Fantasy That Time the Demon Lord Killed our Party Leader: Ic

[Worthlessplebian]

Tiberius Helvian, Longinus

When the troubling confession left Tiberius' lips, the hotsprings lightened. The steam reflected Tiberius' untroubled heart. The thick strands, that rose up like swirling lances, became filmy and the gladiator's azure eyes gleamed, licking away the worry from his heart. He sailed his hand through the waters, sending soft ripples across his reflection. He shifted his head for a moment, watching the scattering form in the water. Purple, deep-seated eyes winked back at him and his smile grew wider. Qin, clandestine as ever, returned her approval. It is a sobering experience, this. To be round these people who have give of themselves to him and he, in turn, them. Lightheartedly pensive, he turned to Enthy as the dragonness spoke her piece, eyes locked to her gaze. A minute later of introspection —taking Enthyskana's words to heart—resulted in Tiberius chuckling slightly at her promise; Most warriors, proud and vain, would've been slighted at her words, however, the gladiator reveled in the proposition. "Right, reliable as ever." He gestured with a hand, flicking droplets from the fingertips, to Enthy as well as Kaida and those who weren't by his side in person, but in spirit. Truly, these heroes were heaven-sent to his doorstep. Yet, he could still imagine the path that he would've tread, had Qin not heeded his prayer or had he not met Arlux shortly thereafter. Well, for starters, he'd have been deader than a man crushed by his own casket. But if he had survived, he would've definitely been an utter recluse, like how the Red Dragon was.

Tiberius examined Enthy's ruminations about Walpurga and Parzival. "A logical, if flawed proposition. I cannot say that Walpurga or Astraea were not prag—" As Tiberius began, however, his thoughts on the matter were cut short by the increasing chitter-chatter of the white monkeys in their midst. His mouth closed, as he watched side-long at the monkeys breaking off from their small circle. One banked off from the rest in the water, the small simian sniffed at his chest before its spindly arms stretched up over his shoulders and hoisted itself up to his chest. As immovable as a stone, Tiberius allowed the creature's curiousity. His features remained unchanged, even as the monkey patted his scarred cheek. However, Tiberius noted that they were not as friendly as first assumed. Their body language all but screamed indignation. Frustration, as the simian roughly explored his scalp with its wiry fingers, Tiberius featured wrinkled with irritation; left cheek pushed against his eye, while fingers tapping the craggy, grey basalt behind his back. The scudding clouds above covered the sun briefly.

It leaped into the water again, rejoining its coven in the centre to converse their findings. As Tiberius expected, with a dark mien, they were not satisfied. One of them gesticulated their displeasure by waving about that empty chestnut shell. Now, their heads snapped back towards the heroes, causing the gladiator's eyes to furrow further. Their pinkish faces contorted, a red rictus of anger. Testy, testy, the gladiator mused as they began to swarm. Seemingly ignoring Enthy in the process, Tiberius' observational skills informed him that it was because she had paid her dues. He leaned slightly away from the snarling, rattling creatures that encircled him. Flaying their arms in protestation and baring toothy-grins to their faces. Tiberius was not an expert of the animal mind, but he knew enough that simians don't smile as they do.

The eyes of Tiberius were focused on Kaida's form beyond the monkeys gathered around him, he nodded only once to allow him to deal with this.

A second later, the monkeys incessant demands seemed to rouse the gladiator from his fugue state — Tiberius raised an eyebrow, creasing his forehead.

The hotspring was shallow, yet the centre of it bubbled and clouded as though a blanket had been thrown over the upperlayer of water. Quietly, the bubbles popped then, the surface of hotspring bulged like a leviathan surging into the shallows, the surface broke into an explosion of droplets, revealing a giant clad in a suit of black armour, trailing streams of meltwater from his craggy, cavernous shoulders. The monkeys, caught flatfooted, gaped at the dire bulk. His eyes were the colour of throbbing veins, blue, as light and soft, yet paler than the winter sky. They shifted at times, sometimes they were a deep violet. Before the first droplets touched the hot water again, the giant pulled his rightside back then swiped deceptively fast for his size. Scooping up the troop of monkeys before the fox-spirit. One armful of white-fur, he winded up his left side now, cutting through the air to strike again. The gladiator crossed his arms and shook his head as the monkeys quivered, railed against, and struggled in Pollux' icy grasp. He turned in the water, making his way carefully out of the spring to retrieve the leather pouch that he had brought with him when he prepared for their trip to these relaxation pits. It was a simple, brown pouch, homespun by one of Jorvik's citizens, closed with a darker brown string around its throat. It was swollen, rounded by its contents. Tiberius suspected that these silly simians demanded tithes, or something to that effect, otherwise why would Enthyskana herself pack the satchel of fruits, nuts? He undid the string, rattling the contents to gather their attention.

The monkeys, which up to that point still raged against Pollux' tight grasp, suddenly inclined their red-faces towards Tiberius again.Their eyes brimmed with curiousity as Tiberius approached closer and closer before showing them the contents of the bag. Walnuts, hazelnuts although not as much as Enthyskana had provided. That was a failing on his part, he could only request so much on such short notice, the trip had been indeed spontaneous for him.

"Kaida, oh-fox of mine, if you'd be so kind as to borrow my mana, I doubt they'd want whole loaves of bread, the grain itself should be enough though." Tiberius asked stolidly of her, his head then inclined towards Enthy to speak to her. "Never allow an animal, or a person's intimidation to bear fruit, otherwise they'd only be more bolder with the next group." He extended the pouch to the monkey with the largest mane of fur, it almost seemed like snow to him. The primate gingerly reached out to take the pouch from him, showing great care by avoiding direct eye-contact with Tiberius.

Behind Pollux, a bird's feather almost went unnoticed by the gladiator, he looked about to find its owner, but was met with empty branches, save for perennial, needle leaves. He filed that away for later.

Interactions: Nano (Enthy), Beann (Kaida)
Mentions: "You damn dirty apes!"

 

[Beann]

Suzuki Kaida

An awkward silence enveloped the trio after the brief discussion of the events that happened in the Walupurgisnacht concluded. Only the ambient sounds of the water rippling filled the space between them. Kaida did not mind relaxing in silence but she found herself to be in a better mood when she was engaged in conversation. Luckily, as if he had read her mind, Tiberius broke the silence with a confession. The kitsune straightened up, providing the gladiator her undivided attention as he recalled his personal experience against Parzival. She blinked slowly, not completely understanding the weight of his situation but she had faith in him and his words to know that it was a concerning topic. There were cases of lost or distressed spirits possessing the living, making them feel like they were not who they were in the moment. She had doubts about that being the case for Tiberius.

Kaida relaxed her shoulders, her vibrant red eyes shifting over to Enthy as the young dragon offered her comforting words about his predicament. She could only nod in agreement, the words stolen right out of her. Well, not exactly — she would have worded it a bit less…professional but she was certain it would have held somewhat of the same effect. Her attention switched back over to Tiberius as she offered him a smile and a clear look that she would do everything in her power to aid him in his troubles as he would for her in turn. Words were not needed between them.

Finally, she tilted her head back slightly as she closed her eyes, her ears twitching every now and then to acknowledge that she was listening to Enthy. She shared the same views as her friend, most of them at least. It wasn’t fair that a few bad apples spoiled the bunch. As much as she wished they could change that perspective, she understood that she was still merely a mortal, only capable of reacting to such events.

When the conversation trailed off, the kitsune figured Enthy was done with the topic. However, the increase in chittering from the local monkeys caused her to open one eye out of curiosity. She watched as they sniffed around, a few breaking off to climb Tiberius and comb through his hair. Kaida would have loved to climb the gladiator as well. Obviously, not in the same manner as the monkeys but definitely with a bit more fervor. The huddle between the curious monkeys was lost on the kitsune as she daydreamed. Her focus on reality only snapped back when a chestnut shell was waved in front of her face, causing her to blink in confusion.

It only took her a split second to realize what was happening and her tails began to instinctively rise out of the water, preparing to fan out to counter the several teeth that were barred at her. Before the tension broke out into utter chaos, a suit of black armor emerged from the steaming water, scooping up the monkeys that were directly in front of Kaida. She blinked in surprise at her savior, watching the monkeys flail in an attempt to break out of Pollux’s grasp. “Many thanks, Polly~” She regained her composure just in time to hear Tiberius’ request for grain.

Her lips curved into a flirtatious grin as she slowly stood up and approached his side. All nine tails swayed, a few brushing against the gladiator’s arm to indicate that she was currently at full capacity for mana. Regardless, she would accept. “Of course, Tiby~” Kaida outstretched her hand over the water before turning her palm upward, pieces of oats quickly filling her hand and spilling between her fingers. Once a single tail disappeared to indicate that she produced an ample amount of food for the monkeys, she turned her hand back over to stop the flow.

“Hopefully that will be enough to satiate them,” she murmured before looking up at Tiberius, her gaze clearly stating that she would not let this debt go unpaid. A few of her tails wrapped around the gladiator’s arm, tugging firmly to bring him down to her height. Without much consideration for Enthy’s innocence, she pulled Tiberius into a deep kiss. A spark ignited from within and it was as if a valve had opened, allowing mana to freely transfer from Tiberius to Kaida via their lips. Only when she felt her ninth tail return did she gingerly pull away, smiling in satisfaction.

 

[LazyDaze]

AAXIR THE RED

Interactions: DSLIX Bloody_Death
Mentions: Nessi

The gods dissipated and Kai was quick to join Aaxir in the efforts to help Khatiy. Despite Kai's pushy, annoying, jovial persona that almost seemed forced (because there is no way anyone in the world is that nice) Aaxir had full confidence in Kai’s abilities. You could say that he was one of the many reasons so many heroes could fight without the fear of death. It was a gruesome sight to behold but Aaxir was not the type to get squeamish, watching in wonder as Khatiy’s arm miraculously returned to her.

Aaxir turned his eyes to Kai when he scoffed at his suggestion. “Silly human, you all love onions and garlic. They put them in everything and even adorn them as necklaces, so why wouldn’t you be happy to receive a basket full of them. Utter Nonsense,” Aaxir said while Kai continued to tend to her wounds.

He was surprised when Kai thanked him, but he continued, giving him one of the highest compliments you could give Aaxir considering his goal. Aaxir couldn’t remember if he mentioned his goals to him at all, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he figured it out with how long they had been traveling together. Aaxir had just assumed everyone thought he was crazy, or didn’t care…but apparently, at least for Kai, this wasn’t the case. “...Heh, I merely acted without thinking. We can’t have our best healer shredded to dust after all but……thanks,” Aaxir said while turning away to hide his embarrasment. “By the way, it’s only arrogance if you can’t back it up,” he concluded with a confident smile, doing his best Pele impression.

It didn't take long, but Khatiy seemed to be good as new...well physically speaking at least. Aaxir was going to ask Kai if Khatiy was fully healed but Kai would burst into an explanation that answered that question. It turned out that her mana circuits were essentially fried. He didn’t really understand it all, but for some reason not even Kai could overcome this ailment which meant that it was serious. Had she been dealing with this the entire time? Kai stated they would have to take her back to Ragnir’s to get treatment for some reason and then Kai looked at him with those sly beady eyes of his. The same eyes that helped began this entire shopping trip. Though he didn't know how going back to the estate would help remedy Khatiy's mana circuits Aaxir gave in to Kai's demands.

“....Fine,” Aaxir said in a huff. “I’ll carry her, but be sure to pick up some turnips for your apology once she is fully healed.”

Before Aaxir could pick her up, there was once again another unlikely appearance from a familiar face. This time, it was Chrome. “Damn it Kai, did you piss Chrome off too,” Aaxir exclaimed, thinking he would have to battle against the seemingly undead Vampire just after the near confrontation with Khatiy. Aaxir couldn’t help but wonder who else he would run into today. Whatever the case, Aaxir would now think twice before going for a peaceful walk. It didn’t take long for Aaxir to realize that he too was here for Khatiy causing him to lower his guard. “Hey Chrome, I think she’s-”

Chrome seemed to only be concerned with the lioness at the moment, speaking with a tone that almost didn’t suit him. Chrome tended to some of the more superficial injuries of the heart and then replaced Aaxir’s haori with his jacket. Chrome, continued the trend of surprising Aaxir, moving towards him then stating that he also believed in him, stating he possessed some form of righteousness, something Aaxir definitely didn't believe himself. He started to think....that maybe he was beginning to find that purpose Ragnir spoke about earlier. Despite the shockingly kind words from Chrome, the act of placing Aaxir's haori on his shoulder did earn an twitch from Aaxir despite the vampire’s kind words. Was this a challenge, it felt like a challenge, in fact maybe when Ragnir put his fist in his chest that was a challenge too. Actually, Kai stated that he came here to challenge him to a duel as well (sarcasm completely lost).....was this all a grand tournament he simply didn't know about!.....but he was here to help Khatiy (and she needed all the help she could get) Aaxir only furrowed his brows to avoid wasting anymore time so he could take her to…wait where was he taking her too? The Pink ray of sunshine? That sure sounded like Nel.....Oh gods he couldn't have meant the devil's disciple? The color left Aaxir’s face immediately..no one mentioned anything about taking her to Nel. Why was he delivering Khatiy to the Strawberry Death, the cherry blossom of despair? The bubblegum tyrant? Khatiy might be in bad shape, but she wasn’t ready to become one of Kaida’s servants! Before he could object Chrome had apologized to the crowd and taken off just as soon as he came. He could only hope that he knew what he was doing before running his fingers through his har out of frustration and relief. At the very least, everyone was safe. Aaxir removed his now bloody haori off his shoulders and sniffed. He then looked at it for a bit before shrugging his shoulders. “Guess it doesn't matter….anyway, it’s too bloody to wear now.” Thankfully for Aaxir, being shirtless in the winter wonderland that was Jorvik wouldn’t affect him as much as others. “Well Kai, looks like we gotta get back so I can get a new shirt, or wash this one. Ironically, because of this entire ordeal, I also know what I’ll give Eleanor…then you and everyone else can get off my back,” Aaxir said with a snort. With that, the dragon and the healer made their way back to the mansion. “I hope you’re not scared of heights….,” Aaxir said with a sly grin.

****​

Besides a moment Aaxir took to himself for personal reasons, It didn’t take long to make it back to the mansion, especially since Aaxir made sure to fly as fast as he could because he knew Kai was a thrill seeker at heart. He let go of Kai, allowing him to stand on his own two feet while looking around the estate. It seemed kind of…empty. Aaxir figure he would go to the training grounds, or find a room with some peace and quiet, or wash his haori.........but then there was the whole thing with the gift and apology he was supposed to give..."Ehhh, maybe that can wait. It's not like I didn't already say it technically. This is just insurance," Aaxir said while nodding to himself in agreement. He wondered if the spa would be a good place to start, but after hearing faint noises and whispers of potential chaos, Aaxir thought the better of it. “Sounds noisy....Maybe I should go for a walk again. Good luck Kai!”

