Fantasy Light In The Darkness (IC thread)

[LumaThePhoenix]

Monica smiled and nodded her head as the professor gave his reasoning. She wasn't surprised that it wasn't for money as he didn't seem like a man of greed. His words gave an indication that he was doing it simply as it was the right thing for him to do. Nothing wrong with that. The pink-haired woman let out a giggle when Sildar talked about people sneaking into his classes and another one when he spoke about the guard being surprised that he left teaching for this.

"I guess he was trying to wrap his head around your decision from a monetary standpoint rather than a moral one. It does seem like a hefty switch from classrooms to battlefields and vice-versa, but I guess any classroom can be a battlefield with enough volatility and any battlefield can be a classroom if people are willing to learn from their fights." She pauses for a moment to catch herself from rambling about psychology and perception. After taking a drink from her water bottle, her eyes shift to the guards for a second before her vision focused back on the professor. "The guard that interviewed me thought I was in over my head when I mentioned that I'm a nurse. I would like to believe I fall more towards a combat medic in this situation, but I do appreciate his concern. They at least appear to show some compassion towards the people they interview rather than just looking and passing judgment." Monica finishes the bottle and then places her thumb and index finger on her chin. "I am curious as to how they plan to divide us. Might you have any theories, Sildar? Or do you prefer being referred to as professor?" She does her best to hide a light blush of embarrassment as the thinks she might have spoken too much at once.

Clockwork Syringe

 

[Trektek]

The Palace Gates
Anne Boolean LegoLad659
​

The two young soldiers arrived at the Palace Gates to see a large crowd of people being slowly funneled into the courtyard after being asked some questions by the heavily armed and armored guards. A large and tall man with a big but well groomed beard motioned them over to him off to the side.

"I am Lieutenant Ganders and you must be Olivia Friar and Auric Rosewood." He stood at attention as he spoke, still keeping an eye on the crowd in case it got too rowdy and out of hand. He could discuss things with his subordinates while keeping the palace safe.

"You two will be getting assigned to an adventuring party as soon as they get paired up. A very important job. You will need to make maintain the group following the directives of the Imperium and not work against it's cause. But you will have free reign at your discretion to let things slide if it works for the cohesion of the group and for the greater support of the Imperium's goals. Now, do you two have any questions before we move further inside?"

The Crowd outside the Palace Gates
[U]Rainbow Knight[/U], [U]vielpotato,[/U]
​

The people did not seem very interested in the Priest. The ones that would benefit from a moral cleanse of their sins moved on to the next section and those that did not, merely gave a polite bow or said a quick pray to the goddess and moved on. Some ruffians were muttering under their breath about how they wouldn't think that a priest would come there. Even less than to try to save their immortal souls from damnation when they just wanted to make some riches off the Emperor.

The man who was in the process of being pick pocketed was alerted by the young woman's screams of stealing and turned around to grab the young thief. Whether or not he actually succeeded depended on his quickness. "What do you think you're trying to do?!"

The Palace Courtyard
Clockwork Syringe Peckinou LumaThePhoenix Gen LegoLad659 BarakaisBae
​

After saying their piece and answering the questions asked by the guards, they were invited to move on to the Palace Courtyard for further instructions. Eventually a short man in fine robes stepped up onto a podium and spoke with a loud booming voice that was amplified by magic to be heard by the entire room. "Groups will now be assigned. When I say your name and room number, head to the following room to meet your teammates and get briefed on your mission as well as to get your supplies for the task at hand." He was about to begin reading off from the list in front of him when he had a look of confusion on his face before speaking.

"Sildar Evans, you are to be escorted to the Emperor who wishes to speak to you before your assignment. Just follow this guard and he will lead your way." A guard walks up to Sildar in order to lead him to his destination.

The man on the podium begins reading off names and room numbers with those people heading off to those locations. Security within the palace is tight in order to insure that no one goes off the beaten path or tries anything violent. Eventually the names and numbers of this particular group of people are called at room 13.

 

[Clockwork Syringe]

The Palace Courtyard /The Imperial Throne Room​

Nodding at Monica's words, Sildar spoke. "Sildar, Professor Evans, whatever you wish to call me is your decision, I do not mind. In regards to how they will divide us," Sildar then noticed a man stepping up to a podium to elaborate something, "perfect timing I suppose."

