Fantasy Howl's Flying Castle (Finished! ---Whoo! (*＾▽＾)／)

[Katsuya]

-At Brandywine Falls-
​

Echo giggled when he called her father 'beautiful'. "Yes...she really was." There's one photo of her mother and it's always by the fireplace at her home. To the fawn, she looked really warm to be with.


"Hmm?...Well...There's something that I noticed and I'm sure Ren has noticed too, but...I'm not sure." Echo wasn't blind; she remembered the weird attitude the two had on the night before leaving the castle and the day after. Renee being quiet and Seifer not teasing her for it. It was strange because there were many opportunities and yet....he didn't and there's the panda eyes he was sporting...It was like he was waiting for her to react to him that day...


Echo told him the truth about Renee's feelings towards Seifer, his rejection and how the two acted unlike them afterwards. She believed that was the main reason for her behavior ever since Renee talked about it before. There were moments where she thought she might be over-thinking this but...


"That's the injury I was talking about: her heart. You must not tell James and Seth. Knowing Ren, she doesn't want to cause any trouble...What I want to know is will a guy like Rathmore care in his own way? He is crafty, so I wouldn't be surprised that he somehow hidden how he really feels everyday with that smug attitude of his." She looked at Johnny with a small and worried frown.


"I mean haven't you noticed? He willingly picks on Ren without negative provocation from her, but with anyone else, he wouldn't do that unless it was with bad intentions..."

***
​

Renee took her time changing into her dry clothes, hidden behind a large rock pillar. Her orange button shirt is tucked in her black pants loosely and leaving the two top buttons unbuttoned. She opt to go barefooted since her boots were wet and needed to dry, same goes for James' summoning book. 'He's going to kill me for that one...' She thought, sighing in relief that she's finally warm and not wet.


As she walked back to camp by that afternoon, the Pendragon sister looked in her bag to check on her things. Then soon she panicked as she couldn't find the love potion, no matter how hard she looked-!


"What-?! But-! Wait...Maybe it's back at the lake? Yea, that must be it." With that in mind, Renee dashed back at camp, dropping her bag next to Lydia at the process as she quickly kneel by the lake, trying to see any pink color underwater. Her face looking frantic as she turned to James who's training his Manta ray...who's trying to eat his clothes...Not going to question it.


"James, have you seen the pink love potion anywhere? I can't find in my bag." She asked as calmly as she could, biting her bottom lip in worry. It would be bad if someone took it especially if it's....him of all people....


@Zer0 @Roleplay Skittle

 

[Zer0]

​

One Day: Valentines Schmalentines
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" The Valentines of James Pendragon "
​

While walking in the park of Kingsbury with his date around his arm, James girlfriend pointed at a tree where a couple's initial's and a heart was carved on the wood, saying, "Aww, isn't that cute? I find old classy ways to show your love to someone very sweet, don't you?"



"No, I just think it's crazy how many people bring knives on a date." said James, shaking his head.

 
​

***
​

~The Valentines of Johnny Caprice ~
​

" A Day Before "
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"Erm, y-you wanted to borrow my books?" stuttered Johnny to a girl who had called him out during lunch break. They were now at the back of the greenhouses, Johnny's feet pointing away from her and looking nervous from behind his blue hat.


"Oh, come now, Johnny wonny, I've seen how you keep looking at me from across the classroom." she blushed, fluttering her eye lashes.


"Ex-cuse me?" said Johnny confused, he had been looking beyond her at the sky through the window.


She giggled. "Playing hard to get, eh? Alright, then I'll spell it out for you." She skipped closer, while he backed away to a wall. "Do you have a date for Valentines?"


"Erm . . . yes, February the fourteenth."

 
​

***
​

 
​

~ The Valentines of Seifer Rathmore ~
​

"Hello, mother. Happy Valentines." said Seifer, pecking Mrs. Rathmore on the cheek. It was now night time, and he had just entered the music room of their mansion where his mother was arranging flowers.


"Seifer, dear, why so home early? Did your date with the duke's daughter not go well?"


"Oh, she was a bore, mum. It's like I was dating a mindless golem. " he said, loosening the formal high collar around his neck that he had been forced to wear on the date. Every year it was the same. He got the same cards with the same proclamations of love. But Seifer knew perfectly well what his admirers felt for him --- childish infatuation, idolization, or money grubbing cheapness, nothing more. Not 'love' like all the cards claimed. "Sometimes I wish I was my own valentine, no one else is good enough for me."


But in truth, she wasn't a bore. He just wanted to come home early since he had just learned that his father had been out the whole day on some business and his mother had been alone all this time, except for lunch when she went around town with her 'single' friends.


Seifer picked up a flower and began arranging some.


"Why are you arranging flowers?" asked Mrs. Rathmore.


"I'm bored."


"Mmm, no, you don't like arranging flowers. What's the matter, dear?"


"I want to spend time with you. Mum, let's go to the opera house."


"But Chan and Harrast are playing, and you don't like their music."


"No, but you do, mum." For the first time that day Seifer neither smirked nor sneered, but smiled showing his dimples as his mother gave him a happy smile and kissed his forehead.

OOC || Characters || Interest Check
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OOC: Couldn't help myself after reading some Valentines jokes.
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[Zer0]

- Johnny Caprice -
​

" Down River "
​

Johnny was in disbelief. Renee. likes. Seifer? It was like good falling in love with evil. What did she see in him? He could not fathom it and he felt annoyed that Renee was clinging on to feelings of hope for him who is only hurting her.


"I won't tell," promised Johnny, "but, Echo, I don't think Rathmore is capable of caring for anyone except himself when it comes right down to it. Though there were his mates, whom he bullied us for, so I guess he can care . . . " he looked at the waters in thought.


"But even then, I think he's pushing her away. If you ask me, I think Renee's trying to force it. She should just drop her feelings and move on, save herself some pain. Renee won't be happy with a nasty wanker like that."



　

 
​

- James Pendragon -
​

" Brandywine Falls "
​

"No, did you leave it in your tent?" said James, feeding Callie a shirt button.


