Fandom Final Fantasy: The Age of Ophiuchus [Closed]

[Arcanist]

Cleon, despite his hesitance to leave Kikiti behind, let Reva usher him and Didymus towards the entrance of the sewer. He kept watch, looking behind and around him as Reva had managed to pry the grating up and onto the ground with complete silence. Only when she had done so, and gestured for the two men to discuss who would head down into it first, did Cleon hazard a look down below. He shifted anxiously at the lack of light, showing where they were actually descending into, and glanced up at Didymus, almost pleading for him to go down first.

Thankfully, he did, and horribly, Cleon felt relieved for it. He waited for Didymus to descend, glancing back at Reva, wondering if she was so eager to go back for the young Kikiti. Hearing some positive confirmation from Didymus, he was next to climb down, grimacing at how moist his hands felt against the ladder. He trusted Reva's judgement, and that she would follow after them soon.

Like Didymus before him, the smell hit his nostrils and almost caused him to gag. He knew sewers weren't going to smell like lavender and sweetcakes, but he didn't realise the waste actually burn at his nostrils. He had to bring an arm up to his nose, though, felt was so powerful, that he felt water begin to prickle at his eyes. He eventually reached the bottom, careful not to move too suddenly in case he slipped and found himself in the wastage himself. He looked to Didymus with a grimace. "Do sewers...always smell this bad?" He found it difficult not to gag during his question.

What in the world made Kikiti think this was a viable idea?

Speaking of, on the surface, the Lalafell hybrid found herself in for it as the soldiers spotted her dainty figure in the smoke. Thankfully, she herself noticed one running towards her, arms and hands outstretched to grab her. She managed to duck under them and crawl through the soldier's legs - one of the few advantages her height granted her. She was about to make a mad dash for it when she felt a hand grab onto her arm and she squeaked as she was yanked away by the other soldier.

"Ha! Got you, you ugly lit--yeouch! Hey, quit it!" The second soldier yelped, struggling to hold onto Kikiti as she had gotten a hold of her staff, and started whacking the soldier any place she could with it.

"Who you calling ugly?! Have you looked in a mirror recently?!" She shouted, grunting with each hit in a desperate attempt for the man to let go of her.

 

[Lucyfer]

Over the collar of his shirt, now pulled all the way up over his nose, Didymus gave Cleon a half-exasperated, half-bewildered look, “How many sewers do you think I’ve been in?” he had actually been in more than this, but he didn’t need to tell Cleon that. That would likely inspire more questions than it answered, “What did you think a bunch of feces and urine smelled like when it coagulated in a dark, moist place?”

Although maybe improvements to that could be worked on. Cleon’s problem. Or, really, Empress Zariel’s problem, if she felt like sewage systems were something she wanted to work on in her Empire. Didymus didn’t actually think that was a high priority for someone like her, though. She apparently had much more important things to do.

Couldn’t even muss her hair by coming down to fight or do things, unlike her brother.

“How long is she gonna take?” Didymus whined, looking back up at the hole in the ground, wondering how long Reva might make them wait. Did he have enough time? ‘You don’t know.’ That uncertainty was going to nag at him for quite a while.

~***~

Up above, Reva had opted to move into that smoke, even though it was starting to disperse, beaten down by the rain. That just made it easier for her as she approached one of the guards from behind. Luckily for her, it was the one that held Kikiti, who was flailing about and trying to put up a fight.

Reva couldn’t let her be taken. She knew the Empire wouldn’t be kind to her, just because she was young. She had helped the Prince – King – escape, after all. That wouldn’t be so easily forgiven.

So as the guard was trying to protect himself from Kikiti’s bashing, Reva shifted her weight, and kicked him square in the back of his neck.

He released Kikiti as consciousness blurred to darkness thanks to the impact of his helmet, and then his head on the ground. Reva quickly righted herself, and the second guard was met with another spin-kick once she was certain Kikiti was out of the way. She could draw her weapon, but right then, this was far more effective.

‘Alive, or dead?’

A decision to be made, and she considered for a moment that alive might be better – to report to Zariel that they’d seen the prince escape, might help with how Zariel treated the city. There wouldn’t be her guards throwing things about and upsetting the livelihoods of the everyday people.

‘If they truly think we have left….’

Somehow, she didn’t think that would be in doubt, as she looked to Kikiti as the guard started to get his senses and get back up from the kick, “With me.”

She was seen.

She was compromised.

 

[Arcanist]

Cleon blinked at him. Then, his face grew flush at the comments, embarassed to even have to ask him. "I never meant to say...and I...ah...never mind..." He trailed off, rubbing at the back of his neck, though, regretted even bringing his hand away from his face. What a way to build rapport with someone in his own kingdom. If anything, it just showed how sheltered and out-of-touch he was with his own people.

Perhaps relating to people was something he could work on. And sewer systems. When he wasn't running from an Empire who sought to take Ucantis under its control.

Cleon looked up to the hole, after another bout of lightning flashed, and sounded through the sky once again. He frowned, wondering just the same thing. It wasn't that he felt unsafe around Didymus, more that he was concerned for Reva on the surface. Sure, she could handle herself, and very well at that, but he had already lost one ally today. The thought of potentially losing another one, despite their skill, made his heart break.

"She must be going back for Kikiti..." The long-haired man reasoned, the only thing he could think could be taking her so long to get back down here. Underneath that serious exterior of hers, she truly did have a soft heart. Well, he always knew that, with how she put up with him as a child.

~***~

This had been a lot more bashing than she was used to doing. Kikiti's arm was starting to get sore, mentally noted she needed to train more and get her strength up. As if moving boxes for her dad at his store or the medicines at the clinic wasn't enough! She had considered giving up, to just trying to cut a deal with these soldier somehow, until she suddenly fell onto the ground, rolling backwards once. It wasn't long before the guard had fallen to the ground too, unmoving. Only when Kikiti regained her senses, did she see the other guard had fallen to the ground too, though, still conscious.

Kikiti looked to Reva, stunned by how easily she had fought these two with such ease. She scrambled to her feet, nodding as she said, "You don't have to tell me twice!" She followed behind after Reva, running back towards the stairs leading down towards the sewers. Once she got to the hole though, her nose wrinkling at the stench that escaped from it. Oh, why did she suggest escaping through the sewers?! "Well, here goes..." She groaned, moving to the ladder, and groaning more at how slick the ladder felt as she descended it.

 

[Lucyfer]

The answer came almost as Cleon said it. Descending into the sewers was not, in fact, Reva herself but Kikiti. Didymus managed to resist the urge to groan as he saw her small figure up above, and then quickly averted his gaze. He didn’t want to be accused of trying to look up anything, by anyone, so he put his attention on the sewers again.