"Sildar Evans, you are to be escorted to the Emperor who wishes to speak to you before your assignment. Just follow this guard and he will lead your way." A look of shock appeared on Sildar's face. He was the only one who was called, was the emperor a fan of his or did the emperor discover his secret? Promptly, the guard showed up and motioned for Sildar to follow him. "Well hopefully we're assigned to the same group then Monica, time to see what the Emperor requires." Sildar nodded to Monica and then to the guard as if to say ~lets go.~

The guard led Sildar through the crowd and up some steps and the two of them were plainly visible to every single person in the courtyard causing Sildar to worry a little. Once they reached the top of the steps Sildar paused for a moment as he noticed the reliefs around the door that described the ancient battle that sparked the unity between races, the forming of the Imperium, and the great victory that was achieved. Passing through the doors with the guard, Sildar raised his eyebrows at the sight. This was the first time he had ever been in the palace since arriving in the capital 22 years ago. The main entry hall was split into three areas bordered by columns holding up arches, which held up the walls, with the middle being the highest and the left and right were the same height. The middle passage also possessed windows up at the top to let in light causing a striking visage as the light streamed in. Following the guard, Sildar also took notice of the many frescoes on the walls depicting many famous individuals, events, and battles before following the guard through a set of double doors at the end of the middle corridor. Passing through the doors, Sildar entered the throne room. It was a long corridor in the same shape as the entry, but at the end, the wall curved to signify that this was the end of any main procession that would pass through here. While no individual sat at the throne, Sildar took a moment to admire its' beauty. The chair was flanked by painted yellow dragons and the structure surrounding the chair was 12 feet tall and was made out of painted stone. The chair itself looked to be complete gold, but was probably some other material, and the cushion was red velvet. This was no doubt the Empreror's throne, but where was the Empreror? Sildar simply put his hands behind his back and awaited the Emperor's arrival with the guard who led him here.

LumaThePhoenix Trektek

 

[LegoLad659]

Palace Gates
Anne Boolean Trektek
​

Olivia nodded in response to Auric, looking around at the crowd as well "I guess we've got our work cut out for us today, huh?" She asked. She hadn't expected there to be this many people here, but thinking about it, she supposed it made sense. Lots of these people were probably desperate for one of the things the Emperor was offering. Olivia was too pure-minded to consider that most of them were doing it out of greed.

They quickly located Lieutenant Ganders, who guided them off away from the crowd to speak to them. She nodded obediently and absorbed every word as best she could, as she was trained to. They were going to join a group and make sure they stay on task... That sounded simple enough. She did have one question, though - Not about the mission, but about Auric "Yes, sir. As you can see, I was trained in magic, and today is Auric's very first day of training for the Army. I was assigned to mentor him, but, um... I don't wish to sound doubtful or disrespectful, but will he also have a sword trainer as well? As I don't know anything about swordplay, the only thing I myself can teach him is discipline. Wh-which is fine, of course, I just wanted to make sure the army was aware of this..." She said, desperately trying to make sure to word her query carefully.

Imperial Palace, Palace Room 13
Trektek Peckinou LumaThePhoenix Gen BarakaisBae​

This Blackwater crew certainly seemed like an unusual bunch, to Catherine. They all seemed to have wildly different personalities, yet that somehow managed to keep each of them in check with each other. Maybe she'd know that's how friends typically work, but she'd flown solo for so long that the idea just seemed odd to her.

Soon, a speaker arrived and, well, spoke to them, explaining how the groups would be assigned. That seemed inefficient to her, but with how many people were crammed into the courtyard, that was probably the best they could do. She listened for her title and the room number she was assigned to, and headed quickly to room 13 as she was instructed. She didn't recognize most of the other names she'd heard before then, aside from a couple of brief acquaintances she'd had in the past from either quick jobs or sales. Not that it mattered, since they were all put into different groups than her. She wasn't around for long enough to hear where the Blackwater crew was assigned, which she found to be a shame, but she waited in room 13 for the others to arrive.

 

[Anne Boolean]

LegoLad659 Trektek

"Seems like it," Auric agreed with a slightly shaky sigh. The biggest crowd he had dealt with back home was the coop of chickens, and they weren't exactly pushy or opinionated as long as they got enough grain.

He took notice of the tall man in armor motioning them over, assuming it to be Lieutenant Ganders. When he came face to face with the man, it was quite surprising to see that he even towered over the six-foot tall elf. Auric was fairly average height for his kind, and had seen elves who were taller than him, but he couldn't tell whether the man had the defining pointed ears or not.

When the Lieutenant began to speak, the new recruit quickly matched his stance at attention. He listened intently to the debriefing of what would be his first mission, and found his chest tightening. It seemed he would be going out into the world already. Still, despite his lack of combat training or knowledge about the field, his desire to do well made him respond with a, "Sir! No, sir!" When asked whether he had any questions.

It seemed Olivia had a more level head though, and was able to think clearly about some potential flaws in this plan. It was true, he had had no sword training, unless him waving a stick around as a kid pretending to be an Imperial Guard counted. Was he going to be trained in magic then? As far as he knew, he had know magic ability. Even when he played pretend as a sorcerer and tried to mimic real spells he had no luck. Perhaps he just did it wrong, and would be able to cast them when shown the right way?

 

[LumaThePhoenix]

Monica Battaglia
Imperial Palace Gates
Clockwork Syringe Trektek ​

It was coincidentally inconvenient that Sildar was interrupted before he could give his theory of how they would be grouped up. Ironically, the interruption was by a short fellow announcing how everyone would be situated. Perfect. Monica smiled and waves as she watches Sildar leave. "I hope we're in the same group as well. That would give us a head start on getting to know our teammates." She found it strange that he seemed to be singled out of the crowd to visit the Emperor instead of being pulled away in private to do so. Regardless, it wasn't her business and she would only consider asking if she felt something ominous was happening.

