Fantasy Caravan - Kingdoms Of Thoris ~Chapter 1~

[Tex.Y]

OOC HUB: https://www.rpnation.com/threads/caravan-kingdoms-of-thoris-ooc-hub.345214/


Caravan - Kingdoms Of Thoris


Chapter 1: The Arcadian Caravan
Sunlight flooded the royal chambers that sat atop Arcadia's grand castle city, striking the patterned tiles across the leftmost section of the room. His holiness, Lieutenant General Kline Vestabar of the paladin's order bowed solemnly before the King's throne, accompanied by two of his guards. The king looked down at his men, discontent with the news they had just delivered. King Ralphus XII was never one to show any sign of weakness when met face to face with adversity. But this? He grasped the armrests of his throne, digging each and every one of his sturdy fingers into the weathered wood as if it were malleable clay.

"You've confirmed this with Head General Exodar?" The king inquired, his voice gruff as it had always been. Kline took a moment for himself. His highness' presence beared down on him greatly, but the man managed a gesture to confirm. He shifted his radiant helmet forward quietly. Ralphus glanced leftwards with a stifled sigh. His armour clanked as he stepped up from his throne and met his Lieutenant general with a gentle shoulder pat, leading him and his two guards out of the room. Even in the company of the most trusted ally of his highness, the king did his best to conceal his deepest concerns, for the sake of morale. Kline stood up, his ivory armour refracting the sunlight as he spun to follow the king, with his similarly clad guards in tow. He said nothing. The king lead his men out of Arcadia's most guarded chamber silently, leaving the hefty iron doors to creak shut behind them.

Kline and his guards followed the king across the highest city rampart, which connect his highness's throne room with the Tower of Paladins, giving both headquarters a way down the gigantic wall that stood in Arcadia's center, through a series of spiral staircases concealed within. The gigantic wall was like a white monolith, with the two royal towers of Arcadia holding it in place. It acted as a symbol for the people, where royalty, and god, were united together to defend peace and unity. Many mistook it as a pretentious overstatement of the king's power, which was simply not true. But when his highness rarely addressed the people of the grand city, and the Paladin order spouting morals left and right in an almost oppressive manner, there was bound to be conflict. Especially when so many races were joined together in one place. Ralphus pushed the doors of the Paladin's headquarters open with a mighty heave, demonstrating the strength that flowed through his family's veins. Within the colossal cylindrical tower, there were many layers, but the very top concealed the man he wished to speak to. Exodar Ramsey.

"Were you too busy to make the 3 minute trip to my chambers yourself?" Ralphus complained, stomping his way across the breadth of the Paladin's main chamber. The purple carpeting bent and bunched beneath his massive golden boots as he approached Ramsey, who was barely able to maintain eye contact with his king. "Or, were the results of your crusade something you'd prefer to deliver through the words of this poor boy? Maeti be absolved of your cowardice, Ramsey!"

"M'lord..." Ramsey was lost for words as Ralphus continued towards him with heavy steps. Even in his shimmering silver armour, tailored to match the visage of Alvios Maeti himself, the head of the Paladin order demonstrated a deathly fear, unfitting of the man who had come to be known as the Scion of Maeti. "Ralphus, I meant no offence or disrespect to you, or sir Kline. I've taken it upon myself to begin assigning the caravans, posthaste. Be it minutes or hours-"

"Your intentions are beyond irrelevant. I would sooner allow the farm-hands organise our caravans after the mess you've made," Ralphus snapped, cutting Ramsey off abruptly. He stopped in his tracks, an arms length away from his holiness. "I shall be entrusting all contingency to Yvette Eridal. If she sees it necessary to exclude your squires, you will not offer a word of criticism or complaint. Is that understood, Head General?" Exodar didn't respond, filled to the brim with shame. He opened his mouth, but said nothing, instead offering his highness a solemn nod. King Ralphus cringed. "What a horrible outcome, and during the period of bounty, as well..."

* * *
2 Days Later* * *​

The base of Arcadian's Ivory Monolith was overrun with military buildings, and government facilities, as was to be expected from the central hub for all government and militaristic proceedings. The past couple of days had brought the usual serenity to a grinding halt, or rather, rushed the governing officials into a relentless stampede. The hub was forced into a state of disarray, what with so many Caravans being prepped for departure, each with a vastly different mission, all aimed towards the same ultimate goal. It was madness. Even Yvette, with two decades of experience as a Lieutenant Colonel, was pushing herself to a new extreme. She was probably one of the only people who could handle such a heavy workload, though. The woman was overdo for a promotion, even if it was by her own wishes alone. Overlooking the Caravans was all the duty she needed. Going any higher up in the hierarchy of the king's military served little to no advantage as far as she was concerned.

"Could you please avoid startling the Venbu, Charleston? They're incredibly jump with so many soldiers mucking about this veritable chaos," Yvette ordered loudly, exerting her voice with the use of magic. Her commands were directed towards a younger man, who'd been bothering his pair of Venbu with little regard for the consequences. Venbu were very large, ox-like creatures. They didn't take well to being teased. Before her warning could even register though, Charleston received a heavy blow to his gut, as one of his Caravan's Venbu shoved him aside with its curved horns. Yvette winced. That must have been painful. Sure enough, Charleston wasn't about to go pissing off those burly creatures again, any time soon. Yvette continued to bark orders, left and right, coordinating the groups that began to assemble. Today they would be receiving their final orders, and shipping out into the wide open world. Of course, Yvette didn't have the time or energy to debrief each and every Caravan herself. That would have been insane. Rather, she was merely directing the traffic, and keeping the general atmosphere under as much control as possible for the day of departure. She'd already made the preparations that lead to this congregation, mostly on her own. It was time to let her Majors forward any and all orders to each squad's captain.

As it stood, there were 12 Caravan's in total, each numbering 4-10 bodies, depending on the context of their missions. The afternoon was already upon them, despite their best efforts. With the sun high in the sky, and the prep going along relatively smoothly, Yvette took a deep breath and cracked her neck. This was going to turn into a stressful evening, quickly.

* * *
1 Hour Later* * *​

"Attention this way, everyone," Major Julius Harv announced, addressing the members of Caravan Centaurus, "Attention! Now!" The man was draped in standard-issue uniform for the men and women who held the rank of Major. Leather armour, donned with a badge that stated their ranking, as well as a badge that signified their role. Julius' credentials were that of an administrator, responsible for debriefing Captains, and reviewing their progress, before he reported to his appointed commander, who in this case, would be Yvette Eridal. His badges displayed in order, from top to bottom, a series of white, embroidered stars, and what looked like a scroll, with an eyeglass over top. Julius cleared his throat and straightened his posture as best he could. "Are we all present, and accounted for? This is your last roll call. We'v prepared you to ship out as soon as this briefing concludes." Julius looked over the crew that stood single-file in front of their twin Venbu, and the large cart that they would be pulling across Thoris. He refrained from delving into any preconceptions. Julius had only recognised a few of them, despite having detailed information on their magical abilities. The rest? Well, they registered as newbies in the back of his head, despite his best attempts to repress the thought.