Not really the best thing to pay attention to, but not all sewers were entirely clean of fiends. He knew of flans and giant rats that roamed a few, and things worse than even that, although flans sure gave him a hell of a time! He wasn’t exactly the most skilled at magic, after all.

As Kikiti reached the bottom, Reva began to move next, dragging the manhole cover over as she balanced rather well for someone in her shoes, and on the slickness of the ladder, to cover it back up. It was quite all right if the Empire knew they escaped, but not so much if they could follow exactly. It was possible the one who stopped to help his companion saw the way they went, but at least the guard was more concerned about his fellow than he was about giving chase.

Reva was able to join them on the ground soon enough, nose wrinkled, but otherwise trying to seem unaffected by the change of light, and change of scent. “I cannot determine the way,” Reva confessed, voice a bit gruffer than normal as she tried not to wretch in sniffing out a way towards fresh air. The scents of the waste covered up anything like freedom, at least from where they stood. “Kikiti, do you know?”

She doubted it, but it was worth asking so they wouldn’t be roaming in vain, looking for a way out.

Mentally, she was trying to map it in her head, with what she knew of the city above. She knew in general how to get out of Lalafell town from where they had been, and into other parts of the city. It may be enough to get them to freedom.

“We should start moving soon,” Didymus mumbled, “places like this are usually home to fiends fouler than the smell. Or so I hear. Flans and rats.”

Reva arched a brow, but did not ask. There were plenty of questions she had for Didymus, but she thought they could wait until there was fresh air to breathe. She knew nothing of fiends in the sewers. She had never been dispatched to deal with such things, though, and knew of no one being dispatched into them to handle it.

Perhaps they never came up and threatened the town.

 

[Arcanist]

Cleon was glad to see Kikiti safe and sound as she slid down the ladder. Though, as she grumbled to herself about how slimey the ladder was as she came down, and how her new dress was bound to get ruined as a result, the heir continued to look worriedly up the ladder. Eventually, they were alievated with a sigh of relief, seeing Reva appear and covering their tracks as best she could. "It's good to see you both safe..." He nodded to them too of them. "Or, well...safe for the moment," he added.

"Hopefully for a bit longer at least..." Kikiti murmured, grimacing once again at the scent. She looked to Reva, and then Didymus, who explained that should they stay even longer, something worse than the smell would be upon them. "Come here often?" Kikiti asked with a joke, though, returned to the present situation as she thought on Reva's question. She rubbed her head as she replied, "The sewers, I think, lead out somewhere to the...east? Beyond the city walls. Though, what direction is east, what direction we're standing in, I can't discern..." Damn, if only she had her father's compass right now! Or, well, one of the few he sold to people. Who knew one of his trinkets would prove useful?

"Oh!" The Lalafell-cross exclaimed, a sudden thought coming to mind. She remembered testing the thing inside and outside of the shop, and the compass had pointed south-west. "I know my father's shop is...south-west," she faced the ladder, and gestured vaguely to the left, and down, where she thought would be south-west. "If we're going east..." She again gestured in another direction to the right, which she figured could be right, "then maybe we should head this way!"

Cleon looked skeptical, already struggling to follow her directions. "Are you...sure about that?"

Kikiti turned to Cleon, hands on her hips, with a huff. "The compass I had in his shop told me so! It's the only hint I have as to guiding you all out of here. Unless you have any better theories, your Princeliness?"

Cleon opened his mouth, closed it again, and before sheepishly muttering a, "No..." To be told off by a Lalafell of all people...

Kikiti turned back to the other two. "With any luck, maybe we can find another gutter opening in another part of the city, work our way through there. That's the best I can do for you right now." Come to think of it, perhaps it would have been much easier on the surface to guide them than down here...but they ran the risk of being caught up there. Yet, they were lost, and surrounded by goodness knew what down here...oh, the odds, the odds! But there was no turning back now, not with the situation they were in.

 

[Lucyfer]

Didymus gave Kikiti a glare for the implication as well – he’d said he heard it! Not that he was from around these parts, or accustomed to the sewers. He was going to gain that as a reputation now, wasn’t he? Damn the luck. ‘Better than them thinking you’re here to kidnap Cleon.’ Which, he was, he just…didn’t quite know how to time this. Still, staying with the party was bound to give him an opening at some point, right?

At least Kikiti did have an idea on where to go, based on a compass, and the directions they had come from previously. Still, Didymus found himself looking at Reva to confirm the information, as if she would actually have a better idea.

Really, he just trusted the viera more to know what she was doing.

Reva, thankfully, gave a singular nod. “It is better than blind wandering for now. We shall have to keep in mind what direction you know south-west to be, as we continue to move, so we may remain oriented towards east. I do not feel it is a good idea to go back up; I would rather deal with the stench and what fiends we may find down here, over capture by the Empire.”

She was certain Cleon agreed, and likely, Kikiti and Didymus.

Didymus did at least nod, “Yeah, let’s just…make it quick.”

Whatever quick would be in roaming a sewers.

Reva had no problems taking the lead, her ears better than those in the party for the time being. She moved ahead, sticking to the sides of the pipe as much as possible, the ledge above the waste better than stepping into the waste. They were all going to need to wash off as soon as possible, and no doubt, find changes of clothing.

It grew darker as they moved away from the manhole, no light penetrating to the sewer from above, and no lights within. A torch would have been helpful, but they did not have that. Reva resisted the urge to reach back, or make a request that they all take hands so they would not get lost.

She could still hear them, and she would allow Kikiti to direct if they seemed to get off-track as the pipes branched and curved. She did hear the skittering of rats, but it seemed they had no interest in coming near them.

Didymus remained silent, near the back of the group from what he could tell. It was hard to see, so he was also trying to keep up by sounds. He was half-tempted to talk, but he didn’t know if that would be a good idea or not. Some fiends would avoid sounds – others would be drawn to it. He didn’t want to risk that. Their steps were likely enough. He also wasn't sure what to say, after what small things he'd already revealed about himself. It probably wasn't wise to try and start any conversations. Although, he couldn't imagine any of them being that comfortable alone with their thoughts.

Assuming they could think over the stench, and worry of being found.

 

[Arcanist]

Well, if Reva said it was better than anything else, than Cleon supposed they had very few other options to pick from. That, and he didn't fancy being picked up by the Empire, nota fter the lengths they all took to escape from them, and narrowly each time, it seemed. Sheepishly, he nodded in agreement with her, along with Kikiti and Didymus too.

Kikiti nodded her head, and gave a thankful smile to both the viera and the scrawny looking man. "Of course, I'll keep you guys going in the right direction! Let's get going. I'm eager to get out of here too."