 

[OldTurtle]

Fel Petri

Interactions: Smelly Nelly ( Dawnsx ) Chrome ( DSLIX ) Khatiy the Unconsious ( Kibaa )

Mentions:

”Sir, yes, sir! And c’mon, you can just call me Nel! Or Nelly! That way we maaatch!”

Repressing a nauseous shudder at the thought of such a horrific fate, Fel sighed and shook his head for what must've been the thousandth time. Nel possessed, if nothing else, an indefatigable force of will and seemed to never tire of the same request. He, on the other hand, certainly had long ago. It was only sheer stubborness and a refusal to let the tiny terror win that allowed him to withstand her ceaselessness.

Thankfully, she seemed to be more interested in sparring than in pestering him, and Fel was spared from any further annoyance. The magic gathered quickly in Nel's palm, a half-step faster than the first time she'd shown him. Closer than before, he took the chance to examine the way she weaved the spell. A twinge of something akin to envy managed to sting at his chest before he stamped it out ruthlessly. Fae were blessed in the ways of thaumaturgy such that most other mortal races -- even elves -- could only dream of approaching. Fel had borne witness to the skills of a number of Nel's kin in the Isles and they had, without exception, been among the best mages he'd known. He was intimately familiar with just how incredibly magically blessed Fae could be. Sometimes he wondering if that attunement shaped their natures as well. She had been a bit similar to Nel, all bright and energetic and exhaustingly positive.

Watching Nel cast her incantation brought up... old memories -- things that belonged in the past, where he didn't have to think about, worry about, care about -- ah, he was getting distracted. That wouldn't do.

The bubble left Nelumba's hand. It traveled more swiftly this time, less limpet and more albacore. Still much too slowly, but a marked improvement over earlier. Fel rifled through his extensive collection of incantations with a practiced hand. Should he intercept and destabilize the bubble with a simple fireball? Wait until it detonated to redirect the icicles with a burst of wind? Matching Nelumba with water magic was a needless endeavor but could serve as a useful benchmark. No, no, this was a good opportunity to stretch a few scarely-used muscles. The words to erect a curved sheet of earth settled on Fel's tongue and his mana began to flow -- and then promptly fell flat as Nelumba's bubble fizzled out impotently halfway between the two mages.

"Nelumba-," Fel caught the rest of his words before he said them. Considering what he demanded of the girl, failure was expected at first. Chastising her over a single mistake was harsh even for him and would not serve to motivate her any better. "Speed means nothing without structure. If you try to rush another incantation, I'll set your hair on fire."

And some insolent rodents dared to imply he only ever wielded a stick. How's that for a carrot? Let it be known that Fel Petri could use as much honey as vinegar if he so wished.

Nelumba's second attempt was interrupted by a dark, winged figure suddenly alighting onto the training field between the two. Chrome van der Linde, the party's resident vampire with a brain cell count that ostensibly scaled inversely proportionally with age, was an unexpected appearance. He had been around earlier, Fel knew -- he'd heard the man prattle on inanely about something, but hadn't paid much attention to what about -- and his sudden request for Nelumba piqued his interest.

"Her mana circuits -- we need to see the state they're in as they seem to be sealing points off to prevent her from becoming possessed by The Lion Monarch but seeing how many times this hasn't worked I'm surprised her mana hasn't deviated yet."

Run-on sentences aside, there was only one person Chrome could be speaking of. Crossing the field to take a closer look, Fel caught a glimpse of the figure bundled up in Chrome's arms. A deep scowl set across his features and he leaned over Nel's shoulder to take a look at Khatiy -- or more importantly, the markings littering her tan skin. Countless glyphic scars burned deep into her flesh, the largest among them featured across the center of her back. Seals, if what Chrome said was accurate. Many of the characters were familiar, dialects from across the eastern reaches of Veita, and Fel suspected they varied in age quite a bit.

...Well, at any rate, it certainly explained quite a bit about her inconsistent use of mana. Fel reached into his cloak and felt around blindly for a few moments, finally extracting from one pocket a sheaf of papers: older reports he'd managed to filch from Ayao in a vain attempt at reducing her endless recitations. He flipped through them for a moment until he found one with relatively little writing and, withdrawing from another corner of his clothes a short stick of charcoal, began to methodically sketch the seals and glyphs seared into Khatiy's skin.

"-later, right? Pleaaase?”

"Hm? Yes, yes, of course, Nelumba." Looking up only to catch an eyeful of Nelumba's pleading expression, Fel grunted distractedly. He nodded, not having the faintest clue what he was agreeing to and turned back to his inscriptions. His hands not stopping for a moment, Fel addressed Chrome. "Do you have any further explanation as to what happened here? Who applied these seals -- I doubt it was Khatiy herself, eccentric though she may be."

 

[Bloody_Death]

KAI NAKAYAMA

"...what?" Okay. He could understand the 'everyone uses onions and garlic to cook therefore they like it' even if that was no excuse for anyone to give those objects as gifts. But the necklaces? What was this dragon even talking about? "What kind of humans have you talking to?" Was all he could say at that. Not even trying to argue about this anymore. He wasn't mentally present enough to try and banter about this anymore. Not at this moment at least. He's definitely bringing this back up later though. Who would use food as jewelry? It would stink!

At Aaxir's thanks, he smiled at the redhead. Even if he was trying to sound all calm and cool, he could tell he seemed pretty happy about his compliment. Though he playfully rolled his eyes at the added comment. Laughing at the other's abundance of confidence. But it wasn't a mocking laugh. More like the amused lighthearted kind. Like you were watching a kid doing something silly. "Of course, my apologies."

They'd definitely have to find Nel. Even if she couldn't fix the circuits, at least she'd be able to see it! But it would be very helpful if Nel could fix it while she was at it. With Aaxir agreeing to carry Khatiy they were good to go! "Wait, turnips?" Before he could start an entirely different argument about another vegetable Chrome was suddenly coming down from the sky. Chrome...shouldn't be mad right? But he does recall Chrome being a bit unhappy when he and Wanga forced him into the garden. "Listen- he shouldn't be mad. I didn't do anything." He's never deliberately tried to make people mad at him so why was this happening to him? Thankfully, Chrome was here to help with Khatiy! And apparently, he overheard some of his talking, since he was taking her to 'The Pink Ray of Sunshine' aka Nel. So, that saved them the trouble of trying to find her. "Make sure she rest a lot once Nel is done. Oh! And also make sure Nel doesn't deem her too miserable to live." It was a scary criterion the fairy held for who deserved the sweet release of death and who didn't. "Also didn't you just leave the garden? You better not wear yourself out too quickly. If you end up exhausted or hurt, I swear I'm locking you up in that garden for the next hundred years!" He spoke with a shout as the Vampire took flight once again. Letting out a sigh as once the Vamp was out of sight.

Kai's demeanor lit up when Aaxir said he had a gift idea! But after recalling what his previous ideas were, that delight soon turned into suspicion. "This gift idea isn't another vegetable, right? Or some sort of fight to the death. What came to mind?" He was curious as to what that dragon brain of his could come up with after some time to think about this. But then something completely different was brought up as they were about to finally head back. "Huh...?" That was a concerning look he had on.

And before he knew it Aaxir was carrying him around and zipping around through the sky. And despite how terrifying this might be for some, Kai was having the time of his life. Despite the calm and mature demeanor he tried to hold most of the time, he couldn't help but act like a child on their first joyride! Kai doesn't condone taking children on joyrides. Once he was placed on the ground, the smile he held was uncontainable. Hair messy and astray as the strong winds disrupted the usually neat hair. Kai didn't seem to mind though. Only pushing enough of it back so it wasn't covering his face that was radiating excitement. "That was fun! We should totally go flying again!" He cheered, smacking the other's arm playfully. "Yeah yeah. Technically you said it but she didn't hear it. So it doesn't count. But I guess you could take a break." He shrugged while wearing a cheeky grin but soon raised a brow when...Aaxir said he was going on a walk? Again? "You were just on a walk. That's what we just came back from." He spoke while crossing his arms. Maybe it was an in-the-moment thing, but they were back at the estate. The day was still young. They could probably make it to the springs with everyone else! The monkeys!! And he was going to bring Aaxir with him. "Let's go to the hotsprings! It sounds like the others are still there too. After such long and tiring days, we should reward ourselves with a nice warm bath. You're already half-naked anyway. Plus, I heard they have monkeys here too. Monkeys, Aaxir. We have to feed them." Who wouldn't want to bathe and feed some cute monkeys?

Luckily, he had some leftover food from his early morning trip when he got breakfast for Wanga and Hargred. So hopefully it was enough for the monkeys. After checking his bag to make sure he still had those leftovers, he pulled a very similar move to what he did earlier today. And that was trying to push the dragon towards their destination. But rather than the market it was the hotsprings! After much pushing and then giving up to instead drag the other by the arm with him, they would, slowly but surely, make it to the hot springs.

"Monkeys? Are you here- woah...!" Okay- was not expecting to see Kaida and Tiberius to just be making out in the bath. Which was kinda strange since this was Kaida and Tiberus he was talking about...but Enthy was still here! Luckily he just caught the tail end of that. Unluckily he had to catch it in general. "Deciding to add your own steam to the party, huh? Hope we're not disturbing." After fully stepping into the hot spring area, and making sure that Aaxir wouldn't be running away, he let go of the dragon to hunt around for some towels the both of them could use. Kai was quite used to hot spring culture. Saying he often went to them in his youth in Yamato. But it's been quite a bit since his last hot spring visit. After finding some towels, he tossed one at Aaxir before quickly undressing and wrapping the towel around his waist. "Do you like monkeys too, Pollux?" He questioned when he noticed the suit of black armor holding onto a bunch of monkeys in the water. Unaware of how they were the same monkeys were about to start a fight with two of his comrades.

He took a seat on the edge of the pool and dipped his feet in as he pulled out some of his own goodies! That being some fruits, veggies, and bread rolls. Now trying to wave over some of the monkeys so he could get in on the action too. "Do you even like Monkeys, Aaxir? I probably should have asked you before, huh? What about you Enthy?" He questioned while looking between the two dragons. Idly handing out food to any Monkeys that came looking for some.

---

Interactions: LazyDaze (Aaxir) || Nano (Enthy) || Beann (Kaida) || Worthlessplebian (Tiberius)

Mentions: Nessi (Eleanor)

 

[CasualTea]

"Hey, furballs." An annoyed but familiar voice called out. "Here."

It was a little while ago that Rohen decided to vacate the training grounds and leave it to Nel and Fel. "You don't wish to join them?" Rohen shook her head. "Nel seems to be trying to learn something. It serves no purpose for me to go and ambush them. Let her learn." She said as she was strolling through what looked like to be a market. She was very familiar with the place as she frequented the area many times for business. Surely, she stopped by one of her associates' stands. It empty baskets, looking that it used to have inventory and has now sold out. Luckily, there were still stock available, mainly fruits. "Ah, Rohen." A burly voice said, friendly as ever. "It is so good to see you again. Surely, Olrodia has not given you a fear for the seas!" Rohen chuckled. "Nah, Jago. The sea still belongs to me. And it obeys me." She replied as they exchanged a friendly handshake. "Business still good?"

Jago sighed. "Good, yes. But I fear a storm is brewing. And it's coming." He said as his friendly face melted away in a tinge of disappointment. "After I sell everything out, I'm going to pack up and move. Jorvik's not safe anymore." This statement made Rohen raise a brow. They just got here and there were celebrations. "What's... What's been happening?" She asked. Jago pulled up a couple of stools and sat themselves down behind his stand. "...Jorvik has surrendered to Olrodia. A-And I don't know what the king has in store but..." "Wait wait, you're saying I'm still on Olrodian dirt right now?" He nodded reluctantly. "Most of us have already started moving back to Zheng Fa or risking it over seas to the Isles. Either way, we just can't stay here." Rohen sighed before she got up. She felt like she needed to help her friend. "Alright. Come on, let me help you get set."

Jago chuckled as he stood up once more and patted the young lady on the shoulder. "No need, no need. Just seeing you gives me joy. Here, take these with you. On the house." He then brought out a bag and filled it with apples and bananas. "Oh... Gee, thanks. I-I can pay you back later---" He shook his head once more. "Your friendship is all I need." He then got a small basket that had a towel covered over it. "And this... is a special thank you gift. Take with you, take care." He said as he handed the basket carefully to Rohen. Upon taking it in her hands, she lifted the cover and her eyes lit up.

At the hot springs, she dropped the bag full of fruits on the ground, letting it spill so that the monkeys can see it. The sheer amount of it would obviously be enough enticing for them to ditch the group and run to the bag. Rohen moved away from the pile of monkeys and soon made her way to the group with a small basket with some towels draped over it, making it look like extra towels and dipping her feet into the water before settling among them. "Am I uh... intruding?" She asked as she was watching Kaida and Tiberius kiss. At least she had some knowledge of their situation, but it was still an uncomfortable scene to just walk in on. "Excuse me, then." Of course, she had a towel wrapped around her body but it did not do much to hide the scars that littered her skin. Not like they were hidden anyways with her normal attire. Still, it was evident some bruises from prison have yet to heal. The moment she sunk herself into the water next to the trio did she actually feel her bruises again which made her wince a little.

"Kgh.. Maybe I should see a healer..." She grunted to herself. As she finally sat down, she turned her head to see that the monkeys were fully distracted before she looked at the others and moved the towel off the basket a little, revealing what was inside. It was quite a batch of hard boiled eggs. "Not sure about you all, but to me this is rich peoples' food. Come, have some." She said as she set the basket to the side while it was still partially covered so that it was safe from the feral creatures. She took one and cracked it open, peeling the shell off before popping the egg into her mouth. There, she just ate in silence.

Interactions: Worthlessplebian Beann Nano

 

[Nano]

Owl

The everlasting, bitter cold cast by the Fimbulvetr long tempered the collective spirits of the people of Jórvik into a resilience that refused to bend. Ragnir Brynjolf carried the Jórvik doctrine faithfully, and his people were all the more willing to follow suit. A certain man couldn’t help but wonder if their tenacity was impressive or nothing more than glorified foolishness. Still, as he made his way through the lively marketplace in the heart of the capital, he knew that he wasn’t going to pass on what the nation had to offer before the false veil of peace would inevitably be torn off in a few days’ time.

“Young Miss!” He called out with the cheerfulness of a child being taken to a candy store, “I came for the jerky you promised!”