"Role Call!"

 

[Melon Bomb]

When Rowe decided to return to her military roots, this was not what she had in mind. Standing outside under the red sun, roasting inside her robes while she patiently waited for role call. Finding herself responsible for a group of severely uncoordinated misfits who would probably sooner kill one another than work as a team. Some loud mouth telling everybody what to do. All these thoughts buzzed around in the back of her mind like a swarm of gnats, and the much unneeded flashbacks to the academy was enough to ensure that she instinctively scrunched her face up into the deadliest glare she could muster, to no one in particular. Not that anyone could even see her face under the brim of her hat.

Her fingers curled around her staff, a dark oak she had gotten to know for more than ten years now. It was the closest thing she had to a friend, she had slowly come to realize. Everyone else was either a traitor, or dead in a ditch somewhere as far as she was concerned. Rowe pried her eyes away from her book to briefly survey the ones she would be leading once the caravan took off. All were new faces. None were reassuring.

An older man, dwarfish in physique but not at all in stature. Seemed like he was the one in charge of keeping the venbu contented and on course. If you can extend that courtesy to the walking cow as well, that would certainly be a weight off my shoulders, the mage thought to herself, sizing up the massive lok'sha standing head and shoulders above everyone else in line. If there's one problem I don't want, it's a wild bull under the hood of a cramped wagon. The others were less remarkable at first glance, but she knew better than to judge a book by its cover. They could be so, so much worse than she planned for.

Rowe's eyes flitted back to the man up front, squinting from the glare of those stupid badges on his chest. Wherever this caravan was heading, it seemed like it was in a hurry. When he called role, she replied with, "Rowe Celica, present." She wasted no time returning to her copy of Worlds Beyond Thoris. Surely whatever was happening in the outer realms must be more interesting than anything happening here.

 

[Strago]

Mourning light peeked across the bed of the inn oddly vacant as the tavern maid walked into the room to tidy up for the next client but what she saw confused her. The bed was made the tables were cleared and the dishes had already been cleaned. Did they make a mistake on witch room was rented the night before? A sound quiet at first like air escaping a hot bellows and suddenly 'Git outta heres wench I'm takin me bath', City people needs ta hav bedder manners than that!' The maid could only stutter back as she fled the room. Sorry sir sorry meant no offense.

Strago had been moving from town to town so long under his own choice the thought of working under the yolk of kingdoms especially the (preachy pallies as he called them) gave him a pause. Am I doin the right thing ma? . Strago said to himself as he got dressed. The morning sun already starting on it's accent strago knew he had best get ready for his first day. 'Ax. medicine belt. clothes, me, and my old bone-haircomb ok Caravan here I come.

Moving through the streets Strago though " oh such nice people steppin outta me way and givin me so much room to walk by. " In truth during the chaos of the caravan getting ready no one wanted to get near such a large and armed individual. Just as Strago had come into view of the largest Monolith he ever saw of pure pearl-white Ivory he had thought "I would not want to tangle with the beast who's tusk this was made out of" at that time he heard a yelp a roar and a thump. That could only mean one thing, somebody is messing with the Venbu. Sure enough when he walked over Strago saw a man laying on the ground and sensed annoyance from the nearby Venbu. Strago gave the beast a look over and saw no damage the same could not be said for the man. "Did'ga learn yer lesson laddie? strago said. The man just groaned. Over'er son i'll have a look at ya but I ain't no doctor, The man replied "I am not your son" Strago replied "that's true but if yer messin with beasts bigga than ye than ye must still be o child and I call ev'ry lit'el boy son and lit'le girl lass. Ye look ta be okay off with ye now and don't be botherin the animals no more ya hear me son?"

As the soldiers made rounds and people passed by with one bit of cargo or another Strago glanced around the hub of caravans only to see scattered individuals of witch he was unsure if they were in his company or not. A towering lok'sha wearing a belt with a large unusual blade of some kind, A woman with a funny hat and her nose in a book, a cloaked figure and several average-human looking individuals. Strago thought to himself well whatever happens just happens. I just hope I dunna get stuck with that book worm looking lass., Strago thought to himself. As more time passed Strago noticed a lot of individuals kept glancing at him and the towering lok'sha. Ehh these city folk really needs to get more involved wit the rest of the world and stop starin I'll wager it's only a matter o time before one o us to loose es temper. The Venbu still being disgruntle gave a loud snort.

About an hour later in the middle of trying to keep the Venbu from getting nervous from all the commotion Strago heard "ROLL CALL!" Strago yelled back "Aye Strago at yer service!" Then quickly resumed tending to the Venbu.

 

[Berries]

Having worked for one of the royal caravans a year before, Nei had become slightly adjusted to the chaos surrounding the departure day of the caravans. Well, adjusted was the wrong word. All the noise was hurting her ears and putting her in a downright bad mood, the air seeming heavy with the weight of people's breathing. Luckily for her, she had elected to leave Henry on the outskirts of the hub this time. Last time, he had nearly bitten off her ear with frustration at clamor of venbu and people alike. Both Nei and Henry were much more suited, and far preferred, life traveling without having to deal with all this hassle. It's hardly worth the pay, being sentenced to all this. The girl muttered to her companion who was perched watching the town a few miles away.

The bird had no pity. It was your choice to come back for another year. He said, managing to sound amused at her discomfort and completely indifferent at the same time. Henry was essentially just glad that he didn't have to be down there among the mess he could see from above. Food. Call me when you leave. The falcon said offhandedly, apparently leaving to hunt. Sighing and feeling quite abandoned, Nei had managed to locate her new home for awhile: Caravan Centaurus. Falling into line and waiting for their briefing, Nei ignored the rest of the caravan members - people and Venbu alike - and simply stared straight ahead in the smoldering sun. On her last Caravan she had been the pilot in charage of the Venbu and how she had hated it. The oxen-creatures had so little intellect it was hard to get through to them and Nei was glad that this time it seemed to be some massive man with an ax in charge of them.

Hearing the typical loud-mouth major call the caravan to attention, Nei straightened her back slightly but she had pretty much already been in position and she didn't want to expend any extra energy. Wincing as the massive man with the Venbu yelled his name, her ears smarting from all the noise, Nei waited for the quietest moment available to report in herself. "Luxina, Nei. Present." She stated with short, precise words that were the minimum volume required to be heard. Having done her duty, Nei looked at the rest of the crew for the first time. A massive Lok'Sha man was probably the first thing that came to everyone's eyes. A woman in a big hat reading. A man in alltogether too colorful attire, a darker clothed man and another unremarkable-looking human man.