Imperial Palace Gates ==> Room 13​

A bunch of names came and went before Monica's was called. She had been drafted to room 13. Since she didn't really speak to anyone else, staying to hear who else would be in the room was pointless to her. The half-mermaid begins her journey to her assigned room. Along the way, she looks at the path and the myriad of guards along it. This area seemed to be heavily guarded and for good reason. However, as Monica progressed towards her destination, things started to feel off. With every other step she took, she saw flashes of the torment that she had previously escaped. Her mind starts playing tricks on her by corrupting what she thought she was seeing. The noble guards had become Red Goblin soldiers. The path she was walking on turned into one of the many hallways she was dragged through. She could feel her wrists come together like they were tied up. Breathing became difficult as she nervously gripped the water bottle she forgot she had with both hands. As her pupils started to change to an icy blue color, Monica wondered if this was all a trap. Was it all a setup so that someone could cash in on her return to her former captors? There was nowhere to run and she was heavily outnumbered, so fighting would likely be useless. The water in her half full bottle starting swirling until it formed a tornado. This is when the half-mermaid decided that she could launch an attack and then try to run away afterwards. That was her best chance of avoiding being tortured again, even if it was a long shot.

However, just as she was about to put the plan into motion, her hallucination ended. The pathway looked normal again. The guards looked serious, but not hostile. She stopped and took a few deep breaths while the tornado in her bottle collapsed. Her eyes returned to normal. When she checked her surroundings, she noticed she was a few steps past room 13. Monica backed up a couple of paces and walked inside. The pink-haired lady was not the first to arrive, though the room was still nearly empty. She noticed a shorter girl with blue hair, likely barely above five feet in height, and decided to risk approaching her. She smiled and waved at the other female as she made her way to the table to take a seat. The softness in her tone had returned now that she had a moment to calm down.

"I see you made it here rather quickly. My name's Monica, and I'm guessing we're comrades now. Nice to meet you."

LegoLad659

 

[LegoLad659]

Room 13
LumaThePhoenix​

It was a few minutes before someone else entered the room with her. Catherine looked over at who it was - A taller, older woman with pink hair, and wearing a medical outfit. A healer. Already they were off to a good start, it seemed.

Then she walked over and introduced herself as Monica, stating that they were partners now. Catherine didn't relish the thought, but it was necessary to work with people this time for sure. She studied Monica for a moment longer before replying to her "Blue Fox, or just Blue. Likewise. I see you're a healer. Do you use magic in your craft, or more physical procedures?" She asked. She figured if they were going to be working together, it'd be good to know just who they're working with.

 

[LumaThePhoenix]

Monica Battaglia
Palace Room 13​

The girl that referred to herself as Blue Fox was direct, but respectful with her response. When she asked about whether her style of healing leaned more towards a physical or magical sense, the question caught Monica off guard a little. It was a great question with a complicated answer. Still, she did her best to do so.

"I generally use a physical approach as the herbs and remedies I carry around are effective for fighting off things like sickness and poisons. I have a bit of healing magic as well, but I'm still working on being more efficient with it. It's great to stop wounds from causing people to bleed out. Other that, it's still a work in progress." The last sentence came with a hint of guilt as she felt like she should have a better grasp of her magical healing. However, she was too aftraid of losing control of her powers and hurting others to go to a school to work on it. Monica quickly shook off the guilt and removed her hair from being tucked in the back of her shirt as it was getting very uncomfortable. She puts her hair in a ponytail while continuing to speak to the younger lady. "How about you? What skills do you have?"

LegoLad659

 

[LegoLad659]

Room 13
LumaThePhoenix
​

Catherine nodded along with Monica's explanation, taking in everything she had to say. She understood why the nurse didn't use magic, even for more offensive magic types Catherine could tell it wasn't a simple art to use, despite knowing almost nothing about it. The most she knew how to use was enchanted items, and most of those were passive enchantments.

And she always sold any enchanted items she found anyway, since they got a good profit for her most of the time.

"I see. Well, even with little magic, your skill is sure to be helpful. Keep trying though, I know you'll get better at it." Catherine told her, a hint of a smile on her face. Then Monica asked about her own trade, and the smile faded "I'm a thief. Lockpicking, traps, treasure hunting, all that stuff. I don't usually do combat unless I have to, but if you must know that as well, I'm an agile fighter. I'd rather watch for where and when my hits'll matter than just rush in and hope an opening shows up." She explained. Maybe not the best combat style ever, relying on her opponent leaving an opening rather than making one herself. But in order to stay fast she had to forego all armor altogether, so she had no choice but to be careful.

Now came the part where they started asking more personal questions, Catherine was sure. She was waiting for the inevitable question of her hometown, if her Tokara clothing didn't already tip the girl off anyway. Still, she let Monica speak first, since she herself didn't have any specific questions to ask the girl.

