Fantasy Dragon's Revenge

[Kyero]

Slifer was deep in thought when someone walked up to her.


"Excuse me m'lady but I need your help. I'm not from around here and I was looking for a friend of mine. Dragh'dor is his name, have you heard of him?"


She looked over at the man, taking note of the familiar feeling deep in her chest that she got from being around Dragh'dor himself. She took one look at this man and knew right away that he was a Dragon. He was a younger Dragon, but a Dragon none the less. She knew also that giving her full name would reveal all for this one regardless of how young he was.


"My name is Sil'eph Niir young one, and yes, I know of Dragh'dor. I recently spoke to him about something... important. You need to be informed, but not here. Follow me." She said, leading him through the crowds to a darker alleyway with nobody nearby.


Once she was certain they were alone, she regarded him with a traditional Dragon greeting.


The greeting, even in human form, was something that could only be understood by a Dragon. Sil'eph Niir stepped forward and placed her forehead against his, transmitting a simple surge of her energy through the point of contact into his body. It was a simple but traditional greeting to exchange energies with a new Dragon. When she had finished the transfer, she stepped away.


"I followed a lead from Dragh'dor which led me to a set of ruins outside of the city to the north. It is a gathering place for the cult with whom our kind is now at war with, and I found out that they are familiar with an ancient and evil Dragon called Maglissos. Only five families of our kind know of the name, Dragh'dor's included, so one of those families has to be in league with the cult. Which one remains to be discovered, but one of our kind has betrayed us to them and has given them knowledge of an ancient evil power that they cannot hope to control." She said, pausing a moment to let it sink in.


"Dragh'dor is on his way back to the Higher Plane to consult the King's advice. I'm not sure when he comes back, but until he does it is up to us to continue our investigation into this cult and what they know about Maglissos. Also, we must look into the revolution taking place here and do what we can to prevent it. Do you have any questions?" She asked.

 

[ANONASAI]

Altus waited for a few seconds before Lady Svana could react. While waiting, he scanned the crowd and spotted Slifer finally back in Gilfaryl. One of the thieves in guard disguise told Altus that two people recently entered Gilfaryl. The first was Slifer, which without doubt let her in. The second was a man that just wanted to visit Gilfaryl and split 50 gold on both of them.


He rushed towards Slifer and stopped as another man approached her. Altus was too far to eavesdrop on them, and if this was important the duo might stop talking on the sight of Altus. It was crucial that Altus needs to know what's going on with this client of his. He's not just some idiot that would do anything for gold, no. So he waited until the two hid from the crowd into a dark alleyway.


Altus was not called "Phantom" for nothing. He was a master of the shadows, the secrets of the dark is revealed unto him and how useful it was. He followed the two in a distance and finally took cover behind a group of crates and was in perfect eavesdrop position. The alleyway was dark but the duo's shadows were darker, making it easy. He watched their shadows as both of them stick their foreheads with one another. "What the--?" he whispered softly.


The words uttered by Slifer was...disturbing. Everything he heard was out of his knowledge...or anyone's. Dragon? Maglissos? Sil'eph Niir?


At first he thought they both were just crazy. But he was better. At least he knows partially on what's going on. He'll be more careful. He cannot risk this kind of knowledge reaching Slifer. But he still needs to complete his job.


Altus moved away from the alleyway unseen and went a few distances away. Then, he pretended that he didn't hear anything as he walked passed the alleyway and gazed upon Slifer. "Ah, Slifer! There you are! I was waiting for you then there were some...stuff....going on...so then I couldn't find you and with luck here you are!" he said, still pretending nothing really happened.

 

[Killigrew]

Deep into the fifth night Fleur was assigned watch.


They were on a rise, atop a small hill that stretched out her vision to grassy ocean and starry landscape.She sat alone, perched on a wooden fence as she smelled the air with closed eyes. Wind raised a chill on her shoulders as it brushed at her hair and tickled her face. Fleur sighed into it, finding pleasure in its embrace.


“It’s peaceful.” She heard from the left. “Real nice route. Couldn’t ask for an easier job.”


Fleur stole a quick glance, catching sight of the merc leader, Ragan. He stood with poise, when even leaning his rump against the fence.


With a half-trimmed beard and a rougish grin, he had what could be described as a grizzled countenance. Though generally of good humor and relaxed demeanor, he was not one to be disregarded. Ragan commanded obedience with a gaze, with a sharp nod, or the hinting of a frown. He’d managed to structure a band of criminals and vagabonds into a single-minded unit, and for that he had Fleur’s respect.


Clouding up into the air, the steam from two metal mugs held in his gloved hands wafted into Fleur’s senses.


“I really couldn’t.” She mused, dropping her feet down from her perch. She sank into the cushion of grass. “Thanks, for helping me get this job.”


“You can never be too careful,” He mumbled. Fleur imagined he was embarrassed. "Besides, I owed ya."