Deciding that there was going to be altogether too much personality on this trip, Nei resentfully fixed her eyes back in front of her and sighed. She attempted to reach out to Henry but the bird had shut her off while he was hunting. Rolling her eyes slightly in annoyance, Nei made little attempt to listen to the rest of the crew's names during roll call.

 

[Fenris]

The sheer scale of Arcadias grand castle city dwarfed anything Caliban had laid eyes upon in his travels aside from perhaps the fondest memories of Tendral. As if that were not enough the pure white structures and radiant Paladin order which called the city home stood in stark contrast to the life he'd been able to carve out for himself thus far; it certainly instilled a bit of apprehension. Instinctively the young man dropped his gaze and hid his hands within the folds of his cloak only to have one of them come away covered in a honey like substance. After starring at it incredulously for a couple of heartbeats Caliban grumbled the name of his summon, growing tension having been replaced by a mixture of surprise and annoyance. He was no learned spellslinger, but he doubted Nyxe required sweets or any sustenance at all and very much suspected the little trickster simply enjoyed 'forgetting' her bounty in or on his gear.

Licking the sticky nectar from his fingers Caliban ambled toward his assigned wagon only pausing long enough to release a chuckle at another's misfortune. The sturdy handler whom showed just moments later to calm the beast and address the unfortunate soul did little to shake his resolve of remaining well apart from the agitated Venbu. “An thats why sensible men don't go poking at large horned things, ey?” the dark haired man quipped with a glance at Bron, whom stood out from the group by sheer height not to mention impressive physique. Before anymore nonsensical comments could leave the rogues mouth a decorated official caught his eye. The many ribbons pinned to his chest had the dark haired man wonder what they meant and more importantly how much they could fetch. Fancy he wouldn't miss one or two...

Common sense prevailed over impulsive greed and shiny medals and ribbons remained to bolster the puffed chests of busy officials while Caliban ensured his equipment was in place and free of anymore sticky surprises with practiced ease.

Roll call had him line up with the rest of his caravan as each member announced their presence. The good natured beast handler went by Strago and sported an accent which was hard to place, yet seemed approachable, unlike the slender figure whom had identified herself as Rowe Celica in a court manner before turning her attention elsewhere. Nei Luxina mirrored the former's professionalism, albeit in muted tone, making her voice almost difficult to discern from the surrounding fanfare. Committing names to memory and attempting to judge strangers based on a glance and a few sparse words was proving no easy task. Upon his own turn the rogue snapped, “Caliban, sir!”, with a mock salute, “Glad to provide along the kingdoms finest.”

 

[Dreamtique]

Wading through the sea of people, his eyes were drawn to the commotion that broke out amid the awful din of the crowded area, he slithered among the crowd, towards the location of interest, guided by his tunneled vision.

"Are you alright?"
He knelt down slowly beside the unfortunate man as he anchored his palm on the man's shoulder, slightly squinting his eyes and tried to filter the harsh sunlight that was showering the land as he tried to examine the man.

The glaring sun hid the man's figure under his majesty, while it glimmered behind his silhouette as he gently exerted pressure around the wounded man's body with his palm.

"Is there any persisting intense pain? Can you stand?"
"......."

"From the look of it, the impulse was perfectly absorbed by the soft tissues, that's fortunate for you. It's only going to be superficial."
"I got the right stuff for that, here are some herbs and bandage-"

"Attention! Now!"
It was then a blaring command cut through the layers of noise pollution and reached his ears, pulling his attention straight to the arrays of Caravans that stood gallantly in groups. He was alert enough to recognize the voice and soon recalled about the important meeting that was awaiting his presence.

"That should do...take care...and it wouldn't be something to worry about."
He muttered incoherently. Hurriedly, he drew out the herbs and bandages from the stuffy looking leather pouch that goes around his waist, putting them down beside the victim of the Venbu outrage before dashing off to the opposite direction.

With a mixed feeling of anxiety and wonderment, he darted towards the source of the sound as a group of soon to be comrades came into his sight.
Quietly, he tried to sneak into the group and blend in, his eyes turned around as he continued to scan the group of strangers around him up and down.
His eyes were again being directed to the Major standing before all of them as the Major started a roll call.

He gulped and took in a deep breath before he mustered up his voice and answered with a slow nod.
"Fall, at your service."

 

[SilverFlight]

Bron had been putting the last adjustments on the caravans since the sun first blessed the earth with its rays, making them ready for the long journey.
He had worked quietly on his own, and loudly with others that came afterwards, his voice clearly audible over the din of the loading.
"Someone get that man away from the animals." He called, not even needing to shout. His voice was deep as rolling thunder though it held the pleasant joviality of a summer's day. He had a light accent from somewhere far away. Bron was holding the back of one of the massive carts when the poor fellow received a welcoming bash from the venbu and Bron have a single hearty laugh. He watched as Strago chastised the unfortunate and Bron agreed with him. The man's easy manner of speech and his straightforward but jaunty nature made Bron feel as if they would become friends easily.

"All finished under here mister Bron." One of the younger assistants scrambled up from the dirt, a heavy tool in one hand.
"And up here!" Said another, moving to get down from the vehicle's roof, she slipped on one of the ladder rungs just as she turned and fell. Bron moved with a speed that did not seem possible for someone of his bulk, and caught the young woman in one burly arm.
"Careful Kairi. It would not do to have one less hand just starting out of the capital." Bron had done his best to learn he names of everyone working on the caravan. There were a few he had not met however:
The doctor for example. Bron looked on with a smile and a nod of approval as Fall, tended the surprised soldier with care. Once the assistants were clear of the wheels Bron set the back of the caravan down with a loud 'thunk'.

"You are kind." He said to Fall, walking with him as they moved to present themselves to the caravan leadership. "It is a good trait." Bron's amber-coloured eyes met a few appraising gazes of other members, some observative, others critical. He felt himself being judged though he offered only calm smiles to all that looked at him. "Hold onto that kindness my friend. It is rare."
Bron came to a halt beside Nei for the roll call, his hands resting casually at the small of his broad back. The short fur on his body glinted on the sunlight and a breeze played idly with his mane of copper hair. He glanced over at her and noted the familiarity she had with the scene unfolding before them.
"You have done this before?" He asked, making an effort to quiet his naturally loud voice.
When the others began calling out their names Bron lifted his muzzle: "Bron Ta'vora, ready to serve."

Interacted: Berries Dreamtique
Mentioned: Strago Tex.Y

 

[Reinhardt]

A few meters away from Caravan Centaurus, was a young man. His opened palm was facing the grassy earth, his eyes showed focus and determination. A deep breath, came from him, as he took a quick glance towards the small, opened book beside his foot.

