Pirate Age: The Golden Era

[Arcadius]

Location: In the thick of it
The hammer on the rifle softly clicked as the flint struck the steel, producing a small quantum of spark. The volume of powder on the gun's pan provided a slightly more of a show, a bright flash and puff of smoke and a hiss that was drowned in the loud boom as the rifle fired and placed a musket ball right through the someone-on-right-capn'-wanted-dead's face. It passed through the man's skull, crushing bone and scrambling brains, until it made a full way through the cranium and was stopped by the helmet the man was wearing, putting a notable dent in the helmet's rear.

The Pathfinder smiled. He spent most of the ride in sullen and grumpy silence, but that almost instinctive shot made him happy and the day almost worth waking up.

Suffice to say, he proceeded to carve a bloody path through the meleé, feeling the low, rhytmic rumble in the ground as something that was most likely a number of cavalry troops arriving. That, he surmised, prophesized a combat situation where a man on his feet on level ground, regardless the amount of otherwordly abilities imparied on him, would find himself at a significantly painful disadvantage. The prison train was stopped at a spot that basically begged for an ambush. The road bent here to go around a small outcropping peak, and with forest lining the side of the road away from the peak. Two marksmen (well, marksman and a markswoman, but in Kadi's defence, there were gunpowder smoke clouds rolling all over the skirmish and it was hard to see) were already standing there with several long rifles, and were more than happy to share their arsenal as Kadi climbed up the peak.

His senses were correct, a small cavalry unit was already charging from the plain overhead towards them. They held a tight arow pointed formation, so it was only logical to shoot off the front leg of the leading horse. It fell like a kicked keg, throwing the rider under the hooves of the horses behind and tripping several other riders to fall as well. "Still counts as one," uttered the marksman next to him, and proceeded to headshot two additional riders with his next shot.

The marksmanship showing off continued for a while, and Kadi held position that he won the whole thing by killing five people by having one man's head and helmet explode with such vehemency that the shrapnels from the explosion down four other people standing next to him. The soldiers, the few that were left anyway, would eventually run away. His two unknown markman guerillas next to him shot and killed several other fleeing stragglers, but his bloodlust was done for now and he did not partake anymore. He made his way down off the peak and rejoined Capn' and Adelaide.

"And don't not rembember it!" he answered to Adelaide in thick Wisegradian accent, that half of his personality still excited from all the combat and with dominant grip on Kadi's behaviour.

​

 

[Mizos]

​

Location: Tulveste capital of Trovale, Hidden Hideout
Prisoner

When Luro woke up, he found himself in a grimy, hay covered cage so small he didn't have room to stretch his legs. The cage itself was made of seastone, stretching floor to ceiling, and the only comfort besides hay provided was the pissbucket in the corner. It was dark and hot in his cell which was situated in a room that looked like a repurposed cellar. The room was long horizontally, with a tiny firepit on the far short wall directly opposite of Luro's cage. It, and a gas hanging lamp that hung over a table in front of his cage, were the only sources of light. To Luro's right, a chest nestled against the cage, and a countertop with open shelves lined the right wall. The shelves were spotted with food stuffs. On his left, barrels, burlap sacks, and two wooden crates took up what was left of the small space.

This was no dungeon he'd been brought to, but rather a hideout.

This was confirmed as above, the din of a tavern filtered through the thick wooden ceiling.

A hand gripped the seastone bars. Jack leaned forward, his face shrouded by shadows of the hanging gaslight, hovering between concern and apprehension. "Luro? Are you alright?"

Luro awoke slowly, his body registering what was happening before his brain had a moment to catch up. Mainly because he had a small headache keeping his thoughts occupied. Not necessarily because of his current soberness which he was aware of but because he had clearly been unconscious for some time, he knew Imposter's habits by now and he had set up a one person show in certain time intervals, granted it stopped being a one person show around the 56th showing but he was shot for commenting on that.

Once he was up Luro took a quick look around, a small yawn escaping from him as he wiped his eye on his shoulder. He had forgotten how many times he had woken up in a prison at this point, he clearly wasn't in a navy one, they had very specific specifications and he normally didn't get a kitchen. He went down a list of people who wanted to imprison him and none of them would be nice enough to not hang him over a pit of something. Realizing this chain of events he smiled a little before realizing he was in the prison of someone new! He had to put this in his notebook, though it'd have to wait until he got his hands free.

Hearing a voice Luro turned his attention towards the voice his eyes moved to the bars as his brows arched.
"Oh seastone bars and my hands were put behind my back, someone thought ahead," Luro said grinning. "Hello Jack."
Luro tried to wave but realized his hands were still behind his back, after a bit of finessing he pulled them around to the front and gave Jack a proper wave, grinning at his friend.
"Hm I'm fine Jack. I'm just in a prison. I woke up like this constantly while travelling alone. One time it was over crocodiles, another time it was over fire. Then crocodiles in fire….he didn't think it all the way through."
Luro said this with a small shrug before looking up at Jack.
"Did you come to torture me? That normally happens around this point."
He smiled at Jack tilting his head slightly at him.

Jack blanched. His mouth opened, and there was a moment of struggle for sound to come out. "L-luro…"

The door behind him slammed open, boisterous laughter following two soldiers as they entered. They wore the same armor as the ones who attacked Stardusk: black and red with their faces masked. The laughter died immediately when they saw Jack snap around. They locked eyes, soldiers and spy; the spy's face slipped effortlessly back into his blank mask while he watched them stiffly walk through the room. The soldiers grabbed the two chairs situated around the table, a stale piece of bread and a rum flask. The flask was near Luro's cell and stashed in a wooden chest. The soldier spat at the giant as he walked by.

Jack stood up instantly, causing the soldier to jump back, one hand on his hilt. His partner came forward also with his weapon ready to be drawn. There was a tense standstill as the three stared at each other. Slowly, the soldier grabbed the flask and walked away, growling at Jack as he went by, "Watch yourself, le chacal." He spat again, this time at Jack's face.

The soldiers left with a slam of the door and the dead bolt sliding into place. A second later, laughter was heard and the scraping of chairs as the soldiers took up post in front of the cell room.

Slowly, Jack sat back on the floor next to Luro's cell. He wiped his cheek with a black gloved hand and stopped, looking at it. It was the same hand that bore a scar on the palm. He pressed his thumb into, curling his fist around the appendage, and sighed. The mask fell away again and he looked exhausted. The bags under his eyes were pronounced from three sleepless nights. He gazed sidelong at Luro.

"Do you remember that story I told you, back on the ship? When I used a gun with armament for the first time?" He talked in hushed tones, as if worried the soldiers outside the door would hear through stone and thick wood.

Seeing the expression on Jack's face Luro realized he might be a bit off about Jack's visit, he wanted to ask him what he wanted when the guards came in, his gaze moving to them as they made their way through the room. Jack's expression had shifted once again eliciting a whistle from Imposter in his head. The carpenter watched the men offering a smile as they passed and a wave after he was spat at. His eyes moved to Jack when he stood his eyes moving between the two factions during the standoff.
A small 'boo' escaped from him as the guard took the flask but that was the most he offered the situation watching with curiosity of the two sides.

He watched the guards until the door shut a small grin finding it's way across his hidden features.
"Imprisonment, insult and stealing the only rum in the area…hehe, the Captain shouldn't be too upset if I mutilate him later," Luro said with a small nod. "Hm hm can't get mad at all."
Content he could murder to his heart's content should he break free Luro's gaze moved to Jack as he took a seat next to him, the man looked beyond exhausted. He knew that face all too well.
"You're starting to look like Zilia a bit there Jack…she'd get mad seeing it," Luro said smiling at the man.
Seeing him rub his scar hand Luro's gaze moved down to his hands, though still wrapped in bandages he flexed the hand that bore the scar. His gaze only raised upon hearing Jack's voice, his brows arching for a moment before settling. He chuckled leaning forward a bit causing his chain to rattle as he rested a hand on his cheek to the best of his ability. If not for the cage between them it would be hard to dismiss their talk as a normal conversation on the ship.
"Of course I do," Luro said mimicking Jack's volume. "I also know the weather at the time and how many times I was yelled at the day…why?"

"You thought it was the first time I killed a man. It wasn't. On hindsight, I don't even know why I let you believe that… perhaps it was better than admitting the truth." Jack took a moment to mull that over, then shrugged. On the list of his sins, both accounts did not make it to the top. "It was just over four years ago, actually. Done plenty of sailing and killing by then. No, it was the first I'd executed someone. Pointed a gun to the back of his head, and didn't care to hear his pleas or what excuses he brought to the table. He'd almost murdered Sid-- I didn't care who or what he was. He'd burn for it.

"That's where this started. This...thing. Between Charlotte and I. Our agreement." Jack heaved a sigh and bowed his head, fingers raking through dreadlocks. His shoulders slumped inwards. "It was a test you see. Cedric was Charlotte's student...a shining protege, with a rare talent for learning Trovale's summoning powers. He was to be initiated into the spy ranks, formally, and that man- the Wolf, they called him- was his target. An assassination. Sid went willingly and… he failed. He almost died for it. But the Wolf, he somehow, figured out who he was. Became a danger to Charlotte's network. She would've sent my brother back in, finish his job, and it would have killed him for sure. He wasn't ready. He wasn't…"

Jack swallowed and took a breath. Perhaps it was similarities in their past that loosened Jack's tongue to Luro Makachi. Perhaps it was their differences, or just a need to be judged. Or the fact Luro was bound and caged, unable to go anywhere, or do anything but listen to him, lent selfish power to his voice. Whatever the case, Jack bit down on his tongue until it bled and willed self-control. This wasn't about just about him. It was never about him. But someone needed to hear the truth. Even if it was just to let the truth live.

Leaning forward, Jack put a hand on the seastone bars. If they affected them, it didn't show. Or in his exhausted state he simply didn't feel it. "Luro-- I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't… this wasn't supposed to happen." He stopped again. There was so much he wanted to say, but who knew when Charlotte would come back for him. Stay focused. "Listen to me. Stardusk will come soon to rescue you. You'll win back Lady Luck and you'll sail away from here, far away. Leave this place to tear itself apart. And I have no right to ask this of you. But… someone needs to know, Luro. Someone needs to know the truth. You're all I have. Will you listen?"

Luro didn't move from his spot not that he had much option but he had gotten comfortable as Jack spoke to him. Sitting tailor style and resting his arms on his legs he folded his hands together, giving Jack his undivided attention. He tilted his head at the man but his eyes never left him showing that he was listening, even if everything didn't come together like it probably should have, or maybe it did his stare didn't give much but a sign that he was listening to him.
When Jack apologized Luro's eyebrows lowered slightly and he straightened up a bit, Jack was clearly bothered by all of this, he had seen the man bothered before but this was different, he could feel it.

When Jack posed his question on him, Luro's mouth became a thin line and he closed his eyes.
"No."
He spoke without his normal jovial tone and opened his eyes to narrow them at Jack.
"...what you did was inexcusable Jack. You betrayed my trust and that of Stardusk...I will not listen to anything you have to say. I expected more from you."
Luro said this his face muscles tightening as he eyed the man with a stern expression, though barely a few seconds past before Luro leaned forward as stifled laughter escaped from him. He reached up albeit awkwardly to wipe a tear from his eyes as his laughter escaped from him.
"Hahah did I have you going Jack?" Luro said grinning at the man. "I'm not as good as Imposter but I'm a good liar too ya know."
Luro waved a hand in front of his face as if dismissing the whole thing.
"Like I'd ever say that. It is good to know I'll be rescued eventually, thought I was going to die today or something. I had already written my will."
Luro pat his sleeve to indicate where it was before leaning forward resting his hands on his cheeks.
"I'll always listen to what you have to say Jack. Though I'm going to pretend you didn't say 'rescue us' cause guards are nearby."
Luro left the matter at that not wanting to push Jack anymore than necessary, even he could see the man in front of him was struggling.
"I'm listening Jack and sorry for the act, you were really serious so I thought I'd try to cheer you up. I can't promise I'll understand but I'll hear the truth."

His chest ached with dismayed acceptance when Luro first spoke up. Jack's eyes closed and his head lowered; truly, he expected this answer to be a possibility, just not from this man. It was deserved and Jack could live with that, but the hurt…
Eyes flying open, Jack's torso pivoted towards Luro even as his body leaned away from the seastone bars, feeling like he'd been slapped in the face. Luro laughed, his judgment nothing more than a farce. The spy felt his fingers curl and flex and for a moment the image of strangling the giant gave gratifying pleasure. Mentally, he squelched the impulse, unsure how to react. Guilt of even thinking it wormed somewhere in the back of his thoughts but after a few moments of practiced breaths-- and not hearing half of what Luro said after-- the tiniest knot loosened in his gut. It wasn't enough to keep the ever-present queasiness at bay (he had the rest of the crew to answer to) but… it was enough.

Jack looked at Luro and tried a smile. It came off as a tired grimace. "If I ever please that djal of yours, let me know? I think will pay Davy Jones a visit if that comes about...a second time, I guess."
Closing his eyes, Jack took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself. Two long years. That's how long he'd kept his mouth shut about Oublia. One year of living there. One year of living the guilt of what happened. His throat closed up. Jack took another deep breath. He opened his mouth to begin.

 

[SilentxChaos]

Collab bet'w Captain and Silent​

Location: Trovale, en route to Oublia

The crew gathered together, stretching out sore limbs and conversing amongst themselves for the most part. Runali mentally counted each of her crew. As she did, Zilia came up on her right and Kadi, her left. Her expression relaxed slightly, now that the battle was officially over… for now at least. The captain rubbed her shoulder again and glanced to her left. "A fine fight you put up, Kadi." Runali stared at him for a bit longer and tilted her head slightly. "Pathfinder." She smirked a little and patted Zilia's arm. "You too doc."

Zilia gave a short nod to the captain. In the short span of time she was next to the captain, she gave her a quick once over, assessing her injuries and making a note of them in her head. She did this with the rest of the crew as if it were clockwork. Check the ones that were prone to injury and then the rest. While she planned to get to them, she took a moment to pull out her notebook and follow up with Adelaide's request. She had many questions that were spiraling in her brain, but she organized them into something that made sense on paper.

"How long have we been out?? And where are we?"

Runali peeked at the paper and nodded. "Aye, I was wondering about the first part too. We should have been days away from any islands."

Zilia continued. "Who is this Charlotte? And was there something Jack was supposed to tell us?" Zilia watched as Runali read the question and her brow furrowed a little when she didn't have a response, so she added one more question. "Do you know why they took our crew?"

To add on to the questioning while Adelaide brought over horses for the crew Runali decided to ask, "What's your gain from helping us?"

Adelaide plucked the paper from Zilia and waved to the horses. "C'mon. We take to the trees, and follow a path to Oublia. You're in Trovale, by the way. My and Cedric's home." She waited for Stardusk to carry out her instructions, mounting a horse herself. The rest of her fighters finished clearing the road with some already disappearing back into the forest. With weapons confiscated, corpses hidden, and blood stains covered, the road looked no more than a little trampled from heavy traffic. Adelaide mounted a sandy-colored mare and clucked her tongue, leading the party ahead.

"Trovale," she repeated once they were under the leafy coverage. "Is home to the fourth Royal Family of the World Government, the family of agriculture. The current rulers are King Rohan Delmont and his liberal queen, Isabella Epanouir Baux. Of their court, there's only one person you need know of: the royal spymaster Charlotte du Vontiago." Adelaide swiveled so she could look Runali in the eye. "You must've met her subordinates since she captured you asea. A big blind fighter? A short woman wielding a zweisword and a golden sprite? They are her top operatives, the Sirens. One for North regions, one of South and one of West." She placed a hand on her chest, a small cold smile emphasizing her scars. "I am Siren of the East. Or was. Before Oublia happened, and I sailed with you. Don't worry I'm not here to finish whatever Charlotte had planned for you. She's quite through with me. Here's your proof."

Tugging at the collar of her shirt, she revealed a fresh bullet wound that barely missed her heart. The edges of it were tinged black from corruption. She allowed Runali a long look then pulled her shirt back up and leaned away. "If you don't think that's enough proof, feel free to ask any of these fine souls. You'll find out their lives were destroyed by Charlotte du Vontiago, and you'll hear the anger in their voices and the conviction in their eyes. She destroyed their families the day she killed Oublia. Or… what was left of it. The mining town that grew to find aeters-- those stones summoners use-- and then dismantled to hide the fact that was its purpose. Aeters are coveted here; they are rare, and the royal and noble houses constantly fight over them. But the nobles are tired of their royals; they want to overthrow the king. The aeters Oublia mined were part of their plan, headed by Charlotte and the Vontiago house. Jack and I acted as smugglers, protecting their war chest."

Adelaide shifted her grip on the reins, causing her horse to wicker with protest. She shushed it with a soft pat, and talked in a quieter voice. "Jack didn't have time to tell you that, I'm assuming. He ran out of time and Charlotte found you, as she inevitably would. His little mutiny? All a farce. Charlotte and him have a rocky relationship at best. There's no better way to unhinge your enemy than pretend you're on her side. It looks like we made one singular error: the assumption she'd keep you all together, to make it easier for control, and manipulate Jack when she needed. Cedric was her former student and Jack's biggest weakest," the darkening look on her face, especially in the forest's shadows, showed how much a danger she thought that to be, but didn't elaborate. "Luro, however…" she bit her lower lip. "Must be to keep you in line. In case you escaped--" Adelaide stopped abruptly, thinking rapidly.