Ragan held out the second mug and Fleur took it silently.


She blew against the smoky top and with half-closed eyes watched it fade into the black of night.


They stared out into the green, stringy ocean in silence. The zing of cinnamon remaining in her mouth bit into her tongue as the tea passed her lips.


She swallowed and Ragan said, "It's dangerous."


"What is?"


"To wander on your own."


With a hint of a smile, Fleur shrugged. "It is what it is."


"But why?" He persisted. "Why choose to walk alone? Has someone harmed you? Closed your heart?"


She sighed. She supposed she owed him an answer at least, though she thought it was none of his concern. "Because I enjoy this way of life. Like the wind, I can go where I please, do as I please, and it matters little to those around me. They do not know me."


"You can do that just as well with a crowd by your side. You desire freedom, and you can have it. Both it and safety."


She sipped her tea, eyes straight ahead.


"Join my troop. Stay with me. I can give that to you."


He leaned in towards her and Fleur laughed.


Ragan left.


Fleur greeted the following morning with a stretch and a smile. The capitol was only a half-day’s journey, and it looked to be a clear, open day and an easy path from their location.


It was uneventful, to say the least. Fleur remained at her post on the right flank for the caravan, mingled with the travellers and the mercs, and maintained an easygoing demeanor. Ragan was at the head, and she saw glimpses of him, but it was not until they arrived at the city gates and shown identification for ease of passage that he looked her way.


He held the Fil at the ready, a prepared pouch that was heavy with the holding. He lowered it into her awaiting hands and thanked her for her service. His face was troubled as he departed, the caravan moving on ahead as his horse brought up the rear. Fleur watched the distance expand with a wistful grin.


Pocketting the payment, she stepped into Gilfaryl’s capitol for the first time.

 

[Kain]

He ran before anyone noticed he was gone.


The lady was momentously disturbed by the thief, whom had came back to shake her hand, since she had helped him. He profited of that opportunity to sheathe out his iron dagger and walk away, with long strides.


While he was observing the bloodied deck, unassumingly calm, it was quite the contrary. His pupils were red, flickering from time to time. Teeth were clenched together, his whole body was ready to break out into a storm of fury.


I'm going to kill those bastards. He hissed under his breath, palming the leather hilt of the blade in his hand and an apple in the other, the sweet liquid of its inside seeping out through his fingers. Pushing forcefully some villagers out of his way, who screamed some blasphemy against him, he spotted another revolutionary, who just hopped on the stage, crying out his stupid idiotic thoughts and incite the crowd against Royalty.


Even if he himself wasn't a great fan of Monarchy, he found himself to be bitterly angered against them. Saying your ideas? Sure. He had nothing against that. Killing people for those ideas? NO. With the tip of his fingers, he took out the rag in his back pocket, coated in coal dust and tied it against his face, like a dark mask.


A buzz in his ears. An apple in the air. "HEY YOU!" The man cried, outraged, slapping the apple off his shoulder, landing on the floor with a wet sound. A group consisting of four men behind him stood, with the bodies of the diplomats at their feet. "DO THAT AGAIN AND WE'LL GUT YOU, ROYALIST!" He sounded arrogant.


Stupidly foolish.


A climb to the stage. A knife in his neck. Screams of outrage. Blood spurting on his arm as he held the man's neck, like a protective shield. Taking advantage of the surprise, he threw the body of the rapidly dying man onto them, ripping the sword from the man's belt. Throwing away the sheath in their faces, Darius flipped the dagger 'round and threw himself in the midst of the madness.


Tackling a man in the stomach, he stabbed whatever was closest and slashed with the sword in his left hand.


What happened later was a blur of movement and death.


The mad noble only remembered red. And warmth.


Slowly, the red from his eyes faded. The noble was crumpled in an alley way, clutching a bloody broken sword in his hand. His dagger was gone. Touching his face, he realized he was trembling. His clothes were covered in blood.


Most of all, he was tired. Horribly tired. In heavy breaths, he lifted himself off the cold hard stone, serving of the jagged sword as a cane to help him. His sooty mask was still on. Leaning on the wooden houses, he ignored the cries of horror afar and threw the sword away, making it clatter on the ground with a loud keen. The palms of his hands began to sting.


What exactly happened...? However, staying here was not an option. His main priority now was to get to his forge.


The tall man sighed under his breath, wheezing, and limped through the back alleys to his house, to not get caught by the guards.

 

[roboblu]

Before Darius could answer, a figure ran up to Svana and extended a hand. It took her a moment to realize that it was the broken man from earlier. The time had passed quickly, it seemed, since he was able to walk and talk so well ... How long had she been standing here, by the river? Svana panicked. How long had she been doing absolutely nothing? You have to get ahold of yourself, the noblewoman thought, but her nerves were impossibly frayed.


