed-undoubtedly, his grey, scarred flesh was not something one saw every day. He inadvertently winced, and quickened his movements so as to be covered quicker. Although he had gotten used to the disgust that came all too easily on people's faces when they saw the results of the curse, this had in no way made it sting any less. He did not fault her-he understood that such a spectacle caused such a reaction no matter how close you might be with someone. As he finished dressing and turned to face her, he noticed that she expertly pretended to have been looking at the other way all along. Surprisingly polite-most did not show that kind of courtesy.

However, any trace of amicable mood was drowned out the moment she uttered the news. He tried, really, really tried to control himself. But he couldn't. The rage that had been plaguing him for days now resurfaced with a vengerance. He stood up, practically throwing his chair to the ground, and smashed the first thing he could reach-thankfully, that so happened to be a training dummy he had in his tent for that exact reason. The force was so great, the dummy's already loosely-fitting head was sent flying right off of it's frame.

"GODS-FUCKING DAMMIT! I AM SO SICK AND TIRED OF THIS FUCKING SHIT!"

He faced Anashea, still fuming with rage. Undoubtedly, his face amplified the effect. "I am so tired. Our enemies are worthless combatants, but they have agents everywhere! EVERYWHERE! Traitors, spies, assassins, informants-it is driving me positively insane. So we have nothing? Nothing at all? My family is being held Gods-Know-Where, and I don't even have a fucking clue as to where I'm supposed to start!"

He quickly refilled and wolfed another cup, taking a few deep breaths in an effort to calm himself. At least the problem had been dealt with by Anashea. He sat back down, setting the chair upright.
"It's fine, It's fucking fine. You dealt with him, and hopefully within the week I'll have an entire mercenary crew hunting them down. I don't care about how much money they are going to need. I just want our enemies to no longer have agents in the shadow. You...You did all you could. You are not to blame here. There'll be chances for vengeance later."

He refilled both their cups, once again downing his. He so despised when things did not go according to plan. Maybe, at least, if there was any justice in the world, all of his pain would be the sacrifice neccecary for success. And one would best believe, he needed all the help he could get. Mayhaps, if he captured one of the southern royalties, he could barter for a hostage trade...

"Alright, drink up. Now's the time for me to deliver my share of bad news. The, King, has, uh, given me orders. We are to continue southwards, raiding the rest of the villages as we go. That...isn't the bad part. The bad part is that he then insists we take Nulkairn, and kill it's Baron, a known loyalist of the Southern royalty. And we are to get moving by the end of the day, before most of our reinforcements are here."

He gave her a few moments to begn proccessing this information, while also trying to think as to how he can present his plan better. In truth, what he had just told her was a lie-The King had given no such order, but he could not bring himself to be honest-Anashea was perhaps the only person that was here largely because of her trust in his abilities. If she learned that he was being so reckless...He didn't want to think about that.

"I have, of course, began thinking of a plan...But you won't like it. Because it largely involves putting you in very dangerous situations, to do very specific things, without backup. But I'm all out of better ideas, so..." He pointed at her own cup, motioning for her to down it.

"You are to leave tommorow, and travel ahead of the band. You'll be able to reach Nulkairn well before we do. Infiltrate the city and await our arrival. Do not worry, you can't miss it-I will deliberately provoke them. The Baron is many things, but a wise man is not one of them. Confident in his numbers, he will sally out to face us in the open field instead of hunkering down behind his walls. That's where you come in. My men's better than his. And sure, he's got more of them...but confused soldiers contribute nothing at all.

So...you'll poison the commanders. There's three of them, according to my sources. But it has to be slow-acting. They must still be up and about when the marching starts, or else even a knucklehead like the Baron will know better than to follow through with an assault, and we're not looking for a siege. Consider that your primary objective. Now, if you can thin their ranks a bit while you're in there...maybe even outflank their archers once the battle has started, that'd help tremendously, but this isn't strictly neccecary. I'll lead a contigent of my best butchers to cut a bloody path to the Baron himself once the battle has started. We'll cut off all heads, and then use our superior training to clean up from there."