"This should work.", he muttered. "Hopefully."

He slightly twisted his wrist, his palm now partly facing to the left, and snapped his middle finger and thumb. After doing that, he immediately thrust his arm and took a short step forward.

In the blink of an eye, a spark surged from his forearm, down to the tips of his fingers. Unfortunately, the young man's excitement had him slightly alter his current position, so instead of forming a fist and throwing the spark, it burst from his arm, shocking him and knocking him to the ground. His right arm was now with a slight burn, and in a whole lot of pain. "Aargh!", he yelled, as he grabbed his arm and placed it close to his chest.

He would have stayed there, if not for the booming voice of Major Julius Harv, who seem to have initiated the role call. So, trying to resist the pain, he grabbed the book, and rush towards where they are.

Once he arrived there, he shouted, addressing the authority.

"Elim Bazaird, sir!"

Tags: Tex.Y

 

[Halycon]

Ryker stood to the side, away from the commotion of the Caravans in various stages of departure, just watching the routine processes that were all still so new to him. Having been called to arms from Leias, Arcadia was still quite a shock to him - quite a marked contrast from the forested areas he'd grown up in; towering structures and spires and places that he felt had importance attached to them judging by the sheer size of them - for example, the huge structure that dwarfed everything at its base. It had a metallic sheen to it, almost, and he'd heard somewhere from one of the other mages that it was made of pure ivory. Now, how that feat could've been accomplished he had no idea, and frankly he wasn't about to ask. The hustle and bustle of the unfolding preparation in front of him deterred him from asking anything of anyone lest he distract someone from something important with his luck.

So, he stood there, waiting to be needed, curling his fingers around a small levitating ball of a wispy blue colouration, flicking it this way and that with either small movements of his fingers or more pronounced flicks of his wrist, depending on the amount of movement he wanted to accomplish. Essentially, to a passerby, it looked like he was interacting with some ethereal yo-yo, just juggling a blue orb of light with his fingers and shifting it this way and that. It was vaguely interesting to Ryker, a way to keep entertained by exercising his abilities so as to prevent their atrophy. But quickly he lost interest, the orb fizzling out into a steam-like substance as he stopped funnelling mana into it.

When he heard the man shout the name of his Caravan - repeatedly - he rolled his eyes, sighing as he straightened himself up from his position leaning on a wall. He made his way over to where he judged the voice to be, a small group of people already having assembled around a man who looked very full of himself.

When it came his turn to say his name, he said at normal volume, "Ryker Voxa." Nothing more, nothing less. In fact, he wasn't sure if the man had heard, and he wasn't sure he cared enough to resolve that issue. He instead busied himself with studying his soon-to-be comrades. The animal caretaker become evident first, with his immense size. He found himself staring more than was deemed socially acceptable, and shook himself out of it, blinking a few times as he forced his eyes away to other people in the group... mostly humans, mostly uninteresting. He looked to the side, back at all the other Caravans, wondering what he was doing here.

 

[Tex.Y]

Julius narrowed his eyes as the roll call came to an unsatisfying silence. The full Caravan, or rather, the present oafs who couldn't maintain a single-file line, had already begun to pluck at his nerves.

Strago refused to pull himself away from the Venbu, unable to give his full attention to Julius. Nei's eyes and mind wandered aimlessly, away from the Major's presence and towards her future comrades. The boy, Fall, if he'd remembered correctly, looked as though a strong breeze could topple his stature. Bron spoke out of turn, with a concerning amount of informality. Elim, despite what Yvette had said about the boy's potential, was clearly in pain. And Ryker? Well, if Julius were to be frank, Ryker came off as a spoiled little shit. Save for their captain, Miss Celica, and the fiendish-looking fellow, sir Caliban Damastyr, this rough and tumble pile of soldiers looked as if it would fall apart merely minutes after leaving the castle walls. Julius doubted that they would even reach Arcadia's outer walls in one piece. The major's brow furrowed angrily, and he reached into his pocket, pulling out a small rectangle of cardboard.

"Eight present," Julius mumbled to himself, staring at the card intently. His head rose and he looked the attending soldiers over, offering Ryker a condemning look, before finally fixing his eyes on Captain Celica. "Captain," Julius started, looking back down at his card, "Four soldiers are missing from this briefing. Have you any idea of their whereabouts?" He inquired briefly. It was unlikely that she'd know any more than he did. It was strange, though. Three of the names, he hadn't recognised. But the last name on the list? Koko Varitar. She was supposed to be here. Yvette assured him of it. With two summoners, they were in need of her talents. That's why Yvette thought, anyways. Julius thought differently. A puny Myti Dispell wasn't necessary. Not for these stupid kids. He'd read their summoner profiles over thoroughly. A puny Faerie and a quad summoner? Julius shook the thought and looked back to Miss Celica. Before she could respond, however, the Major's eyes darted towards Strago. "Strago! When your attention is requested by a commanding officer, it overrules the needs of our Venbu! At attention!" He shouted. He looked back to Ryker again. "You'd do well to do away with such an insolent attitude, Sir Voxa!" Julius cringed at the boy and returned his eyes to Rowe, paying only half his attention to her, likely, useless response.

 

[Strago]

Strago gave a stressed huff facing the Venbu with his back to the man behind him giving orders. Clearly the man in charge. "Aye sir on me way"
Of course these palidins could not wait to start giving orders Strago thought. Strago clapped his hands to knock the fur off and turned and took his time walking slowly with an irritated look on his face as he walked each step with a sense of frustration. Giving a glance to the others around Strago began to feel the tingle of guilt signing to this job. Sure the money was not that good or bad but is the headache worth working with "These People?", A few of them looked half decent and surly most of them weren't even in the caravan he was going in but before he could think on it anymore he was only fifteen feet away from the Officer calling his name. "Ok Mr. shiny shirt ye got's me full attention. Lets git this ov'er with so we can go and git sum real work done! I mean no offense ta how ye do things ere but if these poor critters stay much longer crowded as thay are thay's gonna get pretty upset." Strago crossed his arms and leaned ever so slightly over while staring at the man or at least waiting for someone to say something.

 

[Berries]

Watching with one eye as the Lok'Sha man fell into line beside her, Nei was about to disregard him when she heard him speak. Turning and having to look up to check if he was talking to her, the woman confirmed that she indeed was the intended target of the question. "Caravan Orcan, pilot. One year." She responded curtly, still in a bad mood from all the commotion, but in the middle of her sentence she realized that it might be in her interests to be more friendly. Hesitating for a second, unsure what else to say, Nei gazed up at the man and put on a sheepish grin; indirectly apologizing for her rudeness. The sun was hurting her eyes so she looked back down, noting that she was going to have to become accustomed to looking up. She was fairly small, so standing next to this giant was probably making her look like a midget.