At mention of her name, the lady stiffened. For a second time the gravity of the situation hit her: a reasonably powerful man had just murdered her father, she could not safely return to her family, and now someone knew her name. Where he had learned it she did not know, which scared Svana even more. Before she could respond, however, something caught the man's eye and he ran away, leaving the noblewoman alone once more. She looked to her left and was not surprised to see that Darius was gone; she heard a commotion, turned her silvery head, and found him.


Darius was wreaking chaos atop the makeshift platform, whirling about with dangerous steel in his hands. Svana watched on, terrified, as the polite young man she had spoken with not ten minutes before slashed through a man's throat, his face distorted with savagery. The urge to run was overwhelming, so the little lady followed the crowd and hurried off the street, heart pounding, tears running down her pale cheeks.


Five minutes later, she found herself in some obscure alley. It was dirty and dark; Svana looked up and saw a few stars shining brightly overhead, though the sky was still fading from pink to indigo. Garbage littered the cobblestones, and the sound of distant shouting echoed off the surrounding buildings.


Svana had never felt so lost, so scared, in her life.


To her right, the shadows shifted slightly; the alabaster-haired woman jumped and turned to squint into the shadows. "Who's there?" she called out quietly. A ragged little girl in a cap stepped out of the darkness, suspicious and silent: Svana almost smiled. Just a little girl. Squatting, the noblewoman picked up a scrap of paper and fished a pencil from her bag. In a flowing hand, she wrote on the paper, I am safe but leaving. Love you with all my heart. Holding back tears, the woman folded up the paper and handed it to the little girl. "I need you to take this to a red-haired girl named Magdalena Gillcrest," she told the girl, placing the paper in her dirty hands. Magda was more well-known around these parts than anyone else Svana knew, and would hopefully bring the note to her mother. "Tell her it's from the white-haired lady."


Svana fished 25 Fil from her pocket and placed it in the girl's hands as well. Clearly the child was poor- her round face lit up at the sight of the money. "And I need your hat," the woman added as an afterthought, placing 15 more Fil in the girl's hands. Without hesitation, the street urchin removed her cap and offered it with a grin, revealing a mop of tangled brown hair. Svana offered a smile of her own, and managed to squeeze in a word of thanks before the girl raced off into an adjacent alleyway. Okay, now what?





As she started to walk, the noblewoman tied up her silver hair and fit the cap snugly over it, in so hiding her most recognizable feature. Svana supposed she felt a little safer, but it was getting darker by the minute and she had no place to go. Still she pressed on.

 

[Hime]

The man with blonde hair went wild. Artemis couldn't really blame him- he must have been close acquaintances with those men murdered earlier. She didn't even try to stop him from his killing spree, though. She knew she wouldn't be able to. So rather than doing so, she turned and started shooing the women and children, herding them away from the bloody havoc.


Once they were a safe distance away (some had ran home on their own rather than jeer at the blonde man), Artemis turned to look for the young woman with white hair, but she was gone. Artemis was worried- the last she saw, that woman didn't seem all too stable on her feet. She must've known the men murdered, too. She must've slipped away earlier. Artemis wondered if the young woman was alright.


She then rested her gaze on the blonde figure who was limping away. So he was done with his rampage. The place was deserted now- the people have went home or are dead. She tried to ignore the slick red under her feet as she ran to catch up with him.


"Wait!" Artemis called out to him, worry evident in her voice.

 

[Flabbysaurus]

Stanas Birillius


Location: Gilfaryl Capital, Dark alley

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Stanas was ecstatic when he realised the women Sil'eph was indeed a dragon. After moving to a more secluded location and greeting one another with the traditional dragon greeting Stanas listened intently to the fountain of information that Sil'eph had acquired. As he did he felt a strange presence, like someone was watching the two of them. For a moment while Sil'eph was still informing Stanas he looked around but the two of them were in a dark alley only made darker due to it being night. Stanas shrugged the feeling off and looked back to Sil'eph and let her finish.


After she finished talking Stanas laughed slightly. "Well that was a lot of information. I"'m pretty sure I'm fully informed n-." Stanas was cut off by a human who noticed them as he passed by.


"Ah, Slifer! There you are! I was waiting for you then there were some...stuff....going on...so then I couldn't find you and with luck here you are!" the man said to Sil'eph or Slifer as she was called by humans.


"Hello sir. Would you mind introducing me Sil...Slifer?" Stanas asked with a smile. Kicking himself on the inside for the slip up of names.

 

[Kain]

"Who's there?" He called out, shutting up a second later. Was it his imagination? Or was it.... He shrugged the presence away, going faster through the shadows, forcing his body to its limit. No one should see him. No one. Keeping his head down shamefully, he hurried along the walls.


"Hmpfg." He grunted as he opened the back door of his forge, creaking it slowly before closing it. Hopping on one foot, he collapsed on the ground, crashing on the wood with a clatter, pulling some hammers with him, his legs failing. Taking off his shirt, he barely managed to throw it in the still burning coals of the chimney along with his mask, the light brightening TO a few degrees. The dust clinged to his sweaty muscles, greying his skin. His pants....Well, that was another thing.