Runali had grabbed the reins of one of the horses and lifted Zilia with ease. She didn't move until she was sure the rest of her crew was following, and when she was sure of that her attention tuned to Adelaide. Runali was silent for the most part, taking in the information she was given, the gears turning in her head. Things started making more sense, but it was never enough for it to 'just make sense'. Her expression hadn't changed until Adelaide showed her the bullet wound. It was a simple brow raise before she responded. "I've met the Lady spy herself- after she knocked out my crew. She sure can command a room. Too bad she doesn't play well with others." She leaned forward on the horse, letting it lead the way on its own while she talked. "She wanted us to be apart of her plan. Essentially dangle us over the Navy and the moment she didn't need us, she was gonna feed us to them. The idea was well planned, but the intent wasn't to be trusted." Runali gave a gentle tug to the reins when the horse slowly started to veer. "I don't need to question your loyalty to the Lady spy. It's hard to hide a troubled look when there's so much at stake."

The idea that Cedric would be the one to take over the plan instead of Jack made her curious. She still didn't know too much about Cedric, but he at least knew the loyalty he had to his brother. Whether or not he would go through with the plan was a mystery to her. "Mhm, sounds about right. She seems like the type to be ready for everything." She scratched her cheek. "Probably expects us to storm the gates which… yeah would be the easiest option, 'cept Alicia's swordless and I don't know how many of those… Sirens are there."

Adelaide smirked and inclined her head. "You're far more logistical than you look, Runali Lev. You'd be correct. Except you're smart enough to know not to storm the gates, and the answer is all three Sirens will be waiting for you. As for weapons," the smirked broadened with smug arrogance as sunlight pooled in front of their path, signaling the forest's end. "We have that covered."

They broke out of the treeline and into a graveyard.

Acres of land had been shorn short to make way for fresh graves. The place as a whole looked new: the tombstones were crafted out of fresh stone, glinting with sunlight and embedded calcites.They stood tall against damp grass bent by the sea-laden air. The crew could hear waves beat against the shore to their right, still blocked by thick forestry. The tall mountain they'd seen from the road came forth as a majestic backdrop, misted a faint blue and tipped snowy white. It made it easy to miss the broken silhouette of a town that stood on the graveyard's opposite side. The graveyard itself was almost 21 rows wide, and 25 markers deep, with more still to be made. Workers digging the extra graves were proof of that.

Adelaide nudged her horse closer to Runali. She still wore the smirk as if to spite the image of the many dead. "532 souls. Jack thinks once they're buried they won't haunt his, though they'll never stop living in his dreams. His beliefs never fail to amaze me."

Runali scoffed at the notion that she was 'smarter than she looked'. A quip was on the tip of her tongue but she let it be as they walked into a graveyard. Adjusting her grip on the reins, Runali straightened up. Adelaide's comment made her scan through the graveyard. "A soul with a place to rest tends to be more peaceful so I've learned. Jack has the right idea… It's his own soul that he needs to forgive though. He's gonna have to learn to move on." Runali recalled when she said it back on the ship and the outrage it brought Jack. Sure her words may have been sharp, but she still stood by it. It wasn't the matter of forgetting what he had done, but making peace and knowing he had to learn from it… Maybe he'd learn someday.

The worker stopped when the group approached. They looked much like their rescuers: haggard, tired and thin. Their clothes were finer, simple but well-kept, giving cadence to the idea Stardusk's rescuers had dressed to play a part. A few broke away from Adelaide's side to meet the diggers with relieved familiarity. Adelaide dismounted herself and handed the reins to Gerald.

"Hand off your mounts and follow me," she told the pirates.

A curled finger beckoned the crew forward once their mounts had been handed off, and Adelaide led them off with Gerald in tow. The forest had extended on their right side, with the graves and mountain on their left, until they walked closer to the broken remains of Oublia itself. The forest thinned and eventually gave way to a rocky beach and blue-grey waters. It stretched over a mile, with a tiny harbor on the far side for ships to dock. A single ship was anchored there now, against one of two surviving gangplanks. The rest had been destroyed or rotted, their shorn posts jettisoning from the foamy waves. Behind the docks, farther inland, stood the only new construction in sight: an open barn, shading four long tables and benches with a cook's setup nestled on one end. Currently it inhabited cold foods, a simple but plentiful feast. Adelaide flapped a hang towards them. "Go help yourselves, I imagine you're starving by this point. Our estimate it's been three days since you were captured. We'll be here for a bit while waiting for Lady Hawk to bring back your ship."

"Three days?" The captain echoed in quiet exasperation. It unfortunately made sense with where they were in their sailing. She'd have to talk to Kadi about getting them back on track- but that was a conversation and an issue for later. Runali's arms crossed, her fingers tapping against one as she mulled over the situation in her head. At first she didn't move, letting her crew go ahead and take their fill. "If my ship's in a… decent enough state that's our go to for escaping. S'just the matter of mapping out different routes to get to it. " Her musings turned into mumbled planning as she finally walked over to grab something to eat. There was no use trying to fight on an empty stomach- or plan for that matter.

"Not to be in a hurry or anything," Runali sat at one of the tables. "But do we have that kind of time? I'd rather drag my crew to safety sooner rather than later and I can't do that if I don't know where they are."

Choosing an orange, Adelaide sat down with the rest of the crew and started peeling it. Her hair twisted from the ocean wind and she pushed fingers through it, holding it back with one hand, while giving the captain a peeved look. "You're not getting the ship. Hawk's bringing it here. When we found out you were captured, she left with a team to recapture your ship. They're sailing it around the coast as we speak. They should be here by nightfall, the morning latest."

Allowing her hair free, Adelaide bit into the orange like an apple and chewed on it, listening as Runali went on. She glanced at Gerald. "Grab the--"

"City maps. On it," the fighter replied.

Adelaide made a wiry smile. "I might take him with me once this is all over."

"Not a chance Siren!" Gerald shouted over his shoulder.

Adelaide smirked and turned back to the captain. "Your crew is being held in the capital, Tuelveste, likely within one of the hideouts. I have them circled on the map." She paused. "Cedric will be with her," she said, "they have a complicated relationship. Cedric is her soft spot, a shining protege. I...am not sure what that means for Jack." She looked at Runali with eye grown cold. "He might be dead."

Runali stared at Adelaide for a moment, her expression unreadable up until she suddenly turned away from Adelaide and looked over at Kadi. "So when we get Lady Luck back, I'll need you- the both of your fun personalities- ready to go. We can worry about where we go when we're clear. Alicia and Sara you two are faster working the sails so unless we've got Death on our heels, you'll get to those first." With her piece said to them, she returned her attention to Adelaide once the maps were brought over. She gestured for Kadi to get closer, allowing him to examine it since his skill was better than her own. "We'll need at least… two different escape routes- three if you want to play it safe."

"Jack's not stupid enough to die so soon." Runali said in a tone that was matter-of-fact. She didn't give room to argue because she looked over at Zilia. "When we get there, I'm gonna guess Luro and Jack will have their fair share of injuries. I'll need you to doctor first if it's dire, enough to get them moving. Hopefully the transport will be easier than the gathering." Her fingers started to tap against the table, her attention going back to the maps at hand. "Hardest person to collect will be Cedric if he's so close with Lady Spy. Complicated but not impossible. We'll probably need to go to the hideout first..."

Thanking Gerald, Adelaide smoothed out the map of Trovale's capital city. It was roughly circular with the palace situated on the city's northern border. Across the city were many red drawn 'X's indicating the royal spy hideouts. She listened to Runali with one ear while surveying it. There was no need-- this had been her home since she was a teen, she knew every street, alley and secret it possessed. After several seconds, she waved for the crew's attention and pointed at three locations stretching across the city. "These are the likely places she would have taken Luro. Jack will be there with him, presumably. They're too far apart for us all to hit them…" she sideglanced at Gerald, who'd been standing awkwardly behind the crew while they talked.

"Ade, I'm already burned out from finding the damned ship," Gerald warned crossing his arms. "So tired I had to have the captain here save me. Won't be doing any scrying until morning."

Adelaide straightened. "So do it in the morning. Stardusk can plan their attack-- Cedric will be in the heart of the palace by the way--" she directed this at the crew, "and we'll find the hideout in the morning. Preparations can be made, weapons recollected, by the time we leave we'll reach the city at nightfall."

"You're going to be the death of me," the man glared.

"Splitting my crew more is… not a go-to idea. Especially not across an entire city." She looked over at her crew, letting them weigh in with their opinions and ideas. "We're a much quicker force together-" The exchange between the two peaked Runali's curiosity so she pointed over at Gerald. "Live outta spite and explain what that is. The 'scrying' thing."

He smirked at her. "I like you, captain." Reaching into a waist pouch, he pulled out an aeter no bigger than his thumbnail. It looked near identical to Sid's earrings but roughly cut and polished. "I'm far from a true summoner but I've got one or two runes under my belt. One 'o them is scrying. I can spy on places without bein' there. Hear and see what's happening. I can show you what I see with a clear surface, too, like a mirror or still water. I just need a connection, somethin' I can, er, find in the place you need me to see."

"It's how we saw what happened when Charlotte captured you," interrupted Adelaide, "If there's something of Luro's that is on the ship, we can use that to see where he is."

Gerald nodded. "Aye, but it takes huge amount of energy I don't got. If I do it now, I'll pass out from the effort. I'm not like your summoner friend, this Cedric you and the Lady Hawk talk so much about."

The captain nodded towards his compliment only to chuckle at his explanation. "A useful trick unless you're the prying eyes type. Should I suspect the worst from you?" Runali leaned back against the table and gave a devilish grin. "Careful not to leave anything around after we go. That means you too Kadi, I don't think Belen would appreciate that." The laugh was needed. It relaxed her nerves just a bit. "Ah, if we have to wait, then we'll wait til morning. Best to know exactly where they are instead of guessing. Don't need him wasting doctor supplies."

She rested her head in one hand against the table. "What'd you take that kept you informed? Something of Jack's or something of mine?"

"Maybe," Gerald replied to the captain with a wink.

"Not of yours," was all the reply Adelaide provided, leaning back over the map. Her eyes were trained back on the palace. "I can provide a few blocked off passageways no one's used in decades to enter the palace, but you should suspect the Siren waiting for us. Gerald's people can provide distraction but…" Adelaide looked up at Stardusk. Her jaw set. "Your word goes, Stardusk. This is your show now."

 

[SilentxChaos]

Collab between @SilentxChaos and @Fox of Hearts​

Location: Tulveste (Trovalian Capital)

The God Lumiere was slow to rise that morning. The glimpses of sky remained a predawn shale between ever darkening clouds. Everyone could smell the rain in the air. An unusual event since no one could remember the last time it rained so close to harvest. Worried whispers filled the marketplace. Would the harvest fail? Food was scarce enough last winter. Surely, the King would do something about this unfortunate turn of events.

Such were the worries of the people completely unaware of the between the King and his nobles …

"Brothers, sisters, even the Gods are turning against us," a young scholar cried, mounting the edge of the fountain in the center of the square. He was believed to be one of the King's own. A cocky young man barely twenty-four. "Our fruits are rotting in the orchards and our grain withering away. Where is our King now?"

The sombre mood vanished in an instant. People congregated around him. Their minds even more accepting of the message he shared. Revolution. He wasn't the only one shouting for change from the marketplace. For months, men and women, commoners and minor nobles alike, have shouted from the street corners in every town. All of them repeating the same message over and over. Trovale cannot continue on this path. We must be the authors of our fate. Rise up! We have strength in numbers. Let's overthrow this corrupt regime. Fight while we still have strength. With our cupboards empty, it won't be long before we drop like flies.

Louder yet was the following message. Look at Oubila, brothers and sisters! The King allowed a blood-thirsty Jackal into our midst. Look what happened! The traitorous scum damned 532 souls and left our shores a free man. Do we want such a weak leader running our beloved country? Do we want to serve the nobles supporting him?

A simple wooden carriage passed by. The horseman sat stoically, as he urged the two horses forward. His shoulders relaxed slightly after they turned into one of the many side alleys leading to the back gates of Tulveste. He pulled to a stop, twisted around and knocked on the wall of the carriage. "Madame Vontigo," he called. "Do you need me to keep going?"

It wasn't his place to speak up, but everyone knew that Lady Charlotte had been tasked with dealing with such incidents. They witnessed her men hauling these dissenters to prison once the crowds were dispersed. There had been a number of violent incidents, but there weren't any fatalities yet. Merci Etoiles, he thought solemnly. He was glad his family was safe back in his hometown. Any riots in the capital were unlikely to spread so far south.

Charlotte didn't look away from the papers on her portable desk. "Keep moving. They aren't our concern."

The soft click of the carriage door closing was muffled by the clopping of hooves. Peeling back the hood of his cape, Master Orléans made himself comfortable on the seat opposite Charlotte. He adjusted his spectacles slightly. They kept sliding down his nose thanks to the clammy air. His green eyes turned to look out the window. Short, silvering strands of red hair look impossibly neat despite the frail-looking man sounding slightly breathless. It was obvious he chased the carriage.

"Pleasant morning, isn't it?" he spoke with a diminished Ceranian lilt. "The people in the market square sound as excited as the palace staff. Everyone back in Palais Céleste are busy preparing for Lady Noailles' arrival. All of them buzzing about her upcoming engagement party. The maids say that her Aunt, the Queen, will be planning it. The Queen is, of course, Lady Victoire's closest older female relative after her mother passed away last spring."

There was amusement in his voice, as the disguised summoner fished out two crumpled brown paper bags from beneath the folds of his cloak. "It isn't every day that the children of two major families wed. The maids say that Lord Brimeu finally came to his senses after the King talked to him. A favour for his majesty's younger brother, of course. It's quite a coincidence, don't you think? I don't recall Victoire being that interested in Lord Alexandre."

Charlotte flicked a cold glance up at Cedric in his illusionist's disguise, then looked back down.

A mouthwatering aroma filled the carriage, as Cedric opened the bags. "Would Madam prefer a croissant or a canele?" Cedric offered politely. "I stole them from my favourite bakery this morning. That's the reason I wasn't able to meet you. I wanted to get them fresh."

"Your need for fresh baking nearly you cost your chance to see your brother again," was the Spymaster's reply as she dipped her quill in an ink well and signed the papers in front of her. "I'll certainly note your priorities in the future. Note mine, protege, my desire for you to return to the fold doesn't give you freedom. Until your job is done, our trust is thin. Slip through your guard again, I will put you in chains and your brother hangs."

Charlotte finally met his gaze. Hers were cold and unreadable, as always, but her lips nearly vanished in a hard line of anger.

Cedric's jaw clenched when she mentioned Jack. Defiance sparked in the green eyes then it vanished. Sid bore enough mental and physical scars to know that protesting was futile. She would carry out her threats without a second thought. He exhaled softly, setting the pastries onto the seat beside him. "I'm surprised I managed to lose them so easily," he remarked quietly. "They did such a good job tailing me last night. I guess the crowded market proved to be too much of a challenge."

Her look was exasperated but she returned to her papers. "They're loans from the Vontiago militia. You were one of my best; I'd be surprised if you didn't lose them."

He resisted the urge to blink. She might take it the wrong way. "I admit it wasn't the best thought out plan. I apologise, Madame. I'll make sure to keep them by my side."

"See that you do," she said, going back to signing.

"Madame," the coach driver called again. "We have trouble ahead. A big crowd is blocking the gates. The guards are having trouble dispersing them."

Angry shouting amped up. The men and women clustered tighter around the guard house. Everyone was unhappy about being stopped from leaving. "The King has no right to keep us here," one merchant shouted. "We have done nothing wrong."

The most senior guard looked uneasily. His instincts told him that this crowd might resort to violence soon. He didn't blame them at all. He would have been just as mad if he were in their situation. Unfortunately, he had to do his job or risk losing it. "We received information that the Jackal has returned. We need to stop him from entering Tulveste. Our sources say he wants to attack Palais Céleste."

Lies! came the enraged chorus. That man doesn't have the resources to storm the palace. What vendetta does he have against our king? He left a free man. The shouting gained even more traction, as the guards found themselves surrounded. No one respected their authority anymore.

The captain swallowed. He doubted they had the power to subdue such a big crowd. They couldn't hurt these people either. These citizens were the people they swore to protect. He lowered his arm signalling his men to stand down.

There was something else troubling him. Even if they were given strict orders to use violence when necessary, he just couldn't do it. There were children in the crowd. Most likely families returning to their farms after the weekend markets closed. These families might as well be his. Never was he so grateful that his family farm was far to the East.

He laughed when a recruit brought up the possibility of a revolution a few weeks ago. It had sounded so absurd. He wished he could take it back. Something changed over the past few days. The resentment was even more obvious. Maybe the rumours were true. The poorest were starting to succumb to starvation and illnesses resulting from poor nutrition. He didn't know what to think.

Charlotte leaned out of her window and peered at the gates. "Alternative routes?" she asked.

The driver shook his head. "Not without taking over an hour, Madame."

Her lips tightened again. "Alright. I'm talking to the captain." To Cedric, she said, "Stay in this carriage and out of sight. That's an order." She gave him a hard glare as a wordless reminder of what would happen if he disobeyed. It reminded him of Hoshi when she wore her general's face.

Sid rolled his eyes slightly. He was surprised she worried he planned to be seen. He wouldn't dream of jeopardising the mission so frivolously. Stifling a yawn, Charlotte's apprentice reached sideways for one of the brown bags only to feel velvety fur instead of crinkly brown paper. Chaos looked up from the bag she was sniffing and mewed happily. Sid tried batting her away, but she was relentless. He twisted around trying to use his other hand to grab the bag. This time his efforts were thwarted by a new weight in his lap.

