Another Horizon IC

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Choosing to go left appeared to be the right decision for Aresia. Heading down the wooden corridors of the airship, the maid-butler did not encounter anyone during her excursion. The room numbers revealed that she was on the second floor of this vessel, and that, if the snores coming from each room was any indication, that she was in the area of the ship reserved for personal rooms. While airship crews weren't quite as large as their aquatic counterparts, due largely to the fact that there wasn't a need for rowers, it appeared that most men had singular rooms, from the few cabins that Aresia had peeked into. Soon, however, she made it to the end of the hallway. The door was labelled 'Cargo Area' in large brass letters bolted to the surface, and it was unlocked. All she had to do was use a little extra strength to push the heavy door open, and soon, she was greeted with the ethereal lighting of runetech lamps.

The runes, racing over the ceiling, glowed a soft, blue light, illuminating the cavernous area. It was bright enough to make out the multitude of boxes and crates, labelled with stamps that read things such as 'fragile' or 'perishables'. There appeared to be nothing out of the ordinary, however, and, after more examination, it become clearer that, for the time being, there was no one in the room with her.

It appeared that she was free to find a hiding spot and relax, at least for the time being.
~❆~
The woman stayed silent, unwillingly or incapable of responding to Ashe's question. Fortunately for the two women, the fat man, still panting from his bout of punishment, paid no heed to the one-armed woman's whispers. Instead, he marched off, with the vampire sliding behind the line and urging the girls to follow. With nothing else for it, and no particular openings that they could take advantage of, they were summarily marched through the corridors once more, walking in the other direction that Ashe and Alexa had once attempted their escape with.

If the two of them turned around, they would see Eiros smiling back at them, his hands lifted slightly to the sides, as if to say 'can't be helped'.

Soon, they were at another door, this time leading to a dark, cold room. The walls and floor were of cold metal, and before them were three large wagons. No horses were present, but with a vampiric mage as powerful as Eiros, it appeared unlikely that animals of flesh and blood would be necessary. With a large key, the man unlocked the padlocks on each of them, before saying, "Get in, you filthy lot. And don't even think about trying to escape. These are more for your protection than anything else."

With that, the women began to walk, or, in the case of the battered woman, hobble in. The wails of ghostly horses could be heard after they were all seated on the wooden benches, and the door was padlocked behind them. There was only one window within the wagon, barred with thick shafts of steel.

It was only a few moments later that the ghostly wail of Eiros's steeds could be heard, and after that, they were off, riding into the elements.

The fat man's words became clear soon after. Outside of the airship was a blizzard, howling viciously and battering the sides of the wagons like an enraged banshee. From one environmental extreme to another, it appeared, and the sweat that clung to their bodies now only served to chill them to the bone.
~❆~
Under the light of the full moon, the trio could see it now, an airship floating slowly overhead. The vessel, its flight unobstructed by the magic of the guards on watch or of Dansila's elite combatants, sailed leisurely. Its sails were not yet fully extended, as if the captain was still trying to catch the winds, but its direction was clearly. It too was heading towards Illiserev.

Was that ship chasing the one that Araki had heard about? With their own strength, it wasn't likely that they could catch up to it, but at the same time…if they were to dilly-dally and spend a day or two walking to another town in which they could catch an airship, it might be too late for their friends by then. Was it better to blow their cover by using some sort of flashy magical combination to bring them up onto the airship that was plodding away, when that airship may not even bring them to the destination they had in mind? Or would the optimal choice be to stick with the original plan, and travel on foot until they could find a trustworthy airship captain?

Decisions, decisions, decisions.
 
Surprisingly, he met up with Shizuka at the same moment the same moment Charlotte stepped out of the treeline. He unwrapped the black cloth and shook his head with a huff before he folded the length of fabric and returned her bow. "Evening." A glance back at the distant walls of Cykes and he could only shrug. "Probably had it the worst given they put quite an effort to find me… They gave up quite some time ago though, so it shouldn't be a problem."

His gaze remained trained on Shizuka as she brought up their swift change of relationship once again. "I wasn't aware there was anything to make official… I thought you hat-"

Whatever he wanted to say or discuss with her would have to be put on hold for the moment though as he noticed the airship had in fact somehow managed to set sail. He was honestly surprised given he had expected it to be swarmed with guards from the reaction it had set off, or brought down, but the hull seemed untouched and it didn't seem to be in a hurry.