Trembling, he reached for the bandages under the table, barely successful as it fell on the side, between his fingers. Straightening up, Darius took a deep breath. Before grabbing the pitcher of water, a soggy towel on its side, he chuckled bitterly, knowing that is going to serve well to him now. In the eerie glow of his forge, he cleaned the cuts on his legs and arms before bandaging them, with exact precision. Flinching slightly, a shock of pain went through him once again. He hardly oscillated, binding his wounds tightly against his skin. Patting his hands together, he then moved on to clearing his body of blood and strains, of which he did without any effort.


Actually, he wondered why he was so calm about this. Darius just killed at least one man and wounded several others. Killing people was an horrible thing to do, and there's no way that the Town guards wouldn't be searching for an masked man by now. He grunted, the sanguine fluid diluting on his skin. This blond man washed his silky blond hair of blood outside for a second, peeking around to see if anyone had seen him, and threw the towel in the burning fire, hissing on contact.


"I wonder if I have clothes here...." The noble mumbled, slipping the belt from his waist and tossing it under a bunch of leather bindings. Observing around himself, he groaned and wobbled over to the door on the side, as it served as connection to his house.


Oh, finding new clothes was like the best thing right now. So mint, so fresh....Pulling them on, the contact tingled his skin. Finally better, he visited his forge quickly to toss his bloodied pants in the fire.


Finally thinking clearly, he clamped his lips, going in his shop to find a iron weapon. A pang in his heart indicated the sadness and disgrace he felt. The Gods aren't going to help me now.

 

[Kyero]

Slifer had finished informing her new companion of the details when she heard a familiar and most unwelcome voice.


"Ah, Slifer! There you are! I was waiting for you then there were some...stuff....going on...so then I couldn't find you and with luck here you are!"


She filched on the inside but kept her composure on the outside as she turned to face the man Flint with a smile.


"Why hello. And what brings you here after dark? I didn't know that your stroll earlier this morning would lead to random alleyway checks at night. You wouldn't be stalking me would you?" She asked, giving him a mischievous smile.

 

[ANONASAI]

"You wouldn't be stalking me would you?" Slifer's wild guess turned out to be the perfect answer. But it's not like Altus is going to tell the truth.


"No, of course not! I was like I said 'strolling' in Gilfaryl." Altus answered with a smirk. The smirk didn't last long as he turned his head to face the market. So many disturbing and horrific events happened in just one day and in just one night. A thief being arrested, a revolution starting, a massacre caused by a smithy, and two people talking about dragons?


"Slifer, we should leave Gilfaryl now. There's no time to talk, this place is mad." Altus said, offering a hand to the both of them.


Then Altus saw it, rising above the walls of the alleyway was a guard. His muscular figure glimmering in the dark with the moon behind him. "Here! Over here! I need help! It's Altus!" The guard shouted. Altus was not surrounded yet but the guard's arrow already seek his life. The arrow pierced his shoulder, and in return Altus turned back from the guard staggered. Confronting the guard again, Altus twisted to face him and revealed a throwing knife flying straight to the guard. Direct hit to the head.


With no hesitation, he took the arrow from his shoulder and dropped it. Removing the arrow was only a matter of decreasing public attention. Because the arrowhead was still inside his shoulder. "Guards! Slifer follow me! We need to get out of here!" he shouted as he grunted in pain while looking for a way out. He pointed at a gate still open.


Altus hurried to the gate without turning back. Still he wanted Slifer to follow him. Arrows poured down like a rain. But Altus got to the gates and out of the city unharmed, except for his shoulder. He finished the two remaining guards watching by the gate which he figured they were not thieves, one he broke the neck and the other he stabbed with his dagger to the lower chest while he sprinted, resulting into both of them landing to the ground.

 

[Kyero]

Slifer was about to answer Flint when suddenly he seemed to be caught in an altercation with the guards that had appeared. The guards called out the name "Altus", and Slifer blinked. She was surprised, and confused. What was going on with this one? Had she made a mistake bringing him along with her before? She watched as he fought with the guards, taking an arrow to the shoulder before killing the guard and asking her to go with him.


She watched him run off and watched the guards run after him. They passed right by Slifer and her fellow Dragon, and she remembered then that she hadn't asked his name yet. She turned to the young one with a smile.


"Pardon me, youngling, but I forgot to ask your name..." She said, turning to watch the guards continue running passed her alley after Altus.


She chuckled lightly to herself as she looked to her young companion.


"I must see to my companion now. Please do excuse me. He seems... like he needs some help now. Will you come with us? I could use one of my kin by my side as we continue our investigation after all." She said, starting to walk after Altus.