He helped her look, even using his ethereal ray's echo locating ability after bribing the summon with some tasty shorts, but the potion wasn't there. Neither at the top of the falls where Seth began diving to look for it and hiking up river, and neither down for as far as a mile through Sasha's eyes. It had probably been washed away.


"Lydia, have you seen a pink potion wash down the river?" asked James.


@Katsuya@Roleplay Skittle

 

[Roleplay Skittle]

-Brandywine Falls-
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​

She was knocked from her musings on the dietary habits of summoned creatures when Renee frantically dashed by her and dropped the bag beside the studious witch. Lydia's gaze quickly shifted to the female Pendragon and her brow furrowed as she removed her glasses. She had started to rise from her seat when James questioned her about the potion, she responded by shaking her head, the magic tome set beside her as she stood and looked to Renee, "you had it with you when you fell?"


Lydia could only surmise that she was certain she did have it before the fall since she was looking in the water and Lydia joined them both, "I didn't see it... we could ask Seifer... but he was unconscious..." she gave a half-hearted shrug of her shoulders and pondered whether or not he would have thought to snatch the potion given the circumstances at the time and if maybe his loss of consciousness was all a ruse.


@Zer0 @Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

-Brandywine Falls-
​

Echo hummed, considering his opinion. "True...it would be better if she did drop her feelings for him..." Seifer is a brat, that's for sure...but...something's nagging in the back of her brain.


"See, that's thing though. If Ren was forcing her feelings on him, she would've used the love potion on him by now, don't you think? But she didn't... She only carries it around so Rathmore doesn't grab for it." Echo retorted back, her eyebrow raised as she thought more on this...Alright, so he's pushing her away...why? It could be that he has no feelings towards her, fair enough, but still...hmm...


"She told me that she was planning on selling it in the village we're about to visit, hoping to get money for it or to get a trade with something." Echo explained, tilting her head a bit as she kept thinking...


This is too confusing! Why him, of all people!! Even she wants to know, but it seems Renee doesn't want to explain that either....not now anyways.

***
​

"I always carried it with me in my bag. I really wanted to sell that to a potion vendor or trade it for something." Renee told James and Lydia, now frowning sadly. All that hard work of watching over it for nothing...Bloody trolls....


She really did hope that it was washed away. It's better if it did...'Maybe now Rathmore could stop testing my boundaries by stealing it.' Renee thought tiredly, somehow glad that it's off her shoulders and can relax a bit more. Love potions, in her opinion, is the worst thing to have and to use because it can cause major trouble for both parties, so with it washed away, she didn't worry about it anymore.


Then she snorted in a bit disbelief when Lydia suggested to ask Seifer about it. "If he did have it, I doubt he would say it....He did want to steal that from me after all..."


@Zer0 @Roleplay Skittle

 

[Zer0]

- Johnny Caprice -
​

" Down River "
​

"Love potions are scary." shuddered Johnny. "Imagine, loving someone you don't really love. Being forced to do things." he shuddered again. "Echo, do you want Renee to be with Rathmore?"

- James Pendragon -
​

" Brandywine Falls "
​

"Let's check his bag just to make sure." said James. He called Seth and the younger Pendragon was more than happy to rummage around Seifer's things. But he too came up empty handed.


"Nothing in there but hair care products, clothes, and a very weak anti-thief charm." said Seth. "You know, I think Seifer stole some of dad's potions from the bathroom. That Moniser Gauche's Hair Growing Cream looked mighty familiar."


@Katsuya@Roleplay Skittle

 

[Roleplay Skittle]

-Brandywine Falls-
​

 
​

She nodded somewhat absently, the corner of her mouth twitching a moment as she thought of how incredulous Seifer would act if they did ask him about the potion. He'd probably just end up making himself look guilty whether he took it or not because of how he would likely over exaggerate how insulted he felt at basically being accused. She nodded her agreement with James when he suggested searching the bag, not really considering the fact that Seifer disappeared since it was likely to escape the ire aimed at him while he was present.


Lydia tilted her head to the side slightly as Seth mentioned what was in the bag, considering how that basically points out that he's an established thief, though she didn't expand on the idea out loud. Of course that thought was put to rest when Renee interjected with her laughter which allowed her to actually think about what the items were and to once again thoughtfully question why Renee could possibly like him. She scoffed slightly and crossed her arms over her chest, "you should have let him be bald. Maybe depression would have made him meeker."


@Zer0 @Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

-At Brandywine Falls-
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"To be honest I don't. He's a jerk who has an ego the size of this planet and the next...but she's my friend. I want to help her and if that means figuring out Seifer's true motives then...so be it." Echo frowned in determination, her mind is made up.


"I won't ask you to help me with this. I only wanted to know in your point of view about this, that way if she ever asks me about him then I'll tell her the truth...my version of the truth anyways."

***
​

Renee tried to hold back her laughter, really, she did, but she couldn't. She clutched onto her stomach as she shook her head, laughing in amusement. He carried that around with him? Oh Merlin that's really funny. First the beauty mask and now this...For someone who apparently hates her, he definitely love the products she gave to him. "No, he didn't steal those. I gave them to him." Before her brothers could say anything, the Pendragon sister raised an eyebrow at them like she was daring them to try and argue with her.


"He looked so sad when he found out about his bald spot that I went looking for that and gave it to him." Then she shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "At least someone will use these...unless the two of you wanted it before?" She looked at them guiltily, like she didn't think about how they felt and felt terrible at the thought. "I'm sorry...I didn't know..."


Then she turned to Lydia and shrugged again, still smiling. "Perhaps...or he would've been more of an brat then he already was. I didn't want to risk that."


@Zer0 @Roleplay Skittle

 

[Zer0]

Episode 5: Rumors and Shadows


- Village of Binks -
" Farthing Plains, Three days Later "
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"Alright," said Johnny, "thanks for sharing." he added rubbing soothing circles around Echo's shoulder. From now on he was going to secretly watch Seifer and Renee too, to take care of her and take care of the group. Dalaran was still a long ways off, and it would be bad if this animosity with Seifer would grow bigger. He was the vengeful type after all who seemed to always pay whoever messes with him back cunningly, if his reputation in school was something to base on.