He eyeballed the height at which it drifted along lazily before he turned to Charlotte, recalling the Rift Beast extermination party. "You can use gravity magic right?" His intention would become obvious when he crouched down in a runner's stance towards the airship. "I should be able to boost all of us up with your help," he explained as he foot dug into the soil, bracing and tensing himself up for an initial burst of speed. His veins seemed to glow blue as the faint light crept up his neck and spread until even his eyes were alit.
 
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Shizuka was about to explain that she didn't need to like someone to marry them, when the airship changed the topic of conversation handily. "Let's hope it's going the right direction," she commented as she braced herself, not that she could do much to help on the way up. "They probably won't like the sudden arrival of a few guests."

At least she'd be ready to strike if a fight were to break out on deck. Multiple boarders flying out of the forest unannounced wasn't likely to be taken well, even if their intentions were virtuous. Though intentions didn't mean much, when they would essentially be forcing their way onboard and imposing on the ship's crew to remain there. Being invited along on a cart is one thing. This...well...this was quite another. But what was a ship doing running before they city could completely close down the port, anyway?

"I wonder why they decided to leave in such a hurry." She tensed herself in preparation for whatever action they were about to undertake. "I'm ready to try to crazy plan." To earnestly accept something so quickly, and put her trust and her life to her comrades was maybe a little unusual, but it was how she tended to think of things. She would, of course, expect any of them to do the same.
 
Ash had waited for a response from the woman hanging from her arm, but after minutes had passed in silence between them, Ashe had all but given up on her speaking. "Fine, be like that, then," Ashe said under her breath. "I probably deserve it."

The women all marched, single file as the fat man had ordered. There was a good chance, in Ashe's mind, that he wouldn't have had such cooperation if it wasn't for his undead bodyguard; who, as Ashe was finding, a certain sympathy for the devil was forming. The Illiserevan likely was the only thing keeping him from being killed, and if he had any family... Well, the though made the rune-technician want to kill him only a little bit less, at least.

They had all arrived in the steely room which held their next transport, wagons. They had received warning not to escape from the fat man, and Ashe could only help but think, We'll see, with narrowed eyes. They all loaded into the back of the vehicle, the woman Ashe was supporting was sandwiched between her and Alexa who had been leading the pair. After the wagons had taken off it had become apparent to them as to why the previous warning had been received. Bloody cold, Ashe thought as she put up her own barrier of air against the window and began heating the cabin; she was grateful she had the capabilities of runetech.

She relaxed on the bench before leaning over the yet named woman over to whisper at Alexa. "So... this situation is looking more impossible by the minute; aren't you glad we at least have each other?" Some levity, the witch thought, might lighten her friend's seemingly darkened mood.
 
So far, Alexa had seen no opening in which she could reach into the vampire's chest and crush his heart. She was still looking for an opportunity to rush the bastard up until they were separated and forced into the wagons. Scowling, Alexa resisted the urge to rip the repulsive slaver into pieces and give herself away to the actually dangerous foe here.

Once they were inside the wagon, Alexa nodded at Ashe in thanks for the runetech heating before cracking a slight grin at Ashe's quip, though not without some confusion to herself. When the hell had she snapped back to normal? Oh, well. Alexa wouldn't question a blessing for now. As long as Ashe was fine, they could figure a way out. Escape was impossible at the moment, considering the weather outside, but that was fine. She had time. For them to get free, the vampire had to die.

"Oh, now you reciprocate my advances." Alexa said in jest before leaning in to Ashe, showing her the shard of talentium she'd yanked out of her side earlier. "Now that I know which side of the chest his heart is on, all I need is one shot." She whispered quietly to Ashe, before leaning back, folding her arms together.
 
Upon hearing about Araki's run in with the guard, Charlotte briefly frowned, before her mouth curved upward. At the very least, she trusted him enough to not lead the entire garrison to their rendezvous point. "And I thought you were a sneaky ninja by the way you liked to use the roofs," she commented, in jest.

She had some more mundane words to say to Araki and Shizuka, but the sudden and quiet appearance of the airship from earlier caught her eye and put an end for any room to celebrate their escape from the city walls. Looking at Araki, she nodded at his question. "Yeah. And it looks like it's going in the right direction, too." Nonetheless, she hesitated for a moment. If they missed the airship entirely, they would be in for a world of pain. But it was also the only opportunity they really had.