"Luckily I am not serving as pilot this time around. I have developed a profound hatred of venbu." Nei supplied, raising her voice so that it would reach the Lok'Sha's ears. His was the first name that she made an attempt to remember, the rest she had allowed to fade into the chaos all around. She somewhat regretted that decision now. Perhaps if she took a more sociable approach to this line of work she might enjoy it more and not have to recluse herself to just Henry. Therefore, when another human tumbled in just in time for roll call, Nei did her best not to wince from his shouting and register the name. Bron and Elim, two names so far. This was already a far improvement over last time.

Deeming her socialization to be complete for the moment, Nei reached out to Henry again. By now he surely must have caught something, and she liked to keep tabs on him. The falcon had finished hunting and let her in, apparently in the process of gulping down a rat tail. Nasty. Nei commented, but the bird didn't respond. Leaving him to his meal, the woman returned her attention to her surroundings just in time to hear the Major lay into the pilot, presumably named Strago. Sighing through her nose in annoyance, she winced at Strago's response to the Major. That was going to get him some shit.

Prepared for an earful about respect from the Major, Nei didn't want to risk trouble so she fixed her gaze on the Major to imply that her attention was being directed in a proper manner. Her eyes did flicker, momentarily, to Rowe however. That woman was going to be their captain? That would be interesting to see, and the scout was pretty sure that form of interesting would be a negative one.

 

[Fenris]

The decorated officer's face had that look Caliban associated with someone experiencing an particularly unpleasant meal; which only served to raise his own spirits. Marrenfell's streets had thought him to take his amusement wherever possible, even if it came at the expense of others. Interestingly enough his summon shared that opinion... the rogues line of thought was interrupted when Julius mentioned the missing members; wasting little time in calling out the Caravans acting Captain.

So the bookworm was to be their leader? Going by first impressions Cali hadn't expected to hear more than a handful of words from Rowe throughout their trip, which was obviously far off the mark. Silently he resolved to take more care in observing his new companions, lest further surprises awaited. Nudging the man whom had fallen in next to him and went by Fall, Caliban noted in lowered tone, “Whadya think? They get cold feet or just lost on the way here?” While the Major busied himself by directing his ire at Strago and Ryker he added, “Maybe we'll get their rations?” Then worked hard to suppress a snicker when the barrel chested beast tamer decided to bestow a title upon Julius which the officer surely was not accustomed to.

Despite questioning Nyxe willingness to help Caliban offered, “Err, miss captain Celica...Given time and a rough description we could search the area; or at least keep an eye out for our missing members.” he finished with a shrug glancing from the the brim of Rowe's large hat to Julius and back.

 

[Melon Bomb]

"No, but I can tell you where they'll probably be tomorrow," Rowe commented, glancing up from her book to answer the major. Rotting in a dungeon for deserting the mission was her first guess, but it could just as well be the chopping block. Though, she wasn't sure what he was hoping for in asking her - it's not an employer's job to make sure their employees made it to work on time, much like it wasn't her job to make sure those witless cadets didn't get lost navigating the bathroom. Content with her response, she was about to turn the page only to be interrupted by someone else.

The woman paused a moment, silently seething with irritation before simply clapping her book shut and stowing it away for later. It was one of the caravan guards, posing a different but related question. "It's not my responsibility that they make it here, nor is it yours. But you're under my watch right now, and if you leave without coming back, guess who's going to get in trouble? We're expected to leave soon, so I suggest you stay put and wait. Our superior officers will decide what to do now that we're missing crew members - most likely we'll have reserve troops take their spots."

 

[Halycon]

He heaved an inwards sigh, watching the Major's eyes stop and linger on his person. Great. Two words and you've already gotten on their nerves. I should seriously consider becoming mute before they cut out my tongue anyways.

Rolling his eyes but not choosing to comment, he decided to just let his eyes wander across the Caravan he'd been assigned. Being his first such mission, he'd no previous experience with how a Caravan should look, but upon second glance it looked no better than it did the first time. He wasn't sure if it should meet his expectations or fall far below, but from a quick look-see at the other groupings who seemed to be better armoured, better equipped and better organised answered that nagging question well enough. It could be worse. He comforted himself with that thought, though on the outside he appeared impassive - not something he was used to, but he wasn't planning on annoying the Major any further. Even if he was a narcissistic, self-absorbed snob with no talent other than raising his voice a few decibels above the volume limit for human ears. The animal tender seemed to easily match sonority, though, and he again found his eyes drawn towards him - Strago, he recalled. Simple enough to remember - at least, so far as names went. He found an inkling of respect in himself for Strago, however, from the way he responded to the Major. If only he had the balls to backtalk Julius like that. He found himself smirking and quickly wiped the expression from his face, casting his attention elsewhere.

His eyes landed on a woman who seemed to be lost in thought - though she immediately snapped back to the present mere seconds after his eyes landed on her, gazing at the Major. That made him curious. What was so immersing in her head that allowed her to tune out the raucous noise of the Caravans surrounding them? And of course their own, courtesy of the one, the only Major Julius Harv. He snickered to himself, this time not able to stop himself, lightly padding to the girl and tapping her shoulder. "Hey," he said simply, his amused expression settling into something more of a grin. "The name's Ryker. And... if I may ask, where - " He raised a finger, pointing up towards the sky and circling it around as he tried to gesture his point across. "...Where did you go there? You literally blocked everything out. Where can I get me some of that?"

He turned his head at the Major's mention, immediately about to snap back something sarcastic, but held his tongue, biting the inside of his cheek and drawing blood. He'd already done enough damage for less than ten minutes, might as well not rub salt in that wound. He instead returned his gaze to the girl, raising an eyebrow as he tried to play off how flustered the Major had made him.

It could be worse.

Berries

 

[Dreamtique]

"You are kind." He said to Fall, walking with him as they moved to present themselves to the caravan leadership. "It is a good trait." Bron's amber-coloured eyes met a few appraising gazes of other members, some observative, others critical. He felt himself being judged though he offered only calm smiles to all that looked at him. "Hold onto that kindness my friend. It is rare."

It took Fall a solid few seconds before he realized the Lok'Sha was commenting on him, his head and eyes partially turned to the beast man. The Lok'Sha's sheer towering size had already taken up most of his peripheral vision. Fall was a little too intimidated and hesitated to return a gaze to the Lok'Sha face to face at first, but his kind and unexpected comments and attitude to him had instantly dissolved the impression that the burly looking Lok'Sha had on him at first sight. He exhaled deeply and raised his head to look up to the relatively gigantic beast man, replying with a silent smile at his words.
He turned away, and couldn't help but started to regurgitate what the beast man said to him continuously. It felt...odd, for someone to regard him as 'kind', he was brimmed with unexplained feelings as he kept dwelling on the thought.
To hold onto kindness...
His body involuntarily tensed up as those words started to play in his head again and again.
"I will." He whispered, answering to no one in particular.