 

[LumaThePhoenix]

Monica Battaglia
Palace Room 13​

"Thanks. It'll take some practice, but I too believe I'll improve greatly." Monica replied as she felt a wave of relief when she heard Blue's words of encouragement. It even widened her smile a little more. Her eyebrows raised in curiosity when the younger woman mentioned she was a thief and that her fighting style was more or less about being an opportunist. Of course, it makes sense that a thief wouldn't be out on the front lines in combat. In fact, Monica believed that thieves were most effective when they go without being noticed until it's too late. That would definitely come in handy in an abundance of situations.

"A thief eh? Cool. I've never had the chance to work alongside one before. I'm sure your versatility and skills will be of great use." She finished off the rest of her bottle of water before continuing the conversation. "So, if I may ask, where are you from? What made you want to get involved in all of this?" Monica was curious to know, but also a bit cautious to ask as she figured there would probably be some things that Blue wouldn't want to open up about yet, if ever. A couple of basic questions shouldn't ruffle too many feathers. It was mainly about breaking the ice more and getting to know the girl she just met. Being a nurse meant that Monica came across patients from various backgrounds and locations. Their stories were usually intriguing. This was somewhat similar. She was about to be with a group of people, likely from different places, and all of them would come with their own life story up to this point to write the next chapter.


LegoLad659

 

[Gen]

Palace Courtyard (Swee POV)
Peckinou Clockwork Syringe
​

Before the groups were announced, back at the courtyard, Swee felt Merva’s eyes watching her, protectively. Although the thief that Swee was confronting had disappeared, she was still grateful for Merva’s vigilance—and for Mercy’s. Swee did her best to support her friends as well. Unfortunately, she had yet to spot a water source for the siren, but she would keep up the effort.

Swee did not overhear Merva talking to Mercy about the priest. The girl condemned killing, but she knew the siren had drowned people before. But a priest? That would have broken her heart.

A voice from the podium started speaking. She fiddled with her nine-sided pendent, nervously.

Wait… That’s… Sildar?! She looked on with the crowd, awestruck, as the renowned professor was single-handedly called for a personal meeting with the Emperor. In Swee’s amazement, she did not notice whatever implications went unsaid.

Then, room 13 was called. They were together! A sigh of relief. As the trio made their way into the palace, Swee recalled her numerology. The number ’13’ did not exactly bode good fortune, but there were exceptions. Like all other forms of divination, numerology was a complex study.

Room 13 (Mercy POV)
LegoLad659 LumaThePhoenix
​

Mercy led the Blackwater trio into the room. “Exchanging stories, are we?” Not a question, but a cold observation. The Captain sized up the two people. First, a blue-haired girl. Mercy noticed Swee’s eyes light up, mouth beginning to form a sentence that Mercy knew she would be too shy to articulate. So she recognized her. Likely someone with reputation in the Imperium, then. Even without Swee’s recognization, however, Mercy accurately read the blue-haired girl. The way her body was positioned to always move if needed. How her eyes searched for opportunity, and frowned on cowardice. The lightweight and practical animal hide clothing she chose. She was young, but she was someone who fights for herself—whether willingly or not.

The other woman, with a hat that covered her hair, was harder to read. Perhaps because Mercy could not relate as much. But instinct somehow told the Captain she was someone Merva, the siren, might interact with. It also seemed like Swee took shy interest at the woman’s blue pendant, likely because she wore one too. But that was not his concern. The woman did not look like a fighter.

Mercy put his battle axe to the side, went to the table, and pulled out a chair with his gloved hands. He sat. Swee and Merva followed suit.

Swee spoke. “Umm… Hi?”

 

[LegoLad659]

Room 13
Gen LumaThePhoenix
​

Catherine simply nodded to Monica's compliments. Not that she was ungrateful for them, she was just already more than aware of her own ability, so she knew it would be helpful to whoever this group ended up being. Then she was asked about her origin, as predicted, as well as her reason for being here "Tokara, though I don't visit anymore. Too many people recognize my clothing, so they're always looking out. As for why I'm here, that's a more personal matter. I'd rather not talk about it." She told her. Not if she could help it, anyway. She didn't plan on opening up to anyone on this journey.

While she spoke, the door opened again, this time with the Blackwater crew entering. Well, two of them anyway. The captain sized them up while he spoke, asking them a simple question. She wondered if he recognized who she was, but it didn't seem like it. She could see the girl he was with staring at her and struggling to form words, though, so chances were good she knew "Introductions, mostly." She answered the captain "Though I'm sure you won't need to give one yourself, captain Mercy."

 

[Gen]

Room 13
LegoLad659 LumaThePhoenix
​

If the blue-haired girl felt anything at the Captain of the Blackwater’s arrival, she did good to hide it well. Mercy was more impressed than bothered. Throughout the Blackwater’s six years, Mercy had went from the captain of a rumored crewless black ship, to the darker reputation that he had today. But exactly how much more power had that given him? An illusion of power, maybe, but nothing tangible, no. Reputation did not matter. Introductions, by extension, did not matter. They came with too much played-up sugarcoating. Only actual results mattered.