"Shall we head back?" said Johnny after a while. "I'm making barbeque."

***
​

James and Seth weren't going to use the hair products, but it just bothered them that their dad's things were in the hands of that guy. They didn't argue after seeing Renee's face though.


Seifer came back that night carrying a large fish in a rope bag. It was the same silver tailed fish that smacked his face and he cooked it in his own campfire, though he had burned it in most places again and insisted that he did it on purpose and that it was delicious.

***​

The next day, he led the group down the trail and was acting as normal as ever, though he did not start conversations with anyone except Madam Curie, or Princess Mia who was very neutral and civil about the whole thing.


At mid-day they reached the Farthing Plains and beheld a steppe grassland without trees apart from those near rivers. Short, stubby green grass grew amongst brambles and blooming forbs that covered the rocky hills that rolled away to the south east. It was all land as far as the eye can see, except for the forests of the Misty Mountains that were now behind them.


Every time they camped by a river, James continued to train Callie who now knew basic commands. He ran out of clothes to feed her on the second day, which made her feel sad and eat his boots without his notice, socks included. He now had to borrow someone else's or else wrap his feet in cloth as he walked beside his horse. With his training with the ethereal manta ray on hold, James took to studying near Lydia and practicing a new shielding charm that slowed arrows and other projectiles that came within fifteen feet of him until he could catch them.


Seth had told Renee that they were battle partners now, and that Lydia is paired up with Seifer. He was very excited that they were close to a village as he's been hungry for a newspaper that may have a message from Sen and Minnie. On his spare time, he'd practice his skill with the throwing knives, or else pull random pranks at people, the latest being secretly mixing deodorant in Seifer's soup, and painting fake eyes on Lydia's eye lids while she was sleeping, so that whenever she closed her eyes, the fake ones would be seen.


On the first day since they left the mountains, Johnny successfully summoned a new war beast, a tier three water elemental from the realm of Niflheim called an "Abominable Snowman". It was a frost giant as big as an ogre made of ice crystals and compact snow. It had a very big mouth on its stomach and small glowing yellow eyes. He had a hard time trying to make friends with it as it seemed to not be interested in doing anything except grunting and breathing --- though Johnny was sure it didn't need to. On the third day he managed to make it look down at him when he lit a match in front of it.


On the third day the Village of Binks came into view. It was night time when the group arrived and it was a relief when they booked rooms in a local inn that had a stable, warm showers, soft feather beds, and stove cooked meals. Seth signed them all up using fake names, lying smoothly to the inn owner that they were locals from Pokeshire, travelling to visit relatives in the next town.


The owner seemed to buy it, but was very interested in Renee's and Seifer's hair, saying that he's never seen white hair around these parts before. "I almost thought you were the missing princess!" he laughed at Renee. "You lot seem a tad wee young to be travelling without yer parents. School age by the looks of all of yeh, except for yee, mum, your quite the beauty." he winked at Madam Curie who looked awkward that a commoner was talking to her this way.


@Katsuya@Roleplay Skittle

 

[Katsuya]

-Arriving at Village of Binks-
​

"Yea, we should head back." Echo agreed, smiling warmly at Johnny and kissing his cheek again, relieved to have someone like him around. "Thank you for listening."

***
​

As the group traveled in the Farthing plains, Renee continued training about how to calm her soul down first and kept trying to summon something. There were moments that she'd even ask James and Johnny if they can watch over her in case something terrible happens, not wanting to repeat the warbeast incident. She was a bit shocked that Seth is her battle partner now, but she wasn't going to argue. If James believed it was for the best, then it was for the best. Besides...she's trying to numb her affections towards the archer, knowing that it would help in the long run. It's just really hard to do though...


She practiced with her archery, shooting arrows at the makeshift targets Seth made for her which are the shrubs and someone's bag. She's even trying to remember how to change in the feral form like before, but that's difficult too since it happened with a lot of negative emotions and she felt drained afterwards...


Echo and Serena now entertained everyone each night with Lydia whenever she joins in, same with Renee (once she stops mumbling at first). Echo preferred to walk this time, now wondering if there's a weapon she use and armor that can fit her reindeer-like legs. The ones from the orge's cave didn't fit on her, either too small or too large and there were for humans, not satyrs and fawns. Maybe in the town that's coming up, she will be able to find some? In the meanwhile, she trained with Johnny and Renee, using her strength and earth spells to either catch them or make them freeze in their spot.


When she first heard what happened at the Falls, Echo could only sigh and face-palmed at Seifer's ungrateful response. What. In. The. World?! The fawn was tempted to smack him with a branch like the baseball players would hit the baseball in the sport radio station sometimes.


Serena practiced with her summons, now working together as a team instead. She absolutely loves the fact that James and Johnny let out their summons at times and thought maybe she should do the same. It helped some, now Foo can attack while bouncing on her Springen spell, making her air-borne. The violinist even knows what her favorite thing to do is which is dancing around and giggling for no reason. Quirky summons for a quirky summoner she suppose. She wondered if she should practice some fire-based spells and ice-based spells once they reached the village since she has no idea which one to learn yet. Though she did laugh when she saw Seth drawing on poor Lydia, covering her mouth so she didn't alarm the novice witch when she woke up.


When they reached the village and innkeeper mentioned how similar she looked like to Mia, Renee laughed, cupping her rosy cheeks. "Oh! I do get that a lot, my good sir! I'm really happy that I have the same hair color as the princess. She's such a great role model, don't you think so?" She replied back, not minding that the princess is right next to her as she said this. It was the honest truth and she's not ashamed for saying it. That and it's best to draw attention away from the idea that she's the princess by acting like she was a fan-girl of hers.


"Well anyways, thank you for letting us stay here, Sir." Renee smiled warmly at the owner, trying her best to draw his attention away from Madam Curie. It's obvious that she was uncomfortable with him hitting on her.


Once they were in their rooms, Renee sighed in relief. The girls of the group shared rooms while the guys shared theirs. The Pendragon sister fell on her bed and snuggling in her pillow, nearby the window, and mumbling about how she missed beds that are not aren't rocks.