"Breakfast is sacred. Didn't Jack tell you that?" he complained. He glowered at Chester and the cat returned the look in kind. "I haven't eaten anything except for that one piece of biscuit yesterday evening."

"Meow," Chester replied unsympathetically before he poofed on top of his master's head.

Chaos was jealous. Before Sid could say another word, the Cornish Rex clambered up his arm. She vanished halfway up and reappeared on his left shoulder. Soon Sid was showered with kitty kisses much to his annoyance. Chester decided to one-up his sister. He plopped back into Cedric's lap and nuzzled the growling stomach.

The summoner sighed louder than before. "Both if you are démones! I really need to eat or I'll faint from hunger."

Charlotte barely had the carriage door closed when trumpets blared from behind and an echoing shout chorused through the grounds. "Hear, hear! Make way for the King! The King approaches! Make way, make way!"

An armed guard stormed past the Spymaster on their mounts, glittering in silver armor, and lush with deep blue velvet emblazoned with the royal sigil. The two front riders carried streaming banners on lances and over a dozen guards rode in tight formation. At their center, wearing nothing but a leather jerkin and jeweled gold laurel in thick salt and pepper curls, King Rohan Papiloner Delmont surveyed the commotion with worried eyes. His gaze surveyed the crowd of carriages, wagons, and riders itching to get past the gate until he spotted one of his trusted advisors. A wide grin broke across his face. He raised a hand and his personal guard called a halt, pulling the whole entourage to a full and sudden stop. Horses snorted in quiet annoyance as the King dismounted, looping towards Charlotte. She took a couple steps forward to meet him halfway, and so he couldn't bare witness to other occupant in her carriage, and bowed. The crowd hushed, the whispers of the King's appearance causing enough surprise and curiosity.

The King quickly gestured Charlotte to straighten, and kissed her cheek. "Ah, my dear Charlotte, you did not inform me of your return!"

"My King," Charlotte said in greeting, "You need to return to the palais at once. It's not safe."

"I hear the Jackal comes for me and my family. Is this true, Spymaster?" The King voice floated to Sid, familiar in it's sweet and rich baritone. They started walking towards the gate, the armed guard creating a tighter circle around the pair.

"Unconfirmed rumors, your grace."

"Meaning you're half and half on the possibility," Rohan smiled knowingly and raised a hand to the protesting masses. A small cheer pockmarked the crowd but most remained silent, fidgeting, a couple taking up their protests again. "Therefore, no matter where I go, the danger's the same."

"If you say, your grace," Charlotte spoke with obvious disapproval.

He chuckled. "As always, you're worry is taken into account. But until the Jackal is apprehended, or it's been confirmed he's no longer in the city, these people will remain confused, scared and longing for home. The least I can do is accommodate them."

Charlotte stopped, forcing the rest to stop too. They'd reach the verge of Cedric's hearing. "My King?" her voice sounded genuinely perplexed.

Rohan stopped a few paces ahead, not realizing at first she'd frozen. He turned halfway back, hands clasped behind his back. "Charlotte, did you not visit the palace grounds this morning? We're setting up tents in the outer cloister: temporary arrangements for our displaced people who don't have relatives in the city. The Jackal's disappearance from our borders continues to be one of the biggest regrets of my reign. I will not lift this city's barricade while he potentially remains behind our walls. But I will also not ignore the hardship this places on my people."

"This is a terrib--"

A raised, ring finger silenced the Spymaster. "Please, Charlotte, not today. I've made my decision and I apologize I didn't include you in it but I'm not going back on it. We'll have these good folk move to the public gate where the situation will be explained. It'll take most of the day, if not tomorrow as well."

"Will you be there all day, your grace?" During the King's reply, Charlotte had grown straighter, but her face remained impassive as ever. Rohan took it in stride; he was used to his Spymaster's cold and borderline respectful behavior. His head tilted at this question.

"Until my wife calls me for supper, yes. By Florilege's whim, dare I miss one meal with my family," he joked.

Charlotte bowed. "Very good, your grace."

Nodding in return, he moved forward to the gate. Charlotte climbed back into the carriage and rapped the back wall once she settled. She placed her chin in a palm as she stared out the window, her eyes lost in contemplation.

She didn't even seem to hear the paper bag rustling. Cedric took a bite out of his second croissant. There was a faint smile on his face. The morning had been redeemed. Charlotte getting humiliated added that much needed sweetness to his otherwise plain croissant.​

 

[Mizos]

​

Zilia stared at the map, a hand on her chin as Adelaide's words replayed in her head, she expected there was something going on but from what had been shared with them, it went far beyond what she expected. They were in the middle of some political war between castes, her eyes narrowed hearing these Aeters had played a part in it. She wasn't sure what 'Oublia' was and she could tell it was a touchy subject, closing her eyes she steeled herself to ask that question later. She disliked getting into the affairs of others but it involved Jack and if it was weighing on him enough to do all this she wanted to know everything.

Crossing her arms she closed her eyes as her thoughts fell back to Jack, she was happy to hear it was a farce but a part of her wasn't surprised by the fact. She didn't know Jack as much as she liked she admitted that, there was always that wall between them on occasion, but the look in his eyes when he pointed a gun at the Captain…a part of her knew, suspected there was more to it. Zilia had personally stared into the eyes of someone who intended on killing the whole crew, a gaze filled with madness and desperation, the fact Jack had pushed all that down, it made her doubt.
That…and she remembered his look when he got his Stardusk tattoo, recalled his fear at losing another crew and the marks he bared.
He could make whatever faces he wanted, that moment was one between all of them and it said more than anything. When they chose to bear a mark that symbolized their unity, Jack had joined them that was enough for her.
Zilia looked at the old notebook with the Stardusk symbol resting upon it her eyebrows lowering slightly as the two's faces echoed in her mind.
"I'm going to give both of them a piece of my mind for this."

Zilia was pulled from her thoughts at the Captain's comment, she raised her head putting the notebook away and gave a small nod, she expected Luro to have at least three things poking out of him when they saw him again. He'd raised his hand and greet them as if he hadn't been kidnapped at all, with the same smile as always, like a kid not aware of just how much trouble he was in, unknowingly covered in his crime.
She put that thought aside at the idea of Charlotte however, that woman was very dangerous. She had knocked them out or three days after all and basically had an army at her disposal. Rescuing them was important but she intended on being as cautious as possible.
"Just once I'd like us to deal with someone who only has a pointy stick instead of an army…I almost miss the angry mob at Tilia, at least I could count them." Zilia held the note up to make sure her feelings were clear on what they were dealing with.

Turning to Adelaide she wrote another note before holding it up to her.
"I hate to ask Adelaide but I'd like you to explain Oublia to me, including Jack's involvement in full. For being a spy the man's certainly a bad actor. If he's going to go on with a mutiny it would pay not to wear his loyalty on his sleeve…or rather his neck. I'd like to fully understand the story if that's all right?"
Ziia's eyes had narrowed before lowering her note, when she saw Jack again she wanted to know where this pain hailed from.
"I'd also like to know if the nobles are still fighting over the Aeters? Did this this desire to end the Royal family come from that or did their rule become the reason? Please fill me in on that and anything else you think is of note considering what happened."
Lowering her note she held up another note as well.
"If you know how she knocked us out that information would be appreciated as well...if we fall for it again we probably won't wake up in cages next time."
Her peace said to Adelaide Zilia looked at the rest of the crew, her eyes narrowing a bit knowing that three of their own was missing, and she was glad the Captain had said three. Cedric wasn't immune in this matter either.
"I'm with the Captain on not splitting up if we can avoid it. Let's get more information and decide from there...also let's try to find them tomorrow...it'll be four days without the crew and I don't like Luro without the Captains supervision for too long. He tends to get...Genocidey if he's not reminded he's not allowed to be for too long. Captain if we find him politely remind him before half the town is on fire and the other half is a crater."

 

[SilentxChaos]

Collab bet'w Captain and Silent​

Location: Oublia

They settled down to eat as Adelaide collected Zilia's notes to read them. Then she looked up at the doctor, staring so long with wide unblinking eyes to make it uncomfortable. She handed them back to her.

"Do you know what the term oublier?" the spy asked between bites of orange. "It means to forget. Oublia is derived from that term. This place was created for one singular purpose: to mine aeters in secret, and then make sure it's forgotten by living memory. We mined it for a year. We lived here for a year. Jack's been with you for, what, twice that time? Do you know the lengths he'd go to for this crew? Can you imagine it being any different for men he worked with? The women he got down in the dirt beside to plant their food? The children he played with in the streets? When we weren't spies, we were smugglers, And when we weren't smugglers, we were a part of this town."

Adelaide wiped at her chin and tossed the orange peel into the sand. She sat up straight and looked Zilia in the eye as she continued. "When I first came aboard your ship, I thought it was your fault. I found a Jack that I didn't know and I wondered what could a crew like yours possibly do to him. But it wasn't you. This town is a bloody legacy staining his soul. What happened here, and his part in it, broke him. He's a bad actor because he didn't want to play the game anymore. The only reason he's playing it now is to protect you." She pointed an accusing finger at Stardusk. "He started a plan with me to make sure every living memory will remember Oublia, because the nobles here shouldn' dictate our lives. The moment Charlotte appeared, his goal's changed. He just wants to save the people he can. That's you and the royals. Country's politics bedamned.

"But since, you've asked, it's a combination of both things. After the war, Trovale seceded to the W.G. and became part of them. A part of this integration's agreement was Trovale keep the summoner secrets. A way to protect ourselves and maintain a level of independence. But this power resides only with noble and royal families, whom never loved Trovale becoming part of the Government. Now, though, for the first time in history there's a royal heiress to the throne with no summoner blood. Merchants and working classes are becoming more powerful with support of the royal family. And, the King is about to trade our summoning secrets with the W.G., in order to secure trade routes the country definitely needs to grow. The economy is stagnant. The nobles feel their position and power is threatened. They fear loss of independence and protection. Decades of discontent finally brewing into a single action: complete removal of the throne. Oublia was one casualty of it that no one knows, and no one will understand. You're only here because your cook was made the face of it."

Sitting off to the side, Runali balanced an apple on the back of her hand, listening to Adelaide go on about Jack and the political issues that followed. She couldn't help but scoff at the idea- at the entire situation really. "No one asked him to." Before Adelaide could say anything, Runali tossed the apple up and caught it, looking at Zil then at Adelaide. "You point fingers, but no one asked him to protect us. It's not us he should have been worried about." She had taken a stray knife and sliced the apple in her hand. "It's his own emotions. He's acting out because he cares, not because he thinks we need to be protected. Just as you," And she lazily pointed the knife at Adelaide, "sharp tongue and all, care so much for him." She shrugged. "Legacies good and bad don't die unless the people that tell the stories do and Jack's not helping that one bit by handing the knife to the person that wants to stab him. This spy thing is all 'keeping secrets this' and 'I've gotta do it on my own that'. We're pirates and his first mistake was thinking the smartest idea was to do things by himself. Now look, we have to save him." She chuckled. "This is why Kadi gets to pose smart ideas. And Alicia is on standby when Pathfinder is takin' the wheel. Jack hangs out with Luro too much to make me believe he's rational anymore."

Adelaide put a cheek in her hand. "If Jack wanted to do this alone, he would have come with me the moment we left the Court of Miracles. He stayed because he wanted your help despite my better judgement. Things went sideways and now we're here. What would you have him do instead?"

Mid bite of another apple slice, Runali raised a curious brow at the question. "Mmm, not point a gun at me for starters." It was said knowingly, as if it was to be expected, but it followed with a short laugh. "Adelaide there's always another option. Not that it matters now. Plans fail, but we're here now to pick up the pieces and get away from all this political drama."

"This 'political drama' threatens lives capitaine. Lives your cook is trying to save. Tell me, if he had the chance to come forth to you, would you even have agreed to help?"

Runali tossed the knife in the air, letting sharp end first into the ground. "Hmmm." She jutted a thumb over to Alicia. "Helped her war troubles. Did it for Alicia though, not all of Yula Fei. Just as I'm doing this for Jack. Oublia is just… a bonus I suppose."

Adelaide's mouth curved down, vaguely, but she nodded. "Good." Standing up, Adelaide stretched and looked down at Stardusk. "I'll prepare information for you to help fight against Charlotte and her Sirens. That should answer your last question, doctor. In the meantime, the sun is dying and we'd be best prepared for tomorrow. Why don't I show you were to sleep?"

******​

It was dawn when Lady Luck finally docked at Oublia's dock. In the morning light, the crew witnessed the full damage. Miraculously, the masts had remained in tact. One part of the deck was missing and two through-and-through holes pockmarked the decks. Charlotte's crew hadn't targeted the bottom decks, saving the Lady from taking on water. An amateur crew scurried along the deck, quickly disembarking once they saw the pirate owners approaching.

Adelaide departed shortly before, telling Runali she'd rouse the carpenters they had available to begin repairs.

As the crew past-- again, dressed in rags from head to toe-- a familiar caw flew fast at the pirate captain. C.P. half dived, half flapped, down to her owner in a flurry of feathers. She landed on the captain's shoulder and nuzzled at her cheek and hair, happy to see her. Following the bird, the last person on board jogged up to the crew. Flaming straight hair shined in the sun with silver streaks and framed a kind, weathered face. She grinned broadly at the sight of Stardusk and when she approached, swept Runali into a rough and warm hug.

"Oh, thank the spirits! You're okay!" the red-haired lady leaned back and squeezed Runali's shoulders while giving her a critical sweep for injuries. "We were so worried when Charlotte captured your ship, I feared the worst. Are you alright? Any of your crew hurt?"

It was a relief to see Lady Luck still able to sail despite her condition. It meant she was still able to be fixed and she'd be able to continue on the Stardusk journey. The captain started to go to the ship, only to pause in her tracks upon hearing a familiar sound. The moment she looked up, she was bombarded with feathers and gentle pecks until she got a hold and managed to scoop the bird into a cradled position. "Coral! You're okay! You worried me you know-" As Coral wiggled free, Runali was suddenly wrapped in a hug.

It was short enough for Runali not to fully register what happened until the woman pulled away to… start doting? For a few seconds, the captain could only stare at the unfamiliar woman. She didn't know her- not that she knew of- and despite her luck with redheads, she didn't seem like she wanted to attack them.

With a suspicious squint, Runali pulled back. "Fine as we can be for now? But worried? Why?"

The woman opened her mouth, then stopped, seeing Runali's look. "You don't--? No, why would you?" Smiling gently, she took both Runali's hands. "My name's Lily. Lily Rose. I'm Jack's mother. Or, you know, one of them. It's so very nice to meet you Runali Lev. On behalf of Jack's family, we're grateful for all you have done for him. Even if you didn't know his full story until now."

Suspicion turned into surprise a little too quickly and Runali straightened up. She was at a loss for words as the hand hold turned into Runali slowly shaking Lily's hand. "Uh… Nice to meet you?" She seemed to snap out of her daze the moment she spoke, only to frown a little. "Ah, well, not the nicest way to meet. I could think of better ways to meet a mother of Jack's. And I mean, I didn't do much really the thank you is unnecessary. Besides, I need to drag him back here anyway he owes me." Realising she was still shaking Lily's hand, she pulled away and gestured to her ship. "Thank you for keeping her alive though."

Lily's face softened. "Of course he does. I'm sorry, the repair work won't be like your carpenter's but it'll have her floating well enough. Speaking of, where is your giant friend? I heard his hair is redder than…." Her sentence trailed off as she looked over the Stardusk, and then once more. Her face fell. "Where's Cedric?"

"Gone," Adelaide's flat voice came from behind Lily. Jack's mother turned and immediately embraced Adelaide in the same fashion as Runali.

"You're safe!"

"Lady Hawk, we talked about this," Adelaide protested against the woman's shoulder.

Apologetically, Lily released her and stepped back. Adelaide smoothed out her collar and cleared her throat, fighting the urge to shoot a glare at the hug-lover of a human. "Charlotte's taken Cedric. She'll likely replace Jack with him. I've told you of their relationship. And Luro, the carpenter, is likely wherever Jack has been placed. A token in case…when Stardusk comes from them." The spy turned to Runali and the crew. "I've been giving it some thought but I need you to answer me first: when fighting her crew, or during your capture, did you hear anything strange? Perhaps accusations that didn't add up?"

"Lady Hawk?" Runali echoed in curiosity. There was no need to answer the previous questions thanks to Adelaide, so she moved to the questions the spy gave her. "Bah, you expect me to remember something that happened three- four days ago before I was forcefully conked out?" Runali scratched her head in thought. "Let's see… I talked to Charlotte. She wanted to know what I knew. Said you told me things, I said I didn't know anything. Blabbed on about the Trovale government and how Stardusk could help her. I denied. She said she was giving us to the navy. I conked out." She listed things, tapping her hand against her arm in thought. "Before that, the Scor-guy thought we were apart of Jack's mishap. Jack mentioned it wasn't how it was supposed to happen- after threatening me with a gun. I'm more offended he said I couldn't win every battle though. That one was a little more hurtful…" Runali came to a conclusion with a shrug. "That's all I got, sorry."

Adelaide's face hardened when Runali brought up Scorpiox. "The Marauders were the crew Jack and I served with when we lived in Oublia. But their name was never released to the public. It was an unknown pirate crew that sacked Oublia. Guess which name Charlotte is going to release now, as the crew who killed a town of innocents, and then the royal family?"