The guards called him Altus, and when he gave the name Flint to her it didn't sound sincere. So his name was actually Altus... Interesting. She didn't know the name nor the reputation that obviously came with it if the guards were after him with such vigor, but in any case she had to make sure he hadn't gotten himself killed. That would put a damper on her progress for sure without the extra pair of eyes and hands. She walked through the streets and followed his trail to the gate where she found two more dead guards. The others seemed to have either lost him or gone back for reinforcements and were nowhere to be found around the gates anymore. She found Altus outside hiding from the guards, and brought her younger companion with her to check and see if he was alright.


"Are you going to be alright? That arrow didn't exactly look like it landed in a good place you know. Why not let me take a look? If it even so much as grazed your subclavian artery then you could be in serious trouble. Take off the shirt and let me take a look." She said.

 

[Flabbysaurus]

Stanas Birillius


Location: Gilfaryl capital, outside the gates

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Stanas was caught off guard by the sudden attack by the guards on the one they called Atlus. At least I know his name now. Stanas thought to himself as he ran away and the guards chased after him. Stanas was just glad they ignored Slifer and himself.


turned to Slifer when she started speaking again. "Oh sorry my name is Stanas, Stanas Birillius." he replied with a smile, still excited knowing he had found a dragon and there was another one in Gilfaryl. Stanas followed Slifer until they finall found Atlus. He seemed wounded from the arroy that hit him but Stanas was no doctor and let Slifer check him. He looked at the man as Slifer poked around the wound he had. Stanas had no idea why Slifer would acquire a human companion who was being hunted by guards

 

[ANONASAI]

Altus trusted Slifer to take a look at his wound. After all, they needed to know what's going on and at this situation it might be the right time for him to talk.


Altus removed all his chest armor including his tunic which then showed his pale muscular body. He watched the arrow squeeze blood from his shoulder as it flowed down his left arm. Altus let Slifer examine it for a while, but he did not want to be the first human to be touched by Dragon Healing Powers, no.


"You might be asking why those guards were after me." he said as he sighed and braced to tell the truth. "You are looking at Altus, The Phantom from Hell, most wanted thief in any nation that is known to me." he chuckled slightly and smiled. He wouldn't be surprised if their reaction is violent. So he grabbed one of the bolts from his quiver and was ready if one of them were to attack.


"I told you much about myself, Slifer, now tell me about yours..." He glanced at the man Slifer was with and pointed him with the bolt in his hand. "You can't slip away...you're going to tell me yours too...Don't worry, I love stories." he said with a smile.

 

[Kyero]

Slifer waited for him to remove the armor and tunic before kneeling down and checking the wound. She pushed at it gently with her thumb to see how much blood would seep from it depending on how much pressure she applied. It oozed a fair amount, but not much. Given the wound's reaction, she knew he was safe from any artery openings which was good.


Then, he dropped something of a bomb on her and Stanas.


"You might be asking why those guards were after me. You are looking at Altus, The Phantom from Hell, most wanted thief in any nation that is known to me."


Slifer stopped what she was doing and looked at him with questioning eyes, but nodded with a light whistle as she went back to her business. Since he had lied so spectacularly, she thought about hurting him a little, but she had hidden something even more substantial than a goofy thief title so it wouldn't have been fair. She just decided on something else, but had to wait to respond until after he spoke again.


"I told you much about myself, Slifer, now tell me about yours... You can't slip away...you're going to tell me yours too...Don't worry, I love stories."


Slifer laughed out loud as she sat back and prepared to take the arrowhead out of his shoulder with a pair of tweezers she had in her pouch.


"That's a good one Altus." She said aloud, leaning back in and putting her left thumb and index finger on either side of his wound as she pried it open.


"You told me your true name and your title as a thief, but I wouldn't call that 'much.' Still, you did take the time to tell me your identity so that counts for something." She said, digging the tweezers into the wound as she used them to grip the arrowhead.


"You have earned at least this much: My full name is Sil'eph Niir. Make what you will of the name, as I have no fancy title or reputation such as you." She said, pulling the arrowhead slowly and carefully free of the wound.


"There we go. No more arrowhead. Looks like your arteries are safe for now." She said, tossing the arrowhead away and wiping down his wound with a fresh cloth and brought out a needle and thread.


"Now, I have a feeling you're confused about something regarding who I am and I am more than aware that you were spying on me. Why else would you have taken the time to find me in a random alley and just happen to show up to say 'hello' in the middle of it? Still, I can't blame you. As a famous thief, spying is one of your many talents. And, as promised, I asked you to come with me because of those talents." She said, taking a moment get the last few stitches into place.


"By the way, there is one thing that I believe you had confused about the nature of our agreement." She said, clipping the thread and taking a step back to sit in front of him.


"I never hired you for anything, so don't expect me to honor any bills you may be keeping track of in your head." She said with a smile, tossing the pouch full of gold coins she grabbed for him in the ruins to his feet.


"There's a good 3,000 fil in that pouch for you. Hopefully that will satisfy your curiosity for a while." She said, standing up and offering him a hand up.