Echo giggled from her friend's love for the fluffy bed, sitting on the bed next to hers and Serena's. "Well at least we have a night in real beds, which is heaven."


Serena nodded in agreement. "Yea...What about you, Lydia? Mia? Latifa? Madam Curie? Happy that we're in a hotel instead of being outside?" She looked over the other women in the group, smiling a bit as she can finally relax her achy feet and sat on the small couch that was nearby.


@Zer0 @Roleplay Skittle

 

[Roleplay Skittle]

-Village of Binks-
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Lydia supposed Renee had a point. It was likely that Seifer would have gotten stuck in a five stages of grief loop and primarily stick with his own particular brand of anger but she didn't muse on that idea long before she went back to work on opening her tome, or at the very least beginning attempts at retying shoelaces.

****
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The novice witch had grown relatively accustomed to James studying near her and kept to her own studies with as much intent as ever, she had the feeling that she was relatively close to opening the tome and that made it ever more difficult to pry her away from her ideas. Eventually, she was finally able to achieve her goal and cracked the seal on the tome. She was so ecstatic that she couldn't even open the book before she began running around showing everyone that she had opened it, primarily James and Seth, because one was part of the reason she was able to open the book in the first place and the other because he would likely have just as much interest as she. 


Once she found out he had done it, Lydia took to Seth's eyelid prank with a good humor, even going so far as to extend the eyelashes on the eyes and mentioning how at least now whenever Seifer was talking she could pretend she was listening. Of course this was all done while she mentally plotted her revenge which would later manifest itself in the form of filling a sleeping Seth's hand with whipped cream and tickling his nose with a feather.


Due to his very vocal descent from the Brandywine Falls, Lydia had taken to calling Seifer Chicken Boy behind his back, turning his own name for Renee back on him, though he had yet to say anything to her to make her mad so he may or may not have accidentally heard the name whenever Lydia mentioned him.


Lydia was all too happy to participate in the evening entertainment that her fellow ladies provided to the gents. It was nice to have friends that didn't have some sort of ulterior motives or obligations that brought them into Lydia's presence. If she wanted to be around fake people, she'd be better off reading a storybook and outside of Seifer and Madam Curie, she felt that everyone there was relatively genuine. Outside of the genuine warmth and camaraderie that she got from listening to Serena's violin as she sang along with the other girls, she was also gaining a better grasp on lyrics from learning the new songs. That was likely part of what helped her to open the sealed tome, finally piecing together words that she could focus her power into in order to cast.


When Lydia wasn't entertaining, pranking, or studying, she was still practicing away with the mace she had gotten from Seth. She had managed to perfect a particular swing that she had studied in the melee combat book she had brought from the castle. Of course whether or not it would be successful in battle relied heavily upon whether or not she would be able to aim precisely enough, but something was better than nothing and she felt proud that she had even begun to feel less sore, tired, and out of breath after she had finished practicing. it seemed that swinging a heavy weapon around was good for stamina.

****
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​

Once they were safely to Binks and had already gotten their rooms, Lydia immediately drew out paper and pen and set to work writing a letter for her mother. She had so much practice writing that her letters were beautiful in design, her swift strikes at the page appearing to have been slowly drawn as the ink stretched languidly along the page forming loops and curves when it was necessary, making her writing look more like artwork rather than written word.


Lydia smiled to the other girls before gently blowing on the ink, helping to speed the process of it drying and then offering her response, which was slow to come as she glanced thoughtfully at the ceiling before laughing slightly, "honestly... I can't remember the last time I had a really decent rest... I feel like I've been going non-stop," which was in part true. She had a slight break when she finally was able to make it back to the castle, and while she did sleep some during their journey, she still spent much of her time trying to improve herself in one way or another. She didn't really know to what end she did these things, or outside of her adventure with these spectacularly unique and pleasant individuals, how anything she learned would effect her future, but at least for now, everything had meaning. Her doll-like cheeks plumped as she smiled warmly to her own musings.


@Zer0 @Katsuya

 

[Zer0]

​

- Inn -
​

" Binks Village Outskirts, Night Time "
​

Princess Mia hugged her pillow. She had taken a warm bath and was now in her night dress after days of sleeping in her traveler's clothes. "Yes, Serena. Oh how I've missed beds!"


"Hotel?" huffed Madam Curie, pointing her wand at her bed and casting some sort of spell that seemed to be an aggressive de-lousing and cleaning charm. "This is worse than even my servant's quarters." she said, wearing a look as though something smelly was under her nose.


Latifa was in the adjacent bathroom washing their dirty clothes, "Honey, after all that rain and fog, I am just happeh to be properly dry again."


Tomorrow, the plan was to ask around town if the road to the trading city of Holt where they could board a flying ship to Dalaran was safe. There were rumors floating around the pub and dining hall of inn that strange monsters have appeared on the road. Monsters of shadow. If it was safe, the group was to just stay in the village for a day, send all the letters they wish to send, do all the shopping they wish to do, before going back on the road which will be another three days on horse back before they reach the trading city.


Downstairs, there was a newspaper being read by the barman and some of the locals in the pub, and the talk seemed to be all about it:

 
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" Dark Fleet Makes Landfall in the Jahara Empire"
​

"Four days ago, following the defeat of the Eidolon Naval Fleet and the capture of Colonel Musgrave, the black dragon's fleet have made land fall on the coastal desert of Sonoran, the easternmost boundary of the Jahara Empire. They have ravaged the coastal villages and captured the fortress city of Kalim.

Trade has stopped along the great Anu' hotep River and thousands are on an exodus to the northern lands of the jewel-hearted elves. The Jahara Empire have ever been at war with the elves for the rights of the felling of lumber and mining of ragnite, a precious ore used in the making of high quality manna potions, but have signed a peace treaty with the elven queen, Talathiel, in exchange for passage through their lands.