And so, Reva was the one to take the lead, staying close to the pipe to keep themselves above the wastage, and no doubt as a means of guidance. Kikiti followed close behind, listening to the Viera's clicking heels as an indicator of where she was and where she was going. After that, Cleon, who could only do the same and with Didymus at the heel - if he hadn't disappeared entirely. His footsteps were oddly quiet...well-trained in sneaking around, perhaps. If they all stuck close together and too the wall, no doubt they would soon make it out soon enough.

The darkness was of a great disadvantage to them. Apparently all of them should have eaten more carrots when they were children, for vision in the dark would have been incredibly useful to have in this situation. The only perk they had was Reva's hearing.

Cleon couldn't help but flinch at the skitter of rats, or a squeaking and groaning down another tunnel that they thankfully had no need to traverse down. Monsters were terrifying enough; monsters in the dark were an entirely different story. He only heard a whisper in front of him one or two times, before some shuffling footsteps, and they seemingly traversed down a different path. The man opted to remain quiet, unsure of what conversation to even bring up in the sewers, and also because he wasn't sure who his conversation would attract.

Their lonesome and quiet trip wouldn't last forever. Unfortunately, given the small spaces, and the few places they could actually go in this sewer, they couldn't always avoid the monsters. In fact, two giant rats, squabbling in the dark, blocked their path. It meant the group had to arm themselves and fight.

Kikiti, as much as she would have wanted to join in the dicing and slicing, opted to stay back. Her staff could do damage to a human, but she quite rightly suspected it would take a lot more than bashing to defeat these rats. The most she could do was heal from a distance if things got too rough, and even at one point, cast Aero to drive one of the rats off her comrades' backs. Weak, by all accounts, but practice made perfect, even in a life-or-death situation, right?

Cleon, slowly but surely, was getting the hang of his sword fighting. By all means still an amateur in actually executing his strikes, but he was quick, managing to avoid the worst of any attacks. He had suffered a scratch to his leg in the process, though it proved an effective opening for him as he brought his sword down like an executioner's blade, splitting the rat's skull. It was upon the realisation of the monster's head and brain splitting apart, that he would stink a lot more than piss and shit coming out of this sewer.

 

[Lucyfer]

There were a few scuffles on the way out. Didymus could hold his own against hungry rats, artfully stepping around them even on the narrow platform. His daggers warded them off a bit once he had drawn them; the rats could smell poison. So, too, could Reva, and it drew her attention, but it was another thing on the list of oddities about Didymus she could not address just yet.

Didymus was efficient in nicking and cutting them, while the poison did its work to kill the rats.

Thankfully, the sewers in Ucantis didn’t seem to have much more than rats…or so Didymus thought.

The light of a bolt of lightning reached them and illuminated the pipe’s exit path, but it also revealed a creature lying in wait, scaly back visible among the waste that was, thankfully, more water than waste by the end point. Didymus froze in place, and Reva held out a hand to catch anyone from going beyond her.

“There is something ahead,” Reva spoke, after the thunder had rung through the pipes, “Let me approach first, stay here until we know what it is,” although there was not much light outside, there was some that pushed through the storm clouds and helped to offer a shadow of what was ahead.

Reva crept forward, reaching back for her naginata as she got closer. Even if the fiend did not move for her, she planned to move for it. Though she did not love the idea of attacking what may be peaceful, she could not risk harm to Cleon.

She wouldn’t need to bear guilt on her conscience.

As she drew close enough to strike, it moved first, a large, scaled, reptilian creature that burst forth from the waste to bite at her leg. Reva jolted away, but back hadn’t been an option with her back against the pipe wall. Her feet took her into the waste, a minor inconvience, but she would not dwell on that as she twirled her blade in front of her as the crocodilic fiend turned is attention towards her, tail slapping the wall as its canine-lined maw opened.

And Didymus hurled a poison bomb right into its open maw, causing it to gag and back up, coughing the bomb out, but still impacted.

Reva, not about to look a gift-horse in the mouth, charged ahead and thrust her naginata into its jaw to try and harm it, as well as pin it a bit so it couldn’t lash out at the others so easily with its teeth.

 

[Arcanist]

Cleon halted as Reva put her arm out, and in front of him, Kikiti, catching the shadow of a large creature lurking in the waters, clasped a hand over her mouth to stop herself from squeaking. He nodded to Reva, letting her advance ahead, though, his fingers slid to his sword. He wanted to be prepared should whatever was in the shadows decided to strike at them.

He continued to listen closely, catching the shadow of Reva's figure with what little light poured in. She crept towards the creature, and Cleon continued to hold. He saw Kikiti bite onto her sleeve, as she watched this scene progress. He felt much like her; fearful, anticipating something horrible to come at any moment. But he tried not to easily show that - well, at least in his body. He doubted anyone could see his expression well enough to discern that fear.

Then, the thing moved. Cleon heard the water swish, saw Reva jumped out of the way and into the waste. He had little time to see whether or not she had been hit by the creature, for he managed to pull a screeching Kikiti far enough backwards before a tail swatted the wall. He looked to the Lalafell, asking, "Are you alright?"

Kikiti looked back to him with an indignant expression. "Alright? I almost got squashed!" She shouted, though before either of them could converse further, both Reva and Didymus made a significant breakthrough with the monster.

As Reva charged ahead, Cleon turned to Kikiti and told her, "Stay up there and stay out of the way!" Though he would have liked to steer clear of the water and its wastage, he felt he had little choice but to jump in and help out with the croc.

The reptilian in question fell victim to Reva's thrust, the naginata piercing through its jaw. It let out a monstrous shriek, and already had tried shaking the Viera and her blade off and away from it. It let out another shriek as it felt the scales break from its leg, with Cleon having sliced at the monster's leg. It only sought its escape from Reva and her blade further, and a new found vengeance for whatever filthy creature had aimed another blade at it.

It shifted its body, which seemed as if the creature was still trying to struggle against Reva, though, after some turns right-to-left, it swung its body left, and as such, its tail went swinging with it. Cleon, caught unawares, felt the tail swing into his stomach, a heavy weight sending him backwards, and into one of the walls with a crash. He hadn't been knocked out as such, but he was sitting waist deep in filth, his body already aching, and dazed from the impact of knocking into the wall. He tried supporting himself with his sword to get back onto his feet, but struggled. If the reptilian managed to get Reva off its jaw, then Cleon would no doubt have his hands full with the fiend.

"A-ah, Cleon! Hang in there!" Kikiti cried, holding her staff out and beginning to channel her magic in the hopes that it would restore some of his strength. Though, channeling magic took time, and healing was never instantaneous - at least, not for an apprentice like her.

 

[Lucyfer]

Reva’s ears twitched with each word spoken by her companions, or each grunt and squeal of the beast as it tried to get free, but she continued to apply pressure into her weapon and step with it, trying to keep up and keep the naginata in its maw. Her own steps were a bit rough, unbalanced, as it began to toss itself about more. She hardly had the strength to compete with the feral creature, particularly not as it reeled with pain.