"So what do you say? A girl has to have her secrets after all, and you may have misheard whatever I had to say when you were spying on me." She said, keeping her hand there for him. 
Sorry about the name confusion. The human mind is an interesting tool that automatically fills in data when you read a specific set of lettering. For instance, I have been known to read "Goku" from "Guko" a few times before. Lol.

 

[ANONASAI]

So she knew I was spying on her? Wow. Dragons have nice things...





Altus immediately agreed with Slifer as she tossed 3,000 coins of business right to his eyes. "That's a good girl..." he chuckled.


Altus took Slifer's hand and stood up. Still, this talk about dragons made him even more cautious about this journey. At least he knew one thing that was true: the girl's real name is Sileph Niir just like what he heard from the alleyway.


Altus' trust is not yet earned. Just because Slifer healed his wounds, doesn't mean he trusts she won't burn him into dragon food. They've come a long way. And 3,000 Fil is worth it. "Where do we need to go now?" Altus asked placing the bolt back in the quiver. He'd follow Slifer to the end if she has the coin.

 

[Kyero]

Slifer smiled.


"I thought you'd ask me that soon." She said, turning to Stanas.


"First things first. This is my companion Stanas. You can trust him, I promise." She said, turning back to Altus.


"Now, I have to go back to the ruins to see if I can't garner any further information. If you'd like to visit and fill a new pouch of your own full of coin from the treasure rooms, then feel free to tag along." She said.


"Stanas, if you're not opposed to it I'd like you to come with us. I could use an extra pair of eyes to watch my back in the ruins as we investigate this cult. However, if you'd prefer to remain here and keep an eye on the revolution, I'd appreciate that as well. The choice is yours. What do you say?" She asked.

 

[ANONASAI]

Slifer introduced the man she was with earlier. Stanas.


Altus glanced at Stanas and nodded before heading on with Slifer.


"Now, I have to go back to the ruins to see if I can't garner any further information. If you'd like to visit and fill a new pouch of your own full of coin from the treasure rooms, then feel free to tag along."


Another pouch. Altus would like that. Just after he gave a smile on the word "pouch", he flinched slightly on another word:


"Stanas, if you're not opposed to it I'd like you to come with us. I could use an extra pair of eyes to watch my back in the ruins as we investigate this cult. However, if you'd prefer to remain here and keep an eye on the revolution, I'd appreciate that as well. The choice is yours. What do you say?"


"Revolution" was the word. Altus' reaction was so quick that he didn't think they saw him flinch. Inside his head was a flash of images almost blinding his eyes and causing him to be aggressive. Those images was so quick he didn't understand a thing. One thing for sure is that that was the revolution he witnessed years ago. And he did not want that to happen in Gilfaryl. Screams in his ears by the poor innocent citizens that were killed during the war.


It was a complete loss, and he knew better than any other man living in Gilfaryl thinking that they'd win the revolution. And a madman was leading this revolution, so they're plans of freedom might not actually be a good thing. If he was involved in this, he would choose the side of Gilfaryl and not the side of the revolution. It's a revolution,yes. Others think it's a good thing but they have a madman leading them.


For this he did not need the coin, he need the truth. So before he'd be bound to choose a side, he needed to ask. And not to the main officers because it is clear they'd want you on their side. He wanted to ask the witnesses and what they think about this war.


So with no word and just a sigh, his chaos inside his head cleared. He quietly joined Slifer back to the ruins...

 

[Flabbysaurus]

Stanas Birillius


Location: Gilfaryl Capital, Outside the city gates

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"Stanas, if you're not opposed to it I'd like you to come with us. I could use an extra pair of eyes to watch my back in the ruins as we investigate this cult. However, if you'd prefer to remain here and keep an eye on the revolution, I'd appreciate that as well. The choice is yours. What do you say?" She asked.


Stanas nodded. "I'll accompany the two of you to these ruins. I want to know who caused all of this as quickly as possible."[/i] Stanas said with a more serious tone. He followed Slifer and Altus to the ruins and hoped that Gilfaryl wasn't in complete chaos when they got back.

 

[Kain]

When he found a longsword in the back of his shop, however hidden it may be. He grinned to himself, somewhat proud that he hadn't sold that blade yet. First things first...


Taking out the letter of Ceallach, Darius put it between his fingers and whispered a word, making it crumble to ashes. Now that he was dead, there was no point in keeping something of the like. The greyish dust fluttered through the holes into the floorboards, disseappearing without a trace.


Some guilt jabbed his chest when thinking of the fuzzy images in the square. Did the princess see that? Of course she did, she's not blind. Was the intervention worth it? No, probably not. In fact, he made things worse for himself. The Revolution was only boiling and now he had just proved that some Royalists are murderous bastards (Though they did the same). Sheathing the newfound sword in his pristine belt, he glimpsed around him, wondering if anyone had followed him.