"We believe the goal of the black dragon's army is the manna tree in the elven capital." said Marshall Hakim in a speech to the faction leaders of the Jahara Empire, encouraging them to lay aside their old quarrel with the elves. "Long have we quarreled with the elves for lumber and ragnite, but now no more! Today we stand on the brink of destruction. Bound together in this land, either we cast aside our old wars and unite, or stay divided and fall."

In a stunning declaration by the sultan, the jewel hearted elves and the Jahara empire have now formed an alliance against the Black Dragon army . . . "

In another older newspaper. . .
​

". . . there has been growing civil unrest since the assassination of the King in Kingsbury and the disappearance of Princess Mia as the dukes of the realm vie for the throne. In an attempt to assuage the growing political turmoil, the Duke of Marchester has been assigned the steward of the throne until Princess Mia of the house of Montegue is found.


The duke has wasted no time in quelling the growing rebellion of the dukes by declaring today a monthly tribute of eight hundred thousand gold. The dukes who could not come up with the money would be stripped of their title, lands, and imprisoned. Those who resisted would be put under the sword . . .


. . . meanwhile the search for the princess continues. She was last seen in the company of the Kingsbury Champion James Pendragon, his sister Renee Pendragon, Seifer Rathmore the son of the governor of Trax, Echo Muses, and Johnny Caprice, all students of the Sorcerer's Academy in Kingsbury who are also missing. There is now a ten thousand gold reward for anyone who could give any information about their whereabouts . . . "


Above this caption was a picture of the five from the King's Party: James with his hair combed back and not messy like it naturally was, Seifer looking like Seifer as always, Renee with her short white hair and wings behind her head, Echo with her antlers, and Johnny in his colorful ensemble.


Seth would be here downstairs reading the same newspaper too, scanning the private columns for any message from Sen and Minnie. And he gave a cry of joy that startled some of the nearby patrons who have been sporting nothing but downcast or angry looks because of the black army news. There was a message from his brother, and he quickly grabbed a napkin and quill, then began copying what seemed to be a drawing of a spell circle.


Meanwhile, a couple of rough people entered the inn. Seating themselves by the corner and looking around, they seemed to be looking for someone and engaged one of the maids, showing her a missing person poster with the face of Seifer that had a thousand gold reward caption on top of his head.


@Katsuya@Roleplay Skittle

 

[Katsuya]

-Echo Muses-
​

Renee hummed in agreement with Latifa and Mia, smiling in bliss as she borrows under the covers only to pout when Serena reminded her to shower first before going to sleep. "I just got into bed...-sighs- Fine..." She groaned, causing Serena and Echo to laugh a bit. As she starts looking for her PJs, Echo stood up and walked over to the door, grinning a bit. "I'm going to check on the horses, want to make sure that they are comfortable."


"Be sure to bring a newspaper if you can? Please?" Renee asked, her head popping up from beside her bed. Her bag where the clothes are packed were dropped on the floor when she flopped on the fluffy fluffy bed. She wanted to know what's going on now after escaping Kingsbury.


"Sure...I'll be back." The fawn left and walked downstairs to where she had to pass the bar, hearing what's going on as she grabbed the newspaper, paying for it in the process. She tucked the paper in the back pocket of her caprice pants as she passed by the group of men that were sitting in the corner. Echo noticed that they were looking for someone and asked the maid that works here...about...


The fawn looked away before the men noticed her presence and walked out of the inn and into the stables where she can hear the horses neighing faintly. Echo checked on each one as her mind swirled in panic. Those men were looking for Seifer and with a bounty...'I guess his parents are looking for him.' She thought, brushing on Splatter's coat with a bushy brush.


After checking on the horses, Echo went back inside the inn and went upstairs, seemingly calm. Once she was safe in the room however, is when her dyed legs started to shake a bit. "Here's the newspaper. I'm going to go warn the guys..." Then she left again, but a bit frantic.


She knocked on the guys' door quietly. "Guys?Johnny?Something's up.Can I come in?" Echo might have sounded quiet like how she usually sounds, but with how quickly she talked it's obvious to anyone who knows her personally that she's nervous and flustered. "Ican'ttalkaboutitouthere." (OOC: I can't talk about it out here. XD)

***
​

 
​

Serena raised an eyebrow when Echo practically shoved the newspaper in her hands, crinkling it in the process and left quickly.


"Hmm...that's odd of Echo. Well anyways, here Mia. I'm sure you'd like to read this." The violinist passed the paper to the princess and then she looked for her own PJs, planning to shower after Renee who showered quickly.


When the white-haired Pendragon came out with a towel on her head, she noticed the paper and grinned. Walking up to Mia, she hopped on her bed, making it bounce a bit.


"So, what does it say? Anything about the generals or Ken-chan? The king?" Renee asked, worried and excited at the same time. She hopes that the king and generals were okay, especially General Leo, Musgrave, and Ken-chan.


@Zer0 @Roleplay Skittle

 

[Roleplay Skittle]

-Inn-
​

 
​

When the ink in her letter was dry, Lydia folded it neatly and sealed it in an envelope before penning her address on it and nothing else. Her letters were nothing if not subtle. She didn't allude to anything more serious than letting her mother know she was fine and what she had learned during her time with the Pendragons. Deniability was pertinent as far as she was concerned, and while she was in danger, at least her mother would have the proof that she had nothing to do with it.


Of course Lydia was not yet being sought as no one knew who she was or that she was travelling with the others so this gave her a little more safety when venturing out. She didn't take the time to shower and change just yet as she wished to get her letter mailed post haste. She left the room shortly after Echo and made her way back to the front counter to leave her letter there and request that it be sent out with the morning post, giving the owner some of the small stash she kept just for sending letters. Once that was taken care of, she went back towards the bar, walking over to Seth curiously and looking over what he was drawing. She had seen Echo leave and watched her return, not thinking anything of it for the time being as she hadn't seen the same sight as the fawn, she returned her attention to Seth, not speaking as he was drawing and determining through observation that he had received news of sorts.


@Zer0 @Katsuya

 

[Zer0]

- Seth Pendragon -
​

" Pub, 1st Floor, Inn "
​

Seth whirled around dramatically into a karate-chop pose as was his wont since Lydia pranked him back. Her whip-cream-hand-feather-to-the-nose was a good one, and he's been on his guard and pulling pranks back at her ever since, the latest of which involving jumping out at her in the dark with a sock over his face so that he was faceless.