"Why would she do such a thing?" Lily asked, her brow tight with confusion and revulsion.

She made a small shrug. "They know too much. Their connection with Jack is enough to convince everyone. She was going to use you, Runali, one way or another."

Lily pressed the back of her hand to her mouth. Warm brown eyes turned serious. "Do you know where my son is? And his brother? Their crewmate?"

"Gerald is prepping now on Lady Luck to find them," Adelaide said, the vaguest note of assurance tuning her voice. "Captaine, if you could procure something of Luro's? In the meanwhile, you best take these."

Stepping forward, Adelaide took from her bag normally filled with flowers four heavy parchment scrolls and handed them to Alicia. "Dossiers of the Sirens and Charlotte du Vontiago. I've been compiling them ever since I got this. You can tell us your attack plan once Gerald has located our missing members, and you have had time to read them. Also, you should find your weapons aboard the ship. Safe and sound."

Runali had already began heading to Lady Luck after Alicia was given the dossiers. As the first mate, Alicia had to know how to handle making plans when the captain wasn't around. It wasn't as if Runali was leaving, but the captain knew Alicia was capable and left her to begin planning- unless they all wanted to grab their weapons first.

Either way, Runali was tasked on retrieving something of Luro's so that's what she set herself to do. With Coral flying close by, Runali stared at the ship after she climbed aboard. A soft sigh escaped her lips, seeing how damaged Lady was, but once more she reminded herself that it could have been a whole lot worse. Occasionally, she'd nod towards one of the strangers- one of the people helping to fix her ship- so they'd carry on with their instructions instead of hesitating the moment they saw her coming. It was a shame she didn't have time to go through her whole ship, figuring out just went missing during the attack or just what was damaged. Instead, she went straight to the weapons that were piled together and set aside for the crew. Sure enough, from Alicia's sword down to Luro's rifle, all of them were still together.

Her brow raised when she noticed both her chakram together. She could have sworn one of them was lost to the sea. Grateful and relieved, Runali picked up her chakram and then picked up Luro's rifle. It was a little odd seeing the rifle and not the redhead who carried it. She couldn't help but take a moment to examine it. He'd taken it apart and put it back together so many times and yet it still seemed good as new- at least to her untrained eye. She looked at the strap of it, tracing over the distinct Jaipur design only to be interrupted by Coral's soft coo. "His rifle is one of the most important things to him, I'm not just gonna give it to someone I don't know," Runali put Luro's rifle on her back, adjusting to the feel of the extra weight. "Especially since I dunno what that guy's gonna do with it." She made her way to their 'throne room'- or rum room- more specifically the room Luro used more often than not. It didn't take too much searching to find a box of tools lying around. "If these get damaged, I can at least replace them." With that, she walked back to the deck and where the weapons were. Taking another look, she spotted Jack's knives and decided to collect those as well before looking around for Gerald to hand him the tools.

Dossiers

Note: A summoner's prowess lies in their aeters and their prescribed runes that facilitate specific workings. Don't bother destroying the aeters-- find a way to separate the stone from the summoner.

Name: Charlotte du Vontiago
Age: 62
Gender: Female
Appearance: Refer to pic. Wears a large pendant of aeter, wrapped in delicate gold filigree intertwined with rose gold leaves and a white enamel backing (green, white and gold the colors of the Vontiago house). She has a second aeter that's hidden. She has two familiars: both praying mantises, one black and one yellow-green. The yellow-green one is constantly present on her person while the black one has never been seen by another person's eyes.
Title: Royal Spymaster
Special Skills/power: Summoner of two aeter, poison and shadow.

• List of abilities
  • The poison aeter allows two capabilities: generating a poisonous effect on a victim, or manipulating a concocted poison. She can create a simplified affect such as paralysis, sleep, shutdown of bodily organs, or corruption of a body's function. Each one requires a specific rune paper and the amount of energy required depends on how many people she's casting on and the deadliness of it (afflicting the body with a deadly outcome requires more power and finesse).
  • The shadow aeter, on a visible front, she uses as a defensive strategy. She can create a cloud of substantial shadows to cover her escape or attacks, or temporarily shroud herself in shadows to sneak about. Her shadow abilities tend to have more physical manifestations.
  • There are a few special workings Charlotte created to combine her aeters' powers. The simplest and most powerful laces a cloud of shadows with a single poisonous effect, to shroud her enemies in. (She can't use deadly effects, as it would take too much energy and the shadow cloud is hard to contain).
  • There are a few other one-off spells Charlotte can create, but doesn't keep in her typical arsenal. She rarely relies on her powers for offensive combat.

History: Charlotte is a part of the du Vontiago House, a very old and wealthy clan with close bloodlines to several royal families, including the current reigning rulers. They are responsible for the creation of the royal spy network, and therefore from birth Charlotte was groomed and prepped to become the Spymaster so their family may once again gain control of it. She heads the King and Queen's interests from the shadows, showing loyalty and support on all fronts-- except one. While she puts on a face of loyalty, the reality is Charlotte plots with the other opposed nobles to subvert their plans. She harbors great hatred towards the W.G. and will go to any lengths to liberate Trovale from their iron hold.

Scorpiox
Age: 39
Gender: Male
Appearance: Refer to pic.
Title: Siren of the West
Special skills/power: Observation haki; fights with a scimitar and round, studded shield. He's a superior warrior that uses his haki to stay one step ahead of any opponent.
History: Scorpiox was born into Trovalian slavery and at a very young age, faced execution after loosing his sight and becoming useless to his owners. Charlotte saved him from certain death and took him under her wing. While the truth behind her motivations was never revealed, Scorpiox became enraptured by his savior and promised to devout his life to her wishes. He has grown to hold true to his word, becoming her right-hand man within her network and receiving the most prestigious Siren rank. He is blindly loyal to her cause, and only cares to carry out his duties to the fullest.

Vulpecula ("Little Fox")
Age: impossible to tell
Gender: Female
Appearance: Refer to pic. Her aetherium is located in the pommel of her sword; her familiar is a brown bear that she summons when desired.
Title: Siren of the North
Special skills/power: Earth summoner, combines her powers with her unique sword. Switching between one- and two-handed fighting, her strikes are wide, fast, and cut deep. She wraps layers of rune papers on her hilt, covered in a heavy lacquer, that channels her summoning prowess through the blade. Once a spell is used, it disintegrates to make way for a replacement. Most of the time, the spell she casts erupts from the open circle that tops her blade-- but not all.

• List of abilities:
  • Summons roots from the ground or her blade to attack/ensnare opponents
  • Momentarily petrifies a person's skin if they come in direct conflict with her blade
  • Creates rocks and sharp pebbles to fling at opponents from her blade
  • Reinforces her blade's strength by increasing the density of the metal; it becomes heavier and harder to wield, but the attacks are twice as hard
  • Height of her power is transforming a limited area by channeling exuberants amounts of energy into the ground from her blade, and creating an instant forest bent to kill her enemies. This takes significant energy from her and is only used in desperate situations.

History: Nothing is known about this Siren, not even her real name. She's kept her face hidden since she first joined the Trovalian spies and has not given an ounce of information to who she may truly be. Most believe she is a mute. Only her summoner abilities give proof to her Trovalian heritage and suggest she may be of noble blood; it's been hypothesized she's the bastard child of the king, rendered mute so she can't speak of her true heritage.


Felix de Rusoville
Age: 30
Gender: Male
Appearance: (clothes, hair and general feature reference) Though sporting very feminine features- a narrow, soft face, wide lips, pencient for thick eyeliner and fine clothes- Felix has a strong physique, solid muscles and a stocky stature. His aetherium is a ring on his right hand; his familiar is a dove that is seen on rare occasions.
Title: Siren of the South
Special skills/power: Light "summoner", swordsman. Felix is quick and light on his feet, preferring quick repetitive jabs to poke through his opponent's defenses and wear them down with constant cuts. As they tire, he grows faster. Preferring to fight one-handed, he frees up his other hand to execute his summoning spells. He has a weak defense.

• List of abilities:
  • Flashbang effect (without sound)
  • Grant himself near-speed of light for a short span (15 seconds)
  • Conjure solid light weapons (his most-used technique; each rune used creates a specific weapon he can use for up to a minute or so. The more he's used or practice with a weapon type, the longer he can maintain it)
  • Light barrier

History: Cast out at a young age by his extreme conservative family, Felix would have been swept off the streets by slavers, child workers, or worst, if Charlotte hadn't found him first. She gave him a life, respect, and power to fight his own battles. While he remains fervently loyal to his savior, he constantly aims to rise higher and more powerful, with his sights currently locked on the Siren of the West position.

 

[Capt. Blu]

Collab bet'w Capt. and Silent​

​

Nighttime fell with a windy chill carried by the sea. Waves crashed against the rocky shores and their rage carried to Oublia's charred bones, when the wind itself wasn't screeching at the living occupants with screams of the damned. Not much of the mining town remained: blackened, broken structures amid dead ground stood silhouetted against the mountain, meager and sad. But what was left provided more shelter than the open barn near the beach and the forest sheltered nocturnal predators who were best left undisturbed in their midnight hunts.

Adelaide showed Stardusk places to take refuge once their planning had settled. Most of Gerald's fighters already took the best spots. Once she asserted where each member chose to sleep, she retired towards the center of the town. Her space maintained shadows of the building's floor plan, the walls creating a jagged barrier around her. A large demolished fireplace was situated in the back and suggested it'd once been a bakery. It was too small for anything else, and too big to be a dwelling.

A sliver of the moon crested the sky when Adelaide left her shelter and ventured back to the shore. She prowled the coast, eventually happening upon Runali's sleeping arrangement. The spy approached in an obvious manner, not feeling the need to spook the captain tonight. She turned over something shiny in her hands as she looked at the black sea. "Have you seen any ship lanterns yet?" she asked once she knew the captain was aware of her presence. "It might be a few more hours before Lady Hawk arrives."

Runali's sleeping arrangements were more of a temporary camp than a place to actually sleep. Before she had decided to sit down at the coast, she walked around with her crew helping them pick out semi decent spots and assuring that they got rest- not taking 'no' for an answer. When she was sure they were fine was when she decided to sit and watch the ocean. The waves were a comforting sound and for a moment she let herself believe that things were okay. At least, okay in a sense that things wouldn't take a turn for the worse.

It was a short moment as the sound of faint footsteps broke her reprieve. Runali shifted her sitting from sitting cross legged and slouching to having her right leg propped up and leaning her arm against it. She offered a short glance to Adelaide as she approached, but ultimately continued watching the sea. "No. I figure my ship would take time. She took a few hits back there so I imagine she's moving slower… There's no one here to spy on if that's what you're looking to do."

"There's you." Her smirk was palpable despite the darkness. She looked back out to the ocean, the mystery object moving between her fingers. "What do you foresee happening?" she asked after a moment. She referred to tomorrow and the chaos they faced.

"From what I know about spying, you're doing a terrible job." Runali retorted. Towards her next question, the captain laid her legs flat and leaned back with her arms behind her. Runali tapped her feet together and let her head hang lazily towards Adelaide. "I tend t'try not expecting too much before big ordeals. Either leaves me disappointed or… pleasantly surprised." She gave a small smile and shrugged. "Fight's gonna happen. It's gonna be a pain in the ass, but not as much as the doctoring will be when Zil's checking us over." Runali chuckled. "Someone's gonna do something utterly stupid. I'm betting it'll be Jack… Sid's high up there too." Runali flashed a smirk at Adelaide. "You're not too far behind them either." Her chuckle echoed in the quiet again as she straightened up. "Stardusk will try to go for the swift collect and go, it won't work. We'll have to fight. We'll have to win…" Her voice trailed off and Runali shrugged. "A lot can happen."

Adelaide sat down cross-legged without invitation. "What if one of them dies?" she inquired.

Runali scoffed in response, looking back at the ocean. "I try not to be too pessimistic… but," She let out a sigh. "I've failed as a captain if they die now. All of them have things they want to accomplish and I'm seeing to it that they do. But if something that bad does go wrong… I just hope to be there in those last moments with them." She glanced over at Adelaide again. "Last thing they'd hear is a captain's parting words, telling them they were damn good at what they did." She looked down at the sand and gave a sober smile as she remembered her last navigator, Dani. Often, the captain wish she could've done that for her. It was something she knew she wouldn't be able to do, so instead she made the vow to be a better captain to the ones she had.

With a more determined look, Runali looked back at the ocean. "If one of them- one of us dies, then it's going at least gonna be the coolest death they deserve. And I'm not Pirate Empress yet so that means it's not gonna be any time soon."

"You never fail to amaze me, capitaine," Adelaide's flat voice cut through the waves. She'd pulled her knees to her chest while Runali talked, pocketing her fiddling object, but she didn't seem to be listening. "What are you going to do about Jack?"

"Careful Adelaide, don't want me convincing you to actually be friends or something." A cheshire grin followed that lasted up to the next question. Runali thought about it for a moment. "At the rate things are looking, there's nothing I can do that Jack probably wouldn't do to himself ten times worse." She shrugged. "Probably ask him to make a dish from home. I've been in the mood for spicy but Sid's not a fan. Why? Scared I'll dump him for the sharks?"

The spy scoffed. "You can say that. The last crew didn't treat him so kindly, did they?" Abruptly, Adelaide stood up and offered a calloused hand to Runali.

"Come. I have to show you something."

Adelaide didn't elaborate, but led the captain back towards the broken town. Fire pits and torches pockmarked the place from windless corners where people slept, as much to provide some warmth as for the nightwatchers to not accidentally step on the people they were protecting. Adelaide led the captain back to her spot. She was wordless the entire time, fiddling with the object in her pocket. If Runali didn't know her better Adelaide was acting nervous. She stopped outside of the place's jagged remains, gazing upward, recalling what it'd once looked like.

"Jack wanted to recruit you. He wanted to tell you the truth. Convince you to help stop Charlotte," Adelaide admitted, not looking at the captain. "I advised against it. It's not like the last pirates he trusted turned out so good of heart. He was so nervous. I bet he ran out of time and panicked. When Charlotte appeared, it wasn't about convincing you to join, it was just about protecting the crew." Adelaide scoffed. "He's so weak."

The response was almost expected. She could have said something, but she opted to stay silent and take Adelaide's hand. Runali stood, dusting off sand and followed her into the town, taking time to examine the things she didn't see during the day. "Nah. Far from it." Runali disagreed. Curiosity led her to go further into the broken building, wondering why it was so important to Adelaide. "Smart enough to know a good thing when he has it." She pushed a bit of debris over with her foot. "Smart enough to know that we're better than the last crew he had." Another rock was pushed. "S'pose he could have gone about it in better ways, but his intentions were good… He played the part pretty well. Well enough for Charlotte and the others to believe him at least. He was strong enough- and smart enough to improvise. Weakness would have been continuing to run away from something that would continue to follow him."

"There's no running away from Charlotte du Vontiago," Adelaide replied softly.

Breathing in, Adelaide closed her eyes and held it for several long minutes. She exhaled-- breathed in again-- then turned and made a half-smile at Runali. Her shoulders sloped, the corners of her eyes crinkled with crow's feet, and a sudden sad kindness softened her. She made a small bow and gestured for Runali to enter the premises. Two breaths and a new Adelaide stood in front of the captain.

"This is where we stayed," Adelaide's voice dropped half an octave to emanate warmth that was normally absent. "A little bakery shop called Bon Matin. Sweet Morning. Every day when we weren't sailing with...our last crew, we'd wake up to the smell of freshly baked raisin bread and sugared croissants. Jack and I paid for two rooms above while the owners possessed the other two. It was cramped but doable. Their names were Daneah, a little girl, and her single father Ozsimiah. They owned the bakery but Oz spent most of his time in the mines. All the men did."

Moving around, Adelaide took her time explaining every minute detail that once existed in the little bakery. The layout of the front room that Daneah prided in keeping squeaky clean. A rare and meticulous display of preserved pastries they showed customers, built by Jack. The kitchen's setup, included with rare spices Adelaide obtained during a smuggling run with the Marauder pirates who sacked a Jaipur ship, and the times Jack or Daneah or Oz would occupy it. Where'd they set the dining table before and after hours. The garden Adelaide started when she was bored one day between piracy runs. Where Jack and Oz washed off the dust of the mines after long hours. The cast iron bistro set on the bakery's corner that Adelaide and Jack would occupy every night, sipping homemade chai and watching the town bustle in their evening activities. She went as long as the captain let her. When done, she stood in the middle of the kitchen, looking around her.

"Jack liked living here," she said after finding nothing else to describe. "He can't live without a family and no matter his love of sailing, he never liked the Marauders. They were too cruel. He found some peace here. He thought we could make a life here when he found out that Oz and Daneah were related to my parents."

There was an obvious change to Adelaide as she spoke about the building they were in. It was almost nice having the sudden sense of warmth and learning this new history…. It could be considered intimate; something shared with only people trusted… But that's what made it a bit odd as well. Runali saw the sudden shift- not quite shift in personality, but in demeanor. It was different from what she knew of Adelaide, but it was still familiar and comfortable as if she had seen it before.

And that's when it clicked. A soft smile rested on her lips while she looked around the remains, imagining all of the details as Adelaide spoke them to life. The mention of Jaipur made her chuckle, remembering old stories of thieves stealing from Jaipur ships- more specifically remembering stories of her mother dealing with said thieves. The captain leaned against a sturdy piece of debris and let out a soft and almost content sigh. She watched Adelaide move about before asking, "And what about you?" The question was soft, practically innocent. "Are your feelings for Jack why you're here? Or is it just the sense of duty to a mission that failed?" There was a short pause before Runali spoke again, in a voice that held a lot more sympathy than one would have expected from any pirate- or stranger for that matter. "...Are you afraid he's going to die?"