At Catherine’s reply, “I don’t, and you don’t need to give me yours, either.” For Mercy, that was friendly. He even continued to speak. Swee looked genuinely surprised. “But you must feel glad to be here for your Emperor, with no other motives but loyalty and goodheartedness.” Sarcasm? Mercy smiled. “I wonder, with all the goodheartedness of all the people who answered the proclamation, how quickly will it take great crumbling Kelaran Imperium to finally fall?” It was the darker side of banter. It was also as if Mercy was testing Catherine and Monica's reactions.

// Btw, I think Merva ICly is here too. She probably came with Mercy and Swee

 

[Peckinou]

Merva Wisp
Merva was still a bit concerned with how Swee was doing but she quickly deduced that she appeared fine, she then heard about the announcements and was a bit skeptical about it but no doubt decided to roll with it. She listened to the announcements taking note of how the arch mage professor swee talked about was getting singled out. She was a bit peeved with that, they probably didn't want that arch mage to be caught in the cross fire for when they spring that trap of theirs, either that or they are getting some sorta special task. She then listened to the names being called out not even bothering to stay for when her name would be called out, she did not plan on being separated from the crew and didn't care what those guards had to say about it. She then started following Swee and her captain towards the room until she stopped for a minute feeling that her hair was getting a bit too dry for comfort. She sighed a bit before moving forward again this time pulling out one of her water containers and using her water magic to manipulate all the water onto her hair making it completely wet again. She was now hoping that this wouldn't take too long cause she now only had one more canister left and once it was gone she didn't care what happened she was gonna head out of there. As she continued walking she went into the room putting her canister away. She then looked over the room seeing a blue haired girl and a Bandana wearing girl who looked a touch out of place. Although she didn't pay much mind to either of them for that long before she took a chair placed her feet onto the table as she leaned in her seat occasionally staring at the blue girl. She then stared a bit at the bandana wearing girl, for some reason she appeared to be a bit different from the other humans she encountered but she didn't dwell long as she started trying to figure out what would likely happen next.​

 

[LumaThePhoenix]

Monica Battaglia
Palace Room 13​

Monica listened to Catherine's response and could definitely understand that she didn't want to delve into her reasoning for being there. However, before the conversation could continue to develop, another person entered the room. Three did actually. The infamous Blackwater crew at that. Normally, seeing them enter a room in which they outnumbered the other occupants inside would send a chill down her spine. It wasn't like when she would see them out at sea. In those cases, she could just navigate around, and on occasion far under them and not bother intercepting their path. Whether or not any of them had ever saw the blur of pink speeding through the waves was unclear, but judging by their entrance and her hair being almost completely covered, she was not familiar to them. Strangely, the situation at hand combined with it appearing that they would be working alongside each other made Monica think they were on a somewhat even playing field. This caused her to not show a hint of fear towards Mercy or his crew despite still being cautious. She even looked at Swee and waved at her as she could see the girl was nervous, but excited.

The third member, Merva is who really caught Monica's attention. Her hair looked to be wet, but her body was dry. Something was definitely different about her. There were a few rumors about the third member of the Blackwater crew that she would hear from time to time at work. Monica wasn't sure what to think, so she didn't make any assumptions. As much as she would love to know more about the woman, there was no need to rush for knowledge.

Monica's attention returned to Mercy when he spoke. His speech about goodheartedness had so much sarcasm that she could almost reach out and touch the irony. When he asked how long it would take before the Imperium fell, she had no problem stating her opinion. "Well, captain, while there's no certainty that this call to arms will succeed, there's at least hope that the Imperium will survive. We all have our reasons for being here. They may be different, but our paths have all crossed here. So to answer your question, I don't think we've reached the last days of the Imperium."


Peckinou
Gen
LegoLad659

 

[LegoLad659]

Room 13
LumaThePhoenix Peckinou Gen
​

Catherine huffed in amusement at the Blackwater captain's sarcastic remark about loyalty to the Emperor. While she'd had somewhat similar feelings towards the Imperium, she at least understood the necessity of keeping order among the normal citizens. Not that it helped her at all, but she understood it.

Then came Mercy's remark about how long it would be before the Kelarian Imperium would fall and crumble to dust, and she let Monica speak up first, stating that she didn't believe it was going to fall. Which was reasonable, many people still held great faith in their ruler to be able to salvage all of this and strengthen the land as a result. Then there were people like Mercy who were clearly of the opinion that the Imperium was on its last legs, having lasted long enough as it is and spread itself far too thin trying to keep so much land under one ruler.

Catherine, on the other hand...

"It doesn't matter to me whether the Imperium stands or falls." She gave Mercy her own answer "No matter who's ruling these lands, my own way of life won't change. Even if the Red Goblin Empire takes over these lands, it won't matter. There're still plenty of places to hide and strike from the shadows in." She explained, leaning back in her seat with her hands behind her head "Though I've heard of the things the Goblins do over there, and it doesn't sound pretty, or as easy to evade as the Imperium's enforcement. So if I have any preference at all, I suppose it would be that. I'd prefer to be chased by the Imperium than the Goblins. But that's all."