At the mention of jerky, one of the middle-aged vendors lifted her head and looked from side-to-side at her neighbors. When she noted that neither had paid the man any mind, she squinted at the figure who gradually drew closer. The woman took a few seconds to scrutinize the brunette dressed in a blue, feathered cloak before her eyes sparkled with recognition. Mouth curling into a smile, she waved the young man over energetically.

“No need for the flattery!” she said, laughing, “I almost couldn’t tell you were calling out to me. But here, I filled two bags: one with elk meat and one with rabbit meat.”

The brunette placed a small pouch of coins down upon the counter before reaching into one of the bags. Under the expectant gaze of the vendor, he nibbled on one corner of a piece of jerky and nodded in satisfaction. “It’s not easy finding jerky like this in these parts. A shame it’s not more popular, really.”

A smug expression made its way upon the woman’s visage, and she crossed her arms with a huff. “Indeed! That husband of mine always says that the taste is too strong and the smell is too pungent! Tsk tsk, there needs to be more reasonable people like you.”

“Hey!” one of her neighbors suddenly jumped into the fray, “You’re lucky we even let that smelly jerky in the marketplace!”

Seeing the woman bite back with a retort of her own about how a man who couldn’t even cook a bowl of soup had no right to speak, the brunette laughed lightly before politely excusing himself. In comparison to his brief stop over while picking up his bags of jerky, he spent little time perusing the other vendors at the marketplace and quickly ducked into an alley which led to one of the less populated side streets.

An owl with a pair of unnaturally bright blue eyes landed upon the man’s padded shoulder, digging its sharp talons into its perch. In response, the brunette stroked the soft blue and buff feathers lining the owl’s underbelly affectionately.

“I quite like it here, so it’s too bad this city will fall,” he murmured, though the tone of his voice lacked even a hint of pity. “Report this: Parzival has fallen while Hargred rests in the hands of the heroes, though this seems to have sown a bit of unrest among their ranks. The king of Jórvik isn’t giving up without one last stand as expected, but the heroes are foolish enough to stay behind and fight rather than run to The Isles. The rest of my flock will stay here and keep observing.”

As soon as the man finished speaking, the owl upon his shoulder answered with a trill and took off. In turn, the man unclipped a mask from his belt and placed it over his eyes while pulling his hood over his hair.

“For the Glory of the Olrodian Empire. Or something like that. Haha.”

 

[Nano]

Enthyskana Rhoda

Interactions: Tiberius ( Worthlessplebian ) | Kaida ( Beann ) | Kai ( Bloody_Death ) | ( LazyDaze ) | Rohen ( CasualTea )

Mentions: --

Tiberius’s warning to discourage the monkeys from lording their authority over others wasn’t without truth, yet Enthy couldn’t help but tilt her head into the cup of her hand. The gladiator’s hard-handedness wasn’t without merit, as the monkeys had quieted down and likely would for quite a while, yet the young dragon couldn’t help but feel a tinge of guilt and pity towards the animals. They were, after all, trespassing upon their territory. Perhaps she’d suggest to the people of Jórvik that it’d be good to erect a sign warning non-locals to offer a few tokens of friendship to the hot springs’ furry residents before dipping into the comfort of the waters. Though her request would have to wait, given Kaida and Tiberius’s “acts of public indecency” as Veritas might call it had they gone any further.

Frankly speaking, Kaida’s ability to devour the mana of others and take it for her own was rather fascinating, albeit on the inconvenient side. Curiosity pushed aside any sense of awkwardness or shame she might have felt, and the dragon blinked owlishly as she observed the pair. Given the speed at which Kaida’s ninth tail returned, it was clear that a mouth-to-mouth exchange worked at a greater efficiency than simpler forms of physical contact. However, that then begged the question as to why when the area of contact wasn’t necessarily any lesser when pursuing alternative methods. Even if someone managed to perform a miracle by replicating this ability and forming it into a never before seen spell, she doubted those casting the spell would be very pleased if it had the same requirements as Inari’s hero.

Enthy made a mental note to herself that she'd write her observations down in the Tome of-

"You. Will. NOT. Under any circumstances be using the tome's sacred pages to host such…content."

Veritas’s authoritative (and very much disgruntled) voice boomed inside Enthy’s mind, causing her shoulders to jump.

“By the gods, I cannot fathom why you insist on using a divine weapon as a personal journal.”

Not wishing to stoke the ire of the god, Enthy promptly crossed off her intentions of scribbling the day’s events into the tome’s pages. Unfortunately for the God of Justice, his little hero wasn’t so meek as to forgo her rather inappropriate usage of the Tome of Divine Law. He would finally receive an answer to his inquiry, however.

“There was a note signed by my predecessor that said to make good use of the tome in this manner. I haven’t seen any other writings penned by their hand, so I thought my musings would disappear once this tome changes hands.”

Enthy informed her god telepathically. His reaction to that information wasn’t quite what she expected, though.

“Enthyskana.”

“Yes?”

“That note you speak of was penned by someone who was blind since a young age and had no need to write anything down in the Tome of Divine Law.”

“Ooh…”

Enthy would’ have liked to next ask why Veritas’s former hero had chosen to leave behind such a message but decided it was best to let the matter rest. Though his words were too muted to make out, Veritas had turned to his usual sighing and muttering under his breath before his voice completely blipped out of existence. Something about a “Hammer of Justice”? She couldn’t tell.

The brief exchange between the dragon and her patron god would soon be followed by the arrival of more familiar faces. The first of the newcomers, Kai, seemed almost judgemental when his eyes swept over Kaida and Tiberius while Aaxir… Well, he was being very Aaxir-like as per usual. Rather, it was a wonder as to how Kai had managed to lug the stubborn dragon along in spite of his status as one of the humans that he wasn’t all too keen on interacting with. Whatever the case, it was an improvement! Sure, dragons didn’t need to bathe as often as humans (supposedly), but Enthy herself was very much an advocate for frequent grooming and good personal hygiene. It also didn’t hurt that the hot springs provided just the right kind of social environment between the grumpy dragon and the other party members.

Whether he was paying attention or not, Enthy smiled proudly at Aaxir and gave him two thumbs up before turning towards Kai.

“I’d say they’re pretty cute! These little ones are also pretty polite—er, as long as you offer snacks in advance…”

And speaking of snacks, Enthy politely thanked Rohen for the boiled eggs before taking one for herself.

“How did you manage to source such a large batch of eggs?”

she asked while carefully tapping it against a rock at the edge of the pool. The pristine, white shell was carefully peeled back and gave way to a soft, mellow egg white. Freshly made and perfect for a trip to the hot springs. She’d have to think of a return gift for Tiamat’s hero later.

 

[Nessi]

Eleanor

Eleanor swung her blade towards Paimon, who dodged the strike with ease. She pressed onwards, but didn’t get any closer to landing a strike on the Eternal King.
“Come on! Stop striking where you see me, strike where I’m going to be!” Paimon yelled, continuing to evade Eleanor’s attacks.
Heeding her patron god's advice, Eleanor entered into her divine sync state, and watched as the future was revealed to her. There was a strand of energy, and within this strand, a golden visage of Paimon moved several paces ahead of him.

“Remember, visualize what you want to create, and then push and shape the mana into your desired weapon, or object. It’s a little tricky, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be using it better than me.”

The incantation was simple, there wasn’t anything complex about it in the slightest, but Eleanor found herself refusing to use it, because it was one of the few things that Arlux taught her. It made her feel guilty, after all she had failed to become a hero that could stand beside Arlux as an equal. But Eleanor knew better now, she understood that it was not the time to allow such feelings to limit her performance, they had lost too many friends for that.
“Light, manifest, and bend to my will!” Eleanor called out. Golden strands of light streamed out from her arm, and began to come together to create a single throwing dagger. Now wielding her longsword with one hand, Eleanor charged in, first bringing her sword down upon Paimon, and then thrusting it towards his chest, both attacks being dodged easily.
As Paimon lept back to create space, a golden projectile would come flying towards him, aimed directly at his throat. The Eternal King quickly drew his talwar, and deflected the dagger with ease. But by the time he looked to where his hero once was, she had already disappeared from sight.

Paimon heard the activation of empyrean armament, and whipped his head around to find Eleanor charging him from his flank. Both of her hands were gripping her longsword, which was now glowing its signature golden color. Paimon smiled, and activated empyrean armament himself, his fist turning a brighter golden color than Eleanor’s sword.
The pair clashed, causing a powerful shockwave to send Eleanor flying into a tree. Before impacting the tree, she used empyrean armament to coat her back, resulting in no permanent damage being taken. But before Eleanor could stand up, Paimon would already be standing over her, a wide grin on his face.
“That was your best attempt yet, you actually forced my hand!” Paimon exclaimed, helping Eleanor off the ground, and dusting any snow off of her body.
“Was that really better?” Eleanor asked meekly, causing her to receive a strong, but playful noogie.
“It was! Let's go rest in the hot springs, and rest those aching muscles!” Paimon exclaimed.

Upon arriving at the hot springs, Eleanor was pleasantly surprised to find a good amount of her comrades present, alongside a troupe of monkeys, and strange small, furry creatures who appeared to be deep in sleep while they floated about the hot springs. She was clad in nothing but a towel, just like Paimon, who insisted on joining in on a nice soak in the hot springs.

And then she saw him, she saw Aaxir.

Eleanor’s feelings for Aaxir had been something that only Paimon had the privilege of knowing, but she had never had the guts to confess her love to the young dragon. She knew that eventually, she’d have to tell him, because it could be tomorrow that herself, or Aaxir died.
But today was not that day, especially considering that the only thing between her and the elements was one towel. As Eleanor looked at the red dragon, she suddenly felt imperfect, everything about her was too big, and with that thought, she quickly retreated behind Paimon, who smiled to himself.


“Hopefully you all don’t mind the intrusion!” Paimon exclaimed a tad too loudly, before sliding into the hot springs, Eleanor close behind him. The duo entered the water, and quietly enjoyed the soothing effect the springs had on their sore bodies.

 

[CasualTea]

As Rohen chewed up and swallowed her egg, she heard Enthy ask about how she acquired it. "An associate of mine from the trade business gave me these eggs as a gift before he were to leave Jorvik. As you can tell, he deals in trade. He probably got pretty lucky at the ports today and wanted to express some due good will towards me for helping him out a lot back then." She said. "That and..."

"This is..."

Rohen was in awe of such fine craftsmanship that puts her choices of weapons to shame. A tang dao made from damascus alloy, folded in on itself one layer by layer and then compressed to form such a beautiful and sturdy blade. "Jago, this is too much. The food is already enough." She insisted, feeling guilty about taking such a weapon. Jago shook his head once more before patting her shoulders. She could feel the calluses in his palms as they made contact with her. "This gift is not from me." He said. "I was paid to deliver this item to you from one such benefactor: Madam Lin Mae." Lin? That twisted woman from Black Cell? A gift from the council? She had to accept it. They've been nothing but supportive to her ever since she joined them to fight for Arlux. She took the sword in her hands and unsheathed it, inspecting its beauty and edge along with its features. The held it and tested its weight. It was perfect. From the way she swung it, slicing the air, it would definitely render a nightmare beast's flesh cleanly.

She sheathed the sword with the respect that is due and fastened it to her person. She took out her machete and flintlock and offered it to Jago. "Then... I trust that you deliver these to them." She requested. "And with a message. My contractor rests leaving their debts to me." Jago reluctantly accepted the items and stored them away. "It will be done." He said before he began making his leave. Upon looking at the blade once more, she noticed characters of Zhang Fa literature engraved on the sheathe. "When this sword is drawn, whether it be yours or mine, Death will linger close to pick up what's left of the Harbinger's work, huh?" She read. "Yuzhao... I like it."

"An... Appropriate weapon fitting for a member of this party." She replied to Enthy. She left the sword where her clothes was, safely hiding those items. She looked around and saw that there were more people. Heck, there was even Eleanor and Paimon. Though, it struck her strange that she only noticed now. Eleanor was behaving quite weirdly as she seemed to have noticed Aaxir. Perhaps she has some sort of intimate feelings towards him? Does he even know? She sort of found it funny before she heard the Eternal King's voice boom throughout the area. "I don't believe so, seeing as how I haven't received any confrontations about me being here. Would you like a boiled egg? There's still many to go around." She said as she placed the small basket of boiled eggs near the edge of the hot spring so that it was in view for everyone, welcome to partake.

"Eleanor, right? What about you? Fancy an egg?" She asked before she looked at Aaxir and grinned a little before turning back. "Or perhaps, you'll cook your own?" She teased not caring if anyone else caught what she was trying to say. "Haha, Rohen!" Tiamat giggled as she saw right through Rohen's intention with that question. Thanks to the boys from Shadow for always making some rather inappropriate jokes near Rohen, she picked up their vulgar behavior so she would fit in with them. Problem was, she was quite young when she adapted to such a behavior.

 

[Kibaa]

Cit
Guardian Sphinx

Thanks to the kind efforts of Aaxir and Kai, the injuries that Khatiy had sustained were taken care of in no time. Even something as gruesome as losing a limb was an effortless task to resolve for an experienced healer like Kai, and due to the bravery of Aaxir and Tutu Pele, there appeared to be no further intervention from Lady Bastet and her minions. Sadly, the intensity of everything she had just sustained, both physically and mentally, had left Khatiy unconscious. It was only so fortunate now that she had friends to depend on, people who loved her, as Aaxir would go on to keep her warm from the deathly chills of Jorvik, as would Chrome, who so kindly showed up to transport Khatiy to someone a little more knowledgeable in the ailments that afflicted her. As talented of a healer as Kai was, it would seem that the party had reached a consensus that perhaps the faerie Nelumba was the one best suited to try their hand at resolving the issues plaguing the Usaaman. And so, off they flew, arriving at the training camp where Nel and Fel currently found themselves in.

What was immediately noticeable to Nelumba was that Khatiy's mana circuits have been extrenously tampered with in ways that should not be allowed. To add to this, it is also clear that Khatiy's physiology is mutated-- she is a mutant, no doubt thanks in part to the botched sealing ritual that had been forced upon her at birth. It was no secret to the party that Khatiy was not human- she is an ailuranthrope, but it is now clear that the consequences of this fact have manifested themselves in several physiological issues. Part of her mana circuits appear to be those of a spirit, while other parts are human, and her body has never been able to properly accept those spiritual properties. Because of this, a lot of internal damage has occured, and there have been several "leaks", as Bastet would call them, wherein the spiritual energy sealed within Khatiy has corrupted her mana circuits. This damage appears to have been worsened several times by additional seals and procedures that, as Fel has observed, have been applied to Khatiy throughout numerous different years across her lifetime.