Nudging the man whom had fallen in next to him and went by Fall, Caliban noted in lowered tone, “Whadya think? They get cold feet or just lost on the way here?” While the Major busied himself by directing his ire at Strago and Ryker he added, “Maybe we'll get their rations?” Then worked hard to suppress a snicker when the barrel chested beast tamer decided to bestow a title upon Julius which the officer surely was not accustomed to.

Despite questioning Nyxe willingness to help Caliban offered, “Err, miss captain Celica...Given time and a rough description we could search the area; or at least keep an eye out for our missing members.” he finished with a shrug glancing from the the brim of Rowe's large hat to Julius and back.

A sudden nudge on his shoulder pulled his drifting mind back to reality, he made a slow blink as he tried to recollect what the cloaked man had said to him just a few moments ago, lowering his head slightly while running his finger along his chin as he pondered.
"I have no idea. Four missing people in a row...is that common? Should we be concerned about that? Then again, maybe they'll show up soon." Fall murmured under his breath, he was honestly as confused as the others. He was still relatively new in the field just like most of the fellow comrades here, so he didn't bother to hide his confusion and instead tossed back a few questions at Caliban while trying to avoid attracting too much attention from the Major.

 

[SilverFlight]

Bron closed his eyes as Nei raised her voice, "no need for that my dear. Lok'sha ears are quite sensitive." Even as he said this a soft smile still played upon his muzzle. At Nei's remark that she was not the pilot this time Bron glanced at her, "ah but lucky for whom?"
The smile turned to a look of gentle amusement at Ryker's question to his new aquaintence.
He moved his great head back towards their leadership after that. It seemed there were ample harsh gazes and scathing reviews for them all. Strago's flippant retort earned him a supporting chuckle from the large bull-like Lok'sha. In Bron's mind respect had to be earned, and until their superiors earned it, Bron would only give what was required and nothing more.
He heaved a sigh, "I suppose we will be expected to stand and sweat here until the leadership decides we can go." His tone held a slight irritation. It wasn't as if his work was done. There was much to do still even after the wagons began to move.
He leaned in closer to his new aquaintences and whispered softly "or perhaps they will next have a conest to see how many more sticks they can insert up their-" but he cut himself off when he heard there were four people missing.
"Hmm," he rumbled thoughtfully, "that is odd."

Berries Halycon Strago Dreamtique

 

[Tex.Y]

Julius' eyes crept towards Strago as he made a series of buffoonish comments. The Major was silent for a moment as his head spun slowly towards the supposed pilot. What... What did that loaf of fat just say to him? A torrent of blood rushed through his arteries at an alarming pressure, forcing him to lower the Caravan's roster card slightly. He glared at Strago, and then towards the Venbu, unable to register anything that Rowe said. Julius was awfully quiet while everyone spoke out of turn, continuing to undermine his authority. A thought plucked his eyes from Strago. How did any of these idiots make it out of basic training? One after another, they demonstrated a child-like understanding of military etiquette. Nearly all of them seemed unprepared for the simplest drills, let alone a week or two out in the wild. Julius' face twitched, and he cleared his throat before bringing a halt to this obscene discourse.

"Everybody, shut up," he barked, raising his voice high enough to attract the attention of a few nearby Caravans. Even Yvette, who stood high above the preparations, directed her attention to Centaurus for the briefest of moments, before looking away once again. It was clear that their behaviour was out of place. The closest Caravan was standing at absolute attention, in a perfect line, with impeccable stature. Nobody spoke out of turn. Nobody even winced when their Major's attention was drawn. Julius caught himself glaring at one of his equals with a hint of jealously. Why was he stuck with these people? Whatever, it wouldn't be much long before he could send them off. Hopefully. "Never mind the last four soldiers. The matter of no-shows will be dealt with by Lieutenant Colonel Eridal," Julius assured the Caravan, "For now I would, again, urge that those of you who lack the basic foundations of military etiquette, plot an immediate refresher course upon yourselves posthaste. Eyes, straight ahead. Backs, like iron poles. Mouths, shut, unless addressed appropriately. Adhere, or so help me, by Maeti's name, I shall have your titles revoked!" He spoke with a commanding vigour, not out of spite, but rather, concern for his subordinates. Strago's was the kind of attitude that got people killed. If he couldn't restore some level of order before they had shipped out, how would any of these people fare with the mission they'd been given? His mouth, now locked shut as he looked the group over sternly, quivered ever so slightly at the thought. When he could confirm that everyone was silent, Julius sighed and rose the Caravan roster card once again. The Major shook his head and placed the small square of cardboard back in his pocket and cleared his throat. "Eight present, including the Captain. There's no time to be waiting on any no-shows. As I've said, Yvette will deal with them when the time comes. Likewise, the Venbu will survive a few minutes of stress," Julius snapped momentarily, glaring at Strago once again, "Miss Celica, listen closely, as you may be responsible for re-briefing your subordinates, or briefing any late arrivals, in the near future. Once your Caravan leaves these walls, my responsibilities come to an end."

"Keep in mind that all information you are about to hear, is confidential, as far as Arcadia's goals are concerned. You are not, under any circumstances, warranted to disclose any details to civilians, or any who do not ally themselves under the banner of Arcadia," Julius reminded his soldiers. It was common sense to any who held a shred of authority under their kingdom's banner, but refreshing lieutenants was all par for the course.