"This'll be the craziest plan I've ever agreed to," she replied. "Let's do it." As she said this, she began to work her magic, focusing on making the three of them as light as she could afford before giving the cue for the powering up Araki.

"…Just don't slam us into the thing and shoot it down, please."
 
Well, that seemed easy. The only bad part about the cargo bay was the lack of windows or similiar...but being not completely legal on this ship this would be the least of her worries, especially considering she did plan to just drop out from here anyways if it was not moving towards Illiserev. And for that, the maid butler could always open the cargo door. All that was left to do was finding a hiding spot. Touching the cargo, apart from moving it, was out of the question though. After all, there was always the possibility of a peaceful solution if she would actually get busted.

She could, however, move the cargo around. Sure, it would take her a little bit of time, but considering they already finished why in god's name would anyone check out the cargo NOW? Thus, the black hair quickly get to work to create some sort of 'hiding hole' inside the cargo.
 
The wind was not a problem. Nor was the height or speed of the airship. Though Araki felt some strain, his telekinetic magic was maintained with relative ease. The combination of gravity magic and levitation made it almost a trivial task for the talentium-empowered trio to fly upwards. Araki's dimly glowing body caused little concern when it came to being detected, and as they got closer to the airship, they weren't seen at all by the people on deck, who appeared just to be checking the knots and filling up the mana-tank with extra fuel before sleeping. All in all, it looked safe enough for Araki to approach, and the three of them were soon clinging onto the frame of the main door of the airship while the locks and bolts of the door were brute forced apart by Araki's telekinesis.

It was a rather loud affair, really, but when the door opened up for the three to hop in, there wasn't anything along the likes of a group of well-armed guards pointing their weapons at them. Instead, it was empty and silent, other than the roar of the wind as the airship picked up speed. Within the drafty area, they could see a variety of different passageways, going straight, left, and right. Araki's keen senses didn't pick anything up other than the sounds of snoring crewmates, and even the footsteps that could be heard from above didn't show any alarm.

Regardless of what the trio's suspicions may be, it was safe to move on now.
~❆~
These two…talking over her like she didn't even exist, flirting like a bunch of melodramatic lesbian lovers with no consideration to the person between them. Well, seeing they were just as selfish and stupid during their first escape attempt, it shouldn't have come as much of a surprise at all. Before any of the others in the room could catch a glimpse of the talentium thorn Alexa was showing off to Ashe, the young woman reached out with her hand and covered it up.

Holding onto that hand, she pulled the short-haired girl over into an embrace, her body warm against Alexa's skin as she nuzzled against her neck.

A few tense moments later, the long-haired woman released Alexa, smiled contently, and then sat back normally.

"Please refrain from talking now," she murmured, with a sideways glance to Ashe.
~❆~
Aresia's hiding skills were, ultimately, successful. Though she had heard some footsteps walk about in the cargo room a few minutes or so afterwards, she wasn't found out, and soon decided that it would be safe enough for her to fall asleep.

And so, slumber came.
 
As soon as the other two had managed to enter the airship, he slammed the door shut and wedged a few broken bolts into the hinges to hold it shut against the wind. Apparently their entry hadn't attracted any attention, odd, but a blessing he would gladly take. With three different paths in front of the group though, Araki quickly figured that straight into the heart of the airship would be the better option. The largest rooms, and thus easiest stowaway spots, were likely to be there and they might even find some information to confirm the airship's destination.

The crews' snores soon faded as he put more distance between the bedrooms the lined the hull of the ship. Occasionally he would stop as footsteps came from the floorboards above, but there was never any sign that their presence had been detected. He poked his head into the rooms he came across, but ultimately found nothing of too much interest. A few closets that stored either supplies or clothes, possibly useful for hiding in, but otherwise unimportant. He could see stairs at the end of the hall that led up and down, but ignored it for the moment as he stepped into an office. There wasn't likely to be much of importance here given the room had been unlocked, but it couldn't hurt to take a look through the papers that were present.