He stopped, doing his best effort to smile, although it didn't come out well. The plan technically could be pulled off even with the commanders barking orders-but a pyrrhic victory would be useless, as he would then be forced to waste far too much time replenishing his forces. And time was the main thing he did not have. Every passing day of idleness was a day in which his quarries got further away-days that his own family were forced to spend in squalor and captivity.
"If you've got any objections or better ideas, now would be a great time to spit them out, because I am all out of alternatives."


Anashea( Melanin-Gxdess )

 

[MarieK]

Interacts with: Aless and Sera ( Morrighan and MagicPenguin )
Location: Campsite, Aless's Tent​

Adelaide drew her attention to the voice coming from the tent's entrance. With one last glance at Aless, she strode forward and lifted the flap back to reveal a woman- the one she had wanted to seek an audience with. The woman's appearance surprised her, but she smiled and stood aside to allow her entry.

"Come in," Adelaide said. "What can we help you with?"

The subtle inclination of her chin suggested curiosity, but her eyes were glazed over from deep thought. The war depended on various pieces coming together just so. Even one little slip up could unravel the entire plan. Aless concerned herself over preserving Adelaide's life- a less critical component than Aless cared to realized. If anything happened to Adelaide, Aless would presume leadership of the rebels and overthrow the king herself. Where Adelaide had been forced to pick up the role of a diplomat, Aless was a natural born leader. Adelaide had passion, but Aless had the capability and maturity to see a plan through.

Not that she was careless, but she could not stay idle while people were suffering.

As reality sifted through the fog of her thoughts, Adelaide tucked a stray wisp of hair behind her ear and returned her attention back to the two in the tent. Although she had planned to speak with the woman who now presented herself to the princesses, she had meant to do it secretly. Aless would understand, but her own condition was worse than Adelaide's. She had never looked so worn before. As if just realizing her cousin's condition, Adelaide frowned. Had she been so concerned about her own plan that she overlooked Aless?

A bitter taste filled her mouth at the realization of her thoughtlessness.

 

[MagicPenguin]

Sera Albion

"Thank you, Your Highness," Sera replied politely with a deep curtsy appropriate for a peasant toward his or her rightful ruler before stepping inside the tent. She knelt on one knee before the rebel princess, careful to look at the ground before Adelaide rather than directly at her as though a supplicant asking for favor, before she began to speak. She'd dealt with enough nobles in her travels to know how important it was to use proper etiquette when speaking with them. They tended to have an excessive amount of pride and a great deal of power. A person with that kind of authority over so many lives and a bruised ego because someone did not use the correct title or their bow was not deep enough was, in Sera's experience, capable of untold cruelty out of nothing but sheer pettiness. Adelaide may not be like that--indeed, Sera had reason to suspect she was not--but no sense risking the Princess's ire and ill will going forward in case she actually did care about such formalities.

"If it pleases you," she began, "I am called Sera Albion. I arrived last night, and I'm a physician by training. I come today because I noticed during breakfast that your companion..." she glanced quickly in the dark-garbed woman's direction, then back to the ground in front of Adelaide, "...as well as some of her companions might have been injured. I thought it a good opportunity to offer you my services. If you both consent, I can take a look at her injuries and perhaps alleviate her pain. If you allow me, I would also be pleased to treat the illnesses and injuries of others within the camp that you have accumulated up to this point. "

Interacting: MarieK (Adelaide) Morrighan (Alessandra)

 

[WillfulWren]

Silver
Outside Dining tent / Breakfast table
Interacts with - Leonard ( Fenris )​

Silver grinned as her new friend accepted her gift, then her eyes widened as he removed something shiny from one of his pouches. She didn't understand currency or it's uses yet, but just the shininess of the coin was enough to catch her attention - and as expected she caught the coin with no issue. It seemed she had the reflexes of... well, a cat.