Seeing her gazing his drawing he relaxed. "Oh, you're only looking. It's a message from my twin, you remember Sen?"


Sen and Seth were inseparable brothers, doing everything together, finishing the other's sentences and even mirroring each other's movements perfectly as they spoke together. Lydia had been told that he had been left behind in Kingsbury when bloodied soldiers, James suspected were corpses being controlled by the assassin that killed the king, came knocking at the door of House 44 and he ordered Calcifer to cut the portal link to that place permanently.


Seth was looking at an ad on the paper from the Cool Beans Guild. There were two posing guild members, each sporting blue tattoos that in close inspection had miniscule arcane symbols written so artfully on the drawing that they looked like part of the faded design. There were numbers written with the symbols, and Seth seemed to be doing some complex math and then drawing lines and curves based on the answers of the equation.


It seemed to be a map within a spell circle.


@Roleplay Skittle

- Johnny Caprice -
​

" Guys' Room, 2nd Floor, Inn "
​

Johnny opened the door, disheveled and his bed hair sticking up the wrong way."'Wassamatter, Echo?" he said, squinting sleepily at her. His shirt was back-to-front.


Inside James was sleeping in his long sleeves with his arm dangling from the bed and his face in his pillow. How he could breathe nobody knows; Seifer was partially  under the covers, his bare back was facing the door as he slept facing the wall, though he was probably awake as his breathing became less slack when Johnny let Echo in.


The guys' room was messy with their clothes sprawled on the floor, socks hanging on the chair, and a couple of muddy boots carelessly kicked off on the floor. "Er, we'll clean this up later." said Johnny looking embarrassed, nudging his brigandine coat and dirty travelling clothes under his bed.

***
​

Meanwhile, back in the girls' room, Princess Mia's tears suddenly fell on the paper. "Father . . . I knew it." she stifled a sob.


She had hoped beyond hope that with all the healers at her father's disposal, he might have survived the assassin's attack --- at least secretly, but this confirmed that he did not. The grief she's been secretly withholding for the sake of the group and so that she could keep it together broke like a dam and she cried, immediately raising her arms to the nearest person in the room for a much needed hug.


She wouldn't speak, but just cried and cried as silently as she could, the newspaper left open on the headline news.


@Katsuya

 

[Roleplay Skittle]

-Pub, 1st Floor, Inn-
​

 
​

Lydia jumped back slightly as Seth went about his crazy motions, giving him an amused grin that made it hard to tell if she was going to tickle him, or maybe even bite him. She ended up doing neither and even withheld her laughter to keep from drawing anymore attention than his preemptive strike tactics had. She had yet to get back at him for his last prank, though leaving him in the paranoia induced state was rather entertaining and made it hard for her to actually develop the desire to prank him back, 'let him stew in it', she thought.


As Seth relaxed, Lydia took a seat beside him and continued to observe, "mmhmm... I remember," she didn't have any siblings and couldn't really grasp the loss that Seth and Sen were suffering at the moment, but she imagined that just as Seth was persevering, Sen seemed to be as well. The warmth and mild envy she felt for the brothers and their relationship caused her to direct an admiring smile towards Seth before her gaze drifted to the image he was studying and then back to his work. She thought about offering him a hand, but she decided that it was likely best to leave him to it, after all, who would understand the mind of Sen better than his twin?


@Zer0

 

[Katsuya]

-Echo Muses-
​

Echo walked inside their room, not minding the quick mess the boys made as she closed the door. She didn't want anybody outside their group to hear this. "There's a missing person poster for Rathmore and it has his photo on it." The fawn looked at Johnny, looking very worried.


"A group of guys in the first floor are looking for him right now and they just asked the maid that works here. I...I don't know if we're safe here..." It might be her imagination or over-thinking it, but she didn't want to take that chance. Not when they have the princess here...and with the shadow monsters lurking around...not a chance.

***
​

-Renee Pendragon-
​

Renee quickly wrapped her arms around Mia, letting her cry on her shoulder as she looked down where they mention her father, the king, and frowned in grief. Bloody trolls...they ripped apart another family...When is this going to end, she wonders. With a long and depressing sigh, the white-haired Pendragon squeezed the princess gently and lightly pats her head. "...Cry it out Mia. Just let it all out..." She encouraged, looking up to see Serena peeking in the room. She heard someone crying (as quiet as that was, Serena was able to hear the sobs) and it took her by surprise that it was Mia. 


Renee mouthed Serena to get water or tea, which she nodded and left the room to make some. Then she swayed a bit like how a mother would sway gently with her child in her arms, trying to make him or her sleep. "...Just...just let it out..."


@Zer0 @Roleplay Skittle

 

[Zer0]

- Seth Pendragon -
​

" Pub, 1st Floor, Inn "
​

"Your face, Lydia, is a plethora of emotions." said Seth, fascinated, as he continued drawing. "Did you know you have five types of smiles and three types of neutral expressions compared to the others who have about two to three and one?"


Beside them, a roguish man with a rat-like face slid into an empty stool and rapped the bar table to get the inn keeper's attention. "Hey, buddy, real quick." he said in a hoarse voice that dripped of secrecy. "We saw a guy with white hair come in, looks like this."


The man was about to show a poster of Seifer in his hand.


@Roleplay Skittle

- Johnny Caprice -
​

" Guys' Room, 2nd Floor, Inn "
​

Johnny leaped on to the sleeping James and pulled off his coves and pillow. "Oi, mate, wake up!" he said urgently.


"Johnny, if it's another one of your knock-knock jokes ---" began James, groggily opening his eyes.


" --- It's not, listen ---"


"--- I'm going to pee in my hand and throw it at your face." he growled, bucking him off and giving him the steely eye.


"Mate, send Sasha downstairs quickly. Someone's looking for Rathmore, they have a poster." said Johnny. James immediately looked for his wand, but was having difficulty spotting it in the messy room. "You and the girls should probably start packing, Echo, and climb down the window to the stables quickly."