Hearing Cleon hit the wall didn’t help with her focus much, either, though she heard Kikiti rushing to his side. She still spared a look his way, and lost a crucial second to follow the movements of the crocodile, which finally lifted its head, pulling the naginata out of her grasp. “Ah!” She jumped for it, but it was well out of her reach by the time she tried.

The creature slammed back down to all fours, naginata still in its jaw, but it was at least freed of the constant pressure inflicted on it by the viera. Poison was still coursing in its veins, demanding it find some thing to help with that. Maddened by pain and poison, it charged ahead at the non-moving prince.

Didymus hurled yet another bomb at it as it tried, the orb blowing up between the creatures eyes, and seeming to turn it into another fit. It flailed about, tail striking the wall and shaking the pipe, before its gaze refocused on Reva. Reva was more prepared this time, and as it came for her, she lifted one long-fingered hand into the air, forming a crystal of ice above her fingertips, and launching it at the fiend’s eye.

Despite the blow connecting, it kept coming, seeming heedless of her strike. Reva was quick to turn, and start to run, hoping to draw it away and also spare herself from feeling how painful those teeth really were.

She could guess. She didn’t need a first-hand experience.

 

[Arcanist]

"Oh, come on, come on!" Kikiti muttered, shaking her staff as she was trying to get out the last bit of milk of the bottle. She watched as Cleon started to come around a little more, but it wouldn't be enough, not when Reva lost control of the crocodilic creature that had been flailing around. Clearly, the pain inflicted by Reva's blade and Didymus's poison was having averse effects on it, only making it more agitated and aggressive.

And, of course, charging straight towards Cleon.

Kikiti wasn't sure whether to stay and help him up, to move away and shout at him to get going. She was frozen, caught between two decisions, both with their own consequences that she couldn't comprehend in the moment. She didn't seem to need to make a decision now, because Didymus had thrown in a third option. Quite literally, with one of his bombs hitting and exploding between the croc's eyes.

The agitation only grew the croc as it chased after Reva. There was only so much space for the woman and this creature to play tag in, and they couldn't keep up the game forever. She was lucky, even when the reptilian lunged forward to swipe at Reva's arm in its rage and missed. It was drawn away long enough from the others to give them at least a bit of thinking time.

Cleon, in the meanwhile, managed to get onto his feet with the help of Kikiti dragging him up, and with his sword as support.

"Don't you dare run back in there after I spent that time trying to heal you!"

Cleon didn't answer, just groaned in reply. But what else was he meant to do? He couldn't stand there with Kikiti, helpless in watching their comrade being chased. Cleon was still in half a mind to jump back in and plot another strike, but it would only mean the reptilian's target would change, and it would grow even more vicious by the second. They had to slow it down, daze it, do something so it wasn't so eager to latch onto them with its teeth.

"Okay...two options," he started, looking back to Kikiti and Didymus. "We lure it back to us, maybe get it to run into the walls and daze it," he then looked to Didymus, "unless you've got something else in those...bomb things of yours that would help?"

 

[Lucyfer]

Didymus stepped closer to Cleon and Kikiti as Reva went off running, sucking in his bottom lip as he considered what he could do in this situation. Most of his bombs weren’t actually damaging – sans the poison, but that was a gradual, slow sort of damage. He had his daggers as well, but he wasn’t keen on getting that close to the crocodile fiend, either.

“I got…one more smoke one, which won’t help, two more confusion ones, which seemed to just turn it away from you,” so that might at least cause it to shift targets again, “two more poison ones, which will kill it, but it looks like that’s pretty slow,” it wasn’t dead yet, “and adding another won’t do anything, they don’t, uh…increase? Really?”

That didn’t sound like the right phrasing, but whatever, “And I do have a sleep one, but if this thing is testy it might wake up fairly quick.” They didn’t know that, of course. “I guess I can try that. That’ll probably break its confusion, though.”

And it had come running after Cleon when it wasn’t confused, rather than Reva.

Who, thankfully, was still managing to avoid it, but couldn’t pause to launch any spells. She also didn’t want to run too far away, because then she’d lose sight of the others, so she had found a way to get around the gator.

Or, she tried.

In her attempt to get around it, it was able to whip its tail around and slam her into a wall.

“Yeah, going!” Didymus was quick to move as he heard the thud and saw Reva slump. He didn’t know if she remained conscious or not, but he knew she wasn’t in a good position. “HEY YA GIANT TURD-EATER!” Didymus yelled to try and get its attention.

For better or worse, it did look towards him, and he was quick to throw his blue bomb at it, which puffed into a mist of blue smoke as it connected with its snout. The gator breathed it in, and seemed to sneeze, before apparently starting to become drowsy. It wasn’t sleeping immediately, but it was slowing down, seeming a bit unaware.

Reva was starting to pick herself back up, but with obvious pain. Her midsection was bleeding where the tail’s spiked-up scales had connected, and her left arm had obvious scrapes on it.

 

[Arcanist]

Cleon listened to Didymus run through his list of bombs, once again, considering throwing himself into the fray to defend Reva, and to keep his other comrades back from this scaley menace. Kikiti was shaking her head, and watching between her fingers as the creature continued to chase after Reva. Cleon was about to just rush in, tiring of hearing him list things rather than being able to use anything tangible against it, until he mentioned a sleep bomb.

It came at the cost of breaking its confusion, but slowing this thing down was the angle Cleon wanted to aim for. "Right...I think it's our best course of action. Means we might be able to get some hits in without tremendous losses on our part..." He hypothesised, but he wouldn't put a massive weight on those words. He looked to Kikiti, "You'll keep us alive with your magic?"

"Mostly," Kikiti quipped, more out of nervousness than anything else. This battle was too tense to deal with.

The sound of a slam and crashing attracted their attention, and Cleon's eyes widened, having to stop himself from crying out Reva's name. He couldn't tell if she was conscious or not, but there was no time to consider any of that, not after Didymus shouted some obscene insult, and a bomb was hurled right towards the croc's snout. Soon enough, its eyes were growing heavy; not quite fast asleep yet, but certainly on its way towards the land of dreams. Better yet, it was slowing down, perfect for Cleon to soon move in and strike.

"Look out for any weak spots," Cleon told Didymus, readying his blade. "Should this thing get active again...I'll try and keep it on me." Reva had already made some sacrifices from them, and Cleon had once unsuccessfully tried to fight this creature. He would make sure they were the victors this time around.

With Cleon trying to tease the reptilian's gaze towards him, Kikiti inched past, heading straight towards Reva, intending to aid her. She tutted at the wound at her midsection, and once again, waved her staff, a light blue glow eminating from it. "Take it easy, Reva. I'll try and get you fixed up in a jiffy!"