She held the silver piece up, seemingly enthralled by how it caught the light before tucking it safely into a pocket that had somehow survived whatever had ripped and torn at her clothing.

"My name's Silver but my friends call me..." A predictable pause there, and the shapeshifter shrugs, wrinkling her nose slightly. "I don't have any other friends. So it's just Silver." Another pause, and she frowned, tilting her head to the side. There was something that had been said to her before...

"Soneone called me a feral bitch once but she was yelling so I don't think it was a good thing." Silver shrugged, then said, rather cheerfully considering the subject matter, "I ate her."

The question about cooked meat would get another puzzled look - it's clear that she hasn't had much experience outside the wild, so some concepts are hopelessly wasted on her. "I've never had it cooked before... Is it any good? I like it fresh... You should try it." The deer carcass had been left behind, the shapeshifter no longer being hungry and having been distracted by the business of forming a new friendship. Considering how much of the animal was left, and how the cook was eyeing it, it was likely the camp would be having venison stew later on.

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Anashea

She was preparing herself for whatever backlash she was going to receive once she had finished giving her news. In the past, when she failed during her training she had been slapped and berated, abused until she no longer cried or flinched. It all helped her for this very moment as she watched Mordred go off on his tangent. It was something she had seen before and was used to, but this time around it was different. This time she was on the receiving end of things because she was the one who had failed her job. Any sort of punishment he saw fit for her she was prepared for as she watched him move about shouting. When he attacked the dummy she hadn't flinched, instead waiting in anticipation of being slapped or hit in some way and when it didn't happen, she was confused.

There was a slight tilt of her head as he sat back down, informing her it wasn't her fault. Maybe it was a trick? To see if she wasn't going to take responsibility? "I do take responsibility for it and I will not fail again." It was just a reiteration, just to make sure he understood just how serious she would be moving forward. With her cup now refilled, she listened intently as he spoke and began giving his share of the news. Her brows raised when he started explaining their main task as she let out a slight chuckle. "Take Nulkairn? Ourselves? In a day? Okay so do the impossible; sure I'll bite." She was being sarcastic of course, not really believing something like it could be done. It seemed like it really wasn't the worst part of the news as he went on to explain his plan for getting the job done. She raised another curious brow as he ushered her to drink and did as he instructed.

A lot of the plan seemed to rely on her skills as an assassin and being able to blend when she needed to blend. As much as she hated the idea of being around so many enemies alone, she wasn't going to decline him. What he was asking was impossible, a suicide mission for sure, but Anashea was trained to complete the impossible. Thoughts of how she was going to complete her given task were already flowing through her mind, shaking her head once asked if she objected to anything. "Sounds completely suicidal, but that's what I'm here for isn't it?" She reassured him. There was something about the way he was talking and looking at her as if he were truly desperate right now. Well, he was, but that's not what she was focusing on. Could it be pity? Pity that the King was using her Commander so recklessly? Was she even capable of feeling something like that? Whatever the face, she made a mental note not to stress him out too much as she started to explain her own ideas.

"You and the boys may not like this, but I'll probably be needing a few barrels of the brandy. What I'll do is forge a letter from a prominent family, stating it would be a gift of sorts from them. We'll have to send it today, of course, so I'm not turned away at the door. He'll be anticipating my arrival and I'll be able to charm him and convince him to let me serve him and his company the brandy... I'd have to break out the maroon number and use his perversions against him. There's a shrub covered in yellow flowers not too far outside our gates where the roots are poisonous. Do I have your permission to ask some men to gather some? The amount I have will not be sufficient enough to take out as many people as you're asking." She crossed her arms and started rubbing the top of her lip in thought. "The poisonous effects from the gelsemine, if applied proportionally correct, won't take into a huge effect for a moment. They won't realize what's happened until it's too late. They'll blame it on the brandy and drinking too much only to keel over and suffocate. As far as the archers go, I can work with that. Does this plan sound okay to you?"