When Nelumba laid a hand upon Khatiy to begin working on her circuits, one of the sigils upon her back would suddenly ignite, casting a surprising but harmless explosion. The mighty roar of a war lion echoes throughout the training field as, when the dust settles, the party would be met by a large, menacing lion who seems to have appeared in Khatiy's defense. This lion was dressed in a long, brown cloak that proudly showed the sigil of Alekbu-Lan. Upon his neck and handsome mane were several large, heavy necklaces of bronze and gold, most prominently being the sigil of the Azuzema Clan, the Ankh of Bastet, and the sigil of Usaama. The lion's claws and fangs appeared to have been bolstered, if not outright cruelly replaced, by large hunks of sharpened bronze in what one could imagine was surely a painful process. Just like they had done to Khatiy, the lion had been retrofitted into a weapon of war... This was the fabled lion known as Ter Fuzen, Prince of Azuzema. He roared and bared his fangs at Nel, Fel, and Chrome, trotting in defensive circles around the body of Khatiy as his chains and necklaces dangled loudly with the movements of his body. And yet, almost as if he recognized the faces that he saw, Ter Fuzen refused to attack, his only purpose seemingly being to defend Khatiy. If anything, the lion looked a little confused, frightened. Just as he recognized those around him, the party may have also recognized Ter Fuzen as one of the lions that were present in Khatiy's strike team during the battle against Tiryan.

A sort of celestial rupture is heard as Lady Bastet and a Guardian Sphinx manifest themselves into the area with concerned expressions on their features.
"What treachery goes on here?!" Yelled Bastet. "You mortals are all like Deemeetheresu! All the same! You know nothing of the magicks that you trifle with! ... Nisikie, Bwana Shiva! (Hear me, Lord Shiva!) You'd best restrain your little faerie, before she ends up blowing this training ground to smithereens!" The Goddess of Cats reprimanded with frustration and concern evident in her tone, turning her gaze to the Sphinx next to her, addressing him. "Take care of this situation, Ter Cit! I am needed else where." And.. Just like that, Bastet retroceded to whence she came with a dramatic stomp of her staff onto the ground.

The Sphinx lowered his gaze with a desolate gaze, shaking its head with a sigh as he moved to step closer to the party. The first thing he did was set a paw upon Ter Fuzen's shoulder. "Be at peace, my brother, for we are among friends..." The Sphinx chanted, his voice celestial, his tone neither masculine nor feminine. At once, Ter Fuzen seemed to mellow out, emitting a low growl and a low whine as he layed himself down next to Khatiy's body, licking her shoulder.

Cit allowed his gaze to rise, then, sitting himself amidst the trio of heroes and the fainted Khatiy. "Young heroes, pardon the intrusion." His gaze bounced between all three, as if he was about to embark on a bit of a history lesson.

"When my Sultan was born, Deemeetheresu the Elephant Sage sought to implant the spirit of the Lion Monarch within her body, in hopes of creating a superhuman that would one day unite the Savanna. Trifling with magic beyond his power and understanding, the ritual had failed, leaving Lady Khatiy with an assortment of different afflictions and mutations, and a part of the Monarch's energy inside of her, as you know. This small portion of the Lion Monarch, the Sages of the Savanna believe, has grown into a life of its own inside of Khatiy, it has become a resentful and hateful presence, who will stop at nothing to free itself, even if that means taking control of Khatiy." The sphinx gestured to some of the markings upon Khatiy's back. "This affliction came to be known as the Curse of the Lion Monarch. When Lady Bastet chose Khatiy as her Hero, a great power was given to her. By haunting her with the Curse of Bastet, Lady Khatiy was given marginal control over her ailuranthropy, and by extension, over the Curse of the Lion Monarch, in what you may very well want to simply call a 'counter-curse treatment.' This, however, was not enough. In numerous instances, particularly during moments where Khatiy is under emotional distress, the Lion Monarch's energy has possessed not only Khatiy's mind, but her very mana circuits too, which Khatiy's mutated physiology has always had trouble regulating in the first place."

The Sphinx grunted, clearing his throat. "Lady Bastet and the Lion Sages believed that they could control this power, that they could develop a way to make Khatiy the hero she was destined to be. You see the glyphs scarred upon her back. They tried many, many different things..." Cit gestured to one such glyph. "A failed extraction attempt." He gestured to another. "A spirit conduit insertion that was meant to try to tame the spirit inside of her -- It backfired, and Lady Khatiy killed her great-uncle that day while violently possessed." His paw grazed over another glyph that seemed to be written in Alkebu script. "Many healers and magic practitioners from neighboring countries were consulted. Do you see here? This is authored by the Nakayama Clan. This was the work of the legendary healer, Nakayama Gaia, who tried to heal much of the internal damage that had been caused by previous extraction attempts. Bless her heart."

Cit shook his head with sadness. "They were never able to find a true solution. They never will be. For I will be the first to admit that this Curse is beyond the power of the Sages, and beyond the capabilities of Lady Bastet to handle. And, in their arrogance, they have damaged Lady Khatiy's body beyond repair. When the damage was done, they had no choice but to permanently seal Lady Khatiy's mana circuits, in fear that leaving them open would allow the Lion Monarch to possess her permanently. Nelumba, I know that you can see it. Lady Khatiy is dying. Her body is rejecting her mana circuits, her human anatomy rejects her spiritual physiology.. Her body is shutting down. She will die by the end of the decade. With nothing left to do, Lady Bastet and the Sages sought to protect Khatiy with a labyrinth of fail-safe mechanisms that would prevent anyone from ever further tampering with Deemeetheresu's spirit seal and her mana circuits. "

Cit once more gazed to the trio, hoping that they were all following along. "Nelumba, you have triggered one such fail-safe mechanism. Ter Fuzen is one of Khatiy's protectors, and the glyph you have triggered has summoned him. That glyph was supposed to summon even more members of the Azuzema Pride, one of the oldest lion prides in Alkebu-Lan. But, as you three may very well remember, many of Prince Fuzen's sons were slain during the battle against Tiryan, when Lady Arlux perished. He is among the last of his kind." At that point, Ter Fuzen emmitted a low whine, closing its eyes as he struggled with the memories of war. He missed his family.

"And so you understand now that something must be done for Lady Khatiy. That.. is what friends are for, yes? Lady Khatiy may not realize it, but the friends she has made along this journey.. Are what has kept her alive for so long. And it is what will keep her alive. My dear heroes, I do not believe there is a mortal magic that is capable of resolving Khatiy's curse, and I am not certain if Lady Bastet would ever sacrifice her own jurisdiction and allow other gods to intervene in this matter. What I truly believe, is that it is your kindness and friendship that will change Khatiy, and change this world. It is only your kindness and your love for her that will allow her to prevail over the evil spirit inside of her... Love her as you would love your own family, for she has known only darkness all her life. And for this reason, I put my faith in you, and my faith in this decision to begin undoing the barbaric damage that has been inflicted cruelly and unfairly onto Lady Khatiy."

Cit stepped closer to Khatiy, looming his gaze over her back. "Come closer, my friends, as we will need all of your effort to help Lady Khatiy." The Sphinx began to chant an incantation in the Alkebu language, his eyes beginning to glow with golden flame, shooting out a holographic scan that passed over Khatiy's back, highlighting the many glyphs upon her skin. "So that Nelumba may attend to Khatiy's circuits properly, we must remove the traps that have been sealed into her system by the Sages of the Savanna and other magical practitioners from neighboring countries that have tried their hand too." Cit highlights one glyph that appears to have been authored in Pylan script. "Do you see, Fel? This glyph was sealed by a Pylan warlock. What does it say? I cannot read it." ... 'FLAME RUNE - INFERNAL MANA LOCK'. This glyph appears to be a trap that will incinerate the mana circuit that it is blocking if tampered with. But, a knowledgeable mage like Fel would likely know how to remove it safely. Cit then highlights another seal, written in Bharata script. "What about this one, Nelumba?" ... "SNAKE SPIRIT TRAP". A fail-safe similar to the one that summoned Ter Fuzen. Cit then glances over another glyph. "Oh, this one appears to be written in Kalmar script. Perhaps, if the Child of Rhoda was here, she could help us. No matter. One step at a time." Cit nodded his head patiently, beginning to remove some of the failsafes written in Alkebu script, encouraging the party to do the same with whatever glyphs they know they can safely remove.

At that point, Ter Fuzen would rise onto his feet with a low but friendly snarl, seemingly trotting off into the distance in search of something. Cit glances to Chrome. "Chrome, perhaps you could ask Lord Hanuman what advice he may have for this ordeal. Lord Wanga and Lady Pele had somethings to say earlier, too."

...

MEANWHILE, IN THE HOT SPRINGS

A large and menacing lion arrives at the hot springs where the rest of the party was gathered. He was gilded with bronze weaponry on his claws and fangs, and adorned with many chains and necklaces. Without regard for anyone's privacy, the lion stepped into the hot spring and sat himself right down in the steamy water, his cloak and necklaces floating to the surface. The lion glanced around with curiosity as a monkey climbed his mane and sat upon his head, beginning to pick through his mane with its little hands. This lion was Ter Fuzen, who some of the party members here may remember, as he was present during the battle against Tiryan. Ter Fuzen sat peacefully there in the water, as if he was among friends, looking to his left as he licks Rohen's shoulder, and then looking to his right, giving Paimon's shoulder a lick too.



Interactions: Nelumba Dawnsx Chrome DSLIX Fel OldTurtle Paimon Nessi Rohen CasualTea
Mentions: Enthyskana Nano Gaia Bloody_Death

 

[Worthlessplebian]

Tiberius Helvian, Longinus

Tiberius stood in the pond, marveling at the work he and Pollux had concluded. He understood how this may make him seem, although judging by the monkeys' reaction, it's fair bargain. He registered Kaida's words and vaguely was aware of her tail shrinking as she produced the grain he requested. Cross-armed, he waited for it to finish. Then he felt the brush of fur against his skin. He heard the fox's soft murmur, habitually, the gladiator loosened his body - his arms, to find her tails coil around it. He allowed her to pull him in, welcomed it in fact. For the briefest instance, like the span of a heart beat, Tiberius admired the vixen's well-kept beauty before closing his eyes for the deep kiss. He felt his heart kick in, pulse racing. Tiberius felt a shockingly hot, warm sensation rush over him, like a sudden summer breeze, different from the passionless heat of the hotspring. He gave himself fully to the feeling, perhaps the only surrender that the gladiator fully enjoyed with all his soul. So much so that his senses were isolated in the moment which stretched forever and yet, bitterly short as Tiberius reluctantly pulled away.

As he scanned around, he realized that he'd been quite lost in the embrace. The roughly hewn stone edges of the pool was filled with more of his friends. He cocked his head slightly to one side, a bright smile pushed up his right cheek. "Cosy." Tiberius spoke, commenting on the rapidly crowding spring. Pollux had long since released the monkeys, and retreated to the farthest and largest corner to settle, to expand his bulk. His black-iron body hissing as he further slid into the pool, the hard stone grinding against harder metal. Tiberius nodded at the giant, though his closest friend's normally glowing eyes were snapped shut. It seems even the deepest inhabitants of the void could enjoy the soothing tranquility of the steam.

He glanced at the scarred form of Rohen offering them an amenity that she brought with her. Tiberius reached over and plucked one egg, thanking with a nod of his head. Just as he was about to ask a question, Enthy stole the very words from his lips. Excellent, the gladiator thought, tapping the hard-boiled egg against rim of the pool, proceeding to pick apart its shell with his hands gingerly. He heard the Mad Orca's answer, finding it quite curious, hopefully this shadowy organization that she's employed has other benefits they could use.

Just then more and more of their companions arrived, including the stalwart Eleanor and... the God, Paimon?

"Welcome, welcome, Lord. There's more than enough room for all." Tiberius said, barely marshaling the amusement in his voice. "Next, we should invite the king, his family, and all of Jorvik." He murmured the joke to himself, finding the situation comical. But Tiberius was never one to complain about company, and he shall not start now. He paid no particular attention to Eleanor, except for the fact that she shyly reclused herself behind Paimon's golden form. An odd act, considering her attitude and wonted bravery. He shrugged his shoulders, brushing off the fact, it was not his business either way.

He enjoyed his time with them, until a fearsome, ornamented lion strut into their presence. For a moment, Tiberius' instincts flared as his muscles tightened in response and readiness. Before realizing the identity of their new-arrival. This magnificent beast was Ter Fuzen, a noble warrior-at-heart who fought with them alongside the ultimate battle at the Emperor's estate. Softly, he gave a compliment to the lion's prowess. Before reclining back amongst friends. Although, it was peculiar to have this beast of battle here with them now. Had something happened to Khatiy for her to summon him?


Interactions: Nano (Enthy), Beann (Kaida)
Mentions: Bloody_Death (Kai), Nessi (Eleanor, and interacted with Paimon), LazyDaze (Aaxir, off-screen mention), Kibaa (Khatiy and Ter Fuzen).

 

[LazyDaze]

AAXIR THE RED

Interactions: DSLIX Bloody_Death Nessi CasualTea
Mentions: Nessi @Kibaa

We have to feed them....

(Indeed we have to feed them........wait......WE?)


It took a few moments, but Aaxir was thoroughly convinced that underneath Kai's jovial and carfree exterior lay the makings of a madman intent on destruction. Their mission was completed, and though Aaxir was a tad bit annoyed that Kai had not succumbed to flight sickness, he could at least find respite in the fact that it was all over, or so he thought. No, his prior adventure through the streets of Jorvik that included a heart to heart with Ragnir, a forced shopping trip with Kai leading to an eventual apology he had already made, a showdown with a patron god who was practically torturing their hero, said hero prior to the torture attempting to rip off Kai's head, Chrome taking said hero....no that was simply not enough for this mad man or fate. Now, of all things, he insisted that he, ahem, THEY, feed monkeys in what was already a crowded spa. Aaxir found a new appreciation for the fact that many dragons chose to live in isolation, such a wise species indeed. Before he could protest Aaxir was dragged my the all powerful Kai into the hot springs. Too discombobulated and annoyed to really process anything, Aaxir only managed to see strange reactions to their arrival...but perhaps they were reacting to something prior based on Kai's words. Something to do with Tiberius? What on earth could that statue be doing that would have everyone's feathers ruffled? Breathing? Aaxir could care less..there was simply too many people here. That's when Kai asked Aaxir if he even liked monkeys. Aaxir merely replied with an expression that stated..."I don't even like you, so what do you think?" Any monkeys that dared approach Aaxir would receive the death glare that had been reserved for Kai sometime now. Aaxir had simply had enough of everyone's shit today. That is…until he saw Enthy give him a thumbs up with a smile bright enough to unthaw Pele's sister. He wasn't quite sure what she was so approving of (although he had some idea) but he couldn't help but relish at any opportunity to impress the younger dragon. Aaxir looked away while rubbing his head sheepishly. He returned her gesture with a discrete thumbs up of his own, acknowledging her as he decided that maybe he wouldn't bolt at the first provided opportunity after all, not while Enthy was so proud of him that is.