 

[Lucyfer]

Cleon’s movements did draw the crocodile’s gaze, the beast coming out of its stupor by Cleon’s movements. It drew the beast off Reva, but now it put Cleon at risk as it started to lumber towards the long-haired Heir of Ucantis, it’s strides thankfully still slow and it’s mind still foggy as it tried to get towards him and shake off the sleep that wanted to overcome it. It was trying to eat, not sleep! This was a ridiculous, annoying thought, it had slept more than enough in these sewers and not gorged as much as it wanted to!

It would still attempt something of a lazy lunge when it thought it was close enough to the prince.



Reva was hardly wanting to stand around and watch, as Kikiti came towards her and began to heal her wounds. She wrapped a hand around her midsection as she eyed the beast’s approach of her ward, and considered how well another bout of magic might do. She knew, of course, it was more likely to draw the creature’s attention towards herself and Kikiti. ‘Where is Didymus?’ the man had a talent for vanishing and being quiet, she noticed.

She wasn’t even sure if he meant it, although she wouldn’t blame him. With something like the crocodile bearing down on him, she would have wanted to vanish, too. Of course, she couldn't do that...she could just hope it remained distracted enough. "Thank you, Kikiti," she spoke softly so her voice wouldn't carry, still fighting the urge to run back into the fray.



Thankfully, or perhaps, unfortunately, for all involved Didymus had not truly vanished and left them, but had moved against a wall. When the crocodile lunged at Cleon, Didymus also lunged at the back leg of the fiend and drove two of his daggers home. It wouldn’t really stop the crocodile’s own projection, but it was likely going to piss it off and get it to turn away just as soon as its lunge had finished.

Didymus was prepared in either case to withdraw his daggers and run again, but he was hoping a wounded leg did some work to the fiend’s ability to chase him – and the others! If they could keep its target switching, maybe they could get it down. In either case, Didymus couldn't imagine they were going to find a weak point. Even with one of its eyes hit by an icicle, it didn't seem to be running away. And likely its underbelly was its real weakness, given it was always on it's belly.

 

[Arcanist]

Kikiti kept a watchful eye on the Viera. She could see her eyes shifting to Cleon as if ready to jump into the fray and defend her prince once again. She had to admit, it was noble, but not so noble when she was spending her time trying to heal her. When Reva did whisper her thanks to her though, she nodded, managed a smile, even if she was literally in a shitty situation with these other people, and a Twelve-damned crocodile.

It was inevitable, that the beast would turn on him again, but it was one of Cleon's few ways of getting the heat off Reva. Though she was there to protect him, to lose her, someone else that he considered family at this stage would have been unbearable. So, all he could do was grip his sword, hope that Reva would recover enough to help, and that they'd all finish this damned thing off.

Thankfully, the croc's behaviour was a lot easier to anticipate, with it lulling around like it was. It had lunged, and thankfully Cleon could predict it and side-stepped to avoid its teeth sinking into his leg. However, at the same time, Didymus appeared from behind - Cleon hadn't even noticed that he had disappeared like that! - and drove his daggers into the back of the creature's leg. It let out a pained roar, and of course, in reaction, it had tried to whirl around to Didymus, but as predicted, it stumbled, and its back leg wobbled with the wounds that had been caused.

Even as it tried to lunge forward towards him, it was a lot slower, much more predictable, though, it had made the crocodile more agitated that it couldn't do anything more beyond its injuries.

It was when Cleon saw the reptilian turn, try to go after Didymus, did he notice the wounds in one of its back legs. It was hindering it, that was for sure, but it meant it had switched its target completely. Perhaps that was the only way to deal with it, to make it switch targets so often by picking away at it. Taking Severance in his hands once again, and whilst the crocodile's back was turned, Cleon decided to strike at its other leg with a slash.

 

[Lucyfer]

Didymus was able to easily keep out of the crocodile’s range when it came lumbering at him in a lunge. Cleon caught on to what they could do to keep it distracted, particularly in its tired state. Didymus knew that wouldn’t hold forever, but for right now, it was something!

Once the crocodile had again turned towards Cleon, Didymus lashed the beast’s side with his daggers. With two legs now injured, it was much harder for it to consider turning, and refocusing. It let out an agonized sound and started to turn towards Didymus, before deciding that effort wasn’t immediately worth it.

Instead of turning to the further foe, it tried to snap at Cleon, lumbering in pursuit of the royal heir while the wastes around it were tainted red by its blood. It certainly did nothing to improve the smell, although thankfully that was now the last thing on anyone’s mind. Particularly Didymus, as he tried to inflict further pain on the crocodile to get it to stop, slow, or turn its attention from Cleon.

The poison was getting to it, at least, fogging its head, making it slower.

What would finish it would come from Reva, however. As she finally felt healed, the blood mostly stopping its run down her body, she pushed forward and sprinted the distance to the crocodile’s head. With a yell, she slammed her naginata through its eye and deep into its head, grunting a bit with the effort as it tried to flail for its final few seconds, before stilling entirely. Reva wouldn’t immediately move her weapon out of it, though.

Not until she was certain, and others were a fair distance away from the foul creature. They didn’t need anymore surprises.

Didymus was among the first to start backing away once he saw he didn’t need to do anything more, though he kept his daggers in hand. Just in case. He glanced back and around to make sure the light at the end of the sewers was still there, so they could get to freedom, and then consider the state of their clothes and shoes.

It was going to be a long night.

 

[Arcanist]

Didymus, once the crocodile was distracted by Cleon again, had slashed into the creature's other back leg. It had let out an pained sound, one for, at first, Cleon felt almost bad for.

Though, that pity disappeared when the crocodile decided he was going to keep coming for Cleon. Though its movements were limited with the wounds in its knees, Cleon kept his sword between the two of them, swiping at him with Severance if its jaws thought to get any closer. It was all Cleon could do as Didymus was trying to do more damage at the back.

Meanwhile, Kikiti had been biting her nails watching this fight with the crocodile, to the point that she hadn't been paying attention to Reva. When she rushed out, she called out to her, astounded how she rushed out back into battle as she did! Though, she could do little more like her companions, and watched her drive her naginata through the crocodile's eye. Even after the reptilian stopped moving, Kikiti stayed frozen, afraid to make a sound.

Once Reva and Didymus indicated that the creature was dead, were both Cleon and Kikiti able to breathe, and felt able to move. Cleon, much more concerned for Reva, moved quickly to her, asking, "Reva, are you okay?"

"I think she'll live!" Kikiti said with a grin, though, groaned when she caught a whiff of the blood, and the general stench in the sewers. "I might just about if I can get a good bath..."

 

[Lucyfer]

Reva waited until the others had put some distance between themselves and the crocodile, before she removed her polearm from its eye. It was a touch disturbing, if she was honest, but she did not spend much time examining the wreckage left behind as she walked backwards a few steps, before turning to catch up, “I am well,” she answered Cleon, “this is not the first time I have been wounded in combat; Kikiti is an adept healer.”