 

[Gen]

Room 13
LumaThePhoenix LegoLad659​

Mercy listened as Monica gave her opinion, then as Catherine gave her's. Afterwards, he gave his own, “If by some miraculous chance this Imperium survives, it will only be through the unimaginable fortune Teleran has built up over its decades, and by people like me, who want to take its fortune. Just like the Red Goblin Empire does.” To Catherine, he confirmed, “There is no difference. No goodheartedness.” Though she is smart to look after herself, he thought. To Monica, “Hope cannot save this Imperium. Only power and force can.” He seemed to look down at the mermaid.

Now, instinctively, something inside Mercy understood that everyone in the group was, in many ways, on the same footing. The Emperor, surely, would not have made team 13 without considering how each individual’s skills complemented one another’s. But all Mercy saw in people was their capacity in direct physical combat, and perhaps a respect towards self-reliance. The Captain’s quest for such absolute power made him strong, but it also made him blind. On land, Monica’s dangerous aquatic abilities fell under his blindness. Only Swee’s innocence reigned in Mercy from going too far.

Swee, luckily, was there. And she waved back at the mermaid, tentatively holding up her nine-sided pendant. Swee modestly made her way towards the mermaid, muttered an apology about Mercy. Then, with a pointed finger at Monica’s blue pendant, “That’s pretty. Is that… aquamarine?” Swee recalled how, in crystal divination, blue was sometimes associated with the flow of water.

 

[LumaThePhoenix]

Monica Battaglia
Palace Room 13​

Monica listened carefully as Catherine gave her view on the fate of the Imperium. It was fair that she was nonchalant about it as it seemingly wouldn't affect her much. Things started to get uncomfortable for the mermaid when she heard the mention of the Red Goblin Empire and the things she heard they do to people. Monica winced a little as it brought back a couple of flashes of the tail end of her slavery when she was the equivalent of a circus attraction for one of the underground areas of the Empire. To make it worse, the talk of trying to run from them brought back a couple of unsuccessful attempts and the beatings she took afterwards. Her heart started to race against as it took everything she had to hide her fear. Meanwhile, the bloodlust for vengeance was brewing inside her. Just as she was about to break and start nervously twitching, she heard Mercy speak about using force. His words connected with the volatility she had been learning to suppress as she went from afraid to furious. For a second, her eyes turned blue and had a cold, vengeful stare to go with them. To anyone lucky enough to catch sight of her pendant at this time, saw what looked to be a small wave at the bottom building up. It was symbolic of a slowly rising tide.

Thankfully, her trance-like state was broken when Swee approached her and apologized for her captain's crude behavior. The wave in the pendant lowered until it was gone. Monica took an extended blink and a deep breath and her eyes returned to normal once more. She turned her attention to the innocent girl and accepted the apology. She even offered one of her own for her momentary change in demeanor. "Yes. It is. Reminds me of the ocean." The mermaid manages a smile as she points at Swee's pendant. "I see you've got a pretty pendant as well."


Gen
Peckinou
LegoLad659

 

[Peckinou]

Merva Wisp
Gen LumaThePhoenix LegoLad659
Merva watched the little exchanges passing by although she didn't really care if the Imperium fell or not she would of liked it if the Red Goblins fell first though since they are even worse than the Imperium in her eyes. She did respect the fact that the blue haired girl was looking out for herself too though and the fact that she also perfered the Imperium over the red goblin. After all she too has done that for quite some time herself before joining up with the Blackwater. As of right now though she was a bit concerned with how long they planned on having them wait she really didn't wanna be here for too long and once she used her next bottle she was going to return to the ship. She had no plans of being passing out due to dehydration and decided to ask if anyone else knew when the Imperium planned to show their faces although she doubted they would know. "So how long do you think the Imperium is gonna waste our time before showing their faces?" she said the as plainly as she could she didn't like the fact that their was not even a overseer in the room to brief them on how long they would be waiting. She didn't really pay much attention to the girl wearing the Bandana although she did start wondering a bit why she was wearing one but she didn't feel like pushing her for a response as of right now.​

 

[Gen]

Room Team 13
LumaThePhoenix Peckinou LegoLad659​

“Yeah! I have a pendant, too.” Swee held the nine-sided pendant for Monica to touch, though she did not take the sacred jewelry off her neck. “Each side represents one of the forces that make up the Nine-sided Goddess.” Swee skipped the fact that she would have occasional visions of one of the forces. Sometimes, people found that too much. “But each side also represents one of the nine good virtues.” Sadness shown in the girl’s hazel eyes. “Benevolence and empathy is something Mercy lacks. But… I know he has it in him.”

A moment ago, Swee had indeed noticed the wave swelling up in Monica’s pendant. But she had chalked it up to the beginnings of one of her visions—maybe the Lesser Force, or one of the other eight sides. When a vision started, it could be hard for Swee to distinguish between reality.