The next to arrive was Rohen, or rather, she arrived nearly at the same time as he and Kai. Aaxir hadn't had much time to become annoyed with Rohen yet, but at the very least she attracted most of the monkeys meaning Aaxir could just focus on surviving this whole ideal and punish Kai later. Limb stretching, roasting, boiling, skin peeling, skewering, forcing him to watch plays with horrible actors, the possibilities were endless and brought a genuine smile to his face as he prepared to join everyone else in the hot springs.

"Hel-" he said in a low tone just above a whisper, actually attempting to greet everyone properly this time before he took his dip. Grunts, snorts, or glares were usually par for the course as his arrival should be a greeting enough. However, before he could finish, the ever exuberant Paimon barged in without a care in the world. His sudden entrance was enough to cause the normally reserved Aaxir to flinch; however, it was not because of Paimon or his boisterous nature. If Paimon was here that could only mean.....

"Eleanor," Aaxir said to himself wide eyed. He quickly snapped his head around, praying to Pele that he was not turning red. He couldn't believe the odds. Aaxir had come back to apologize, but there was no way he could go through with it now, not in front of literally EVERYONE. More than that, he definitely wasn't handing out any gifts! His eyes drifted to Kai briefly, hoping that he wouldn't be an annoying rat and force him to go through with it at this very moment. If that were to become the case Aaxir would have to take a page out of Khatiy's book and deliver the right claw of judgment, or maybe blow up the entire hot springs as a distraction for his escape. Aaxir would occasionally steal glances as he tried to wrap his brain around his current predicament. Despite his internal conundrum, Aaxir did his best to remain as stoic as possible...he had a reputation after all. Rohen’s offer to Eleanor actually helped him regain composure as he saw it as an opportunity to “apologize”. With a large exhale, mentally deciding that the day couldn’t get more chaotic, Aaxir walked toward Rohen, Eleanor, and Paimon.


"I'll take one," Aaxir said flatly, responding to Rohen's question to Eleanor. "Rohen was it," Aaxir stated…giving Rohen a long stare. Aaxir wanted to know if Rohen was going to be one of the tolerable heroes like Khatiy (despite recent events) and Tiberius, or the intolerable like Nel and Kai etc. Normally the statement would be followed by a nice to meet you, but Aaxir merely took his egg and nodded, moving on to slip in the springs beside Paimon and Eleanor. He sat silent for most of the time, enjoying the warmth of the springs..wishing it was a tad bit hotter if he was being totally honest, luke warm springs just didn’t have the same ring to it. Strangely enough their was peace in the confusion as he wrestled with his thoughts. Normally, he would never think to apologize. Normally it would never bother him, but the truth was that it had, even before Kai forced him to act on these thoughts. Aaxir couldn't help but wonder why he felt the way he felt, but he knew that it would gnaw at him until he fixed it. Eventually he spoke.

"I'm.......*sigh*.....You did well against Parzival....good job," Aaxir said while apparently finding his boiled egg to be the most interesting thing in this very moment. So much so that he couldn't even look in Eleanor's direction. After stealing so many glances he couldn't help but she looked a lot different when she wasn't cursing out monsters and gauging their eyes out. She also seemed a bit quiet...well it made sense after what he had said. Aaxir was self aware enough to realize most outside of Kai would not be that comfortable with him. In any case, he would have to give her the gift at a much later date in another place that was hopefully not filled to the brim with monkeys and.....lions? Aaxir would have to amend his thoughts of chaos as he performed a double take. Aaxir nearly beared as fangs a Ter Fuzan suddenly joined the literal hot spring party. Before he could leap it soon became apparent that the beast that had once aided them against Tiryan was not here to attack. Aaxir then gauged everyone’s reactions before settling on Kai's since he would be the only other person who was aware of what had happened. Tiberius in particular seemed to question the ordeal but was content enough to recline back and relax which led Aaxir to believe that he should do the same. He let his guard down…a little. It was not his story to tell, figuring that it would be best to let Khatiy explain everything later if she wanted to; however, it did cause him to wonder what exactly was happening. He hoped she was okay.

 

[Nessi]

Meanwhile, in Olrodia…

Tiryan sighed as he slowly set himself down onto a comfortable seat on his porch. He had spent months bedridden, all because of that brat’s final attack. He remembered how it felt, having light tear through his body as if it were nothing, the fear he felt as he genuinely thought that he would die before Arlux. But things worked out, he was able to kill her once and for all, and leave the alliance without a light to look up to.
“Ah, you look to be in high spirits, darling. Is the fresh air helping any?” a soft, sweet voice asked.
Tiryan turned his head, and smiled at his wife, Terisa. “These days have been better. I had a bit of energy today, so I decided to read whilst enjoying the nice weather.” he explained.
Terisa smiled, and moved some of her blonde hair out of her face, revealing her stunning, golden eyes. “Ah, what are you reading?” She asked, setting herself down next to Tiryan.
“Oh, just old recounts of the history of Olrodia…specifically the old hero queen Toraji…funny name she had.” Tiryan explained.
Terisa giggled, and clasped her husband's hand with her own. “What about her? You told me some things about her in the past…something about a golden night?” Terisa inquired.
“Yes, the night that the hero queen, who swore to protect this country for an eternity, went insane after the royal family was murdered.” Tiryan told Terisa, flipping through the pages of his book. “I just wonder, what would have changed if she was still around, ruling this empire, though I suppose it would still be a kingdom then huh.” Tiryan sighed, closing the book and looking out to the city.
“Things wouldn't change, her anger would have spread like wildfire.” Terisa spoke. “Or maybe not, it makes no sense to think about the what ifs. It's better to focus on what is occurring now, and how we can fix it. ” she finished, rubbing her hand along Tiryan’s back.

Before the conversation could go on any further, an owl would land on the railing of the balcony. Tiryan recognized it as the owls his spy used in Jorvik, and set his book aside. “It would seem as if I have business to attend to, Terisa. Please, excuse us.” Tryan explained, before gesturing for Terisa to leave.
“Ah, of course. Well if you need anything, I’ll be happy to help you, my love.” Terisa said, before exiting the room.
Tiryan turned his attention to the blue owl, and leaned in to allow it to speak its message to him.

Upon hearing the news of Parzival’s death, and Hargreds capture, Tiryan almost killed the poor owl who was simply delivering a message. Before he could yell out his dissatisfaction however, he was also told something else, that the heroes were now in the of Jorvik, and planned to stay and fight against whatever might come their way. Tiryan took a deep breath, before reaching into his pocket, and pulling out a small, red gem and bringing it close to his mouth.
“Morgana, come to my room.” he commanded, and after a few moments, a knock would be heard at his door.
“You may enter.” Tiryan spoke, and without skipping a beat, the hand entered the room, and kneeled before her emperor.
“I am here your majesty, what is it that you need?” Morgana asked.
“Parzival is dead, and Hargred has been captured. Incompetence sails around me, like flies to a pile of dung. But a golden opportunity has formed, one that could allow for the death of the heroes in one fell swoop. The heroes have decided to stay in the capital of Jorvik, and defend it to their last breath. And you will annihilate them all, you will kill the King of Jorvik, destroy those pesky heroes, wipe the capital off the face of Vieta, and carve scenes of carnage into the minds of the youth.” Tiryan ordered.
Morgana looked up at her emperor, a smile growing on her face. “Now this…this is a plan I can get behind…I will see to it that your will is carried out.” she responded.
Upon hearing this answer, Tiryan gestured for the hand to leave, and she promptly did so, a grin of pure malice and joy on her face. Whatever the outcome would be, Morgana the unforgiving would be sure to enjoy herself.

Tiryan looked upon the capital of Olordia from his balcony within the immortal palace. Despite knowing how capable Morgana is, deep down he had a feeling that she wouldn’t succeed, her tendency to go off the script and do what she wants would make that almost certain.
“I have spread my forces too thin, it’s time I call my hands back, to ensure that this problem is dealt with." Tiryan muttered, clutching his red gem tightly.

 

[Nessi]

As the days progressed...

As the days progressed forward, the capital of Jorvik would turn from a peaceful town, to one of impending war. Traders and merchants could be seen packing their wares, opting to leave in large caravans in hopes of reaching Zheng Fa. Families were in similar situations, only the sounds of crying was heard as warriors sent their families off to neighboring villages, staying behind to fight a battle that would certainly be their last.
King Ragnir kept his head high, shouting orders amongst his men to prepare for the incoming invasion as best as he could.

Meanwhile, the heroes were gathered in the city square, helping prepare for the incoming fight. Barricades were erected, warriors were given weapons and armor, the time for battle was on the horizon.

 

[Nessi]

Fate/Apocryphia

Carmen Brio

From the entrance to the city, the sound of music could be heard. At first, it was faint, barely recognizable, but soon the sound of a full symphonic orchestra could be heard throughout the capital. Citizens and warriors alike rushed to see the source of the sound, and what they found truly surprised them. From the snowy forest, emerged a single wagon with a man standing on top of it. In his hand was a conducting baton, and as he waved his small stick throughout the air, the music swelled, and grew louder and louder.
“Hey, can you cut that out?! You’ll scare everyone with that fancy magic of yours!” A voice yelled from within the wagon.
The man atop the wagon smiled and let out a wholesome laugh. “War is on the horizon, people are fleeing to save themselves, what they truly need is music to inspire them, to allow them to focus on the job ahead! Something to give them hope!” He responded jovially.
“I agree with Carmen, perhaps you’ve simply grown bitter, Ingrid.” another woman chimed in, causing Ingrid to let out a monstrous sigh.

The wagon would reach the entrance to the capital, and barricades were pulled aside at the order of King Ragnir, who stood to greet Carmen. “Carmen Brio, representative of the Isles, Jorvik welcomes you with open arms!” Ragnir exclaimed.
Carmen leapt off the wagon, and landed right in front of the King, giving him a very extravagant bow. “A pleasure to meet, your majesty! Your daughters made the trip go very smoothly!” Carman said joyfully.
“Oh yes, he was such a joy to be around, always singing and using that strange magic of his, never a quiet moment!” Ingrid groaned. The redhead soon emerged, and stormed off towards the city square.
"Ingrid, come back here!" the white haired woman hissed, but Ragnir shook his head.
“Don’t worry Hilda…things have changed, the Heroes have insisted that they stay, and fight against the Olrodian devils.” he explained to his freakishly large daughter.
Hilda frowned, and let out a deep sigh. “So, what is the plan then? Mother and Liv stayed behind to keep the roads secure for us…” Hilda admitted, crossing her arms in slight frustration.
“The plan remains the same. I will stand here, and fight. Only now, I cannot afford to lose.” Ragnir stated.
Hilda looked long and hard at her father, her serious face softening. She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it, opting to silently follow her sister to the city square.
“It would seem as if our heroes are quite ambitious! Things are getting quite interesting, King Ragnir~” Carmen cooed.
“Yes indeed… I must continue making preparations, go ahead and meet the heroes in the city square.” Ragnir muttered before marching off.

Carmen took Ragnir’s advice, and skipped his way towards the city square, finding the heroes just as Ragnir said he would. But truthfully, his eyes were set out on one particular hero, Fel Pitri. “Oh Fel! Your best friend has returned, come hug me!” Carman exclaimed, using wind magic to launch himself at the poor sun elf.

 

[CasualTea]

Fate/Apocryphia

Carmen Brio

From the entrance to the city, the sound of music could be heard. At first, it was faint, barely recognizable, but soon the sound of a full symphonic orchestra could be heard throughout the capital. Citizens and warriors alike rushed to see the source of the sound, and what they found truly surprised them. From the snowy forest, emerged a single wagon with a man standing on top of it. In his hand was a conducting baton, and as he waved his small stick throughout the air, the music swelled, and grew louder and louder.
“Hey, can you cut that out?! You’ll scare everyone with that fancy magic of yours!” A voice yelled from within the wagon.
The man atop the wagon smiled and let out a wholesome laugh. “War is on the horizon, people are fleeing to save themselves, what they truly need is music to inspire them, to allow them to focus on the job ahead! Something to give them hope!” He responded jovially.
“I agree with Carmen, perhaps you’ve simply grown bitter, Ingrid.” another woman chimed in, causing Ingrid to let out a monstrous sigh.

The wagon would reach the entrance to the capital, and barricades were pulled aside at the order of King Ragnir, who stood to greet Carmen. “Carmen Brio, representative of the Isles, Jorvik welcomes you with open arms!” Ragnir exclaimed.
Carmen leapt off the wagon, and landed right in front of the King, giving him a very extravagant bow. “A pleasure to meet, your majesty! Your daughters made the trip go very smoothly!” Carman said joyfully.
“Oh yes, he was such a joy to be around, always singing and using that strange magic of his, never a quiet moment!” Ingrid groaned. The redhead soon emerged, and stormed off towards the city square.
"Ingrid, come back here!" the white haired woman hissed, but Ragnir shook his head.
“Don’t worry Hilda…things have changed, the Heroes have insisted that they stay, and fight against the Olrodian devils.” he explained to his freakishly large daughter.
Hilda frowned, and let out a deep sigh. “So, what is the plan then? Mother and Liv stayed behind to keep the roads secure for us…” Hilda admitted, crossing her arms in slight frustration.
“The plan remains the same. I will stand here, and fight. Only now, I cannot afford to lose.” Ragnir stated.
Hilda looked long and hard at her father, her serious face softening. She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it, opting to silently follow her sister to the city square.
“It would seem as if our heroes are quite ambitious! Things are getting quite interesting, King Ragnir~” Carmen cooed.
“Yes indeed… I must continue making preparations, go ahead and meet the heroes in the city square.” Ragnir muttered before marching off.

Carmen took Ragnir’s advice, and skipped his way towards the city square, finding the heroes just as Ragnir said he would. But truthfully, his eyes were set out on one particular hero, Fel Pitri. “Oh Fel! Your best friend has returned, come hug me!” Carman exclaimed, using wind magic to launch himself at the poor sun elf.

Days went by since the their little time in the hot springs. After which, she may have interacted with some of the other heroes but not much as she was mostly occupied with her training and catching up and sending off her trading acquaintances or some of the Shadow Company associates who opted to leave. The ones who did stay however, was a fairly large group consisting of experienced mercenaries who either were born and raised in Jorvik and wanted to protect their homeland or foreigners who love the place too damn much to let it go. Another group also had a complete other reason but it pretty much is shared among the group. The shared hatred and loathing towards Olrodia's Emperor and demonic army.