"Why are you three jumpy? It's probably my parents, they sent people to look for me!" said Seifer looking happy for the first time. He jumped out of bed, dressed quickly and made to hop out the door while pulling up his pants over his boxers.


@Katsuya

 

[Roleplay Skittle]

-Pub, 1st Floor, Inn-
​

 
​

She leaned back slightly, green eyes widening when they had been squinting at the paper set before Seth. She stared at him, once again taking on that owl type expression. She didn't know he paid so much attention to the faces they all made and she wasn't sure what to think of it.


Her expression didn't change much when the man came up beside them, but the smile that had been forming on her doll-like face now faltered and her hand nearest to Seth curled under his arm so that she could grab his elbow and give it a slight squeeze unnoticed.


@Zer0

 

[Katsuya]

-Echo Muses-
​

Echo quickly stood in front of him, frowning nervously, her heart pounded against her chest. "Rathmore, did you forget what our goal was? We all promised the princess to safely guard her to Dalaran, remember? You promised too, in exchange for your parents' safety. We can't break that promise now." She reminded him, her wide green eyes looking up at him as she pleaded.


"Before you go downstairs and declare that you are here, putting the rest of us in danger of that assassin, I'd advice you to please wait for James' owl. We don't even know if it's really your parents who's looking for you." Echo pleaded, worry bleed in her voice as she puts her hands up to stop him from leaving the room.


"As much as I don't like you, Rathmore, I still want you to be safe and sound too. So please...wait. If it's really your parents, then fine, you can leave, but let the rest of us have a head start first." She really didn't want to stop anybody from seeing their parents, considering that she wants to see her father and aunt badly, but they have a goal. If Seifer ruins their chances then they are screwed. "Please. Don't go downstairs yet...wait until you know it's safe and that we are miles/kilometers away from here. It's up to you if you want to stay or go, but...let the rest of us escape and protect the princess."


Echo didn't stay to see Seifer's expression as she left and closed the door to his face, walking over to the girls' room. As soon she shuts the door, the fawn told everyone what's going on and to pack up quickly.


"I'll prepare the horses, now hurry-!"


Serena, about to bring to bring the tea, drops the cup as she ran into their bedroom and packed Echo's, Lydia's, and her own clothes and items, hearing the cup shatter on the floor.


"You have to be kidding me?!" Renee exasperated, 'What bad timing...we can't even catch a break.' she thought, leaning back a bit and told the princess that they'll hug again once they are safe. Then she started packing her own stuff, happy that it's only the dirty clothes and the newspaper. Next, she helped pack Mia and Latifa's stuff so they can leave quicker. Once she knows everyone is done, Renee looked at a mirror and grimaced, remembering what the Owner has told her. She's...going to need a hat to hide her hair and dye it somehow...Looking around, she spotted a black cloth on the towel rack and wrapped it around her head before grabbing her usual hooded cloak.


Serena looked out the window Echo climbed out of and waved to signal that they were ready. She smiled when Echo waved back, knowing that the horses were ready to ride in the night.


"Alright...let's go."


@Zer0 @Roleplay Skittle

 

[Zer0]

- Seth Pendragon -
​

" Pub, 1st Floor, Inn "
​

"Uh, what're ya' doing?" said Seth, withdrawing his arm and looking surprised and slightly alarmed as though he thought Lydia was making unwanted romantic advances. He followed her gaze and saw the poster in the rat-faced man's hand. In the infinitesimal second that stretched between the picture of Seifer being flipped up for the inn keeper to see, something clicked in Seth's brain.


"Hey, I've seen this guy!" said the twin, and immediately snatched the poster out of the startled man's hand, squinting at it closely so that Seifer's face was blocked from the inn keeper's view. Seth gave a lopsided grin as if he was tipsy from having a bit too much to drink.


The rat faced man who momentarily glared at Seth for the rude gesture, suddenly looked eager. "You did? Where'd he go?"


"Yeah, this guy came in an hour ago with a couple of fellas --- wait, why shoouddai' tell you, eh? This is a lot of gold . . ." said Seth making a perfect mimic of Seifer's most irritating arrogant look.


"Who? Who is it?" said the inn keeper leaning forward from the counter to try and see, but Seth shoved the poster in his pocket.


"Now see here, boy." snarled the rat-faced man standing up and looming over him. "You better hand that back or there'll be trouble."


Seth laughed, standing and patting the man's chest which was the highest he could reach; the man's hands balled into fists. "We've got no trouble here, except for the proximity of your ugly face, son."


BOOM


The man's fist swiped the air where Seth stood just a millisecond ago and hit the counter, denting the wood.


"Jumping barrels, no fighting! No fighting in my pub!" yelled the inn keeper. Seth had sprang back, and dashed, weaving through the tables and startled patrons with the angry rat-faced man and two of his friends chasing after him. Seth seemed hard to catch.


Upstairs, the others could hear something like a bar fight starting downstairs.


@Roleplay Skittle, @Katsuya

 

[Roleplay Skittle]

-Pub, 1st Floor, Inn-
​

 
​

Lydia's brow furrowed and her lips pursed at Seth's outburst, tilting her chin towards the wanted poster to aid in alerting him to what she was concerned about. She calmed her face and leaned against Seth, attempting to participate in his ruse by acting like she was really interested in the poster as well. She nodded along, smiling at him when he mentioned the gold. True, she wasn't very socialized and likely wouldn't have been able to pull off such a trick on her own, but she wasn't an idiot and it was probably best to go along with it.


She backed away as the roguish man's figure loomed over them both, if he was that much bigger than Seth, he was like a giant to Lydia. She completely retreated and ran upstairs as Seth dashed away. Of course she was concerned for his safety, but she assumed that he knew what he was doing since he had caused the scene so she thought it best to let James know, mainly because she didn't know that Echo had already told the guys what was going on.


When she got upstairs, she immediately rapped on the guys' door, "James!!! James!" She tried not to shout, though her cry was urgent.


@Zer0

 

[Katsuya]

-Renee Pendragon-
​

Renee paused from shoving Madam Curie's hilariously large bag out the window, hearing something from downstairs. It sounded weird and loud like...