Swee glanced worriedly at Merva, before turning back to Monica. She had noticed the siren had already consumed one of her two canteens. “I’m Swee Hearth, by the way.” She smiled brightly. “I heard what you said earlier about having hope in the Imperium. Well, you’re not alone.” The girl held up her nine-sided pendant, then four fingers. It was Swee’s cheesy way of saying, cheers to team 13. “ I’m so sure that we’ll all make a great team.”

 

[LegoLad659]

Room 13
Gen LumaThePhoenix Peckinou
​

...That was concerning. While talking to the Blackwater captain, Monica's eyes turned blue for a moment. She wasn't quite sure what that meant, but it was clear there was more to this girl than it looks. While she didn't have an answer for what that was, she did know now that it would probably be a good idea to avoid pissing her off like that again.

She didn't even notice the pendant filling with water at the same time.

One of the crew then asked how long they would be wasting their time here "Chill out, it's only been like ten minutes. They have a lot of people to go through, so we have plenty of time for you guys to get to know each other." She told her. Okay, so talking back to one of the Blackwater crew also wasn't the best of ideas. But she needed to know that if ten minutes of waiting was wasting time, then she was gonna be really upset later. She mentally sighed as she realized the girl was probably going to be a handful on the mission itself if she's impatient like this all the time.

The other girl introduced herself as Swee Hearth, declaring that they'd be a great team. Catherine didn't know about that, they were still waiting to see if anyone else would show up after all. But having the Blackwater crew with them seemed like a pretty good bonus to her, at least if they behaved. The longer this conversation went on the more she realized that might not be the case, though.

 

[Trektek]

The Palace Gates
Anne Boolean , LegoLad659 @ LumaThePhoenix @ Peckinou @ Gen
​

"Don't you two worry. We know that he is a new recruit and needs to be properly trained in the sword." He reaches into his bag and pulls out an amulet which he hands to Auric. It is a blue gem that sparkles as it catches the light with a metal chain to be placed around the neck. "When you are ready for proper training, you can use this to summon a trainer for you. She will teach you all that you need to know. To use it, place it in both of your hands and say that you require training. The trainer will aid you."

He began to walk into the palace through the crowds and the guards. "Follow me to your assignment. If you have any additional questions, you can answer them on the way."

If there are any questions, he would answer them, otherwise they would continue walking until they arrived at Room 13 at which point they could enter and interact with the others.

Lieutenant Ganders entered the room, "I see that you are all becoming acquainted. Good. We are just waiting on at least one other of the individuals that should be joining us and then I can go over your briefing."

The Imperial Throne Room
Clockwork Syringe ​

The Emperor walked into the throne room from a side passage with all the regal bearing that someone of his station had to offer. "I see that you are admiring the dragons that are adorned among the room. They have been a part of the Imperium since the beginning, you know." He chuckled as he took a seat on his throne and motioned the guards away. "This way, we can speak in private without any prying ears, Sildar Evans." He smiled as he spoke the Professor's name.

Seeing the Emperor Sildar briefly kneeled, but did not bow and instead kept his eyes on him. Sildar then began, "Art is expressive Your majesty and can be shown in many forms. While I would love to talk about art and not that I don't appreciate the private audience, what is the true reason that you've called me here?"

The Emperor chuckled lightly. It was obvious that Sildar was summoned for some reason, but it was still an important gesture that he was asked about it directly. "Of course. Art will have to wait until the Imperium is out of danger of course.

He motioned to one of the carved reliefs of a major battle on the wall. "It was my ancestors that helped carve out this great nation. But here I am needing assistance with saving it from it's encroaching enemies in my old age. The crown prince is not yet old enough to handle this responsibility and I am finding that parts of our great nation have succumbed to corruption and in fighting."

He smiled at Sildar. "I know that it seems as though I am rambling, but I do have a point. I have kept tabs on you for quite some time. Since you have arrived within the city walls, to be sure. I know that you are a dragon and as such, you might be some of the best hope that this nation has."

Raising an eyebrow at the Emperor’s statement Sildar shrugged and then summoned golden scaled wings that appeared from his back. “After all the effort I put into keeping that part of me hidden, it seems that one person finally put two and two together.” Sildar laughed before continuing, “Half dragon, to be specific your majesty. I have lived long enough however to remember when you were born and it was a glorious celebration to say the least, same goes for your son.” Raising an eyebrow and widening his eyes at the Emperor’s comment Sildar continued. “What do you mean the best hope the nation has because I’m a dragon?”

"It's true. It's not every day that a dragon, or even a half dragon graces our city. Besides, our spies needed to make sure that you weren't going to be doing any harm to the city or it's citizens." He motioned around the room in general. "A dragon can do great damage when they want to."

He clasped his hands together before he spoke again while leaning forward onto his knees. "That great power is just what we need. Which is why when I saw you on the list to come aid the kingdom, I needed to speak with you. I am here to offer you a choice. I will list out groups that can aid you in this quest for the salvation of the Imperium and you will choose which one will benefit you to join."

Sildar chuckled and smiled , "I do like helping people after all and if I actually abused my powers well, lets just say my father would not be happy with me." Raising an eyebrow Sildar questioned the emperor upon hearing his offer. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but are you offering me the leadership of a group and/or giving me a choice of who to join?"