Ultimately his guess was correct, and the room only yielded inventory checks and other such minor documentations. "Guess they'd be in the captain's room," he muttered to himself as he left the room the way he had found it. He took a glance around to see what Charlotte and Shizuka were up to before he gestured at the stairs and then pointed down. The upper decks were still clearly busy, and if he wasn't mistaken the machinery, engines, and such should be located in the lower decks. It probably wouldn't see as much traffic and would be much easier for the trio to hide in.
 
Alexa froze as the girl started whispering in her ear. What she said was certainly harsh, but the tone was so bloody sensual and adorable that she found herself listening and not cutting her off. Nonetheless, she scowled as the girl essentially berated her and Ashe for trying to escape on their own. What the hell had she expected? For them to have tried to break every single prisoner out? Prison breaks never worked like that. If the entire population tried to get out, it would only have resulted in a mass slaughter if the guards wanted to keep their lives. Besides, had their positions been reversed, Alexa wouldn't have faulted the girl for trying to escape on her own. Besides, it wasn't as if she cared about any of these prisoners. She didn't know them. She had no obligation to them.

"Lead on, then." Alexa scoffed at the unnamed girl, narrowing her eyes in distaste. Despite her tone, the sheer holier-than-thou, I'm-smarter-than-you attitude the girl took enraged her. "I'll be looking forward to whatever brilliant idea you have." She said sardonically before jerking her head at Ashe, signaling her that everything was fine for the moment.
 
Ashe was feeling... A little left out as the woman yet to be named woman leaned into an embrace with Alexa. Jealousy? Well, her flame for Escellar hadn't been snuffed in short duration between the party and now, yet it was certainly akin to that with the hot feeling pitting in her stomach; a feeling which only dug deeper as they finished with the other girl smiling.

"I still don't have your name," but an utterance from Ashe's mouth at the command of the other woman, yet the witch didn't say much more as Alexa motioned to her that everything was alright. "Whatever," she further ventured; only now feeling the exhaustion from the extended use of her runetech. "Wake me before 'our new lord' does." She rolled her eyes as she got up, and draped the tatters of her kimono on splinters of the door -- hoping this would keep some of the heat in -- before nestling in for some rest.
 
Shizuka carefully made her way through the airship with her fellow boarders turned stowaways. She was on edge the entire time, jumping at every noise and keeping her katana close at hand, ready to draw at the slightest need. She was even more careful any time the group could hear footsteps, or passed by a door, even if it were closed.

When Araki moved into an open office to look around, she stood watch outside, by the door. Every moment they were out in the open was a danger, but to be caught completely unawares would be utterly foolish. When he exited and pointed down the stairs, she nodded. Further down would likely be a better place to hide. She moved on ahead, carefully taking the lead down the stairs, and moving in time with any creaking or noises from the ship itself when she could.

Downstairs, the sounds of the engine grew louder, and Shizuka released a breath she didn't know she was holding at the masking noise. Pipes ran overhead, taking up space and lowering the ceilings to a claustrophobic degree, and the entire deck was a single open space, with nothing to divide it beyond the shapes of machinery, ballast, and pipes to break it up. Voices of sailors at work filter faintly through the noise, although they seem to be few in number from what Shizuka can hear, and the people to whom they belong were all out of sight. From the sound of it, they were just doing final checks on the runetech before turning in for the night.

Shizuka glanced up at the others and beckoned them forward, a look of urgency on her face. If they intended to hide down here, they would need to do so quickly. Unless she had missed another entrance, they'd need to be clear of that stairwell and out of sight before the workers finished. While she waited for the others, she glanced around for a place to hide. The stairs themselves were the most obvious spot, and she quickly turned to duck behind them out of the way, again motioning for the others to follow.
 
Their boarding of the airship was a particularly messy and loud manner of business. Having essentially and functionally destroyed the cargo bay doors, Charlotte was rather surprised that a welcoming party did not await them. She supposed the rush of the air along the vessel and the engine noises might have masked the noises of shearing metal. She was far more worried that the damaged door would sheer off and take more pieces of the airship along with it, precipitating a series of catastrophic events, but she tried not to think about that too much.

Aside from the potential of a flaming and fiery death, they now had to worry about staying concealed, or if not, giving some sort of satisfying excuse if discovered by the airship's crew. It seemed to be unspoken, however, that the best course of action would be to hide for now, and that was what they did, after poking around the ship nosily for a bit. After a bit of this, Charlotte and the small boarding party had to hide behind a staircase briefly. The sounds of approaching footsteps left not much room for discussion, and Charlotte followed Shizuka under the cramped space.