Adelaide became stone. Just for a heartbeat. Two personalities struggled beneath the surface as she judged the best way to answer. Her eyes roamed upwards again. "This shouldn't be me," she said at last, "I shouldn't be here. Jack's the one who can tell stories. Make you feel them. He wanted to show Oublia, make you understand the loss he carries, why it means so much to him. I'm the one who plays the part."

Walking closer to Runali, she smirked, the normal Adelaide returning. She gestured for them to leave. "One more thing to do," she explained.

As they walked through the town, Adelaide procured a torch to light their way and kept talking. "I'm only telling you this because that is what Jack would want. I owe him that much.

"Charlotte saved me when I was nothing but an orphaned runt who thought she owned the streets. She saved all of us-- most of us. Orphans given purpose and turned into spies. Each of us knows what it means to have no home, no loved ones, no attachments. Felix had been outcasted by his noble family, waiting on the streets to die of cold when Charlotte offered warmth. Scorpiox was waiting execution by his master's hand after he lost his sight. Vulepucla's story was never told and she's as loyal as anyone. Charlotte saved us, and gave us a greater purpose than we ever had, and made us stronger than we ever been. Her system works, too, as long as you never find the things you lost."

They past Oublia's limits and were in the cemetery. Adelaide walked up the rows, counting in her head, until she reached the 17th row due west, and turned. She lowered the torch so they could see the stones. Some had full names and dates of birth and death. Others possessed a single first name, or a job title when no name could be accounted. Others were blank. She stopped towards the center and knelt between two stones: Ozsimiah and Daneah.

"I loved Charlotte," Adelaide confessed without emotion, "Never had anyone else to love. It wasn't the same with Jack. He had Cedric. He had mothers. He'd never be devout to her, never understand duty. I didn't understand him until we came here. I never knew my parents… it was sheer coincidence I found our connection at all… then they died, never knowing I was their blood."

The answer she was given, or the lack thereof one, seemed to be enough for Runali as her expression softened a bit. Even after Adelaide went back to her usual self, there was something about it that the captain decided not to acknowledge, at least not out loud. Curiosity led her to continue following Adelaide around the ruined towned, imagining what it would have looked like before it was destroyed. The thought of children playing in the streets while adults went about their way made her think of her own home. It was a nice thought that faltered a bit as they turned into a cemetery. She began to watch Adelaide, her expressions and how she moved, up until they landed on two specific stones. Seeing the names, Runali's brow furrowed a bit and as Adelaide spoke, she knelt down and placed a hand on the stone, wiping a bit of dust away.

"You found what you lost… and lost them again." The statement wasn't meant to be responded to. Runali simply spoke as she studied the graves she was shown. "But that doesn't mean you've lost all of it." She stood up and looked at Adelaide almost expectantly. "You have the memories of them and the feelings you had- and still have for them." Her gaze went towards Oublia. "And you still have Jack… He's not dead. Just gonna take some effort getting him back." She turned back to Adelaide. "The memory doesn't have to die here. There's still a chance for things to be… better."

"Capitaine...your optimism is nauseating," Adelaide squeezed her eyes shut in a disgusted manner, but the tug of her lips belied her humor. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a white lily and elegant gladioli and placed them on her family's graves. She pulled out one more: a vibrant, deep blue rose, famous on Arc en Ciel. She gifted it to Runali. "I like the present the most, and focusing on it and all its possibilities. Come back to me with your words when we get through this. Maybe I'll believe you then." The spy smiled and winked.

"Fight's not over till your dead. And if you quit before that time, then the fight was never worth it to begin with." Runali sounded as if she was echoing the words of someone else. Her arms crossed and she shrugged. "When you've got nothing else, you always have hope. Hope to win a fight. Hope for survival. Hope for the best." She spoke nonchalantly like it was something everyone knew about. Her smile grew as she was gifted the flower. "When we get through it is." She held the flower in her palm, examining it carefully. There was a glimmer to her one eye, a hidden curiosity to it.

"Reminds me of the flowers Jack showed me." She took a breathe to watch Adelaide's expression. "Went to a volcanic island and there was a secret little spot there. All the flowers glowed. It was pretty." She shrugged, pretending it was no big deal. "He mentioned he hadn't taken many there… Maybe he'll show you one day."

"Yes, maybe he will," Adelaide said absently, even as she looked critically at the captain. The island's mention brought sharp attention from the spy, though it only showed in the way she stiffened her back and her torso turned towards Runali. They stared at each for a moment, Adelaide's expression unreadable, but clearly she was debating something. Her gaze bored and was uncomfortably intense with the torchlight reflecting over light-hued irises. She started leaning closer and then her eyes flickered over Runali's shoulder, towards the patch of sea visible from the graves. She straightened up. "Well. Look at that. The Lady arrives."

Runali watched Adelaide, keeping her innocent smile. The flower twirled in her hand but ended up behind her back when Adelaide leaned forward. The mention of Lady pulled her attention from the conversation, but not without mumbling "Such a cold breeze from a 'summer wind'." It was too bad Jack wasn't around, he'd probably have a funnier reaction. With a heel turn, Runali looked out where her current companion had been. She couldn't quite see anything, but she nodded. "Well, better now than never to greet them."

 

[Winter]

Silence was often a reaction Alicia offered when confronted with such situations that transitioned rapidly, moving from the transporting caravan to Adelaide's outpost via horseback. For the most part the swordswoman simply observed, listening and contemplating on the information brought forward as each individual spoke or in Zilia's case, wrote. It wasn't until dossiers and a map were given to her that she finally appeared to give a reaction in the form a single nod before her eyes shifted towards Runali before moving back towards Adelaide. "Thank you, I'll begin forming a strategy immediately." she replied softly before taking herself away to a quieter spot where she could read through the dossiers and analyse the map without being disturbed. This was far from the first time she'd had to put together a plan, Kane'Artem being a prime example even though not everything had been carried out flawlessly.

Putting together a plan of which revolved such gravity wasn't easy and it took some time for Alicia to look over the various different positions and consider different approaches, taking into account everyone's unique and independent skill sets and how she might best use them in the engagement. Despite not knowing much in regards to specific information on Charlotte's forces as a whole, it further made complications by not knowing exactly where they might be stationed within the city. The lack of specific information would result in some of Alicia's planning becoming guess work, which wasn't ideal but would then require a contingency should various parts of the plan result in failure. The work was starting to mount and Alicia had to take a moment to close her eyes and rest her mind before delving back into the information once again, her brow furrowing as her eyes swept over the map, trying to identify points that Charlotte might consider priorities.