"It's a fight. Something's happening on the first floor. Now's our chance to really push this." Serena confirmed, taking a few steps back. Renee did the same. Then they ran to window and used all their weight on the luggage, finally shoving the thing out with their shoulders and arms. Echo was catching all of their stuff at the bottom and carrying the heaviest ones to the horses.


Renee sighed in relief when the last of Madam Curie's stuff was out and grabbed her own bag, having an easier time tossing her stuff out. It's really weird to toss her stuff out like that...but Echo's catching it so it should be fine. 'Besides, the important stuff in safe.' She thought, grinning a bit as she helped Latifa push out their last bag.


"I'll be right back. Gotta let the guys know we're ready and done. Renee, carry everyone down and quickly-!" Serena said, now walking out the door to let the boys know. That's when she saw Lydia knocking on their door. "Hey, sweetie. James-! We're ready to move!" Her voice was firm and serious, calm as she could be in this situation.


"Got it! Alright, who's first?" Renee changed, feathers blooming out of her head and back as she jumped out of the window. Her wings flapped silently, the hybrid teen flew closer to the window and offering a hand to carry anyone down, cooing quietly. She carried each of the ladies down, making sure to be out of sight as she did so. Once she's done, she changed back and helped Echo tie their stuff down on the horses.


Then Echo waited at the bottom, trying to see if the boys will throw their stuff as well and catch them when they jump out too.


@Zer0 @Roleplay Skittle

 

[Zer0]

- Inn -
​

" Binks Village Outskirts, Night Time "
​

Seifer gave Echo that same suspicious, why-are-you-caring-about-me? look then just watched her go, but he didn't follow her out. Nobody could see as Johnny and James were still looking for the latter's wand, but Seifer looked really home sick.


"Aha, found it!" said James. "Choutte Venire." With a flick of his wand, his ghostly owl soared out of a puff of cloud. "Fly outside and watch the first floor, Sasha. Stay out of sight."


With a hoot she flew out the open window, pass the girls who were throwing bags down and perched herself at the side of one the grimy pub windows, where James saw the chaos Seth created. The twin had somehow climbed up the rafters and was looking for a way out of the pub. The front door and back that lead to the kitchen were being blocked by two angry burly men, while one with a face like a rat was yelling angrily at Seth, calling him a thief, and roaring at him to get down so that he can beat him to a pulp. The patrons were ruffled at this disturbance and the inn keeper was trying to calm everybody down, begging Seth to just give back the man's poster.


Meanwhile, upstairs Seifer decided to wait and seated himself on his bed tapping his foot impatiently. Johnny was throwing all their scattered clothes in the bags, not minding who they belonged to and opened the door when he heard Lydia and Serena knocking and calling.


"J-just come in." stammered Johnny, going red at the sight of them and making himself as small as possible as he got out of their way and resumed his packing.


"Seifer do you know a tall burly man with a face like a rat?" said James.


"No?"


James suddenly gasped just as the sound of breaking windows was heard downstairs. Echo and those who had climbed down to where the horses were tied out front would see Seth swing on a ceiling lamp from the rafters and come out diving through the small front windows, shielding his face. He landed, rolling on the grass.


"Don't let the thief escape!" yelled the rat-faced man from inside.


There was a moment where Seth looked up, surprised and impressed that the girls were already downstairs and ready to escape, then looked the other way as if he did not know them and run the opposite direction towards the village. The inn was on the outskirts, near some farms with flat fields where there was no place to hide.


The three men came lumbering out of the pub huffing like winded rhinos. They ran pass Echo without giving her so much as a glance and mounted their horses. With torches lit, they gave chase to Seth who, despite his skill at parkour would never be able to outrun or escape the horses, not in the Farthing Plains where there were barely any trees; there was a soft whoosh and one could barely see James owl take flight following the men.


Some of the patrons went outside too, muttering excitedly or grumpily at what just happened. The inn keeper was upset his window was broken, "And I just had these cleaned a week ago too."


"What was that all about?" said some women.


"Arr, some kid just out of his hosh gosh magosh." muttered a farmer.


"He talked about some gold he did, you say he stole a poster, Ed?"


"Yeah, maybe some wanted poster --- those three looked like bounty hunters not from around these parts."


"But that boy was just a child, they aren't going to hurt him are they?"


"Ha! He deserved it! These younguns' thinking they can just do whatever they want as if they own the place. If he gets what's coming to him, he gets what's coming to him."


It seemed, that no one knew those men were looking for Seifer. But if they caught Seth or returned, the gig would be up and the group won't be able to stay in the village anymore. Some men were mounting their horses too, saying they were going to go ride there and make sure they don't kill the kid and just let the guards put him in the hoosegaw. Nobody seemed to mind Echo, whom they probably thought was someone who just arrived in the night; above, Madam Curie and Princess Mia were hastily trying to climb back up before anyone looks up to the second floor.


@Katsuya, @Roleplay Skittle

 

[Roleplay Skittle]

-Inn-
​

 
​

Lydia was doing her best imitation of Sasha, still, when Serena called out to her and then James, realizing by Serena's announcement that everyone already knew what was going on. Lydia hadn't unpacked anything outside of her glasses, some paper, and her quill, so there wasn't much of her things to pack. She opened the door as Johnny responded, but then she remembered what Seth had been working on downstairs and wondered if he had been able to hold onto it during all of the shenanigans.


Without saying a word, she ran back down the stairs in a flurry and went back to the pub just in time to see Seth swinging from the lamp. She flinched as he crashed through the windows, taking the distraction as an opportune moment to make sure that he hadn't left his sketch and calculations and gathering them if he had, who knew when they would next be able to collect that information. Whether or not he had left behind his work, Lydia would move with the other patrons towards the door, blending in with them and slowly moving to their rear before casually walking over to Echo.


Once she was outside, she realized that she needed to get her own things, but seeing that her bag had already been tossed down with the other girls' things, she breathed a sigh of relief and mouthed silent words of thanks to them.


@Zer0 @Katsuya