It would be absurd to have stayed there for long though, and if they passed undiscovered, it would be absurd to have stayed there for long though, and if they passed undiscovered, she would have immediately suggested finding a more reasonable place to stowaway in, like a safer section of the cargo hold or an empty stateroom.
 
The night rolled on without pausing for the benefit of the mortals bound to the earth. Despite the tragedies and the convictions of those in the world, the moon shone as brilliantly as ever, its resplendent glory brightening the veil of clouds that hung over Illiserev. Just above the clouds, the airship, Argena, sailed bravely, occasional pulses of heat magic keeping the frost off its wings as its bow crested through the gaseous waves. By morning, it will have arrived in Illiserev, with the entirety of its crew members ready to assist in docking. There was a snowstorm striking the coast of the oligarchic nation, but the men were experienced and prepared. They slept soundly in preparation of the morning's struggles, their rooms warmed by dim fires and heated water.

For the individuals who did not have a bedroom to rest in, however, the night was purely suffering. Within the cargo bay, the cold temperatures were only exacerbated by the metal frames and the wooden boxes. There were no insulating materials in sight, and Aresia would find it nigh impossible to sleep as the airship got underway. The engine's roar was not muffled at all within the storage area, and the temperatures within the room was quickly dropping below zero. Though her command of fire magic was more than sufficient in keeping her warm, that constant usage of magic meant that sleep only came in fitful bouts.

Araki, Shizuka, and Charlotte were better off. At night, it appeared that no guards were actually making any rounds within the interior of the ship, and they were able to move about without any encounter with the crew. The cold temperatures of the cargo hold dissuaded the three from spending the night in there, however, and all other rooms that did not hold people within it were kept cold as ice. The airship was clearly owned by a captain who believed in the conservation of magical energy. After some time, it was decided that they were best of staying in their hiding spot behind the stairs of the engine floor. Over there, at least, the residual heat of the pipes and the engine would keep them from freezing their butts off, though the noise still made it difficult to fall asleep. They were able to rest in the end, however, and as the night continued on, nothing unusual occurred. It was almost odd, how well it was all going.

And down below, as the spectral horses pushed through the howling winds and the blustering snow, an easy rest was granted to those within the caravan. The interior of the wagon, despite the lack of runetech or torches, was warm. Heat emanated from an unknown source, a gentle warmth that soothed any pains and promised sweet dreams. Was it the magic of the vampire at work now? A way to make them lose their guard throughout the night? Ultimately, though, those exhausted from lack of food were quick to accept this 'gift', regardless of whom the benefactor was. And within those dreams, they could hear the whispered voice of a young girl, weaving poetry with her words, lulling them to recover the strength that they had lost.

The night grew old, and the air grew cold.

The storm drew to a close, and the airship drew close.

And within Raela's room, a pearl of rose glimmered in moonshine, innocuously beating.

~{ Chapter 2 ; Snowfall Desolation}~
​

The smell of fried meat and olive oil swirled through the airship, as breakfast was cooked. It was still in the early stages of the morning, but there were already many people up. Some grumbled as they scraped frost off the decks and the windows, while others looked forward to a hot breakfast and the completion of another delivery job. Everything was proceeding as planned, and there wasn't even much of a hubbub made about the broken main door, which had invited some bone-chilling morning drafts. It wasn't anything that they were too worried about, and after liberal application of nails and planks, a make-shift solution was created before most of the others were even up.

Sitting on the deck of the ship with a large, fur-lined coat to keep the cold at bay, the captain of the ship, a tawny-haired individual enjoyed her morning meal on a long table. Though her own preference was that of cold cut slices of ham and hard-boiled eggs, there were a selection of hot food as well, steaming temptingly in the otherwise cold air. The cold sharpened the mind and body, after all, and from here, she could ensure that her men were working hard.

There was another purpose for this particular dining spot, however. Signalling her first mate to bring forward a horn, the captain daintily pressed a linen handkerchief against her lips, before bringing them towards the instrument and letting a loud blast, one to catch the attention of all on board.

And then, she spoke, her voice gravelly and deep.