She could use some more skill and practice, but given her age, this was quite good, and admittedly, useful for their continuing on to the next kingdom. She imagined Kikiti would soon feel the weight of sorrow for leaving her home suddenly and without warning, without knowing how any family or loved ones were.

For now, her distraction with the environment was good.

Reva found a smile quirking onto her lips. “Soon. When we get outside, I will have my bearings.” There was a forest not far from the kingdom that they could move into. There was a river they could use to bathe, and wash out their clothes as best they could. Soap would be a luxury not afforded to them, that night, but the next they should be able to make it to town.
Reva had funds, at least, to afford an inn. If they had longer, she might have looked to see if there was anything on the crocodile worth bartering for. Teeth and scales could sometimes net a fortune.

This time, she left it, though she noted Didymus’s wondering eyes back towards it – and it wasn’t just fear or worry in them.

There was nothing waiting for them outside of the sewer pipe, beyond a bit of a drop into the runoff. Reva managed it first and hopped off to the side of the runoff, followed by Didymus, who didn’t really wait or ask about order. Reva would help the others if she needed to, but for the moment, she turned her attention back towards Ucantis.

Towards those airships that hovered above, some of them, she recognized, seeming to ooze mist.

Not the largest, though.

One fist clenched at her side with her desire to simply hurl her weapon into the airships as if they were a dragon, and bring them down. It was an impossible wish and she knew it…but still, she held to it as she resented her position, and her inability, to do more to help Ucantis.

To help Inara.

At least it was not in flames. No smoke or flames lifted into the sky. It was almost, terribly, peaceful from so far away.

 

[Arcanist]

Cleon nodded, smiled a little, mostly in relief at Reva's recovery. He glanced to Kikiti and he smiled at her as well, "That she is. We're lucky she was here with us." Truly, they were, with his earlier injury, and of course, Reva's. He chuckled a little at Kikiti giving a dismissive wave, but clearly looking quite proud of what she accomplished. Of course, she was still an apprentice, but she wouldn't turn down compliments towards her by any means. The girl also seemed quite relieved at Reva's assuredness they would find somewhere to wash off soon.

Leaving the Croc's body, with maybe the odd look over their shoulders, as if worried it would revive itself and reel on them, they eventually made their way out of the dreaded sewers. Cleon had managed to get out of the runway quite alright, though, Kikiti found it oddly slippery trying to get up. She did not want to think what it was that made it so slippery, and instead focused on getting herself onto solid ground.

Cleon paused, looking to Reva, and turned towards the city that they had abandoned. The young man frowned, seeing the airships dotting the sky, like dark clouds on an otherwise dreary day. That man's words - the Empress's brother - still rung through his ears.

...give your kingdom dignity. If you care so little about your own life, then be a King – consider your people.

The heir's frown sunk deeper. Already as a king, even if not officially, Cleon had already failed his people by running away. He had to wonder if Ucantis would forgive him for such a transgression, if his mother would have excused such actions.

Forgive me. I promise I'll return. The Empire will pay...

Cleon gripped the hilt of Severance, which swung by his hip once again. Then, he turned, determined to move forward and away from Ucantis. The sooner they moved, the sooner they could work to reclaiming it, to getting help. Or perhaps, Cleon's stomach churned with guilt, of being so helpless to watch his home and his people fall into enemy hands. He prayed that some mercy would be shown to Ucantisians, though, he doubted it with the Empire's streak of terror.

Kikiti, once off the runoff, had also spared a look back to her home. She was surprised the city wasn't in much more of a state. She had heard stories that the Empire ravaged nations just to claim them, that fires and smoke signals carried into the sky for days. She was relieved at that, though, its walls most likely hid the terrible actions and behaviour of the enemy soldiers inside.

"Mama...Papa...please stay safe..." She murmured, hugging her staff to her chest. They were strong people, but that meant complying wouldn't come easy to them. Kikiti turned to ask what the next plan of action was, only to see Cleon walking ahead in silence. She watched him for a few moments, before she turned to Reva, and regrettably asking, "Um, is he...going in the right direction?"

 

[Lucyfer]

The melancholy mood was not unexpected, not even to Didymus who had nothing to lose here. A part of him wanted to reassure, to tell them that nothing as bad as they were imagining was happening, but how could he? Cleon was royal – and his bodyguard likely tied with that family tightly. For them, it was likely pretty bad, but for people like Kikiti, the normal people? Not much changed, in handing over of a kingdom to another.

Not in the long run.

He’d found he really didn’t care who sat on the throne, in the end. His day continued as usual. ‘If I told you most of them are going to be okay, would it matter?’ No, and he knew that. Besides, he shouldn’t know, shouldn’t have lived experiences. He didn’t care about any side in this war; he just wanted to come out ahead, to help his parents, and move along.

His gaze drifted from Ucantis to Cleon, Reva, and Kikiti as the little one asked about Cleon’s choice of direction.

“He will,” was how Reva answered, which suggested to Didymus that she would get him turned the right way as they roamed overland.

“Where, uh, are we going, exactly?”

“In the long term, we are heading to Rozari,” Reva answered, “We have allies there,” she fell in step with Cleon, “they will aid us. We are certain they remain opposed to the Empire.”

‘The Empire has felled every kingdom except Rozari, they don’t stand a chance.’ Again, Didymus bit down on making that comment, on reminding them of the strength of the Empire. If Rozari was smart, they’d concede defeat before war was knocking on their doorstep.

“For tonight, we head to the forest,” she pointed one long finger in that direction. It was the very forest that Cleon had gotten lost in, once upon a time. It was large, vast, “There is a river there we may make use of, and many things we can eat there,” she said, glancing at the other two, “we can leave the forest following the river going northeast, and find a small town,” she said, “we may consider how to proceed there, and get cleaned up, and rested, if it is safe.”

Didymus nodded, again resisting the urge to comment that it might not be safe. It could be. A night wasn’t that long. Word may not have spread yet. “We’ll need to keep low profiles. Uh…well…Cleon will.” He wasn’t sure how a viera or lalafell would manage it. “Maybe a new name?”

Wait, why was he helping?

Damn his instincts to help pull off scams and get away with it!

 

[Arcanist]

Kikiti was hoping Reva would come up with that kind of answer. She nodded, though, she wondered how cooperating the prince would actually be. Judging by his silence, he was clearly wanting to be left alone with his thoughts. She supposed she would too, if all she knew came crumbling down around her. She supposed in a sense it did, but for the prince, it was an entirely different story.