"Approximately 19 days ago, the Paladin order of Arcadia returned from their crusade to the nation of Berganfont, with news of their failure to spread the belief of Maeti. According to the information that I have at my disposal, this crusade was ill-advised from the start, as Berganfont is occupied by a particular folk, who disown the prospect of divine magic, and the gods that bestow such gifts. His holiness, however, disregarded any and all warnings, and decided to follow through with his initial plans. The result left the people of Berganfont gravely offended, despite Major General Leeman Ofsar's best attempts to contain the situation. Now, nearly two weeks later, several of our north-western bound Caravans have returned in tatters. Missing supplies, injured soldiers, and dead Venbu. But, that isn't the worst of it, I'm afraid. Two days ago, Caravan Juno was reported to be 7 days overdo for its arrival from the Alim Peaks.This news has prompted the king to take action, and so, by the order of his highness, King Ralphus XII, Yvette Eridal has been given full jurisdiction over the contingency efforts, and as a result, the paladin order has been barred from involving themselves in any Caravans to the northwest." Julius paused for a moment and pulled a small piece of paper from one of his front pockets, unfolding it carefully to review the more important details of Caravan Centaurus' mission. "All reports have lead us to believe that the people of Berganfont are responsible for assaulting our Caravans, and pillaging their supplies, as a warning. A warning for Arcadian forces to steer clear of the northwest. Unfortunately, we don't have enough Intel to make any rash assumptions regarding the actions of Berganfont, nor do we know much of their capabilities, or alliances with surrounding nations." At this point, a mountain of intimidating knowledge had been dumped on Centaurus, rather abruptly. Word of Caravans being assaulted? Venbu going missing? Caravan Juno, lead by Colonel Lila Millas personally, who's purposes outside of Arcadia remain confidential to even the most respected Lieutenant Colonels such as Yvette Eridal, missing in action? And all of this occurring, quite possibly as the result of an unspoken cold war with a Berganfont? The threat of a full-on war loomed overhead, but Major Julius' composure remained unmoved. That must have been why there were no Paladin's present at this briefing. Come to think of it, the paladins of Arcadia had been oddly absent from the base of their royal monolith for a couple of days now. No wonder. Those righteous blowhards were responsible for everything. Despite his pure intentions, Exodar was a stubborn man, eager to spread the word of Maeti, and expand his order's influence.

"There ends the preamble to this call, Centaurus. Now, I will review the details of your mission," Julius finally announced. He straightened the sheet of paper in his hands and held it a comfortable distance away from his face.

"You will be travelling to speak with our allies in Kel. As you should know, the nation of Kel resides to the north, only a short ways away from Berganfont itself. The purpose of your Caravan is reconnaissance, not only of Kel and anything its governing figures may know, but of the areas around their kingdom as well. The primary objectives that you should prioritise above all else, are; One, collecting information regarding Berganfont from High Chancellor Mathias Ina, Two, performing a thorough overview of the terrain surrounding Kel, 2 kilometres in every direction, and Three, returning home safely. Secondary objectives include intercepting any Berganfont Caravans that you come across peacefully, and extracting as much information from their scouts as possible without provoking any manner of conflict. Your tertiary objective, as always, is to report any monster sightings that rank as Giant or larger upon your return." The Major concluded his initial overview of the mission objectives and looked over Centaurus carefully. Any sign of anxiety or doubt wasn't a good sign, not that this mission sounded like anything special, at face value, Reconnaissance was simple, and comparably safe to many other mission types. But with recent events, even Yvette wasn't so sure that Reconnaissance teams would make it back in one piece. "You may already know this," Julius started again, abruptly, "But due to the recent friction between Arcadia and Berganfont, normal expectations of safety do not apply. Not only do you have to be cautious of Berganfont scouts, but you must be especially vigilant within the nation of Kel. Despite our peaceful terms with them, there is no evidence that they will trust your arrival, or grant you a shred of useful information. Worst case scenario, you may be attacked, or even killed, if Kel has any allegiance with Berganfont. Arcadia might be powerful, but if a myriad of smaller nations are allied against us, they will not hesitate to pick off our Caravans. Recent events have made this completely evident." Julius paused again.

"Before I review further information of importance, are there any questions, concerns, or last minute doubts?"

 

[Berries]

Nei's eyes fixed on the air in front of her, she didn't have time to respond to Bron before Julius yelled at them to shut up. Skin prickling, the woman firmly resolved not to come back to this job next time. All these stuffy regulations were suffocating her along with the complete chaos that was still going on around them. Hoping that the Lok'Sha's eyes were as sharp as his hearing supposedly was, Nei twitched her hand at her side in a small gesture that said 'later', making sure that it was the side facing away from Julius. She didn't care to get yelled at, this day had started off badly enough without taking into account saliva to the face from a raging superior. Nei was aware that most of the officers in the Arcadian army were qualified, and she didn't need anything proven to her, but as a person her operative style didn't involve having a higher-up. Her choice of career was beginning to seem increasingly poor.

Starting slightly as a hand tapped her shoulder, Nei rigidly kept her gaze fixed in a set direction as somebody spoke to her. Hell bent on keeping herself out of trouble, the girl processed the words slowly. Where had she gone? Nowhere, she had been standing here the entire time. Not understanding his questions, Nei wanted to ignore him to save her own hide but now she was confused and she didn't like that feeling. Luckily, she was saved from responding when Julius began the briefing. Here was what interested her, and her thoughts quickly switched tracks. The Ryker man lingered at the back of her mind, but her mind was now on the mission. Absorbing every word the Major said, Nei's eyes narrowed ever so slightly as she began to gather her thoughts. Kel. She had never been there, and Henry wouldn't have either. That already put them at a disadvantage, especially if they were going to be going into a potentially hostile situation.

As a scout, Nei prided herself on knowing terrain well and being able to traverse it with ease. This was going to be a challenge. The fact that danger was at the horizon wasn't what fazed her in the slightest, she only was trying to figure out how to perform her job at this point. Hearing Julius ask for questions, Nei wondered if that needed an answer. She did not have questions or concerns, but for the sake of not seeming like she had zoned out during the briefing, Nei let out a quiet but firm "No, sir," while hoping that if she was expected to respond that would suffice, but if she hadn't been supposed to respond she wasn't being disruptive.

Despite being somewhat more experienced than the rest of the crew seemed to be, Nei hadn't had much experience with authority yet. Last time, she had just not spoken with anybody in general and that had been taken for obedience. This time she seemed to have roped herself into having one conversation and suddenly things were a mess. Realizing she hadn't responded to Ryker, Nei repeated the hand gesture Shen gave to Bron earlier that said 'later', but at this point it was probably a little late.

 

[Strago]

"Four no shows" Strago mumbled to himself.Glancing around he saw the others. strago thought four to ten is the usual number of members in a caravan or so he heard. For there to be so many going on the same trip it usually means that it is an important mission or a dangerous one or possibly both. Did the other four knew something that we don't?
Strago changed his posture from crossing his arms to placing one hand on his hip and the other to clasping his chin. Just what have I goten meself into this time? Strago mumbled again.

Now realizing that there was a lot on Mr. shiny shirts mind Strago decided to give him a break and follow orders so he changed his pose again letting his arms drop to his sides and threw out his chest. Now remaining silent.