Because she previously led skirmishes and raids against Olrodia's military, Rohen was thrusted into a seat of authority and leadership for the mercs. Whatever her word was, they would follow. This fight to them was not about the money, but Rohen could tell that for some, it really was. It's just that they needed to keep Jorvik in order to make more money in the long run. Nonetheless, they're here to fight. If it's Shadow Company, she will expect them to show results. A sweet kill or a warrior's death. To her, they could qualify as her 'Zealots', an unofficial branch in Shadow Company that fought not for money but for something else.

Her training in recent days has seen some progress. As she continued to practice her water magic, she learned some other ways to utilize her water magic. Notably, she learned was a refraction spell where she can create illusions by using water particles in the air to distort light and touching the ice berg of ice magic which she found out by creating a small shard of ice. She could argue that perhaps it was particularly cold that day and the water she formed just turned into ice, but Tiamat would beg to differ despite not voicing her opinion. Her illusion spells though, need improvement. She could make a transparent blue silhouette of her, but the details and color also need to match. On top of that, with a new weapon at her side, she was able to learn some very useful arts.

Unfortunately, neither of those were ready to be put to use in combat. It was just not ready yet to be effective. Any day those Olrodian bastards could come knocking, she needed to start planning. Sure, for her, there usually is no plan she goes by. But for her mercs, she needed to make one just like she did for her skirmishes and raids. However this time, there was no time to run a counter-intel op. She needed to pry information from Ragnir, whom she heard from Jago that he was responsible for surrendering Jorvik to Olrodia. Not that she blames him now, Jorvik would be wiped out otherwise. Surely the king had some intel about any entry points the army could come in from and all information about Jorvik's defenses, so she could determine the strong points and weak points.

While everyone else was helping put up the fortifications or helping in other ways, she decided that today is when she'd speak to Ragnir. She didn't mind the music, she thought it would be rather inspiring to some warriors. Perhaps some found it annoying, but it would rile them up to use that annoyance and fight harder. She dismissed it altogether as she passed a wind magic user who seemed to be having the field day of his life, fucking tourist. She made her way to Ragnir with her new sword strapped to her person, itching for a fight and test the blade. Once she reached him, she didn't spare time for formal gestures. She was a person of business when it came to other mercs. "Your majesty, may I have a moment of your time?" She asked before pulling him to a nearby shed where a few other mercenaries have gathered. In the center was a table with a map of Jorvik spread onto it. "I have some mercenaries with me who are from the same guild I hail from. I'm sure you're familiar with Shadow Company, no?" She inquired. "Affiliations aside, they wish to fight. They listen to me as I currently have a higher seat in the organization or they're not native to the land. I wish to utilize their capabilities for this effort nonetheless." She then motioned for the mercenaries in the room to step outside for a moment. Obediently enough, they listened and headed outside.

"What I want from you is simple. A collaboration. Anything regarding terrain, other defenses; anything. We could potentially hinder the army's advance if we know where they will likely come from and lay traps along that way. Our defenses are solid but that doesn't mean it won't have any back doors or soft spots. I wish to know those areas to station some of the more elite mercenaries we have." She listed specifically as she leaned on the table from the other side of King Ragnir as she looked at the map. "I know you have loads of plans just waiting to be unleashed. If I may learn of those as well, it would be very much appreciated." She closed before looking up at Ragnir. "Anything for me, your majesty?" She asked as she straightened herself up and crossed her arms. Contrary to her wild behavior and fighting style, working with large groups needs tremendous planning, strategizing and cooperation. Something she learned when working with trading vessels which carried over to her raids.

 

[Worthlessplebian]

Tiberius Helvian, Longinus

The days were short. The nights were long. As expected of Jorvik's frigid climate, that suited Tiberius fine, however, his time since their rest and recuperation in the hotspring had been burdened with news as grave as a terminal sickness. Fate, or whatever orchestrated their mortal lives, had saw fit to punish them for their ample victories. First, a Hand and a retinue of cutthroat, professional soldiers were marching to the nation with terrible dispatch. Ready and conscience-willing to subject the people of this fine realm to utter decimation. It was difficult not to react, to let his emotions wreck havoc upon his mind, but he managed. The entire ordeal was nightmarishly terrible, and he had a pang of grief in his heart that night. However, Khatiy's state, the ruination of her mana circuitry, saddened the optimistic gladiator. The gladiator should've known immediately when he caught sight of Ter Fuzen, her Majesty wouldn't have let the lion alone. He had resolved to assist her, though regrettably, he did not possess the knowledge necessary, but physical therapy-recovery is entirely within his purview. Though he reckons that wouldn't be entirely necessary with Kai, his vocation in healing apparent even when Khatiy—or they lose a limb.

It did not surprise him when his friends and allies threw their lot with Ragnir. He did have his reservations about it. Objectively, it was not the keenest move. They'd sacrifice too much to stave off the tide of bodies and risked the ultimate defeat: death. Except he would've loathed himself if he did not agree with it, honour demands much and Tiberius would not let circumstance or convenience make him a worm shrinking from responsibility. He spent the evening surveying Jorvik from the darkened room of his retreat, face unreadable in the hard shadows as the azure eyes coldly constructed a meshwork of defences, fortifications and barriers to stem it. It was only Qin's voice, softer than a sheep's wool, that bade him to rest. So he did, lying beneath the thick folds of his covers, letting the peaceful oblivion take him.

The following day, Tiberius committed himself to shoring up the defences of Jorvik; aided by the few carpenters, warriors, and citizenry that the King could spare in his envoy. The stench of freshly cut wood, sweat, and sorrowful tears was in the cold, pitiless air. They were hard-workers, tireless in their preparation for Morgana's arrival. Tiberius bestowed and guided the construction with his knowledge as best he could, assuming that enemy's forces will be a hybrid, largely consisting of soldiers with a minor selection of beasts. Abatis and chevals were erected alongside the barricades, hoping to ferret and hem the soldiers to where the defenders wanted them most at worst, at best to gore them upon their sharpened points. The gladiator lamented as he helped with distributing weapons and armours to warriors, although... Not all of them were battle-hardened or disciplined as he. The fear in their eyes, their souls, so palpable in a few that they stank of it. Twitched with it. The tensions of war were getting to them. "No, no. Like this." Fixing the imperfection with a minor adjustment. "If it remained, the barrier would've been too flimsy when the time came." Tiberius warned, his tone measured and understanding. "I'm sorry, it won't..." The man began, brow slick with sweat, but was cut off by Tiberius. "No need, just take a breath then go over the surfaces again."

Tiberius rose and turned away, inspecting the rest of the workers. Behind him, Pollux had been assisting in transporting material for the works, alongside a few stone-faced, corpulent men in grey homespun.

"Can you live with this certainty?" A voice rang, ancient beyond ken and echoing from boundless depths. It was not the sultry tones of his Goddess.

The words reverberated in Tiberius silent mind. One hand going up to his temples, suppressing a mild gasp in his throat. The voice hadn't come from the workers, or from anywhere in the citystreets. The voice issued inside his skull, dead, colder than the chilly air of the city.

Tiberius turned, finding Pollux, a pallet of sheared wood on his shoulder, staring at him. The swirling centre at his core, gleaming with the magnificence of the void. Tiberius looked away, feigning distraction by observing the workers as they went. Not responding immediately. Pollux watched, not entirely certain whether Tiberius was considering his answer, or didn't think the question deserved answering.

"I don't know." He thought-canted back to the giant. "I am not Ragnir, these are not my people... Yet, still weighs just as heavy." Pollux grunted, a drawn-out grinding of metal upon metal. Tiberius' expression remained frosty, before a heavy metal gauntlet filled his view. A shallow smile parted Tiberius' scarred features, he knocked a fist against a gauntlet and returned to work, a thick thud of flesh meeting metal.

Before a lowly tune, like the howl of the wind moaning through the trees, reached his ears. His and the others around him. Tiberius paused to scan the surroundings, unable to locate the source of that particular music. He went over to the rest of the heroes in the city square. Pondering just what is going on. Before he could ask them, the intensity of that hymnal grew as if rapidly approaching the city. It was too soon, even if they discarded their bulk, they couldn't have arrived so swiftly. No, this was something—someone else entirely. The entire town resounded with the chanting plainsong, Tiberius was certain there was a string-instrument.

Until the source of that music quite literally launched himself at Fel's body. Tiberius could not help but laugh with a hearty, heavy tone. "Fel, who's your musically-gifted friend here?" He said, giving a warm smile. Knowing Fel, it was more likely that this fellow considered himself as a friend, much to the chagrin of the sun elf. Or, the gladiator admitted, he could be wrong. "Judging by eccentricity, I'd say you were supposed to be our liaison to the Isles?" Tiberius asked.

Interactions: Nessi (Carmen Brio, Ragnir-mentioned)
Mentions: Bloody_Death (Kai), Kibaa (Khatiy).

 

[Nano]

Enthyskana Rhoda

Interactions: Kai ( Bloody_Death )

Mentions: Carmen Brio

The once bustling city celebrating the unbreakable spirits of hardy Jórvik natives gradually declined until only the weeping of families parting ways and the stoic ardor of warriors steeling themselves to lay down their lives in a pointless battle filled the charged atmosphere. A part of Enthy believed that staying to fight would only result in further tragedies much like the claws of death closing in on Hofn. The heroes were already numbered as is, and a further hit to their ranks would only make each subsequent battle all the more difficult. King Ragnir knew and chose to die honorably, hoping that the heroes’ pragmatism would win over their pride. However, the moment one threw down their gauntlet, it became clear that many others would do the same.

Thus, she too joined the foolish heroes in their endeavor to deny King Ragnir of his chosen path, citing her justice as the driving force behind her decision. Yet her true motives were more selfish in nature, lying in her desire to avoid carving another regret into her soul.

In the days leading up to the impending battle, Enthy had worked on clearing her mind of any doubts and lent her aid in ensuring that mostly everyone in the city was accounted for. Caravans were screened for any crooked individuals who hoped to illegally reap benefits by taking advantage of the chaos, and the identities as well as destinations of the citizens were carefully documented. When the young dragon finally handed in her portion of the logistical work to the overseer, his firm grip and the determined look in his eyes reassured her that the man would keep the documents safe and treat them as if they were his lifeline.

Bidding the man well wishes on his journey and his eventual return to Hofn, Enthy hurried back on her way towards the entrance of the city where the other heroes had convened during the last leg of their battle preparations. Or so she intended. Squeezing past a narrow alley and stepping into one of the backstreets of the city led her to the sight of a man surrounded by three owls. Instinctively, she ducked back into the alley and curiously peered out from the corner. He appeared to be conversing with the owl perched on his hand, yet his voice seemed to be obscured by a strange spell while the rest of his features were kept well hidden under a hooded cloak.

In good faith as well as having sensed a lack of ill-intent, Enthy cautiously stepped out into the middle of the street and called out to the man.

“Umm, Hello! If you’re a civilian, you should evacuate. It won’t be safe here for much longer.”

Upon hearing her words echo in the otherwise abandoned backstreet, four pairs of eyes turned their gazes towards the dragon, and a brief shudder ran down her spine. The cloaked figure appeared neither wary nor surprised—only the sinister curve of a growing smirk peered out from underneath the silver mask obscuring his facial features.

“Ah, yes. I was just about to be on my way,” he replied.

He was telling the truth, and Enthy wasn’t the sort to be prejudiced against appearances, yet there was something unsettling about his presence. Something told her that she must not allow this man to run free.

“Might I ask what you were doing here?”

came the next words of Veritas’s hero who was hoping that it was a false alarm and this man was simply a bird whisperer with a penchant for hooking up his avian friends in a back alley. However, only silence followed her inquiry. Enthy could see the vapor of his breath meeting the cold Jórvik air, but she failed to make out the words hidden within a whisper.

Then, he bolted.

Wasting no time, Enthy broke out into a run while pulling out the Tome of Divine Law. A deep breath, then the recitation of a spell:

“You who stand before me within the Court of the Emissary of Justice, I command you: Be Still!”

Though she felt the pressure of the spell activating, the man continued onwards with nary a falter in his step. Her eyes narrowed and her lips pulled back into a concerned frown. The man had clearly heard her before, so it was clear that whatever words he’d said before fleeing was a spell which functioned to block out sounds. Was it a coincidence, or was he well-informed enough about her spells that he deliberately prepared that trick beforehand?

It wasn’t too long into their chase that Enthy found she had lost track of the cloaked man. He was fast, likely imbuing his body with an art that hastened his steps, and he moved as if the alleys and backstreets of Hofn were his own home. The young dragon couldn’t tell if he were doing so purposefully, but his manner of solely maneuvering through areas with low visibility from the air forced her to continue the chase by foot. Each time she managed to close the gap, he skillfully dodged and weaved before using one of his owls to distract her and reset the distance between them once again.

Had it not been for her sense of smell, she figured she may have lost him for good. The faint tracks she picked up after a few moments of wandering around aimlessly had been a fortuitous find in resuming her chase. Determined not to waste her small stroke of fortune, Enthy jumped up onto the rooftop of a nearby home before taking several leaps towards the direction which she assumed the man had headed towards.

One final vault led her face-to-face with the man she was pursuing, and this time she didn’t hesitate. Drawing her hand back towards her opposite shoulder, Enthy quickly condensed mana into a magic circle which appeared by her side.

“Bind this sinner so they shall trespass no more. Golden Shackles of the Guilty!”

she yelled, swinging her arm forward as a golden chain whipped towards her target and bound itself to his left leg. A quick tug tripped him before he could continue his escape, and by the time the young dragon safely landed beside him, a second chain had been produced and secured upon his wrist.

“You. Who are you?”

she hissed, tugging at his bindings harshly as a warning to not do anything foolish. When she saw his grin which stretched from ear-to-ear in spite of his current predicament, it was all too clear that whatever his purpose, it wouldn’t bode well for Jórvik.

“No matter what I say, I lose. I know all your little tricks, and I play by my own rules,” he said with a laugh. His tone remained smooth and unpanicked, as if being captured was of no concern. “But as a little consolatory gift, I’ll tell you this: Everything you know, he knows. Brynjolf and his pathetic people can struggle all they want, but they’ll all fall in the end. It’s a shame I won’t be there to see it.”

Before Enthy could ask what the man meant, he moved something in his mouth with his tongue and then clamped down on the object. In a panic, she dropped her hold on the chains and moved to pry open his mouth. But it was too late. While staring the hero down with one, final, defiant sneer, he had not only swallowed whatever he’d bitten into but also bitten his own tongue.

It didn’t take the rasping and sudden bouts of convulsing for her to figure out that he’d hidden a capsule of poison in his mouth before being caught.

Enthy released her spell, held on to the man tightly, and ran as quickly as she could back to the city square. As soon as she arrived before the heroes (completely missing Carmen’s presence in their midst), she carefully placed the cloaked figure on the ground and turned to shout for Kai.