Mordred ( Athanas )​

 

[Pumpkid]

Zeia
Location: Waterfall / Interactions: Yera & Luca StaidFoal Melanin-Gxdess
​

The innuendo went over Luca's head as he argued over literal pottery. Yera seemed as amused as he was about the squirt. Everything came together when he mentioned his faith. Of course the kid was a religious type. It's no wonder he was uptight about the ordeal. Faith was not something he carried after the death of his parents. No one cared for the marked, and to believe is to deny what happened as a child. He knew all too well there was no god. The only one who can save the lost are themselves. His thoughts ceased as Luca emphasised the way he wanted his name to be pronounced after snapping at Zee for being a virgin.

"You believe in that crap?" Zee scoffed. "Faith doesn't get you anywhere, kid. You gotta do the work. So there is no need for you to be faithful to something that doesn't exist if it ain't gonna let you live a little. Trust me, it does you wonders." He smirked confidently. He turn to Yera, responding to his flirtatious remark and teasing him for his name. He throws his hands over his head nonchalantly. "It could be full name or nickname. You can decide, if you're willing go get to know me?" He winked. Zee had to admit the mystery woman is pleasant to talk to. He wondered if the women were like her at camp or just plain boring. He'd hate to be bored if he were planning on staying.

The teen's question about being marked had Zee on guard. He wasn't planning on confirming if he were marked or not to keep himself from being tossed under the bus. Before he could give a response, Yera gave hers first, exposing the mark. Zee stared entranced as if in disbelief that she was indeed another marked. To hear they exist one thing but to confirm and see one is another. "Heh, so you really can use powers." He mumbled. "What about you kid." Zee asked Luca. "Are you a marked?"
___________________________

Xan Blackwell
Location: Edge of campsite / Interactions: Petra LeelLu
​

Petra's reaction was an unusually peppy type when he revealed his powers. Excitable, but welcomed if it makes someone smile. "Yes, I suppose it would be a pain to immobile your attacks. Thankfully, that won't happen, right?" He chuckled. "I imagine everyone here is an allie to the mark if what the princess said was true, we are here by choice to overthrow the king. All the more reason for me to stay for the freedom of such a cause." His patriotic aura vanished when realizing how embarrassing he sounded. "I apologize for rambling. Anyway..." He cleared his throat moving on.

Petra's question and offer to find Zee reminded Xan of his previous anguish. "No..." He hung his head. "He's a stubborn one. He has to figure things out on his own. I can't tell him anything he doesn't want to hear." He looks over at the campsite. "I do agree he might change his mind. Thank you. Have you met everyone here? If not, care to explore with me?"

 

[Morrighan]

Alessandra
Interactions: Adelaide / Sera

“You never agree with me that easily, Addie...what are you actually planning? You don’t have to keep me in the dark, just talk to m-“

But then a womanhad arrived outside Aless’s tent, her soft voice at once too young and perhaps older than the woman herself. Adelaide welcomed the stranger inside, the silent dismissal of their conversation grating enough that the assassin found herself glowering at the newcomer by proxy. Still, the moment her eyes landed on a women dressed in the garb of a healer, some part of herself remembered to be impressed.

Marked healers were nearly all but vanished from the world, even before Darius began burning them all.

“A The Princess’s Companion?” She raised a brow, her lips tilting into the ghost of a smile. “That’s a first. My name is Alessandra Bhaltair, daughter of King Darius’s brother. As for my leg...I suppose having you take a look couldn’t hurt it much more than I already have.”

Adelaide tried and failed to say something to her, but Aless only shot her cousin a look and ignored her completely. She was tired of Adelaide pushing her aside in her rush to become a martyr. If she wanted to die on Aless so badly, then maybe she should just stop fighting it. She’d already lost everyone and everything else.

The assassin didn’t bother to watch her cousin leave as she limped across the tent to sit on her cot, her entire body aching with pain and exhaustion. She still hadn’t eaten anything. Gods, she was a mess.

She gave the stranger a small, forced grin.
“Do your worst, Healer.​