"Morning to all the extra passengers! The one in the cargo bay, freezing her ass off, the one that Elly told me to spirit away out of Dansila, and the trio that spent their night in the engine room! Your humble captain demands your presence on the deck, so we may all have a nice breakfast and chat about how hilariously indirect Astopolians are!"

That should be enough to send them running over. And if not…well, she'll just have to fetch them or something.
~❆~​
It wasn't cold at all when Ashe and Alexa woke up, chased out of their dreams by a prodding to the ribs. Nothing much had changed, and they were still in the wagon, but, oddly enough, the two of them felt much more refreshed than they were yesterday. The wound on Alexa's side had closed up, and Ashe didn't feel nearly as shitty as she was in the morning. The other women were still fast asleep, and the one window within the wagon revealed that the storm had stopped, leaving a white wasteland that was as blank as it was beautiful.

It did not appear that they had reached civilization yet, but it was clear by the smoothness of the ride that they had made it onto a paved road. Soon, they will have arrived at wherever the slave master wanted them to be. For now, however, there was nothing other than their empty stomachs and the soft snores of the others nearby. The wagon was still inexplicably warm, and as they turned to the woman that had prodded them, the blue-haired individual said, lethargically, "Hello. Should be safe to talk for a bit."

Unlike the rest of them, it looked like she hadn't gotten a single wink of rest that night.
 
Shizuka slept well enough despite the noise and the temperature issues. Her clothes were warmer than they probably looked, for one. And for another, no self-styled warrior like herself would complain about less than idea conditions. That ironclad discipline she prided herself in wouldn't allow her to be inconvenienced by a makeshift berth like the one they had found. She got up quickly enough at the sound of the announcement, and quickly shook any sleeping companions awake. They'd slept in shifts during the night, someone always keeping watch just in case someone were to come upon them where they were hiding.

It wasn't long afterward that Shizuka arrived on deck, with or without her companions. She took a seat on the deck facing the captain, her legs folded under her in a formal seiza position as she waited to be addressed, and for the others. It was unusual that they weren't the only guests on the trip. She laid her katana down beside her. The weapon was in easy reach, but her actions were intended to be as non-threatening as possible. She said nothing, waiting to be spoken to.
 
The night was cold, way too cold. While her initial tiredness allowed her to fall asleep in a rather fast fashion, she soon had to experience what it meant to be in a wooden vessel high up in the air without the comfort of a bed or any kind of heat source. Ultimately, Aresia spend the night mostly awake, maintaining at least a comfortable level of heat through her own abilities. At one point or another she might have just made a small totally safe fire that would surely not spread around, but considering the importance of her task, rescuing her employer, her mind was hardened enough to simply endure. That was, until the morning arrived...

"Morning to all the extra passengers! The one in the cargo bay, freezing her ass off, the one that Elly told me to spirit away out of Dansila, and the trio that spent their night in the engine room! Your humble captain demands your presence on the deck, so we may all have a nice breakfast and chat about how hilariously indirect Astopolians are!"

Well...so much for her great plan. If the maid butler had known she was to received on board anyways then she could have spend her night most likely in some cozzy fluffy bed right now, but no. God damn Fion. If anything, Aresia was more surprised about there apparently being more people on board. But considering the state the town was in that was maybe not TOO surprising. Getting up with a few curses to her own stupidity about various things the woman made haste to board.

Even if the vibe she was giving off wasn't exactly hostile, the black hair was still on her guard, not like she needed anything but her fist and Talentium jewelry. Keeping up her manners however Aresia did give the captain a small bow. "Good Morning." If anything, at least her eye-rings have at least not worsened. Opening her mouth again, Aresia was about to add something, but ultimately decided against it. The captain was surely not just calling them on deck for the sake of, well, a nice little chat.
 
Unlike her skin-tight suited counterpart, Charlotte had a more difficult time falling asleep. The cramped position under the staircase that they had been forced into, combined with the peril of flying in a craft that they'd punched a hole into, had her up longer than the honeymooning stowaway couple that she shared the space with. Still, she was eventually able to catch some sleep, and groggily woke up to a shipwide announcement and the smell of a hearty, meat-filled breakfast being cooked.