 

[SilverFlight]

Bron decided he would not stress their leader any further and like Strago, he straightened up, horned head held high. He listened intently, storing every piece of information given him. He wondered if relations had always been bad in that area or was there a new development? When prompted for question Bron considered the facts. A crusade was tantamount to a declaration of war. If Berganfont was an enemy, how powerful was it? What would it want with caravans? Perhaps they were trying to send a message, or perhaps it really was just the work of brigands who had grown too large in number...
"You said we were to peacefully extract information from the Berganfont caravans...is there any guarantee they will be as peaceful as we are instructed to be?"
Tex.Y

((Mini post 'cause Bron has a question))

 

[Tex.Y]

"Of course not," Julius croaked, "They are to be considered extremely dangerous, regardless of our peaceful intent. And, despite our recent run-ins with them, the Caravans that returned to Arcadia were unable to observe any sort of magic, or physical force. If they want to subdue you through aggressive means, it is unlikely that you'll have a chance to react. Despite their subterfuge, though, we have no choice in the manner. If there's a chance to speak with them about this, without heightening hostilities, then it is to be taken immediately."

 

[Halycon]

His attempt to communicate with Nei was rebuffed in a slightly irritating way - so, the boy drifted off, figuring he should focus on the Major's briefing at this point considering nothing was going on that piqued his interest. He reluctantly assumed the suggested stance, his mind a combination of hating every moment of his adherence to authority and trying to simultaneously disallow his hatred of it to show. It could be worse. Those four words he repeated in his head like a mantra, over and over again, though they lost their meaning when the Major's words actually registered in his mind.

Nevermind. This is the worst it's ever been. ...Of course, if the Major's reaction to his memo is anything to judge from. The boy shifted, suddenly not finding it too hard to mask his feelings. The poor guy. He's probably as anxious and in the dark as the rest of us.

He grudgingly accepted the Major's presence then, his feelings of hatred dissipating to a tolerable annoyance. Apparently, from what he'd learned in the past few minutes, Julius was in no position to be receiving his strong dislike - especially considering that position was probably completely unwarranted with the new developments he'd just been informed of.

Though he had no questions, he shifted uncomfortably. From the Major's wording, he sounded resigned to send the Caravan out to their certain deaths. Though he didn't comment on that part specifically, he wasn't sure if anyone else around him had caught the implication. Maybe the woman over there, because she seemed so interested in what the Major had to say when I was trying to converse. Oh well.

 

[Reinhardt]

This group was a mess. Their major was having some leadership issues, their captain seemed far too indulged in her own secluded world, and almost the entire crew had no respect for the authorities present before them. It was a mix of incompatible ingredients, bound to result into chaos from the very beginning.

Of course, despite the group's inability to work properly as a single organism, the major continued to brief them in their upcoming mission, and the other necessary details that come with it. Upon he was finished, he sought for the questions that the members of the group might ask.

Unfortunately, Elim was in pain, and barely paid attention to the briefing. Since it would be quite rude, not to mention unwelcome. After all, one is expected to listen attentively to the major's briefing, for it will contain the mission's specifics. Still, as his master often taught him, questions not asked are knowledge forsaken. Hence, the lad decided to brave onward.

"Sir!", he called out. "Do you have, err, any unused bandage or any medical equipment? I've accidentally burned my right arm."

Tags: Tex.Y

 

[Tex.Y]

Julius looked to Elim and sighed. "As to be expected by all of you, the Caravan is loaded with a copious amount of first-aid supplies. You'll find what you'll need, in there," He explained, raising a finger towards the massive luggage cart that acted as Centaurus' Caravan. Like all the others, it was sturdy, well built, and maintained on the road by one of the Caravan's members, in this case, Bron. The outer walls were solid wood, four inches thick, and held in place by tempered steel joints. Size wise, it almost matched that of a small house, with several small compartments within to accommodate at least 12 people at once. Out front, a small sheltered area was connected to the Venbu harnesses. This is where the pilot would spend most of his time, assuring that their course wouldn't stray. Most impressive, perhaps, were the large iron wheels that carried their rolling fortress. Several feet in diameter, padded with rubber, and built to take a heft amount of punishment before they needed any maintenance whatsoever. "Any more questions, regarding the mission?" Julius asked, one last time. Nobody responded, thankfully. "Good. I trust you've already been trained to handle yourselves when tending to the Caravan. Once you leave the city walls, you will not have any communication with Arcadia. Heed caution, and protect one another." The Major rose his right hand to his head, saluting the group as the debriefing concluded. He still has his doubts, about the group, however. Four soldiers missing, including the Myti that Yvette had pushed so adamantly to include with the presence of multiple summoners. Julius bit the inside of his bottom lip and lowered his hand. The Venbu moaned impatiently, standing up on all four of their thick, yet lithe, appendages. The burly creatures stood higher than any of the soldiers they would be pulling, shaking every inch of their coat free of dirt and pebbles as Julius made his final announcement. They were trained awfully well, after all. Julius walked over to Rowe and handed her a small key before motioning her group towards the back of the Caravan. "Make haste, for Arcadia!"

Inside of the Caravan itself, it was just as the diagrams laid out in training. The back of their little mobile home was cut out entirely, with a small hatch that acted as a miniature fence at its edge. It stood about 2 feet high, but unlatched easily, allowing for easy access, since the floor of the Caravan was easily reachable with a small hop. Within, their supplies were stored in small fenced-off compartments on either edge of the interior, making it so that they couldn't slide about freely, and break through the hatch once it was closed. Further in, a wooden wall with a small doorway at its center separated the storage compartment from the living area, where planks of wood, laden with wool covers, could be pulled from the walls on either side. There were 12 in total. They folded down, and hung from the walls like little padded shelves when in use. Right now though, each bed was meshed into the sides of the Caravan, held in place by a small rope that clung to an even smaller protrusion just above them. Twelve in total, layered so that they existed in pairs of 2, like makeshift bunk-beds. They were similar to the uncomfortable beds each soldier had available during basic training, albeit appearing even less comfortable at a first glance. At the rooms center, there was a fairly large circular table made of steel. It was melded into the ground alongside 12 small stools that surrounded it with perfect symmetry. Of course, there were also light sources that could be adjusted at will. Oil lamps, meshed into the wooden roof, in each room. Their size was considerable, and they looked as if there was no way to open them. But, with the appropriate tool, The Caravan Key, Rowe Celica could easily unlock them, and adjust the lighting with ease. Likewise, the only way to properly lock up the back hatch, unlock the supply crates, and release the tethers that kept the Venbu in place, was with the very same Key. Without it, it became awfully difficult to keep things optimal. There weren't really any doors, though. Not even at the end of the living quarters, which lead to the pilot's seat. A beast or assailant could easily hop aboard if they wished to do so. It was a good idea to have somebody keep watch at all times.

The sheer size of the Caravan allowed for plenty of breathing room, even if the beds were prepped for rest. It really was like a small home. Of course, a few members of Centaurus had already seen the inside of a fully prepped Caravan, as opposed to just a layout on a piece of paper. It was a lot to take in for those who hadn't, though. For a large piece of military equipment, it was rather well maintained, and had a very domestic feel to it.

As the group was prepping to take off, however, something called to them from across the Royal Plaza...