The Lalafell-hybrid stumbled along after them as they all fell into step with one another, trying to keep up as she listened to their next step. "Rozari? But that's so far away!" She whined, rubbing her head. "I guess in the long-term is a good way to put it..." From what she heard, it was one of the few kingdoms making a stand against the Empire. Though, for how long, was the million gil question, wasn't it? In the short term, heading into that creepy forest up ahead, and perhaps even staying overnight in it. "An impromptu camping trip in the forest? ...yay?" She tried to feign some enthusiasm, though it was notably obvious it wasn't Kikiti's first choice.

She didn't think it was anyone's first choice. At least they would get to a town hopefully, soon enough, maybe gather themselves before moving forward.

Cleon listened, though, never made much conversation when it came to Reva's conversations with the other two, the plan of action, so on, so forth. His mind had been preoccupied with other thoughts, only coming to with what happened. His mother was dead. His home had been lost. And now, upon Didymus's suggestion of picking a new name, his identity had been lost.

"I...guess. If that's what would be needed..." Cleon murmured. He wasn't thrilled by the suggestion, but it had to be done to protect himself.

"I wonder if we'll have to disguise ourselves," Kikiti mused, quite the important question coming out of her mouth.

Cleon's fingers subconsciously reached to his loose curls, tattier and strewn around him after their excursion through a murky, flithy wasteland that was the sewers. The thought of cutting his locks, just to avoid detection by the Empire...that would truly let them know they had won, that they were breaking him. A Ucantisian cutting their hair - though, not verbally regarded as often, but still an underlying cultural thought - was thought to be associated with great shame. The bigger the cut, the worse the shame. He had even heard stories of enemy warlords cutting off Ucantisian leaders' braids, or completely shaving the heads of prisoners of war. Many of those times were even from their corpses.