Doing so would of course give her somewhat of an idea where she might position her Siren's, the individuals with the potential to cause them the most problems when confronted. Upon reading each dossier Alicia had a fairly good idea of whom might be best suited to tackle each Siren should they run into them, though ideally they would want to remain out of a confrontation for as long as they can during the push towards the Royal Fields. It would be imperative that they weren't slowed or delayed otherwise they risked a tougher battle as the situation progressed which would only raise further complications. 'Of all the things I thought I'd be doing today... this was definitely not one of them.' she thought to herself as she laid out the dossiers beside the map before retrieving several pebbles from the ground to use as markers. After a couple of hours she eventually finished her plan, exhaling softly before picking up the paperwork and taking it back towards the outpost.

~~~~~~(( Strategy briefing, two hours later. ))~~~~~~​

Alicia presented the map over a makeshift table compiled of a few empty crates taken from the stores of Lady Luck, weighted on the corners with stones with the dossiers laid out around the edges for anyone to look at so that they might familiarise themselves with potential targets. The swordswoman waited for everyone to gather along with Adelaide and those she considered her direct subordinates whom would need to be made aware of how they would be proceeding into Tulveste. Once everyone was gathered and waiting patiently she nodded her head respectfully in thanks for their arrival before clearing her throat. "After some careful consideration I believe I have a strategy that'll allow us to advance on our objectives, mitigating Charlotte's awareness and response time to our presence." she began as she looked between the faces of her friends and Adelaide's people.

"First and foremost, I want to direct everyone's attention to the three bridges that separate the northern districts from the south. Our advantage at this time is the knowledge that Charlotte is unaware of which direction we'll make our approach, meaning she has likely positioned her forces to cover each foreseeable entrance into the city, spreading her forces appropriately. I intend to use this to our advantage by having Adelaide's people destroy the bridges, forcing a divide in Charlotte's overall force strength and slowing a foreseeable reinforcement scenario should we be discovered prematurely."

Alicia paused to allow them all to digest the information before proceeding. "Upon detonation of these locations, it'll understandably draw our enemies attention, creating a window of opportunity to infiltrate the city while their outer patrols are distracted or withdrawn to approach the commotion. In this time Stardusk along with Adelaide and her selected will begin entry from the north eastern side of the city into the merchant district and make for the outer cloister leading towards the castle. During this time the bridge teams will withdraw south and draw attention away from the north allowing Stardusk and those with them a potentially larger window of opportunity to gain ground before discovery." once again she paused as she looked between them.

"By this time Charlotte will undoubtedly become aware of the ruse and redirect attention back towards the castle. Upon breaching the inner cloister to the castle grounds Adelaide will set up her selected team to dig in and cover the Stardusk's advancement toward the castle, delaying Charlotte's forces in the process. From there, I'm afraid we must improvise as the situation will gradually become more and more indiscernible as time draws onward, though as much as it pains me improvising is somewhat of a speciality for us so I'm not entirely worried." she smiled for a moment before it faded as she turned her attention towards the dossiers.

"On the subject of the dossiers Adelaide has kindly provided, I've taken the liberty of delegating each Siren as a target to a specific person whom I feel will offer the best skill set to combat them. I will however say now that Charlotte is not to be approached alone under 'any' circumstances. She has experience and a great many years of it, not to mention abilities that none of us are equipped to handle. If engagement is unavoidable I would strongly recommend seeking to disengage as soon as you are able till the arrival of reinforcement. However to save Trovale, Charlotte will need to be dealt with regardless." her tone was stern here as she wished to convey the danger the woman presented given her status, experience and specific skill set.

"Sara, I would like you to confront Scorpiox should he reveal himself to us during our approach. He appears to be well versed with a sword and shield and I believe your expertise in these fields would make you the ideal combatant for handling his repertoire. Read his dossier closely and familiarise yourself with him so you know what to expect." she nodded before turning her attention towards Runali. "Captain, I believe you would be suited against the one they call Vulpcular given your experience in the field of Haki, not to mention your ability to reinforce your body which may offset her ability to petrify upon contact, there seems to not be a great amount of information on her however besides her skill set."

"Lastly I will confront Felix personally. He appears to use light to increase his attack speed and as one whom also utilises speed in their attacks I believe I have the better chance of keeping up with him should the need arise. Of course while all of these delegations may make sense and seem appropriate in theory, no amount of planning will guarantee when and where they will turn up or if they'll even be alone to engage freely. So despite this we should all take these as guidelines for the best outcome in an ideal scenario. Be prepared and vigilant that some things may need to be improvised accordingly as we progress. The recovery of Jack and Sid are the priority, safeguarding Trovale from potential calamity comes as a close second priority so keep that in mind." Once finished Alicia released a soft exhale, her eyes falling to the map to recheck that she'd delivered all the necessary information before looking up and around to everyone present for the briefing. "Any questions?" she asked softly.

 

[Fox of Hearts]

Collab bet'w Mizos, Fox and Silent​

"You have 15 minutes," Charlotte told Cedric as she sat down at a table in the vacant, dinky tavern on the edge Tulveste. The owner scurried forward to serve tea and biscuits to the Spymaster. She ignored him, her eyes boring into Cedric. "The fiasco at the gate has delayed us enough. You'll be late to the princess's lessons. Say your good-byes and then we leave."

She gave a nod to the owner, sending him on his way along with Sid.

Cedric held his tongue. He wasn't happy with arrangement, but he doubted she'd be in the mood to negotiate. Charlotte's remained taciturn ever since her exchange with the King earlier that morning. "Yes, Madame. I …. merci. I'll be quick."

"Cedric?" her voice stopped him. "Remember our agreement. You're here to save your brother's life. He'll try to convince you otherwise."

He stopped. His mentor's words struck him as incredibly odd. He couldn't shake the feeling that she lied to him. He kept both hands unclenched while willing himself to remain calm. He didn't know if he should be disappointed anymore. Why did he believe she'd let Jack go so easily?

"He can be stubborn," he agreed finally. It wasn't a lie. The two of them had their share of explosive fights in the past. A few incidents came to mind, but he buried them hastily. He didn't want those memories to marr this meeting. There's no telling if it would be their very last. He had far too many close shaves in the past. Surely, his luck must have run out by now. All he could hope was that Stardusk find Jack first and delay his brother. With the extra time on his side, he'd be able to finish his task.

He turned to look back at his mentor with a sad smile. "As long as he doesn't interfere with our plans, I won't complain. He can't afford to tarnish his name any further."

The two guards stood aside to allow Cedric to pass. They said nothing, but their hostile stares burned into his neck as he opened the door. A waft of heat, and the smells of dozens of prisoners who stayed in that tiny room over the years, swept over the man. It was dark despite two sources of light. Turning to his left, he'd see the narrow seastone cage. A redhead giant sat cramped inside with hands shackled in his lap. The other occupant turned from where he sat on the floor, lucky enough to not be caged.

​

Jack stood slowly. His eyes flicked over Cedric, not immediately recognizing the stripes of silvery hair or the man's well-to-do appearance. His brow furrowed when it did click-- and then his face drained of all color. Jack's hand slapped one of the bars to steady himself as all strength left his body.

"Cedric?" he gasped. "No. Please. Tell me that's not you."

Orléan's face blurred and faded away. Cedric's was left in its place. The younger brother stretched out and gripped Jack by his shoulders. Steadying the older man, Sid guided him back onto the floor. "Jack," he spoke softly. "You don't look well."

Where should he even begin? He knew Jack had already figured out what transpired between Charlotte and him. There was simply no way of softening the blow. The hurt was visible on Jack's worn face. It was so tangible that Sid couldn't bear to look. His eyes flicked towards Luro. Slowly, a frown lined his porcelain smooth brow. Things were starting to fall into place.

He was numb inside. No words could describe just how disappointed he was in himself. He should have known better! Charlotte had always intended to scapegoat his brother and now the Stardusk were involved. He opened his mouth but words failed him more than ever.

He released Jack's shoulders. There must be something he could say. Something that would persuade the Stardusk to leave Trovale. The country was going to implode before dawn. The crew didn't have that much time left.

He moistened his dry lips before addressing Luro. "Makachi, please take care of Jack. I heard you consider him a brother."

There was a long pause. Sid was fumbling for the right words. He wasn't sure how could hear their conversation right now, so he didn't dare say too much. Not in Common nor Trovalian at least. "Once you are free," he stated finally, deciding it was best he continued with this farce. "Take Jack and leave. Avoid Tulveste at all cost, especially if you leave after tomorrow. Tell the Captain, I won't be returning. Tell her … and Alicia …"

He sighed before continuing. He was already watching Jack out of the corner of his eye. He anticipated the man to lash out any second now. "Tell them thank you. I'd appreciate it if they continue looking after my brother. I'm sorry for the trouble we've caused you."

Gingerly, he stepped away from Jack and towards the cage. He passed Luro the pouch Charlotte gave him last night. "It's not much, but it should get the two of you a decent meal and some new clothes."

Sid knew he was going to regret it, but he needed to say this to Jack. He didn't want to regret anything. Once was more than enough. He drew out a card and held it out as a warning. After making sure Jack saw it, he got into a crouch a good distance from his brother.

"Jack, there's something inside the pouch for you. You'll understand once you see it." He kept his eyes averted while he continued watching for the slightest movement. Jack could strike fast and hard, so he needed to be on his guard. The sudden switch to Trovalian made it clear that Sid wished to exclude Luro from the conversation. "You can ask Bel if you don't. He knows. I told him before I left for Finnigan Island."

Luro watched the strange old man enter the room tilting his head at the look on Jack's face. His brows arched and he wondered if this was the torturer, his eyes moved to his clothes for a moment. He didn't have a spare set of clothes for when his got dirty and he seemed like the type bothered about his appearance. With a small nod he figured that wasn't the man here to try and kill him for the next ten hours, that was a nice outfit and most of the ones who did the job disliked getting blood on their outfits.

What he didn't expect was for the man to be Cedric, his head tilted as the man's face slowly morphed into his crewmates."Whoa that's a nice trick Cedric. Can you do Masu, I wanna try something."

The request was ignored. His eyes moved back to Jack as Cedric approached blinking a few times as he watched Jack's expression, it seemed like one thing after another was hitting Jack, he wondered if he was still recovering from dealing with Ali, he knew what an old lass could do to a guy after all.

Those were the thoughts that came to mind but a part of him could feel why Jack could barely stand, knew the despair suddenly apparent in his eyes. He recognized it but that's as far as the feeling went and it faded as fast as it came.

When Cedric spoke he looked over at him offering a smile at being addressed, though he shut his eyes seeing he was still calling him by his last name. He opened his eyes when he approached, his gaze moving back over to Jack at his request.

"Well yeah I'll watch over Jack, I don't want nothing bad to happen to him," Luro said as he slipped the pouch into his sleeve.

When he spoke again Luro reached up and scratched the side of his head, though he had a bit of trouble thanks to the chains, causing him to fumble a bit before he succeeded.

"I can't help with the message though. I'm bad at responsible stuff, I forgot to tell Jack I used his clean rags, and that one time I borrowed Masu's spear to clean out some gunk. You should just tell em' yourself Cedric. It's easier that way."

The two brothers stiffened visibly at Luro's words. Sid clenched his fists. Was there a better way to say this? He couldn't think of one. He was too worn out inside to care anymore. "Makachi, I can't. I'll be dead by tomorrow. The royal family will be dead too. That's why you need to leave."

"No," Jack said. "No, no, no."

During Cedric's exchange with Luro, Jack had been struggling out of a haze of panic. It'd been a matter of time. He was exhausted, wracked with guilt, worried and afraid. They, him and his crew, were in the belly of the beast now. At the center of everything he'd been running away from. He should have been better prepared-- he should be with them. Not stuck here. Not playing the part of mutineer. And for what? To have his own brother rip away what fragile plans he'd concocted?

An anxious laugh escaped him. Standing up, Jack paced away from the cage, hands running through his hair, a nervous tick about him. His hands wouldn't sit still. He itched for a cigarillo. Most of what left Cedric's mouth escaped him. He didn't care. He looked at his brother and there was hard glint behind the fear shining bright in his eyes. "You are not going to do this. Please. Not for me.

"Do you have...any idea--any at all-- what I've done these past few years? Ever since Charlotte released you from her service? I have been taking your place, Cedric. In you she sees a prodigy to take her place someday, ruthless and fair-minded, with just a little extra molding. If you didn't live up to her expectations, you'd end up dead for sure. I couldn't pull you away-- not before the Wolf happened," Jack's eyes lit on where Cedric's scars hid beneath his collar. Even now, the old emotions colored Jack's face. All his haunts and pains, flexing their talons, digging into his guts until he felt ready to double over. Jack placed a hand on the table to keep himself steady. He took a moment to calm himself-- or, as much as he could. When he built the courage to look up again, tears unbidden marked his cheeks, and he looked pleading. "We had a deal, Charlotte and I. I followed her orders, her missions, and you could remain with the Thieves Guild. I've done things...made enemies… that I should have never done or made. You cannot go back to her Cedric. You cannot carry out her orders against the royal family. I can't… I can't live with that."

"Fére," Sid began in Trovalian but swapped to Common. He needed Luro to hear this. Maybe this man was the person who could persuade the Captain to abandon him. He swallowed dryly. "Jack … Makachi, I want to assassinate the royal family. We need to rebuild Trovale. This path had been laid long ago and it's too late to back away."

He got his feet and walked towards Jack. He went to wipe away some of the tears gathering in his brother's eyes. His brother grabbed his wrist, stopping Cedric short. Jack had always been the one who cried so easily between the two of them. It was ironic. Wasn't it usually the older sibling who dried the younger one's tears?

The mention of the Wolf sent a chill down his spine. His mind blanked for a moment. Anger simmered inside him again, chasing away the cool numbness. He hated Jack for bringing up the incident. They fought over it before and they ended up not speaking for three years. Oubila happened and he never felt so blindsighted. It was only sheer will that kept him from lunging at Jack. This wasn't the time to repeat their mistake.

"Jack, the nobles created this doom. Tonight the people are taking to the streets and there will be bloodshed. Mark my words." He spoke even more wearily than before. "No one will back down. The Navy would have to intervene eventually. It's hard to tell what will happen after that. So please, get out while you still can. The flames won't spread south so quickly."

"No." Jack repeated vehemently. He released his grip on Cedric. "This isn't your goddamn mess to fix, Cedric. This isn't about you or me or what we've done anymore. It's about saving as many lives as we can!" Jack reached forward and gripped his little brother by the shoulders, staring at him intently. "Five hundred and thirty-two people, Cedric. Shot, stabbed, blown to bits. Their homes shattered. Whole families lost. I held Adelaide's baby cousin in my arms as she died. The only family she ever had, dead because of me and that bloody bitch waiting to end your life upstairs. I don't even know if Ade's alive!" Jack's strangled voice raised to a height Cedric never heard before. "Her plan will lead to countless deaths. A civil war! The king and queen support the populace as best they can, it's the nobles who want to cede the World Government, strengthen their iron fist. Trovale is stagnant! They'll starve it's money and it's people if they have it their way. I'm trying to prevent that, don't you see?"

Jack's voice dropped to a whisper, low enough that Luro had to strain to hear him, as he pressed a hand to Sid's face. "Killing the family is not the way. It never will be. It won't save me. It won't save any of us. I'm just trying to prevent as much death as possible. For the sake of the people of Oublia. For the living families they still have. Please. Don't go through with it."

They stared at each other, intent in each pair of eyes. Up to that moment, Jack didn't even realize he wasn't asking his brother to run away anymore. None of them could-- the beast's belly, surrounding them. Their only hope was to stop Charlotte, and in doing so, if the King saw them, saving his family's life…. Jack didn't dare say more.

Cedric was tempted to say what was truly on his mind. He didn't dare to. He wished for the first time that he was talking to Alicia instead of Jack. Her calmness would have done him a world of good. He regretted not being able to see her again. "If you truly want to do some good, try quelling the anger in the streets. The moment the capital burns Trovale will cease to be."

"Jack, unless you pull off this miracle, I refuse to believe it's possible. There's nothing you, Alicia or Runali can do about this." Sid stared defiantly into Jack's eyes. "Please," he begged. His voice clashed with the expression he wore on his face. "Believe me just this once."

The scene in front of Luro felt oddly familiar, watching the two in front of him for just a moment another visage appeared in front of him. It caused his chest to tighten for a moment, his eyes closing as the two continued to go back and forth. He didn't move or respond only opening his eyes to actually watch the exchange, his eyes moving from Jack to Cedric as they talked. The same small smile on his face as the two poured out their emotions, he tilted his head feeling the air get a little heavier as they continued; Luro really missed having a bottle of rum on his person. He didn't speak up for a moment his eyes only moving to Cedric as he asked Jack to believe him.
"Jack…there's a good chance you're not going to talk him out of it. I think a part of you knows that."
Luro finally spoke up after a moment, flexing his hands as he stared at them.
"The death of an entire country and its people means very little to me. I also don't really care about politics so this conversation is kind of lost on me really. Though I get how severe it is…I don't really care."

Cedric laughed. It just happened and he couldn't stop. He gasped the bar with a gloved hand to steady himself. Taking a deep breath, he straightened and wiped the tears from his eyes. It was just so simple, so logical, and yet Jack never understood. His big brother was incredibly dense for a man with a sharp mind. Luro stated exactly what he felt all along. It never was about the politics. Never about the people. It was about Jack and his goddamn bleeding heart.

He was trying to fix a mess that Jack shouldn't have created in the first place. None of this would have happened if Jack stayed away from Charlotte. This life never suited his older brother. You can't be spy if you feel guilty about spilling blood. The number of deaths was only incident to completing the task at hand. That was the very first lesson Charlotte taught him. One that he'd never forget.

"It means a lot to Jack, unfortunately," Sid reminded Luro. His eyes flicked back to Jack. "Look at him! He hasn't slept in days. This can't go on. He must put Oubila to rest in his mind."

Luro grinned at this before speaking again.
"I only do things for Stardusk. The captain doesn't like people dying so I can't go letting Cedric die and if Jack gets hurt that's bad so I don't wanna leave him alone."
Luro shrugged as it was a basic reason but it was his reason.
"I think Cedric's going to do what Cedric does. He is wrong about one thing though. I admit Jack, Captain and Alicia would have trouble dealing with something like this…but he's forgotten there's more than three people in our crew."
Luro raised his head at this looking at the two.

"Jack, Captain, Kadi, Masu, Alicia, Zilia, me and Cedric. It's Stardusk's thing to pull of miracles…together. Alicia didn't save her country on her own, the Captain didn't protect her hometown without help…and Jack's not alone. I have no doubt in my mind the Captain's already moving, not willing to abandon one of her own. I have complete faith in them to do what they have too."
Luro reached up and pat his chest.
"If you want a miracle then we'll do that."
Luro raised his eyes to the two raising a hand to them.
"The futures you two see are so different…even though you're working for each others. I'm not that smart and even I see how silly that is."

"If you can make Jack see reason, you might be a better man than I thought." Cedric shrugged. "I'll consider anything that gives Jack back his sanity a miracle. My life really doesn't matter to me. Not when there are things I need to do."

"Don't you dare say that," Jack snapped, hurt, but unsurprised, at the value of his brother's life in Cedric's own eyes. His arms had folded up while he watched the exchange go down, at his own expense no less. His eyes strayed away to the door on occasion. There was a hardness slowly setting in, starting with the rigidity of his shoulders that straightened his spine. Fingers itched towards hidden blades he didn't have.

A small yawn escaped from Luro and he leaned back in his cell scratching his chin.
"Imma make sure to put in a little extra at the end," Luro said opening one eye at them. "Be ready for that you two."

"Do your worse," the younger brother sighed. He was sure Charlotte would appear any minute now. Sounds of chairs scraping against the floor and footsteps heading their way told as much. This conversation dragged on much too long. He should have cut Luro off, but it meant leaving Jack. For that, every additional minute was worth it.

There wasn't a trace of hesitation or doubt in the man's voice or eye, he spoke in the same lighthearted tone in the tension filled room. His words were no causal statement but clear facts and with a toothy grin he looked at them both.
"I see a future too you know. One with both of you in it, with big lumps on your heads. Why don't we wager and see which one comes true. Loser buys first round."

Cedric never believed in happy endings. The dream Luro sold was just that. A dream. He knew the Stardusk lived a charmed life, but one day that luck would end. He would only believe it if he was awake two mornings from now and the capital wasn't a smouldering ruin. If that happened, then he'd concede that Luro was right.

"Sorry, Makachi. I'm not betting anything." He refused coolly. "If you are confident you can pull off this miracle, make sure Jack is alive two mornings from now. Alive and completely unharmed," he added the latter as indemnity. He was more than familiar with Jack's fanatic moments.