" I am in fact offering you the chance to pick your own group that you shall be in charge of. "
He knew that having the raw power of a half dragon whi was powerful in magic and physical combat would be the strong bridge necessary to lead both mages and melee users effectively.

Sildar’s jaw droped at what the emperor was proposing, before regaining his composure. Clearing his throat, Sildar continued to speak. “I am most thankful for this gracious offer. However, I would prefer it if we were to keep the matter of myself being a half dragon a secret. Until I reveal it of course. I would also like to see the groups that have been assembled before I make a decision.

The Emperor chuckled lightly. " Of course. I wouldn't dream of giving away your secrets. That wouldn't benefit anyone." He pulled out a list on parchment and handed them to Sildar. "These are the teams that have currently been assembled. I'll have a guard escort you to check them out at your leisure. "

Sildar took the paper from the emperor and looked it over noticing a few names that jumped out at him. Monica, and Captain Mercy were the two that jumped out at him so on instinct he ultimately decided that this would be the team he would choose. Looking back at the emperor, he made his wings disappear before addressing him. “This is the team I would like to lead.”

"Excellent then that you have already decided. I'm sure that you have chosen a group that will compliment your abilities. The guard will escort you to the room."

The Emperor waved a hand in the air and a guard walked in from outside the room to escort the good professor. With a short journey, Sildar would have arrived at Room 13.

 

[Clockwork Syringe]

Room 13​

Sildar walked in step with the guard until he reached room 13 before entering said room. Upon entering the room, he noticed several individuals. First he noticed Captain Mercy and his crew in this room as well as Monica; this wasn't a surprise as he had seen their names on the list. Pulling out the list he made a mental note before continuing. ~Lets see here, Blue Fox, Captain Mercy, Merva Wisp, Swee Hearth, and Monica Battaglia. Sildar also noticed three other individuals, a hooded woman, a young elf man, and then a large and tall man with a well groomed beard. Nodding to the guard, the guard then left quickly leaving Sildar in the company of room 13's occupants. While he knew most of their names, he did not know which name matched with which person. Walking up to the large and tall man, and also shooting a quick nod in the direction of Monica, he began. "Sir, I take it this is room 13?" while also showing him the list the emperor gave him."

Anne Boolean LegoLad659 LumaThePhoenix Peckinou Gen Trektek

 

[LumaThePhoenix]

Monica Battaglia
Palace Room 13​

Monica took a moment to touch the nine-sided pendant. It was a fascinating trinket that drew even more intrigue when Swee explained what it was. As the girl spoke, Monica smiled at the optimism she had. The rumors were true indeed. She was the yin to Captain Mercy's yang. That's why the pink-haired lady was quick to try to reassure Swee when she looked sad.

"Pleased to meet you, Swee. I'm Monica, and I'm glad I'm not the only one with hope for a brighter future. As for your captain, I'm sure he has compassion in that cold shell of his.....somewhere, or else he wouldn't go by Captain Mercy." She smiles after saying this.

Her attention would immediately be taken away by the entrance of another person. This one was a familiar face. It was Sildar. Whatever he had been called for earlier seemed to have come to an end if he was here now. She sees him nod at her and returns the gesture. Considering the people in the room so far, the potential this team has is mind-blowing to Monica. Of course, potential and talent mean nothing without chemistry. While Sildar was showing the list of names, Monica looked at the list while reaching for her backpack. She retrieves a bottle of water from it but does not drink from it yet. Instead, she holds onto it until she gets thirsty again.

Clockwork Syringe Trektek LegoLad659 Gen Peckinou Anne Boolean

 

[Peckinou]

Merva Wisp
Merva was a bit annoyed with what the blue haired girl said but didn't care enough to push it as of right now, she just closed her eyes and waited for the guards to finish up whatever business they had. Only when the door opened did she reopen her eyes as she looked on to see what appeared to be a imperial mage, a elf guard and a soldier she could tell they were all with the Imperum by their outfits and likely one of them was their to brief them and not long after did the door reopen this time the mage of the academy himself decided to make hiss appearance. Merva stared a bit as Sildar walked up to the elf man trying to confirm that he has the right room apparently. Merva was a bit annoyed right now and growled out "You two imperial watchdogs sure took your time when it came to getting here, atleast the mage boy had a good excuse talking the king and all." . She then glared at the two Imperial dogs as she scowled at them both. Although seeing the Mage teacher did make her scowl lessen a bit she honestly had no idea why that is but she quickly turned her head looking right at her feet which were poised on the table as she was sitting down. "Unlike you guys not everyone here has the luxury to waste all their time waiting for some info on what we are suppose to do, so i suggest you hurry up and give us the info we need so we can leave already, with all the guards here you would think they would be doing things faster." She practically growled out the last part. Merva was always a bit more grumpy when away from the sea especially now that she was on her last bottle, she did however make a mental note to buy more bottles later so that she can stay out long enough to wait for the slow humans. They always seemed to drown faster than they moved which kinda annoyed her a bit.​