There is a big chance that the guards will come at the forge, with questions. There's not a lot of males with blond hair with soot on their handkerchief in this bustling town. Mayhaps, they would mistake him for a hooligan and question other people instead. But... Darius couldn't take any chances.


He gritted his teeth, still unsure about leaving this place, of which he was accustomed to. Rubbing his forehead, he decided to think about it while he was packing.

 

[roboblu]

Svana tired quickly, the emotional stress of the day bearing down on her shoulders as she walked in the alleys. She began to stumble more often as the darkness smudged her path into one inscrutable black road, hiding pieces of trash and debris that she would ordinarily have stepped around. After about an hour the noblewoman suffered her first fall. The edge of her sandal caught on a loose cobblestone and she came crashing to the ground, muddying her blue shift and scraping her soft white hands. Without really knowing why, the young woman picked herself up and continued her wandering. The darkness grew, and more stars began to twinkle overhead with every passing minute.


Why was she still walking, and where was she going? Svana could not have answered even if she wanted to. Her mind was once again clouded over, though her state of shock was slowly turning into exhaustion. Vaguely she felt the need to get out of Gilfaryl, to run and find safety, but in her current state Svana did not know how, or why. She only knew she couldn't go home, and that her father was dead.


The second time she fell, Svana found that she could not pick herself up again. Pain lanced from her foot, which, unbeknownst to her, had been lightly cut by a scrap of metal. She rested her cheek on the cool, damp pavement and closed her silvery eyes; slumber called, but nightmares danced on the edge of her consciousness and she dared not fall asleep. Instead, the noblewoman crawled to the edge of the alleyway and leaned against a building, too tired to stand up and continue moving. Her world seemed like a bad dream- maybe this was the nightmare, she thought, confused. After all, she could taste soot on her tongue, and the acrid smell of fire filled her nostrils.

 

[Kyero]

Slifer nodded to Stanas and ensured that Altus was following as well as she led them to the ruins. The trip took about two hours of walking time, but when they reached the ruins Slifer led the way inside through the almost invisible and uncomfortably small entryway to the inner corridors. Once inside, Slifer gave Altus a bearing to follow to find the treasure chambers and wishes him luck on his coin collecting while she led Stanas further in to where the gathering chamber was.


Once they reached it, they immediately dove for cover as they heard a few voices down the hallways. The chamber was vast, being almost three hundred feet across and having a ceiling nearly eighty feet high. It wasn't the largest room ever known, but it was an impressive sight. Two large statues of an unknown human figure on either side of an altar in the back clearly worshipping some form of Dragon. Given what she'd heard before, and given the evil red eyes painted on it, it had to be Maglissos. She and Stanas watched as the patrolling zealots wandered through down the steps leading to the floor before crossing the enormous rune circle on the ground to the altar where they prayed to Maglissos. They dropped to their knees and began praying, and Slifer had a thought.


"Stanas, watch the entrance. If anyone comes, then let me know by throwing a stone at my feet." She whispered.


Slifer then carefully made her way down to the ground level sneaking through the natural rocky formations as cover before moving as quietly as possible across the grounds to the back of the zealots as they prayed. She snuck up behind them and knocked the one of the right out before clasping her hand over the mouth of the other to stop him screaming.


"Okay big guy, here's how this will work." She said, kneeling down to put her knee right over something sensitive.


He looked down and a bead of sweat rolled down his temple.


"You're going to come with me, and if you say anything to warn your friends before we're clear of the ruins I'm going to rip you in half." She warned.


Slifer solidified the point by looking into his eyes. One of the few things that she and all other Dragons could still use from their original forms was their sight, and her pupils slowly elongated into reptilian slits rather than the humanoid circle. The zealot's eyes widened, and he started sweating even more. Slifer ripped off part of his robe and used it as a gag to keep him quiet before knocking him out and hauling him over her shoulder. She made her way back to Stanas and kept low and out of sight as a few other zealots began to talk in the halls outside.


Slifer looked to Stanas.


"I can't take them down before they sound an alarm carrying this guy around like this. I need you to take them down quickly and quietly so we can pick up Altus and get out of here. Can you do that?" She asked.

 

[ANONASAI]

Slifer led Altus to the Chamber of Treasures. After all he'd been through he was finally here. The chests of gold and coin shimmering before him, dancing with their gold glow and streaks of brightness. He never did care how dangerous the ruins was or what was in it. As long as it had worthy coin, he was up for it.


Altus heard Stanas and Slifer talk about a 'gathering chamber'. This he ignored, he was too busy rejuvenating with his Fil. He grabbed a sack beside a chest and recklessly opened the locks by stomping it with his foot. Altus was glad he didn't have to pick every chest's lock because it was already unlocked with a key maybe recently by someone.


Jewels and coin became an audience before him. Slowly taking each chest's gold.


After a few minutes of collecting, the final result was 20,000 Fil. This was more than enough to make him happy. The jewels he took was one diamond ring and an emerald necklace. He would like to keep it for a while but not wear it. Perhaps, use it as a gift?