"He'll walk through the streets a free man. Maybe a hero. He deserves it for this suffering he brought onto himself. I've never met a greater martyr." He practically spat out that last word.

He turned to leave. "If you accomplish that, have Jack tell Belvedere to buy a dozen of the fattest Norjan Kresels. Believe me, you'll never taste a better bird."

There was the slightest pause as he mounted the steps towards the door. "Those birds are best when roasted till golden brown and eaten with Port. Don't believe Jack if he says otherwise."

"Ah I'll keep that in mind, but I'll feel better knowing you're there to tell him otherwise," Luro said this with a grin. "Don't forget you said do your worst at the end of all this."

"Cedri-- Cedric, wait!" Jack reached for his brother just as the door opened. Jack made a grab for his arm, and Charlotte's men swarmed around them. They grabbed onto him and he dug in with Armament, wrestling against them. His face was intense-- but gone was the torment, the hurt. He looked determined. On the steps, Charlotte's shadow cast over them. "I don't care what you do," Jack hissed under a low breath, "You have to know, if you fight her, you better be prepared. It's not just…"

Cedric summoned back his earlier disguise. Long, dark hair turned a short, silvery red and his smooth complexion wrinkled. Master Orléans fixed the desperate man with a flinty stare. "'Master Jack," he admonished in a Ceranian accent. "Behave yourself. I have no idea what you're talking about."

Jack's face suddenly went white. The black of his Armament began to fade as the guards forced him to his knees. "...not just her summoning you have to...worry about--" Jack bent his head down as he fought against the urge to be sick.

Charlotte made it to the bottom steps, her green mantis perched on her shoulder, as she brushed the ashy remains of paper off her fingertips. Jack glanced up in fury while another wave of nausea made his vision blur. She returned the glare, cold and emotionless. "He'll be fine, Cedric. Just a sickness spell. We need to get going-- Celestine will be waiting."

Orléans stood there watching Jack fight off the sickness. His face was completely blank. His eyes didn't show any speck of emotion in them. They were almost as cold as Charlotte's. "Madame?" he asked. He swept a hand towards the stairs and waited for her to leave first. A simple glare conveyed her preference, one he was more than happy to oblige.

The Spymaster waited for Cedric to go up, her eyes never leaving Jack himself. The spy managed to straightened enough to glare back. Some of his color was already returning but his Armament failed utterly. He watched them go, not putting up a fight, not saying another word. The door closed and the room waited with a held breath as the group left. A man to Jack's right unsheathed a knife from his belt. "Ya know what's gonna happen next. Don' ya?" the soldier leered.

Jack closed his eyes and released a breath. "Yes. Yes I do."

 

[Mizos]

​

Zilia sat tailor stye in her designated sleeping area, the dull glow of a candle next to her as a book rested in her lap, her eyes resting on the page as a pen continuously moved along it. The dossiers and other documents were resting open next to her, the doctor having requested them from Alicia after their strategy meeting. The face of each Siren staring at her, a silent audience and the only witnesses to the determined look on the woman's face. She hadn't spoken much during the meeting as she found no fault in Alicia's plan, it was prepared well and carefully constructed, she'd expect no less from her.
The last few moment replayed in her head as her pen continued to move, Adelaide's words and the look she gave them, the appearance of Lily and her gratefulness towards them, the return of their ship. The day replayed in her head as words slowly filled the page; the Chronicler wasting no time putting everything in her heart and mind into the book. Though after a moment passed her hand stopped moving as she wrote 'Jack's' name down. She stared at the page with furrowed brows before gently setting the pen down in the book and punching the earth, hard enough for the pain to flow up her arm and through her body but she ignored it through gritted teeth.

"What is it with this crew and keeping secrets! First Luro, now Jack and Cedric! If you cared then why didn't you say anything?! We could have done something! Anything for you!"
Zilia breathed heavily trying to control the swirl of emotions flowing through her, a torrent of feelings threatened to overtake her red flowing into her face, and it took her a few moments to regain any measure of composure. Her eyes moved over to hand still pressed against the earth and she slowly raised her right hand looking at the palm of it. Reaching over she removed the glove and staring at the lettering that covered her trembling hand and now bleeding knuckles. Disgust welled up inside her causing her to shiver slightly and she brought the hand to her face, taking a long moment to return back to her normal self.
"No that's not right....they didn't say anything...probably because they care."
Zilia took in another breath and letting out a long sigh treated her wound before putting her glove back on. Her body relaxed as if she had removed all the negative emotions that threatened to consume her in that one exhale. Picking up her pen she immediately returned to writing, there wasn't a person on this crew who didn't understand loss. She truly hated how stubborn some of her crewmates were, but unfortunately that was just how they were and she was no different by comparison. The world was harsh and had scarred them, to a point where two of them didn't feel they could speak and one who could barely function as a human being.
Trust was hard to give and even harder to earn, but they were friends trying to do something for each other. She wanted to understand, she wanted to know what hurt, she wanted to be there to tell them...
"You don't have to try so hard."
Zilia eyes narrowed as she continued to write, she'd do all she could tomorrow, she could only hope that would be enough.

 

[SilentxChaos]

Collab bet'w Captain and Silent​

Location: Tulveste, capital city of Trovale

Adelaide brooded at the torches flaming on Tulveste's high walls, shining bright in the dusklight. Her, her merry troop of avengers, and Stardusk stood under apple trees on the city's edge. One group was given a wide berth by the others: the bridge team, hovering nervously over unstable bags of dynamite scavenged from Oublia's destroyed mines. Adelaide didn't seem to notice; she'd been in a mood ever since Lily left, and Stardusk saw what took place with Jack, from the moment Luro woke up, to when Cedric arrived, and then almost left. Gerald had to cut his scrying short, his face pale and sweaty, ready to pass out. But Jack's mother took off the moment Cedric appeared but not before Adelaide handed her what looked like a folded letter.

"Jack doesn't know he has kin this close," Adelaide told Zilia on their way to Tulveste, quite out of the blue. "If she dies, can you make sure Jack's knocked out before he kills me too?"

Now, looking at the city, her brow knitted and she clucked her tongue.

"Well. Here's to unforeseen circumstance numéro un," Adelaide leaned against her horse. "Those line of torches in front in the gate? They've barricaded them. The city's under guard: no one in or out." Her brow knitted briefly. "Someone...must have known of the Jackal's return. They won't risk him leaving."

She turned to Runali, eyes glittering in the dusklight. "The bridge team can sneak around to the river's edge and follow it into the city: there's a large sewage system that follows it downriver. It'll take them an extra hour...but we've got our own problem. The same precautions will be set up in the merchant's district and the sewers not as easily accessible."

Thanks to the plan, Runali was somewhat patient. More patient than what she would have been if they just stormed the gate- the gate that was currently barricaded. Her arms were behind her back and she paced a small trail back and forth, waiting for the next move. It was less impatience and more just antsy to get going. Alicia made a fairly solid plan. She went over it in her head a few times, mostly remembering the name 'Vulpecula'. The mask made her… not uneasy, but a little reminiscent. It wasn't her mentor, she was sure- almost sure- but it didn't help the mental questioning she did.

Hearing Adelaide talking, she stopped in her tracks and raised a brow. "You know the city better than any of us. You're sure there's not a way to get a smaller team in? To open the gates from the inside? As much as I don't want to split the team, if it means getting the rest in, that may have to happen."

"Capitaine, I barely have 50 men. Splitting us up anymore is more likely to cause casualties-- Jack doesn't like that."

Gerald scoffed from behind them. "Glad that's your only reasoning."

Adelaide ignored the comment. "Gerald take your team and head towards the bridges." She turned to Runali. "We'll need an exit strategy, no? The entrenchment group will stay to open the gate and subdue the guards, giving us the escape route we need. In the meantime, there are rumors of tunnels made by slaves a century ago, in a way to to escape their handlers. There should be one outside the merchant's district that'll lead close to the castle walls. I don't know it's exact location. Don't suppose your éclaireur-- Pathfinder, can live up to his name?"

******​

"Un… deux...three!" Adelaide hit it the bricked-up tunnel the same time as Runali, then stepped back to watch it crumble. Stone dust blew over her and Stardusk. Adelaide whipped up a breeze to dispel it and peered into the tunnel. "This should lead to the castle's outer walls." She said, dubious. The spy tried recalling the vague maps from the ophanage's library, where she'd originally picked up the tunnel information, almost twelve years ago. She stared at the black tunnel for a solid second. "Don't suppose anyone brought a torch?"

Runali blew dust off her fist and looked over at the rest of the group when the question was brought up. "Wow, are you saying you're not prepared, miss spy?" She teased and took a step forward deciding to lead the way. "Better to not have anything bringing attention to us in the first place- besides the sound of a wall crumbling." With a twirl of her finger and a point forward, she started forward. "Sometimes you gotta rely on your other senses, y'know?" Her hand brushed against the wall for a brief moment, feeling around for something in particular. Giving a satisfied, huff, she removed her hand and looked back at the group. Stay quiet, keep close. And be prepared for… things that go bump in the night." With a firm nod and her instructions clear, Runali began walking forward at a slow pace. Every now and then she'd change her speed, moving a little faster or stopping altogether. And when she stopped, she'd give a quick snap of her fingers indicating that the group should as well.

"Better not bump into the walls or ceiling. They'll be fragile and older than your grandmothers. These tunnels could fall on our heads at anytime." Adelaide added, ducking into the tunnel after Kadi and Alicia followed their captain through. Zilia and Sara took up positions behind her. The taller members would have to double over. They went single file into the darkness, blinded each, the heat of their bodies and cramped quarters quickly making it uncomfortable. They walked a long time, following the gentle, uneven curves of the tunnel.

Where Runali paused, the tunnels divided in two. Adelaide reported as much when she sent trendils of wind to investigate a sudden coolness in the air. "The tunnel to your right must go come out near the river. I can feel the air cooler there…"

In the far distance, a dull thud finished her thought. Adelaide froze. A second one sounded, this one causing a tremor. Their tunnel shook, unleashing tiny pebbles and dust on their heads. "No one move!" the spy hissed as she ducked, becoming immaterial to allow the loosened shards to fall through her. The crew waited until the tremors stopped. Adelaide frowned. "Where's the--"

Suddenly, everything shook. Adelaide lost her balance as the last detonated bridge sounded closer than she'd dreamed. Cascades of dirt covered Stardusk. The ground trembled everywhere. Farther ahead, something collapsed. Adelaide listened as a furious roar echoed and then grew louder, and louder, until she realized what it was.

Water. Their tunnel was flooding.

"Move!" Adelaide ordered as she felt the first trickles of water at her feet.

"Back and to the left tunnel, not to the entrance! Stay near the wall to keep your bearings!" Runali yelled right after. Being in the front of the group now meant she'd be taking up the rear as they hurried out and she was hoping they hurried.

******

Jack & Luro
Spy Hideout
A few hours earlier….

"Ya know what's gonna happen next. Don' ya?"

"Yes. Yes I do.

Whipping around, Jack caught the soldier's wrist and swung him with the force of his haki. The soldier screamed as he flew across the room. His back struck the cage and crumpled in a heap, dead. The seastone cracked under the force and the cage's door swung open on its hinges.

"Luro!" Jack yelled as the other soldiers advanced on him. Three turned to look at the captive pirate and watched with apprehension as his door opened. Jack ducked under a sword swing, his back against the wall. He kicked one soldier in the stomach, causing him to fly into his buddies. "Luro! Don't the blades touch you! They're poisonous!"

Hand scraping along the wall, he found the knob to the door and swung it open, blocking another blade. Close up, the blades contained a dark gray hue, shiny even in the dimness. Even as Jack said it, the three soldiers swung at once at Luro as those left above stormed down the stairs to see what was going on.

 

[Mizos]

​

Zilia replayed the scene they had been shown in her head, the pieces of history connecting here and there with gaps in places she didn't understand. The expression on Jack and Cedric's face still echoed in her skull and she kept her eyes to the ground as their words repeated themselves. Every now and then Luro's would be added in there, she closed her eyes bringing a hand to her face.
"Your trust is...heavy Luro."
That wasn't the part that hurt to watch she was somewhat used to that. Jack was trying to save Cedric and Cedric was trying to do the same thing, and in the middle of that was Charlotte manipulating the both of them to further her own ends. If this was truly some manner of redemption for Jack. If this truly was some way of atoning it was twisted...but she understood why he needed to do it at least on some level.
That didn't make it right though.
"The three of you better be okay...because I'm going to take my time with you once you're safe."
Zilia was pulled from her own thoughts as Adelaide spoke to her, she looked over at the woman her brows arching slightly before she gave a small nod understanding who she was referring too. Adelaide had done a fair amount for them, if that was all she asked in return she had no qualms doing so, that and she was considering drugging the three of them anyway.
"Consider it done. I'll do Cedric too for good measure and Luro as well."
There was a gleam in the doctor's eyes as she held the note up to Adelaide.


When the way was opened Zilia brushed a bit of the dirt off her, peering into the dark tunnel her confidence in their venture forward shrinking a bit. She didn't expect to go in through the front door and Alicia did say to be prepared to improvise. Adelaide and the Captain were already ahead of them on that, she expected Runali wouldn't take too long before reaching the 'wing it 'stage. She hoped this was improvisation and not just guesswork.
"I'm not comfortable with that 'should' and since I won't be able to speak inside the tunnel Captain. I'm just going to say now to be extra careful."
Entering the tunnel she reminded herself they needed to make it to the Merchant's district in one piece, apparently there was another way from there supposedly. At the mention of the frailty of the tunnels Zilia stared in Adelaide's direction wishing for that information sooner, before pulling her hood up over her head.

She wasn't sure how long they had been walking but she wondered if they had walked around the city's edge a few times in a circle at this point. Just as she was considering leaving a small mark on the wall to check something, a loud noise filled the tunnel once then twice. She froze at Adelaide's words her body tensing and her fingers gripping her clothes as she held her breath, patiently waiting for the sign to continue forward, not sure why they were stopping in first place. She was hoping that noise was something good on their side, a moment passed and everything shook causing Zilia falling to her knees. There was little time to contemplate as a sound that sent chills down her spine filled the tunnel, her silent fears confirmed as something wet touched her gloves.
Zilia wasted little time scrambling to her feet and sprinting in the opposing direction, repeating to herself what happened each time she hoped.

 

[Fox of Hearts]

Collab: @SilentxChaos & @Fox of Hearts

Palais Celeste: salle á manger (3rd Floor)

A magnificent chandelier descended over a gleaming teak table set for four. On one end sat Rohan and on the other sat his wife. Their only daughter, Princess Celestine, sat to Rohan's right. The seat to his left remained empty.

Servants bustled around the King's private dining room bringing in two bread baskets and a trolley bearing a huge, gold-rimmed porcelain tureen. Four matching soup plates were stacked neatly beside it. The Grand Maître hovered anxiously overseeing the preparation. Every time he looked at the Queen, she shook her head. They were still waiting for their guest.

Celestine fidgeted. She pulled off the flower crown Orléans made for her and plucked petals absentmindedly. They fell like blue feathers all over the floor. Her mother glanced downward but didn't reprimand the princess. She understood why her little girl was feeling so uneasy. Rohan should be talking to them and not his advisor and the royal tutor. She couldn't understand what was so urgent.

"Don't ruin the poor flowers, choupette," she admonished playfully. "Goddess Tournesol would be sad to know you didn't appreciate her creations."

Celestine blushed. "Sorry, Maman. I'll pray to the Goddess and ask for her forgiveness."

The queen smiled fondly. "It's fine, Celestine. Try not to give the servants extra work for the next few days. They are busier now that we have several of our citizens staying with us in the palais."

"Oh?" Celestine asked innocently.

Her mother wasn't deceived. She knew her daughter far too well. "I believe you saw the tents in the outer cloisters earlier. One of my ladies-in-waiting told me she saw you and Master Orléans passing the area on your way to the garden."

"Why are they staying there?" Celestine asked finally. Master Orléans and her maids had evaded her question the entire day. They insisted she focused on her lessons.

"Later, choupette," her mother deflected. Her eyes moved towards the ornate double doors. She caught a glimpse of shimmering blonde curls long before the doormen showed their long awaited guest in.

Rohan reminded oblivious. His familiar, a large owl perched on one of the display cabinets behind him, hooted loudly. He looked up just as his senior doorman cleared his throat.

"Lady Noailles," the man announced.

Rohan waved the two men away and stood up. He walked over to greet his niece. Victoire curtsied before allowing him to pull her into a hug. She smiled.

"Uncle Rohan, I'm sorry to keep you waiting. Your guards refused to let me through the gates until I demanded to talk to your Capitaine."

Rohan returned her salutations, a small frown setting in his creased brow. "I'm happy to see you made it safe and sound, my dear. I'll make sure that doesn't happen again."

Celestine bolted pass her father and hugged her cousin. "Victoire! You're here!"

"Hello Princess," Victoria greeted and returned Celestine's hug. Before she could protest, the young girl deposited the shabby flower crown on her head.

"Ma moitié!" Queen Isabella exclaimed as she joined her husband's side. "Didn't you tell the guards Victoire was arriving? The poor girl was left outside the city gates for goodness knows how long. Can't you see how tired she looks?"

"Oh Aunt Bella, I'm fine. You should be happy your guards take their duties seriously. I'd be more concerned if they let me in without insisting they inspect my carriage."

The King raised his hands as a white flag, smiling guiltily at his wife. "It was an oversight, my dear, I assure you. You have my apologies," he added to Victoire.

"Uncle Rohan, don't worry about it. It was a small misunderstanding. The guards at the gates didn't recognise me. I'm sure they will in the future."

Victoire's eyelashes fluttered demurely as she lay a soothing hand on her aunt's arm. There was a faint green glow peeking from beneath her palm her agitated aunt relaxed. "Aunt Bella, Celes, shall we return to the table? I feel bad delaying your evening meal. It's just awful I'm so late. I hope you'll forgive me."

She laced her arm around her aunt's and began leading the queen back towards the table. For a brief moment, she locked eyes with the Master Orléans. A glance in her uncle's direction confirmed that the man wasn't aware of another summoner's presence in the room. She decided not to alarm the man, because she was certain Madame Vontiago was behind this.

Extra security measures perhaps, she rationalised. She was confident that her mentor would have told her everything if the Spymaster kept their scheduled appointment earlier. She resisted the urge to sigh. She had waited an extra hour in her mentor's office which delayed her supposed arrival at the palais.

Her two lupine familiars shuffled silently behind the three women walking towards the table. Their conversation finally turned towards the upcoming engagement party. Rohan remained where he was. A slight frown continued to mar his brow. Master Orléans decided to approach the King seeing that Lord Comtois wasn't around; this meant that the Ceranian the only royal secretary in the room.

"Your Majesty," the scholar bowed. "Would you like me to investigate this matter involving Lady Noailles?"

"Hm? Oh yes, please do," the King said but his attention had already drifted, his eyes looking at his familiar. She'd perked up on her perch with her head swiveling, listening for something humans couldn't hear.

"Yes, your highness. I'll have Capitaine report to you in the morning--"

Rohan raised his to cut off his subordinate as his head snapped towards the ceiling. Chandeliers swayed from a faint tremor, their crystals tinkling against each other. His familiar screeched, flying to the windows, as plumes of fire and smoke pockmarked the river visible to them, alighting the city's skies. He raced to the window, mouth agape. "By Capricorn's might, what is happening?" He turned to his scholar. "Get the guard captain and Vontiago. Now!"

Orléans hesitated. Conflict was visible on his face. He turned to look out the window again. Studying the flames licking the sky reminded him of the hostile whispers he heard in the market earlier that morning. He had hoped the citizens wouldn't go through with it. He was wrong.

The disguised summoner's eyes burned with a new resolve, but the flames were hidden from view when he bowed again. "Your Majesty, I don't think it's wise to bring Madame Vontiago here."

Anticipating the king's protest, Cedric dropped his illusion. He heard a sharp intake of breath from the man standing before him. Cedric took advantage of the silence to get his message across. "Time is running short, sire. Your people will be taking to the streets to demand your immediate abdication."

"What's the meaning of this?" Rohan demanded sharply. "Who are … no, why are you defying my orders? This is urgent." He yelled. His voice quivering on the last word. He mouthed his words but no sound came.

Victoire's heels clacked against the marble floor. Each step was barely muffled by the din reaching their ears. Her heart was beating rapidly. It was as she feared. "No, Uncle, Cedric speaks the truth. I came because Alfie told me there was trouble in the capital. I requested an audience with Madame Vontiago to get more information but she failed to keep it."

As she turned towards Cedric, he could see the confusion in her eyes. There was also anger and many other unreadable emotions. He was about to speak up when she cut in. "Madame sent you to protect my Uncle and his family, didn't she?"

He bit the inner side of his lower lip. There was no hiding anymore. He had already thrown his lot with Jack the moment he accused Charlotte of treason. This ruined his plans but he couldn't think of an alternative. At least, not one in which the royal family lived long enough to learn the truth.

"No," he confessed. "Madame is holding my brother, Jack Kunal, the Jackal, and his crew hostage. She intended for her Oubilan scapegoat to assassinate you. I offered to take his place instead."

"What?" Victoire exclaimed. "Cedric, are you mad?"