“Where’s Kai?”

she yelled, panicked,

“This man, he-”

When she noticed the distinct lack of movement from the man, her voice cut off. It had only been a few minutes since he’d ingested the poison, but she could already no longer sense his breath nor could she see the rise and fall of his chest.

“He’s…dead,”

she finally said dumbly. As she knelt before his corpse, Enthy’s expression gradually turned grim.

“I chased down what seemed to be a suspicious individual, and he claimed that Tiryan knows ‘everything we do’. He also seemed to be well-informed on my spells. He was likely spying on us for the past few days with his owl summons and reporting back to Olrodia.”

 

[OldTurtle]

Fel Petri

Interactions: Nessi (Carmen) Worthlessplebian (Tiberius)

Mentions: Nano (Enthy)

Though their days in Jorvik passed quickly, Fel spent them in a fairly sour mood. Even as he trained, rested, ate, bathed, and slept, his face was twisted into a permanent, unfaltering scowl of disapproval. The Olrodian army was no doubt on the march by now, likely headed by at least one or two of Tiryan's remaining Hands. They'd escaped his grasp twice now and struck a painful blow the second time - the mad Emperor would be a fool if he didn't bring to bear the full might of his forces before the heroes made it a third.

And yet, the party had no plans of escape. After their discussions with King Ragnir, the final vote had determined they'd stay in Jorvik and fight the incoming army for some ludicrously brainless, nonsensical, moronic, witless, doltish -- Fel paused as the wood shaft of his staff creaked under his tightening grip, his neat, shapely fingernails digging shallow grooves into the treated surface. He released a heavy breath and loosened his hold. They were taking a dangerous risk in joining Ragnir's final stand, one that he couldn't find any logic to reasonably justify. With the alliance having disintegrated in the wake of their failed assault on the Emperor's citadel, it was the heroes' responsibility to piece together its remains, to restore some semblance of coordinated opposition against the Oldrodian onslaught. No one else could confidently be expected to fulfill that role. They couldn't afford to be jeaporidizing Veita's last chance at victory like this. Frankly, Jorvik was already lost. Its army was diminished, its resources depleted, its people exhausted. No amount of resistance would save the nation from Tiryan's groping talons, only delay them ever so slightly, and the nation had little remaining to offer in way of the war efforts. Was the uncertain possbility of buying an already-defeated nation a few more days, weeks, months worth endangering the lives of the paltry few heroes remaining?

Though Fel had made his dissent clear to the others, he also begrudingly committed his efforts to the defense of the capitol. He had little faith that any attempt at battling the Olrodians in Hofn would end well for the heroes, but even less faith that any would survive without the full support of all their numbers. He'd contemplated leaving briefly, less for his own safety -- of which he'd long since reliquinshed any real attachment to -- but rather for the sake of the long-term scope of the war. Yet for some reason, the mage didn't much relish the thought of being the last living hero -- so here he was, wasting his mana to erect low, stony walls, install wooden barriers, and dig pitfall traps throughout the city streets and snow-laden lands surrounding, all whilst cursing the damnable bleeding hearts that demanded they stay.

A final spell saw the last of his designated fields covered with a thick coat of snow, neatly obscuring any signs of the spiked traps that lay beneath. All that remained was Fel and the small group of weary Jorvik laborers he'd assisted. One last inspection finding their handiwork satisfactory, Fel nodded and signaled to begin the treck back into the fortified Hofn.

They marched along in silence now, many of the citizens behind him too exhausted -- or too afraid -- to spare the energy for even a word or two. The small group was grim sight, dark splotches against a pale backdrop better suited for a funeral procession, and the mage at the head of the messy column was the bleakest of all. Already a rather uninviting presence on the best of days, the new addition to his outfit seemed to leech what little color existed in Fel's surrouondings. The black cloak of feathers had originally belonged to Parzival -- and to his lover before him -- but now draped over the Sun Elf's shoulders. Fel knew firsthand what a powerful tool it was, and had devoted a significant portion of the past few days to discerning its functions and mechanics. The Hand's cloak was, oddly enough, surprisingly well-suited for him, both in fit and in usage, and Fel couldn't deny finding a spark of pleasure in the thought of wielding Parzival's belongings against the dead vampire's allies.

The streets of Hofn were still bustling with activity upon his return. Several men in leather jerkins carted large crates of stacked arrows past Fel, another group toiled away at boarding up nearby buildings, and even more ferried lumber and stone from site to site. Though the capitol had been cleared of most its people, with only soldiers and a few soon-to-be-evacuated citizens remaining, it was far from quiet. Yet compared to the spirited welcoming the heroes had received only a few days prior, it was as if Jorvik's death knell had rung. There was a palpable sense of loss that had set in early, for those who remained in Hofn would likely never have the opportunity to grieve later.

Fel's makeshift band of workers dispersed quickly, some going to fill their bellies and rest their feet but most being swept away to wherever needed their hands the most. Similarly, Fel split from their numbers and made his way down into the city square, where he rejoined several of the other heroes gathered nearby. He'd only had the briefest of moments to set his staff aside and seat himself on an upturned crate when an oddly familiar voice called out across the square.

“Oh Fel!"

No, it couldn't be.

"Your best friend has returned, come hug me!”

No, it couldn't be.

Fel scrambled to his feet, kicking the empty wooden crate aside in his haste, and reached for his staff -- a half-meter too far and a moment too late. Dour expression replaced by wide-eyed panic, he let out a pained groan as a pale blur smashed into his side. His hands failing to find purchase against the stack of wooden planks beside him, the poor elf was bowled over with all the force of a pair of rampaging oxen. Fel struggled the entire way down, writhing like an eel in his attempts to escape the unwanted embrace.

"Agh, get off, oh you little -- Carmen Brio, you absolute loach -- let go already, release me this instant!"

“Nuh uh~ there’s no way I’m gonna let go of my moody little sun elf~!”

Fel suddenly burst into a cloud of crows, each of the birds squawking indignantly as they fled in every direction from Carmen's arms. They gathered again beside Fel's staff, where he reformed from their midst and snatched up his focus, pointing it threateningly at the half-Fae man.

"--Ooh, that's a new trick."

"Now you keep your distance," he demanded, dark hair frazzled and appearing faintly ill. "Or I'll fry you and your no-sense-of-personal-space arms -- and who exactly made you my 'best friend'?"

“Well first off Fel, we both know that you would never do such a thing~. Second, I became your best friend because I’m the only one who can tolerate your absolutely horrible attitude!” The younger mage chirped, already on his feet. His brilliant smile remained entirely undiminished and not so much as a single hair laid out of place despite the elf's rough resistance. Fel twitched and contemplated leveling Hofn all at once, then realized Carmen would likely find a way to survive that and then he'd be doubly humiliated.

Instead, he grumbled under his breath about 'damn brats who were cuter before they grew up' and 'demonstrating exactly what he would or wouldn't set aflame', then sighed long-sufferingly and lowered his staff.

"Fel, who's your musically-gifted friend here?" Tiberius's voice piped up. "Judging by eccentricity, I'd say you were supposed to be our liaison to the Isles?"

"I can't imagine who you're referring to as my 'friend', but this overgrown child --" Fel fired a hot glare at Carmen, who brushed it aside with a practiced ease. "-- is Carmen Brio, a member of the-"

“Where’s Kai? This man, he-,” another familiar cry interrupted the introduction. Enthyskana burst into the square, carrying a large figure swathed in dark fabric in her arms. Her panic was palpable, and Fel swiveled, half-expecting her to be pursued by a horde of nightmare beasts. There were no demonic creatures on her tail, but as the small dragon laid the body on the ground and knelt beside it, the urgency in her voice cut out sharply. “He’s…dead.

"I chased down what seemed to be a suspicious individual, and he claimed that Tiryan knows ‘everything we do’. He also seemed to be well-informed on my spells. He was likely spying on us for the past few days with his owl summons and reporting back to Olrodia.”

Fel stomped over and glanced down over her shoulder, though the face he saw was entirely unfamiliar. A twisted feeling settled heavily in his abdomen. So Tiryan had a spy in their midst the entire time. Every last one of their plans and defensive measures was likely compromised from the start. The Olrodian army grew nearer by the hour and any hopes of surprising them had now been rendered null and void.

Lovely. Wasn't that just lovely.

The mage spat out a single, venemous curse, and turned away.

 

[Nessi]

Meanwhile, in Olrodia…

The heroes had discovered the rat that was hiding within Jorvik, reporting their every move. However, they had found him too late, Tiryan was already privy to their location, and now the wretched emperor sat on his balcony, several empty mana potions lying around him. He had his eyes closed, and to anyone passing by, it simply looked like he was enjoying the warmth of the sun. But in truth, Tiryan was looking through the eyes of a raven that he transformed into a nightmare beast.
The small creature had been flying for hours, but exhaustion was not something a nightmare beast experienced. So it continued to fly, until it finally reached its target location, the battleground in which Parzival had fallen. The corpses of the nightmare beasts, and some of the heroes who had fallen still stained the snow around them. But now, they would serve a new purpose, one that sought to destroy Hofn in its entirety, and leave nothing to rebuild.

Tiryan guided his raven to the center of the carnage, and lifted his arms out towards the sky, eyes rolling to the back of his head as he opened them. Then, the emperor began to chant, and as the first words left his lips, the once blue sky turned a deep crimson color. The language that came out of his mouth was intangible, as if the wind itself did not wish to carry the message he spoke. However, those close enough to hear the faintest whisper of the emperor's incantation could feel their sanity slowly slipping.
As Tiryan continued his chant, the bodies from the battlefield, and anything living within the general area began to combine itself together. Flesh fused with flesh, limbs were snapped and contorted, trees broken apart and flung themselves into the amalgamation. This combination of life and death did not stop, until a mass of flesh and tentacles were born.

“Go,” Tiryan commanded his creation. “Go to Hofn, annihilate whatever stands in your way, kill them all!” he roared out.
Tiryan’s living weapon let out a deafening roar, and began to make its way towards the capital. As it floated, tentacles could be seen reaching into its mass of flesh, and pulling out nightmare beasts, placing them on the floor to allow them to join the hunt. It wouldn’t be long before the living weapon had a small army of nightmare beasts, and it wouldn’t take long before the first screams would be heard…

 

[Dawnsx]

Nelumba

Interactions: Kibaa

Mentions: OldTurtle

If plumbing was anything like fixing mana circuits, then Nel would be the bestest plumber ever! Sure, she almost blew all her friends up into chunky red bits during her first attempt (according to Bastet, at least,) but at least a lot of those pesky glyphs were gone now! If Khatiy’s mana circuits were like rusty, clogged pipes on the verge of collapse before, now it was more like… somewhat-functional pipes that were squeaky and rickety from years of disuse!

It was a lot of hard work, but if it was to help a friend, then it was all worth it! Plus, she got to spend plenty of quality bonding time with her favorite sultan!

Now, as the heroes prepared for the incoming battle, Nel took some time to have one last healing sesh with Khatiy. She didn’t want to stay in Jorvik. The smarticle particles of the group did a bit of analysis of the situation when they discussed whether they should stay or go, and it sounded like a lot of innocent people might die if they decided to stay and help Ragnir. But democracy ruled in their group, and they all wound up staying anyway.

No matter! She just had to keep doing what she did best: being the Champion of kindness, love, and life!

Nel glided feather light fingers along Khatiy’s skin, ooh-ing and aah-ing vaguely every once in a while for no apparent reason.

”Ohh, this circuit here… mhm, mhm…” she mumbled, rubbing the thumb and index finger of her free hand along her invisible mustache. ”Hmm… Oopsies, not this one! This one here… Interesting… Yikes, maybe not this one…”

”Good thing you did not take up the medic role,” Shiva mused in her head.

”No interruptions while the plumber is working,” Nel grunted as she mended a mana circuit that she’d acciden– purposefully neglected until now.

In a stark contrast to her usual flighty behavior, she devoted most of her attention to her work as she absently kept track of everything happening in the background.

Blaring music? She wiggled her shoulders to the beat.

A cheery voice proclaiming himself to be Fel’s bestie? Good! The grumpy old man could use a friend!

A suspicious individual lying dead at the center of the city square? Rest in pieces, and good riddance!

A hoard of nightmare beasts and the ghastly screams of people getting ripped apart?

Nel squinted up. Waaait a minute… Fel had a best friend and never told her? Phooey! She’d have to make Fel tell her all about this Carmen Brio after they fight the nasty beasties!

With a little bounce, Nel straightened herself. ”Alrighty, Khatiy! Ready to kick butt, take names?”

 

[Nano]

Enthyskana Rhoda

Interactions: Whoever's next to poor not!Tatag

Mentions: Carmen Brio, Ragnir, Fel

Enthy didn’t dare look up. There was no need to—not with the way anger emanated from the sun elf’s body. Though the leaking of their plans and preparations was by no means her responsibility alone, she couldn’t help but hang her head lower as the carrier of the bad news. Had they been careless, or had the mole simply been skilled? It was too late to bemoan their lack of awareness regarding the various forces eyeing Hofn’s downfall, but dread and all her misgivings knotted together like a jumbled patchwork of rags.

Another disadvantage, but the battle hasn’t been lost yet

, she thought, doing her best to convince herself that their failure wasn’t yet an inevitability. Unlike the battle against Parzival and Hargred, they didn’t need a decisive win. So long as the enemy retreated, the results would be satisfactory, and the environment itself turned the upcoming battle into one of attrition.

Enthy hands gripped the front of her tunic, turning sheet white as the pressure drained all the blood from her fingertips. Closing her eyes, she deeply inhaled until her lungs strained against her chest. Then, she exhaled.

After rising to brush off the snow clinging to her boots and knees, the young dragon panned her gaze to scan the faces of the people who’d gathered around the square as a result of the commotion she’d kicked up. Spotting one of the more vaguely familiar soldiers nearby, she beckoned for the man to draw closer. When he obliged, she tilted her head to gesture towards the spy’s corpse which had long lost its heat to the frigid temperatures of Hofn.

“Please find His Majesty and inform him of what has occurred,”

she said while trying not to grimace at the memory.

“I’ll leave the body for His Majesty to do as he sees fit. Though I found him, I won’t interfere even if he refuses to give him the dignity of a proper burial as his crimes were inflicted upon your land.”

Though she felt a hint of guilt for doubting someone she was asking a favor of, Enthy did a quick check to confirm that the soldier wouldn’t get up to any funny business. After the stint with the mole, they could never play it too safe, lest they eat another loss. With the corpse dealt with, time finally granted her the opportunity to take note of the distinctly non-Jórvik dressed individual who had been acting overly familiar with Fel prior to him storming off in anger. However, she wouldn’t be able to ask for a more formal introduction before a deep crimson leaked and spread throughout the formerly blue skies above.