Cleon hoped he never had to endure that kind of shame. He had to hope that they would get to Rozari, and perhaps aid them.

~~~

♫​

The forest, deeply familiar to Cleon and Reva (or at least in the sense that Cleon recognised it, rather than knowing its inner pathways), was vast as already noted. No amount of greenery here was spared, though, with vines and moss hanging from parts of the trees, they often cast strange shadows upon the ground, and against other tree trunks. Within the forest, there were plenty of other plants - some mushrooms that were deemed incredibly poisonous, and berries that surprisingly were sweet and safe to eat.

Cleon hadn't remembered much of his time in this forest. Only that he arrived, got lost, and spent the next few days in and out of consciousness, mindlessly wandering. It was a miracle that none of the forest's inhabitants thought to pick him off as fresh meat. The final time he did blackout, he was home, with his mother, and Reva, always his saviour, though hadn't remembered much of his bouts of illness. It was a strange period in his life, not having those memories. He wished he had. Perhaps it would have aided them better here.

They eventually came across the river, to which Kikiti's tired eyes lit up with joy and relief that their journey hadn't been for nought. After making sure the area hadn't any nasty surprises lying in the shadows for them, before they started to gather what few things they had to make some sort of camp. Firewood, stones, what ever edibles they could aquire, and so forth. Kikiti was something of a comfort, with her chattering away at a quieter volume, due to the forest, and Cleon was content to listen. It drowned out the voices of his own thoughts, at the very least.

 

[Lucyfer]

Reva’s ears twitched as they moved through the forest, to the spot with the river. It was true, she could not hear if this forest had a voice. She did not know if it did, or did not, and though cities had dulled her senses, she was still quite familiar with this forest, and with the way to the river. She knew the sounds, and the fiends within, and knew how to avoid their spots, be it hunting spots, resting, or drinking. She found a spot she was certain was secure, and set Kikiti and Didymus to help set it up.

“I can cook, if you can tell me what sort of things to avoid fetching,” Didymus had offered, and Reva gave him instructions on what to avoid, before letting him go off, warning him not to go too far.

She had mentally gone through her own tasks, and how to set watch. While Kikiti was helping to set up the camp, and Didymus went to fetch food, she knew she could handle cleaning their attire, although the awkwardness of that situation was not lost on her. She was old enough to ignore the embarrassment of immodesty, given the situation they were in. None of them would be too welcome in a town reeking of sewers.

They had no changes, of course.

With the fire started, Reva knew she’d soon have what she needed for soap – of a sort. The ashes of the wood would soon allow her to make the wood-ash soap that she was familiar with from the woods, and she began to take off the armor around her arms so that she could gather the ash in that, and then mix it with a bit of water, and a bit of sap, that she could gather on her own, to help give the soap form to use.

They did not have the luxury of even pans, after all.

“Kikiti, please brush aside any ashes and gather them in these, should you notice,” Reva said as she set the armor near the fire, “I can make a soap in a couple of hours from the ashes and a sap that I will gather. I will handle washing clothing,” and she bit her bottom lip a moment, “I know this will not be comfortable, but we cannot go into a town reeking of the sewers. I will not ask you to go ahead and remove what has been tainted, but once I have the soap I will ask. You can join me in cleaning the clothes, if you would prefer.”

She may feel more comfortable hanging out with Reva in her small clothes, rather than the boys.

Speaking of, Didymus did return with an armful of goods and he set them down on the forest floor, surprising Reva by the inclusion of four quatrice, small birds that could occasionally be surprisingly vicious, “I didn’t poison them, I put them to sleep first and then, uh…yeah,” he thought Reva’s startled expression was due to that. “They’re edible, right?”

“Yes,” she answered, a certain wariness in her tone, reminding her there was still much to question about Didymus.

“I found some berries –”

“These are not ripe.”

“I know, the ripe ones were too sweet, these tart ones will go better with the birds in a spread.”

Reva’s brows knit together, “We are on the run.”

“We can still eat good! Quatrices and a tart spread, with some of these wilnuts in a mash, will be good, I promise. I couldn’t find anything to season the quatrices with, but…,” he shrugged, “I’m sure they’ll still be good.”

 

[Arcanist]

With Didymus offering to cook, Reva instructing on what he should gather, and Cleon keeping watch, Kikiti was happy to help set up camp. Though, she figured the latter, Cleon, was more keeping himself to his own thoughts than keeping watch for any shadowy creatures, as helpful as that might have been for them. She had managed to gather up enough twigs and other flammables resources to create a fire, and thanked her father for stocking that handy book on camping essentials in his shop. She only wished she had read something in there that prepared her for being on the run...

She was brought out of such thoughts by Reva, who requested that she aside any ashes for her to make some soap. True, they still had to wash their clothes, and themselves. She thought she had become used to the stench, though, the reminder by Reva had made her eyes water once again. Mentioning the discomfort of having to discard their ruined clothes as to wash them, and no doubt with men present, she did cast a look back to Cleon, and Didymus, who was somewhere off the distance, she assumed. So good at disappearing...

But Kikiti looked back to Reva, and smiled and nodded, as if there wasn't much of a problem there. "Thank you, Reva. I'd be happy to join you and help with that. I'll make sure to gather up any ashes for later."

Of course, Didymus had come back with their meal for the evening it seemed; four small birds. Apparently he had no trouble in putting them to sleep and grabbing them. She walked over to the birds, staring at them as the man and the Viera were having a conversation over dinner, including seasoning, spreads, walnut mash...Kikiti looked to Didymus. "You sure know a lot about cooking," she commented, perhaps sounded a tad too surprised. She had every right to...considering the man looked like an impoverished boy.

The next thing, a deep, growling sounded. Kikiti looked down at her stomach with a frown and a huff. "Now look what you've done," Kikiti murmured, patting her belly. "You made me all hungry just talking about food..." She whined. In all fairness, she was meant to have something to eat earlier...but being left in charge of the shop meant she couldn't just take a lunch break. Couldn't even eat on the job! Talk about cruelty.

As the three discussed food, as appetising as it sounded, Cleon couldn't find it in him to want to eat. At least, for the moment. He had been busy trying to distract himself by actually keeping an eye out for anything lurking in the woods, though, was failing desperately at it with his mind being plauged by other thoughts. Surprisingly, though, he had been thinking about his time here before. He wondered if he was near the spot where he had been found by Reva. The boy was smart enough, or dumb enough in his dehydrated and starving shape, to crawl into a hole in the ground, to keep himself away from monsters and predators. Apparently his groaning and incoherrent muttering was enough for him to be found, not that he could remember making any sort of sound.

 

[Lucyfer]

“Yeah, I learned to cook back home,” Didymus hedged a bit, knowing it was a surprise, but when you were poor, you learned to make due with what you had or you suffered bland food. Didymus did not want bland food. He wanted tasty, delicious food, and so he had learned how to put such things together.

Admittedly, it was going to be a bit hard to do so, but at least he kept a few supplies in his pack, and this included a wooden board, a pestle, and mortar, which was more often used for making bombs, but worked for food as well. “Don’t worry, it’ll be good, Kikiti,” he said to her complaints of now feeling hungry, as he took a seat and set out his equipment to get to work.

Reva arched a brow, “Where is it you are from?”

‘The best lies….’

The best lies were mere omissions. “Escander,” he answered truthfully. He knew he was already going to be judged, so he was prepared for that. He’d figured out how to go about things as he set the nuts and berries into the mortar to begin to mush them together; he’d collect some water in a bit to help make it so it wasn’t terribly dry, if the berries didn’t offer enough.

“And what were you doing in Ucantis?” Reva asked, finding he was still all the more suspicious.

“Don’t get mad.” Didymus didn’t look up as he asked that, focusing on his work.

“I make no such promises.”

Didymus winced, but answered, that omitted truth, “I heard when the Empire was going to attack, and I kind of…hoped I could…steal something from the palace.” Of course, ‘something’ was a person in this case, but he figured that vagueness of it would hint that he’d just been looking for something valuable, any old thing, that could be taken in the chaos and profited on.

Reva was mad, of course, though she bit down on that anger a moment in her frustration, as she tried to sort her thoughts. She shouldn’t be surprised by human greed, really, and he seemed to have skills relative to a thief, and tools of all sorts that would make such a job useful. “Do you do this to the Empire, too?” She couldn’t help but asked.

“Yeah,” well…that wasn’t a lie.

That was how he was in this mess. He could hear Reva’s anger, “I know it’s not right, but not all of us are so fortunate as you, especially not me, and I’m helping now, okay? I don’t feel good about being a thief!”

That was only half-true. Most of the time he felt vindictive pleasure over it.

 

[Arcanist]

Kikiti puffed out her cheeks before she replied, "I hope so..." Otherwise, no doubt, she would be starving and dreaming of good food for the rest of the night. She turned, going back to stoke the campfire, and with any ashes that had started to fall, made sure to push them off to one side - though, not with her hands, of course. She wasn't that silly. At least, not anymore.

The Lalafell listened to Reva's questioning and Didymus's answers, stoking the fire and watching its ashes fall to the ground like greying snowflakes. Her ears wiggled at the name of his home. Escander? What on Hyune is he doing all the way out in Ucantis? She thought with a frown. Perhaps sightseeing? Oh, a typical tourist! Somehow, Kikiti had questioned that was ever the case.

It wasn't long until the reason for Didymus's journey so far out had been revealed. "Heard the Empire was going to attack?" She asked with furrowed eyebrows, confused as to why the man wouldn't have just warned someone, or would even come close to the place if he had known that.

Cleon, of course, had picked up on this, like a typical eavesdropper with veering off to the side like he had. Though, rather than focus on his job as a thief, or that he had planned to plunder from the palace, and had done so to the Empire on occassion, all he could focus on was how he had the knowledge the Empire would attack. Unable to bite his tongue like Reva, he turned, marching a short distance back to their camp.

"You knew about this? You knew they were going to invade?!" Cleon shouted, looking liable to get closer to Didymus and give him a piece of his mind. He hadn't thought to step closer though, not with Kikiti on her feet and approaching them, as if ready to jump in between the two of them should things get rough and ready. But he continued in his tirade, nonetheless. "Was that something you felt good about? Taking advantage of a situation like that?!"

Kikiti then stepped forward. "Oh, Cleon -- can I call you that?" Kikiti quickly added before shaqking her head. "Ah, forget it, I can't say 'Your Princeliness' all the time. Please, keep your voice down! You're going to attract the Twelve knows what around here!"

Cleon, caught in the moment as he could be, turned to Kikiti with an almost hurt expression. "Kikiti, this was your home, our home! Why aren't you more angry about this?" He looked back to Didymus with contempt. "If anything, he's just proving that he's no better than--"

"Ah-ah!" Kikiti snapped her fingers and tried to stop Cleon before he went any further. "Don't say anything you might regret!" Of course, this was surprising to Cleon, who stared at her with a stunned expression, mainly because no one had snapped his fingers at him before. Plus, it was Kikiti of all people who had done it. "Of course I'm peeved off at this. Why didn't we know this beforehand? But think about it, Cleon. Who would he have told? Would it have made any difference if he did tell someone?"

"Of course it would have!" Cleon snapped, the further outburst coming as a surprise to the Lalafell who almost jolted backwards. "Better than waiting there like nesting chocobos! Maybe things would be different! Maybe...!" He started trailing off, realising he had been losing his composure and the run of his emotions. He didn't want to say anything further he should have. No one here knew what happened, after all. He and Reva weren't even sure if his mother was dead or not. He turned, took a few steps away from them.

Kikiti stood in silence, clasping her hands together while she looked at the other two for a reaction. He tested the waters, took a step forward, and she ventured, "I'm upset too, about all of this. I want to be back home with my parents, and I guess you want to be home too. But it's done, and what's happened is horrible, but...all we can do is hope now, right? It's about all we have..."