A few meters away, he heard a man walking closer to his zone. The sandals that grind the floor, the robes that rubbed as he walked. Altus needed to be quiet. Then, the man walked past the chamber. Altus took a nice image, the man wore robes...a cultist?


He recalled where Slifer and Stanas went, and it looks like the man is heading their way. Altus had to act, fast. It'll be a few more seconds before Slifer and Stanas will be in the cultist's line of sight. Distracted by gold, he looked at the sack of joy and coin. He knew he couldn't just leave it there. And he knew if that cultist catches them, he won't have time carrying his heavy sack out of the ruins. So he had to do it.


Taking the emerald necklace while moving quietly towards the cultist, he disbanded the necklace so he could use it as some kind of a strangling weapon. He was 6 inches away from his target. And without hesitation, he placed the necklace over the cultist's neck and gripped it tightly until bringing the cultist to the ground. He reassured himself that the target was just unconscious and not dead, just in case Slifer and Stanas has to do something with him.


He glanced at Stanas that seemed to be guarding and winked, dragging the cultist back to the chamber of treasures and placing him in a large chest. The cultist had to curl up, and in result break some bones in the process. But at least he fit in the chest.

 

[Kain]

Clunk.





He heard something, the empty sound of something clattering, a thump following it afterwards, outside his forge, amidst the crickets crying into the night. Darius had a sharp sense of hearing, when his adrenaline was pumping yet again. He muttered something under his breath and threw down the leather cap of his bag, doubling the straps.


Damn. Were they already here? Tapping the dagger on his right hip, he slowly made his way in the darkness, tracing his steps perfectly in the dark. No, it wasn't guards. Their torches would be lit up like bonfires around his home if they were here. Touching the wall lightly with the tip of his fingers, he made way around his home, avoiding a shrapnel of metal on the ground. Although he confirmed his assumptions, he was still curious about who made that noise.


It wasn't hard to spot the lady, who was in a foetus position on the cold hard ground. All of her looked bright white, striking in the darkness, even if her clothes were smeared with dirt. She looked pitiful, contrarily as what he had seen of the princess beforehand, before the executions.


They were in the same boat, now.I wouldn't hurt to help her. With one arm, he hefted her on his shoulders, with no more of a exhale. Lady Svana was easy to lift, unnaturally light. Jogging to his home, he pushed the door open with his hand, entering his cozy store. Darius let her down on his wooden bench, with blankets of fur to make it more like a couch.

 

[Killigrew]

The town was alight at night; lanterns emitted a warm glow that illuminated the main cobblestone streets, and families and guardsmen roamed about. Shadows of night were still visible in what clung around the quiet flames, but it did little to stifle the beauty of the lanterns' dancing gleam. A casual crowd had gathered around the market square, watching with intrigue a collection of wagons and brightened lights that illuminated the place with music and song. A travelling group of troubadours by the looks of them, Fleur realized, stopping to spare a few minutes in observing.


Fleur had arrived around dusk, and found that nighttime in the capital was a lovely sight. The enclosing of the nocturnal heavens did little to extinguish Gilfaryl's beauty, torches lining their high towers and arching architecture. She smiled as the songs rushed over her.


The city certainly had a sense of held breath, something holding the civilians on edge. But here, in the market square, Fleur felt the relaxation spread around like a pooling liquid, gently spreading a calm atmosphere over them.


And it was therapeutic, for Fleur, yawning, found her own exhaustion in the soothing sound.


Perhaps she ought to find a bed to lay her head in for the night.

 

[roboblu]

The lady dozed for a few minutes, her head resting against the cool brick of the building next to her. Suddenly she heard footsteps; her watery eyes opened miserably, and, discerning the form of a man in the alley, they widened. She could not see who it was in the darkness, but he was tall- Svana huddled more closely to the building and hoped he would not notice her. Of course he already had, however, and in one swift motion the man had hauled her onto his shoulders without even a grunt.


Svana was not in any condition to resist; her head swam as she swung gently back and forth to the rhythm of his step. Before long they were in some kind of house. The shivering lady was placed on a soft bench with furs piled on it, cushioning her from the hard wooden surface beneath. Without even realizing it, she clutched one of the furs about her like a great shaggy blanket, and stared confusedly at the strange man. In the light of the fire she recognized him: blonde hair, muscular build, sooty arms ... It was Darius. The smell of blood seemed to fill the woman's nostrils. Blood and fire.


There was no use in pleading for her life- if Darius wanted to kill her, he could easily do it whenever and however he wanted to. But even in her stupor, Svana did not think the man was intent on spilling any more blood. He looked busy, pacing around the room and packing odds and ends into a bag ... Svana thought on that, her mind growing clearer with every passing minute. Suddenly she spoke. "Why? she asked quietly, staring at him with muddled but intense silver eyes. It felt important to know his reasons- for killing, for packing, and now for helping her.