Faint, muffled screams rolled through the entrance of the city, soon followed by the wretched odor of blood and the presence of a deathly aura. Enthy broke out into a run, past the city square and past the gates of the city’s main entrance. There, on the horizon, a strange creature (could she even call it that?) menacingly towered over the snow-covered landscape as it floated towards the capital. From a distance, the angry, red mass appeared hairy. However, as it drew closer, its features grew more clear. It dragged along a myriad of tentacles and was covered in uneven mounds of flesh akin to oversized boils. The lumps under its skin undulated in waves, as if there were creatures crawling underneath its fleshy exterior, and the young dragon’s observations would soon be proven correct.

A nauseating mixture of blood and pus splashed onto the snow, each opened orifice spitting out a beastial creature onto the fluid. Some remained unresponsive the moment their bodies were unceremoniously dropped and buried within the deep snow surrounding Hofn, yet it wouldn’t be long before they shakily stretched out their bodies and began marching behind the Living Weapon. By the time Enthy had the time to yell for their forces to assemble and prepare themselves for battle, the atrocity before them had already birthed an entire army determined to bring down the capital’s walls by all means necessary.

One had traveled ahead of the rest, leering at the heroes and soldiers filing through the city gates. Its form was unlike anything Enthy had seen before, with blue and black spikes decorating its armor as well as shadows which dripped from its jowls and back like a black mist. However, she couldn’t shake off a horrifying feeling of familiarity that seemed to claw up her spine.

A wave of its arms and wild swing of its head sent a volley of obsidian spikes crackling with energy their way. Ignoring the sensation that something was awry, Enthy quickly summoned forth her sword and dug its tip straight into the chilled earth.

“Stand firm before adversity! Scales of Protection.”

As soon as the final word of the spell’s incantation dropped, a large barrier expanded before the young dragon, halting the creature’s ranged assault. Suddenly, a large figure leapt out from amidst the army of nightmare beasts and punched down upon the barrier. Seeing that the barrier had begun to splinter under the force of the hit, Enthy channeled more mana in an attempt to repair it. However, once her eyes gazed up at the creature who blocked out the light of the sun from her sight with its towering figure, she nearly lost her grip upon her sword in surprise.

The creature was covered in a thick plating of wood all over its armor, and branch-like horns crowned its head which was devoid of facial features of any kind. Much like the first monster, the creature’s appearance was not one that had ever made an appearance within her memories. It was only their close proximity and through the cracks of the barrier that she realized what had felt off about the creatures.

The beast was drenched in the typical rancid stench plaguing the likes of nightmare beasts, yet underneath it all was the faint scent of a boy she thought she’d never see again. He carried the earthy scent of the forest she longed to see at least once in her life. He smelled like a meadow graced by warm sunlight and a gentle breeze.

He smelled like kindness.

“Ta…tag?”

she spoke hesitantly, yet when the creature drew its arm back for another punch, she knew he couldn’t hear her. It didn’t recognize that name.

This time, the barrier shattered.

Veritas’s whipblade flew into the city walls with a sharp clatter, and Enthy’s body limply rolled through the snow before collapsing into a snowpile. The impact and confusion left her mind in a state of haze, as if her head had been submerged in water. However, the scent of the strange yet familiar creature which burned her nose was oddly sharp and vivid.

He smelled like kindness, but it smelled like death.

Her rage surged like an ocean swell, perpetuated by an echo chamber of insidious whispers. Depraved. Revolting. Unforgivable. How dare he? How DARE he defile their corpses and laugh at their misery as he morphed them into puppets that would attack their own?

In the recesses of her mind, she could sense a voice sternly calling out her name, yet all she could hear was the thunderous roar of blood pumping through her ears. All she could see was red, red, red.

He’ll suffer.

Yet the moment she retrieved her sword, an immovable force placed itself upon her wrist. The voice of someone chastising her buzzed like an incessant itch upon her ears, but she continued to struggle to raise the Oathsworn Blade.

“Let go,”

she said in a low voice, her tone uncharacteristically threatening. Her chest heaved with each angry breath, and something felt as if it were on the cusp of overflowing. All that was holding it back from completely bubbling over was that firm grasp attempting to ground her.

“If further mutilating the corpses of your friends will make you feel better, then I’m all too happy to release you.”

Cold words scoffed at the current state of her psyche. As if kicked by a mule, the young dragon ceased her resistance. However, her stubbornness struggled to digest the obvious secondary message hidden in plain sight. Nothing she did would soothe her anger, not when the source of her rage sat in an unknown location far away from the chaos of the battlefront. From all the days of her childhood wasted on plotting another’s demise, she knew hatred would lead her nowhere.

“It’s unfair.”

Her voice was quiet and wavered weakly, yet it held a bite to it. No matter how often their enemies trampled upon their dignity, they were expected to uphold their duty and values as heroes. Just like he’d done in the past, her god offered neither comfort nor counsel, only a reminder of the oath sealed between them.

“Do you stand for justice? Or vengeance?”

The force holding down the Oathsworn Blade had long disappeared, yet Enthy continued to remain silent. When the roar of the monster she assumed was once Mahina’s body shook the air, the young dragon’s grip on the sword tightened.

“I want to lay them to rest,”

she finally said.

“Then go,”

Veritas replied in a tone far gentler than one she’d heard before.

When Enthy moved to return to her place upon the battlefield, she noticed that the weight of the weapon in her hand had changed. Wondering if her god was dissatisfied with her answer, she gazed downwards. However, what she saw in the place of a sword was a mighty axe, the likes of which she’d never seen before. Instinctively, she knew of the spell associated with the weapon, yet she couldn’t help but question why Veritas had granted her this weapon now or why he’d never mentioned it before.

In the distance, the Living Weapon continued to produce nightmare beasts to replace any that had fallen. More horrifyingly, it reabsorbed whatever corpses that laid in the reach of its tentacles, repeating the entire process of reanimating its broken body and regurgitating it back out all over again. Though the process of culling the numbers of the nightmare beasts faster than the Living Weapon could regenerate was nothing new to the heroes, the added strength of Mahina’s corpse which continued to attack with its thorns while devouring nightmare beasts and soldiers alike to recover any damage it took and Tatag’s corpse that never seemed to slow no matter how hard it was hit made it far more difficult to focus on the main body of the Living Weapon.

Lugging the axe and its unfamiliar weight along, Enthy arrived back by the side of the heroes fighting back the nightmare beasts.

“I have a spell that can likely crack open its wooden carapace, leaving it more vulnerable to attacks. But I’ll need assistance while channeling it.”

 

[Nessi]

King Ragnir Brynjolf

Ragnir looked out to his people, distraught plastered on his face. He knew that when the battle was over, the majority of his warriors would be dead, and this wasn’t a fact that he wished to accept. With the heroes staying back to fight, it also meant that his daughters would now be in harm's way, instead of escorting them to the isles.
“They need to leave, before things start to get ugly.” He muttered. Before he could relay the message however, the mad orca would stop him in his tracks, asking for a moment of his time. Before Ragnir could even respond, the young warrior would pull him into a shed filled with mercenaries who worked from the same organization as she did.

Rohen told Ragnir about the group of mercenaries that were under her command, and about how she wanted to use them to assist in the upcoming fight by slowing down the movement of the approaching army.
“While on paper, that would be a good idea, we have no way of knowing the enemy's exact location,” Ragnir started, walking over to the map to examine it. “Not only that, but your group of mercenaries are far too small in number to be a proper deterring force. The best thing you can do is have your group join with mine, we need every number we can get here.” Ragnir admitted.

“Father….dammit…..Father! There’s something urgent that needs your attention right this instant!” a voice called from outside. Ragnir wasted no time to exit the shed, and found both his daughters, shouting not too far from where he was. But as he got closer, he noticed that not only was Hilda carrying a body, but the pair was accompanied by one of his soldiers.
“What happened!?” Ragnir exclaimed, rushing over to check on the condition of his daughters.
“You. Tell him what you told us.” Hilda commanded the soldier, who didn't waste time explaining the events that had perspired earlier.

Ragnir gripped his spear in frustration, cursing himself for not expecting such a thing to happen. Before he could respond to the trio, the stench of death filled the air, and the sound of screams quickly filled the air. “Lóðir, safnaðu! (Soldiers, gather!)” Ragnir roared out. It would only take a few moments before the warriors of Jorvik came flooding out to the gate, intending to defend their homes, and their families, to the last breath.
“Hilda, go and rally the heroes, we won’t last long if it’s just us!” Ragnir commanded. Hilda nodded, and ran off to do as she was told. “Ingrid, I need you to find that horn in the house, the one that’s on the wall in the dining hall. Grab it and blow it three times outside, before grouping up with the heroes!” Ragnir ordered. Ingrid wasted no time, and started sprinting towards the house, leaving Ragnir alone.

The King of Jorvik wasted no time in rushing out into the fray, despite knowing that the chances of him perishing were more than likely. With a mighty yell, Ragnir made his presence known to everyone, and his soldiers cheered on as he cut down nightmare beasts with his mighty spear. Despite the shift in battle, the king of Jorvik knew that killing nightmare beasts in the presence of Tiryan’s abomination would do little. He analyzed the situation, and noticed the two most prominent nightmare beasts, one that seemed to be completely made of steel like wood, and the other that ate the corpses of the dead before the living weapon could convert them.
Before Ragnir could devise a plan, the heroes would come, with Hilda joining them in trying to kill the wooden beast as quickly as possible. Ragnir smirked, and turned his attention to the starved beast that was before him, staring it right in its eyes. Without hesitation, he charged towards the nightmarish Mahina, who responded in kind.
“Alger gjald!(crushing charge!)” Ragnir yelled out. His body glowed a bright orange as he slammed his shoulder into the beast's face, causing it to go flying into a nearby tree.
Ragnir lifted his spear towards the monster, and quickly engaged the beast again. "þrumuverkfall! (Thundering strike!)" Ragnir yelled, and immediately his spear began to glow a bright blue. He slammed his spear into the beast's chest, the impact sounding like a crack of thunder.

 

[LazyDaze]

AAXIR THE RED

Interactions: Nano
Mentions:

Aaxir wished they had never known, but he was happy that they did. In another timeline they sail off with smiles and fond memories of Jorvik while Ragnir lays down the ultimate sacrifice for the greater good. Eventually that would propel them to face off against Tiryan and reclaim the world once and for all with his heroism in their hearts. However, Aaxir would never stand for it. That said, Aaxir knew what the best course of action would be, yet when the heroes found out what Ragnir had planned he along with the others couldn't knowingly leave him to his fate and command him to die. Even the confident dragon knew staying behind to save Jorvik was beyond stupid; emotions never won wars, especially with someone as shrewd as Tiryan. Without a doubt he would want to extenguish the flames of hop once and for all. Aaxir didn't converse much with the others after the decision was made, choosing to steel his resolve and think while resting on the tallest tower he could find. His black cloak fluttered in the wind as the snow continued to fall..unaware of the blood that would stain the white streets of the great city. It was clear that even the most adamant about defending this lost city had doubts in their hearts. Yes, it would have been better had they never known. He wondered how important were principles and morals when the world as you knew it was on the line? Did they have the right to be concerned with such things when so many others counted on them. Today, many people were going to die.

Aaxir pulled out a small gift box from inside his haori. He opened the box carefully and took a moment to simply take in the contents of the container as the corners of his mouth lifted ever so slightly to form a smile. He couldn't help but think of the hell he had to go through to come up with this idea. Regret? That was a little too foreboding even for him. A chuckle escaped his lips as he suddenly wish Kai had gave him one final push to apologize properly. It wouldn't be just enough to live through this battle...everyone else had to come out of this as well. Knowing how reckless she is, Aaxir sighed knowing he would have his work cut out for him. Kai would never let him live it down. "I won't have anyone else taken from me...." Aaxir said to himself while closing the box and putting it away safely. He sighed while embracing the sight of the peaceful horizon happy he could see Jorvik like this once more before the battle to come.

A few peaceful hours passed before Aaxir noticed a commotion down below. It appeared to have something to do with Fel and an old boisterous acquaintance that reminded him of just an even louder Kai, so obviously Aaxir remained at his post. The second commotion seemed to be more serious as everyone immediately stopped...and was that a corpse. Aaxir would later find out that their long odds of victory decreased yet again...Tiryan knew everything....but that only made Aaxir smile. "We're making him nervous."

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Before he knew it the skies had turned to blood. Then the horrific screams soon followed, but oddly enough Aaxir's mind was like still waters. The entire scene before him seemed surreal. He was happy that he was able to enjoy the sight of Jorvik one more time before the battle. Nothing could prepare him for what he saw next. Off in the distance was the vile amalgamation of flesh. A living weapon as it were, spawning equally vile beasts who once knew death but suffered the living. It wouldn't have been a surprise had the hearts of every ally wavered at the sight of such a beast. Aaxir could vivedly remember when he first came across the ways of the Crimson King; nevertheless, it was always unsettling despite his experience.

"Pele...let's go."

"Of course my champion."

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Aaxir lept off the building as he did something he often reserved for the most dire of situations. He wouldn't leave anything to chance in this fight. Aaxir knew he could never serve to be the light that Arlux was, but he could at least provide a spark while entrusting his fellow heroes to ignite that same flame she had carried up until her death. His fangs grew, his red scales shined even under the blood soaked sky while he grew in size. His wings remained furled as he dove like a missisle toward the battlefield instantly crushing a nightmare beast underneath his massive claws and then brutally melting it down with the powers of the Volcanic Goddess. With the horde rushing toward him Aaxir unfurled his wings and belt out the mightiest roar that he could muster, hoping it would reach the hearts of his allies. Aaxir burned, crushed, and mutilated beast after beast while eyeing the floating horror producing the army of corpses. If this turned to a war of attrition with that floating mass, they would not stand a chance; however, the horde was doing more than just containing their forces. In particualr their were two troublesome enemies. The former heroes Mahina, and Tatag. There was an unusual hesistancy at the sight of those monsters, but Aaxir quickly shook it off as there was no time for second guessing ones self in a situation so dire, but he could not deny that something was definitely peculiar about those two particular beasts. Either way, they would have to get past them before taking out the source of their troubles. Appearing as an answer to his thoughts was Enthy, claiming she had a way past the armor of wooden beast to which Aaxir flashed a toothy grin to his "little sister".

"Don't worry, they won't even be able to breathe on you," Aaxir said with a growl before slamming his front claw into the ground causing several fissures to form around Aaxir and toward Tatag as the earth around them began to shake. Soon after, molten rock would erupt from the fissures violently engulfing anything near it while unleashing another terrifying roar.