The announcement, however, was more bothersome than a normal one; it quickly became clear that their admittedly bold and rather loud entrance was not unnoticed after all. The whole thing felt quite passive-aggressive, although this was overshadowed by the fact that there were other extra passengers beside Charlotte and her companions.

Their own unsurprising discovery notwithstanding, when Charlotte arrived on deck alongside Shizuka and Araki, she was stunned to find that the other passengers were none other than Aresia… and Raela, of all people. While Charlotte gave a polite, proper greeting to the captain of the vessel and a deep apology for the intrusion, she fired off a "What are you doing here?" to Aresia, before turning to Raela with a near loss for words.

"…How?"
 
The only real bother was the noise, but even with it Araki managed to fall asleep easily enough. It was far from a peaceful night for him though, and he welcomed the times he was woken up to take his turn as sentry. Even if the time left him with little else to do but dwell on his thoughts. Though the announcement was enough to wake him up, he didn't really uncurl until Shizuka gave him a shake. He glanced around blearily before he finally stood to follow after his pair of companions.

He stopped halfway up the stairs though and pulled the moisture from the air to form a small sphere of water. The smooth surface revealed that his eyes were more than a bit puffy, and he grimaced as he splashed the cold water to try and clean up a bit. By the time he was done, the others had already left him behind and he hurried to try and catch up.

Though he took notice of the other two that had gathered themselves on the deck on his arrival, Araki didn't make any comment on the maid's presence. He bowed towards the captain, but otherwise stood just behind Shizuka. "Ellenil probably." It wasn't for certain, but the name came to mind given the captain's announcement and it made sense that someone of her position would be able to sneak Raela out.
 
Alexa blinked as she woke up, narrowing her eyes at the confines of the wagon. Day two of this imprisonment seemed to start just like day one. Only one of them at the moment had any combat effectiveness whatsoever. If Ashe still had her runetech arm, trying to overwhelm their guards would probably go easier, but there was no point in wishing for something that they didn't have. It was practically a miracle that she even got a scrap of talentium in the first place. Scowling, she shook her head and patted Ashe awake, pointing out the window.

"Wakey, wakey, sunshine. Good news, we're still in the middle of nowhere. So we probably won't be lining up on the auction block yet. Bad news, it's still bloody cold outside." She said dryly, nodding at the blunette that had decided to join them. "Is it, now? And what do you have to talk about?" Alexa leaned back, folding her arms together. "You've any idea where they're taking us?"
 
Raela awoke to even further exhaustion in her muscles. It was the sort of empty energy that arose from a perfect sleep, needing nothing more than a bit of flexing and exercise to eventually wear away. It was marvelously pleasant to the vampiress, who grinned wide and waited on her bed for a few minutes longer after she'd opened her eyes. There was a sensation of aching still lingering in her neck and bruises on her shoulders and hips, but the glimmering of snow-reflected light into her room was far too hopeful to afford her any moment to look over her sustained ailments.

After a minute-long, strained stretch, she rose to her feet, rubbing tiredness from her eyes before looking over the room. The captain wasn't present, as she expected, but the presence of some additional items seemed to indicate to her that she wasn't always alone in the cabin. Rising up, she walked over the neatly stacked clothes on the other bed. A red orb sat atop them, eliciting a sense of familiarity, though she wasn't sure what it reminded her of. Seeing as there were maps and an expensive-looking orb atop the clothes, Raela assumed they weren't meant for her, and that she'd have to remain in her pitifully poor attire for the time being. She didn't enjoy it, grimacing as her eyes scanned the room to find no other suitable replacements available. Pulling the cloak she wore tighter, she heeded the captain's call over the loudspeaker, figuring she was the one being 'spirited away'. The mention of other passengers, however, frightened her. She was supposed to fly from Dansila with no one else the wiser, right? Raela hesitated to open the door, her hand hovering over the doorknob. Eventually she turned it, assuming the captain knew exactly what she was doing.

On the deck, Raela kept her head bowed, face partially obscured by the hood she kept up. A hand clenched the fabric over her chest, pulling it together to cover up the rest of her body. Despite her attempts at hiding her face, standing a ways away from the rest of the group but within earshot of the captain, she was ultimately caught.

Charlotte's perked Raela's ears up, and she looked to her friend with wide, almost hopeful eyes. They quickly turned away however as she pulled her hood down again. She refused to reply, unsure of what even to say.
 
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