Cedric spread his hands out to show the guards in the room that he was unarmed at the moment. He couldn't risk them attacking him when Charlotte was on her way. He didn't want to entertain Victoire's loaded question either. It would take up too much time. "Please don't waste any time questioning my sanity. You should be fleeing for safety," he reminded them. "I'll stay here and wait for Charlotte."

Victoire scowled. "You really are mad. If what you say is true, she'll …"

"Go," he shouted urgently. The sound of footsteps approaching was even more evident than ever. "Get your family out of here, Victoire!"

"The backdoor," Lady Noailles breathed, as the gravity of the situation finally sank in. She knew she had to trust Cedric despite her biases. Her family's safety was at stake. It was a risk she didn't want to take. They could get answers later.

Neither said goodbye. They simply locked eyes before Victoire grabbed her uncle's hand and pulled him along. Shouting for the guards to follow, she began ushering the royal family towards the servants' entrance. Her white wolf led the way while the grey one ran behind the group. "Out of the way," she yelled to the servants. "The King and his family are your priority. If you are against us, I will not hesitate to strike you down."

Cedric sacrificed the card he kept under his sleeve. Within seconds, the escaping family were hidden from view. He turned turned back towards the door and waited. His heart was racing.

 

[SilentxChaos]

Collab bet'w Mizos and Silent
​

​

Luro sat with his eyes shut humming to himself as Cedric left, just as he hit the second verse of the song the cage to his door swung open and Luro opened his eyes. A toothy grin made its way onto his face at Jack's words; he kept his head lowered as the guards approached him making no attempt to move. Still locked in chains a low chuckle escaped from him as they raised their blades at the bound pirate.

Luro turned his hands slightly and his cuffs slipped off as the blade came down, gripping the chains he moved, stopping one blade as he dodged the other two out of the way.

He turned the held guard as his friend went to cut him, laughing as the blade sliced the man in front of him. He pushed the man's body into his friend and spinning around the other guard as he sliced at him quickly wrapped the chains around his attackers neck, kicking the back of his leg to force him to knees.

"Man you took your time Jack. I picked those things open after I woke up," Luro said before looking down at the choking guard. "Now do me a favor and think of your loved ones."

A loud crack filled the area and Luro released the chains as the man body hit the ground, leaning down he picked the sword up off the ground as the other guard pushed his friends body off of him.

Luro looked at the sword in his hand turning it to look at the blade and its strange coating; he scratched the side of his head before looking over at the other man.

The guard leveled his sword at Luro prepared for the redhead's attack, and Luro turning towards him took a step forward raising the sword up. The guard lowered his body and prepared for Luro's approach but it never came. The sword left Luro's hand and in the next moment the world was upside down for the guard, his eyes falling on the small smile of his killer before everything faded.

"I don't know how to use these things," Luro said kicking a sword away from him. "Still that was easy, Alicia made it look hard but maybe I'm pretty good at this too!"

Walking over Luro picked the head off the ground and grabbed the knife the earlier guard had dropped before spinning it and digging it into the side of the man's skull, pulling a bit of rope from his sleeve afterwards.

A sword flew past Jack skull narrowly missing the man himself as it pierced the skull of his attacker, Luro placed a hand on Jack's shoulder as he approached him, a trail of red behind him and gathering at his boots as he smiled at the incoming group.

"Since I don't got my weapon it's kind of hard to get the point across that I can and am willing to kill from a glance. If I go murdering without giving a warning I'm sure the Captain will get mad thankfully you're completely out of excuses."

Luro reached up and pat his new 'necklace's' hair reaching down to push the mouth back up only for it to fall back down, his mouth twitched to the side realizing he wasn't going to win that battle.

"Hopefully this is enough warning of what I'm going to do to anyone who approaches. Cause ya see you put me in a jail cell, took my rum and gun and you attacked my brother. Which means…"

Luro grinned as he picked up the fallen guard's sword, he raised his eyes to the men a strange presence suddenly enveloping the man, a red fog almost seemed to flow out of the man as he laughed, first quiet then steadily louder, bringing a hand to his face smearing red on it as a wide smirk adorned his expression. Eyes that sought little more than pandemonium rested on everything in front of him.

"I can have all kinds of fun right now! I really hope you guys are the type to die for someone else!"

Soldiers on the steps faltered when Luro came forth, his bloodlust leaking around him. They hesitated. Jack stepped forward and lifted his black gloved hand, fingers twisted as if to pick up a piece of bread.

His glove burst into flames. Panicking, Charlotte's men tripped back up to the tavern's main floor, followed by a fiery torrent. Jack kept up the fire until he and Luro made it to the floor, then doused it. He immediately went for the nearest man patting out the flames on his clothes. Jack picked him up and threw him into the bar. The tavern keeper dove to one side as bottles shattered over his head.

The group of soldiers, those not on fire, hesitated before the two pirates. "What are you waiting for?" Jack challenged. "Come kill the Jackal!"

The name had a magical effect: the soldiers forgot their fear and charged the pirates. Jack summoned his Armament and attacked with venom. Tunnel-vision took hold: everything that'd happen in the last 72 hours, his anger, his fear, swept away to blackness as his attention narrowed on his captors.

He eliminated one soldier easily, but it left him open. One ganged up and pinned his arms as a second approached with a naked blade. Jack used his Armament to shake his captor, wriggling an arm free to grab the coming knife. He broke its wielder's wrist and wrenched him away. Then suddenly, the man who'd he flung into the bar vaulted over it, and tackled Jack. All three men fell to the ground. Jack managed to kick two away. Using the dropped knife, he killed another with a stab to the chest, scrambling onto his hands and knees to face the others, when--

The tavern's door burst open. Jack threw himself to the ground to avoid the debris, then flipped back around, a gun in hand. He squinted in the bright sunlight at the new foe. A black silhouette with large protrusions, like wings. His finger hesitated on the trigger as the protrusions slowly folded into the silhouette, red hair sprouting into his vision, and a hand reached out. "Jackie, we need to move."

​

He blinked several times, instinctively taking the hand. "Mom?"

Lily smiled warmly. "Your one of many, dear." She pulled him up and into her arms, holding him tight. Jack stood still-- too stunned for words.

It was similar to painting on a canvas if he had to put words to it.

Dismemberment right here, a blood curdling scream there, and a splash of red over there. He would ensure that the walls were more man than wood by time he was finished, that chunks of meat hung from the ceiling, staining the floor with additional liquid procured from his 'pieces'.

He was by no means a fanciful artist so his work was a tad sloppy, he would end up covered in parts of his creation but that was perfectly fine, he actually preferred it that way. He could feel the pulse of life running down his skin, dripping off the edges of his fingertips and it sent a chill up his spine. That excitement, that rush gave him an extra push as a symphony of screams filled his ears, what would he name this peace? 'Please I have a family' no that's too common 'please stop' no that's not enough 'what are you doing!' no that's won't do either! Names were so hard to come by, he needed to send a message, to all who passed through here. It had to be just right!

Luro slowly raised his body as the door was thrown open staring at the sword sticking out of one of guard skull, an expression twisted by fear and panic staring back into his own eyes. He blinked a few times and tugged on the sword, when it didn't budge he put a foot on the body and gave it a hard yank. He was disappointed in that expression, it matched too many of the others around him. He'd make one smile before he left just to add some variety.

"Oh! I'll call it 'A good day' that's work.

Luro grinned as he raised his hands paying little attention to person behind him peering through his hands to observe the room. Granted calling it a room was putting it nicely, there was little sign that this place had been meant for inhabitation. Pieces and chunks filled the area almost carefully splayed about, if there was anything human here the only distinguishable ones were the three currently in the tavern. From the chairs, to wall, to ceiling, to floor, a carefully crafted masterpiece had been created, just the right message for anyone that happened to come by.

Luro wanted to make absolutely sure what he wanted to say reached whoever entered this place.

A torso without its head fell off the ceiling and landed next to Luro causing him to look over at it, his brows arching a bit.

"Oh come on! It put effort to get those up there!"

Luro sighed and went to grab the body only to stop hearing Jack.

"Huh you're mom?" Luro said walking over the two. "I already have a mom so hopefully you're okay with me calling you Auntie."

Once Luro approached the two he tried to wipe his hand off on his shirt, but that only caused more blood to get on it. The redhead didn't seem aware just how covered he was and held his hand out. The head around his neck was missing everything below the nose but to Luro that meant he didn't have to worry about the mouth anymore.

"Name's Luro Makachi. I'm Jack's other brother, and Carpenter of Stardusk. It's nice to meet ya."

He offered a wide grin to the woman.

"Ah!"

He seemed to realize something in the middle of his introduction.

"I forgot to ask which one of them took my gun I knew I forgot something…well guess I'll just have to repeat this till I find him…I'm sure he's around here somewhere."

"Another brother?" Excited, Lily leaned around Jack to smile at Luro and stopped short when she saw the carnage behind them. Horror replaced geniality as her hand rose to cover her gaping mouth. Jack glanced over his shoulder. A shiver crawled up his spine but he suppressed it. Instead, he took his mother's arm and pulling her towards the door.

"We need to get moving. Mother, I know it's been a long time but--"

"Stop, Jack. I know it can wait, but you need to slow down."

"Hey Auntie, what are you doing here anyway?" Luro questioned moving closer to the two. "Did you come just to see Jack?"

"If only that was the case. It has been too long since he's given his mothers a visit. No, I came to ensure your safety and to give you this. A letter. Adelaide said you'd know what to do with it. Your crew is attacking the palace at nightfall, but they don't know the city's barricaded. There's also a crowd of people in the castle's outer walls. If fighting breaks out, there'll be panic."

Jack took the letter from his mother and opened it, reading over it quickly. His eyebrows rose in surprise, then furrowed in thought. Lily watched him patiently while subtley nudging him towards a table. She glanced at Luro. "Perhaps you'd like to collect weapons and armor from your…" she cleared her throat and tried to not breathe through her nose, "display, is it?"

"Oh I'll do just that. Good idea Auntie."

Luro raised a hand to Lily before turning and digging around in the chunks looking for any guns the guards carried. Pulling his hand out he noticed a small vial with a weird liquid inside, similar to what coated the swords and Luro's brows arched.

"Oh is this that poison stuff...wonder if Z can figure out what it is...I could think of some fun things I could do with this…"

Jack started speaking to himself, oblivious to the other two. "I have an idea...no. No, I'm not involving anymore people."

"Anymore people?" Lily echoed. Her arms folded under her chest as she gave her son a thoughtful stare. "You mean to involve the citizens behind the walls."

"Yes-- no," Jack shook his head. "No. This isn't their battle to fight."

"It's not yours either."

His head snapped up, bewilderment and pain clashing as his fist tightened around the letter. "What do you mean by that?"

As Lily spoke, her voice remained even and gentle, to the point of one who rarely differed from those two states of being. But her words cut, a knife through her buttery tone and caused heat to burn Jack's face. "This stopped being your battle the moment Charlotte replaced you with Cedric. You're out of the equation. This shouldn't have been your battle to begin with."

Dreadlocks danced in denial. "Oublia was my fault. Partially at the least. If I don't--"

"Jack, do you remember when your Haki first manifested?" The question caught Jack off guard. Lily didn't give him the chance to answer. "You were barely ten at the time. You caught a client handling Henrietta badly. You heard her crying when the rest of us couldn't. You didn't stop to think. You didn't hesitate. With the fury of child seeing his mother hurt, you picked up a bedpan and smashed his head with it. As a child, you couldn't possibly have known who that man was, or what the consequences would be for killing him, but we nearly lost everything and you hated yourself ever since. You hated what it brought. But...you never hated doing what you did. You thought you were justified.

"This fight isn't yours anymore," Lily repeated. Jack had sank into a nearby chair, with the posture of someone facing the truths he's held, and finding them nothing but lies. "You don't have the justification to do this alone, to not involve the people it does affect. You never should have in the first place."

Silence reigned for a long, breathless moment. Lily kept her position at the door, giving Jack his space. He passed a hand over his mouth. Stared off into the street with blank eyes. A tiny scoff escaped between his fingers. "I never planned to actually do this alone. Everything I've done to land here, in this moment, it was by instinct. Because you, all of you, and Hoshi and Charlotte taught me it's better to play the mask before getting to the truth. Nearly three decades of my life has taught me to lie and cheat and steal, and to hold a gun to the first person in my life who never asked me once to do that, it's…" Jack made a useless gesture and collapsed back in his chair. "I just want my crew back, Lily. By the gods, I don't care about this country's politics or its problems! I just want my brother and my crew back. The only fucking regret I have now is loosing them-- why are you smiling?"

Despite herself, Lily chuckled and walked over to him. She leaned down and kissed his forehead. "I could be wrong, but I believe this is the first step to letting go?" She knelt down next to him. "You can't dwell on your wrongs now. If you want your crew back, you're going to have to recruit other people to help. So. What about those people in the outer walls?"

"Make sure ya tell them that when you see them again Jack," Luro said making his way back over to the two. "Especially the losing part. That'll really hit Masu right in the heart. I'm tearing up just hearing it and I've been with you the whole time."

A ring of guns lined the man's waist, fell over his chest and wrapped around to fall over both shoulders. Luro was wiping his eyes with his hand and sniffling a bit before clapping his thanks together, a wide grin on his face and a sparkle in his eyes.

"We still owe Cedric a miracle right? Now what's the plan, you mentioned something about people?"

 

[SilentxChaos]

Collab bet'w Captain and Silent​

Location: Beneath the Castle
Stardusk + Adelaide

"I said keep your bearings, fool." The word she said wasn't exactly 'fool', instead it was something in her native tongue, but the rush of water behind her as she hoisted someone to their feet in the dark tunnel didn't give room for her to explain. The sentiment still stood.

The narrow path of the right entrance opened up again when they returned to the forked path. "To the left! Unless you plan on holding your breath till your washed out!" The panicked and hurried footsteps that she could hear told her that they were following directions. Without the ease of listening around, it was harder to tell whether or not all of them were together. She decided to hope for the best and keep holding the rear of the group. When the last of them managed to turn to the safer entrance, Runali heaved a quick sigh, only to place a hand against one of the walls.

This path was a little wider, giving people a little more wiggle room to walk outside of a straight line, but it was still pitch black. More importantly, "Keep moving and fast." The wall Runali touched was damp, and with a swift knock against the stone she figured it wasn't going to be too long before the pressure built and flooded the entire tunnel.

"Are you sure, capitaine? I thought we could take it slow. Let Charlotte kill the royal family. Maybe drown in a tunnel where no one will find our bodies," Adelaide remarked as she kept Zilia steady and pushed the doctor ahead of her.

"Careful windy, your mouth's slowing your steps!" Was all Runali said as she brought up the rear of the group.

Little encouragement was needed to push the crew forward, but Adelaide gave it nonetheless, teeth baring against the water now sloshing at her knees. They pushed forward and eventually met a barricaded doorway rotting from long neglect. This time Adelaide let Sara take point with Runali to break the door down. It opened to a disused wine cellar. As Stardusk filed out, Adelaide walked up to an empty wooden casket and wiped away the mildew ontop. It revealed the royal seal.

"I didn't think it'd go this far. This one of the castle's old cellars. We're in the palace itself…" she stopped. One ear tilted up as she suddenly concentrated on the sounds around them. "Quiet. Everyone silencieux." Adelaide hushed the group. A shouting ruckus clamoured overhead, interrupted by weapons clashing, bullets firing. Adelaide looked at Runali with raised eyebrows. "Sounds like fighting. Did you hire an army to come here without telling me?"

With a quick 'move it or lose it', Runali had pushed her way to the front of the group and helped Sara make quick work of the heavy door. Upon inspection and Adelaide's assessment, Runali stretched her arms over her head now that they had more space to breathe. She waited for her eye to adjust to the new dim lighting before stepping forward to inspect some of the bottles lined in neat rows. It was too bad they weren't here to steal prizes. There were always good prizes in a castle.

Hearing Adelaide, without hesitation she responded with, "Ah, didn't you know? Stardusk are always prepared. But we're wasting time being here, so we should hurry and check it out."

"Not yours, then," the spy remarked. She took the lead without a word. They located a ladder to the castle's kitchen stores. From the kitchens, they found themselves in a towering, very palace-esque, hallway constructed out of marble and lush blue velvet. Large windows stationed one wall and gave them a peek at the cacophony. "We're coming up on the main courtyard. From there, I know a shortcut--"

Adelaide pushed through two doors and faltered when they walked into the heart of chaos.

"Not an army." Runali looked around as the people rioted and tore through the streets and into the castle grounds. With a bemused smirk, she continued watching as some managed to take down soldiers, stealing their weapons. Her smirk widened into a devious grin and she stepped forward. "A revolution." With a fist to palm, she looked at the rest of them. "Unfortunately, we don't have time to lend them extra hands. Fortunately, it looks like they're doing a fine job keeping them distracted. We've got our own to find."

Adelaide surveyed the courtyard. She grabbed Runali's arm for her attention, and pointed to the farside. "Last I recall, Charlotte didn't have a seven-foot redhead in her legions," she said. Sure enough, they caught a glimpse of their missing giant, and a man with dreadlocks who could only be Jack, dressed in the Vontiago colors and making their way into the castle itself.

Runali took a second to look around as best she could with hindered vision, until sure enough she spotted the flash of red and then someone that followed. "He's a walking target that's for sure. Which means we need to get to them before everyone else does." She adjusted the rifle still on her back, and headed to intercept them. She called to the rest. "Now or never folks. Get what we need and we get out." At least, that was most of the mission. It was always easier to focus on one part at a time.

They made it halfway across the courtyard when suddenly everything started to shake. Thick roots erupted from the ground, breaking the paved marble steps, and divided the fighting into two. Beams of hard light voided the sky and rained on everyone, much like the spell Cedric used on Lady Luck. The people screamed and scattered. Some immediately turned back to the gates. Others fled for the castle itself. Adelaide grabbed Alicia by the wrist and yanked her away from one, light-shimmering dagger aimed for her head. Another root spiraled out from the ground at Sara and Kadi's feet and threw them back.

"Damn," a flippant voice echoed across the courtyard. "I really thought I had you that time, East Wind."

The Sirens appeared before Stardusk. Felix played with a fist of light daggers, leering at Adelaide with unmasked contempt. Vulpecula sulked nearby with her open-circled weapon coated in roots that seeped into the ground. They gradually retreated back into nothingness when Scorpiox stepped forward. Sightless eyes gleamed in the dimness, his face dark and determined. His voice boomed out and froze everyone around them. "Stardusk! You will go no further!"

When the ground gave way under Runali's feet, she was fortunately prepared. Forever light on her feet, she hopped from one broken chunk to another, dodging roots that lashed out. She ended up back in front of the group, having been pushed back by the sudden damage. The appearance of three new figures made Runali reach for her chakram. "Well I'd say watch me, but seems like that's not really your thing." She was trained on Scorpioux for a moment, a chakram clutched in her hand. "I owe you for the stabbing the last time we met…" She remembered the plan and frowned briefly. "But maybe not this time." Looking over at Alicia, she gave a small smirk. "All according to plan right?" She began to move away from the group "Alright Sara, get a good hit in for me."

******​

Kadi, Zilia and Ade

Adelaide inched around Stardusk as they met their matches, waving to Zilia and Kadi, the only two left undictated by Alicia's plan. "Come on," she waved to them, "While the Sirens are distracted. We must push forward into…" Her voice faltered as her gaze pulled upwards. A sudden void of shadows blocked out the stars. It's effect on Charlotte's men was profound: they stopped simultaneously to look at it, taking in its meaning. Adelaide's teeth bared-- the fighting resumed with renewed vigor.

Making their way into the castle, Charlotte's men stopped them at every turn. They moved in groups of four or five, suppressing the rioters that made into the gilded halls. Adelaide never fathomed this many being under her former employer's control. She announced they were close to the throne room when they came across of knot of soldiers, fighting a group smaller then them. They broke apart as a geyser of steaming water erupted in their ranks, revealing the king and queen fighting for their lives within.

 

[SilentxChaos]

​

Location: Within the Palace
Jack + Luro

Jack lost sight of his mother before he and Luro made it to the palace. They made it to the courtyard with the wave of rioters, urged by their own words. More than once Jack thought they'd be ripped apart when they arrived at the encampment. First when they were identified as outsiders. Then when someone recognized the Jackal. If it wasn't for Lily's calm control, they'd been dead before Jack could show Adelaide's proof. Even after, it took hours to explain. Reliving Oublia's truth over and over and over. Seeing the sea of hostile eyes...how the people came to believe him, it was beyond Jack's understanding.

He took one final glance over his shoulder before they reached the royal interior. Lily was lost, somewhere in the mass of rage and revolution, promising to follow once she found Stardusk. For a moment he hoped to see them too. Jack the pouch Cedric had given Luro back in at the hideout. He looked at Luro, then down at his feet. Chester waited impatiently for them, ready to lead the way back to his master. The fact Chester's stone was left to Jack created a stone of gnawing fear in his gt. He tried to swallow it away. "Alright," he whispered as he shouldered a rifle in his soldier's garb. "Let's finish this."

******

Charlotte du Vontiago walked with a contingent of her soldiers. She hadn't expected rioters crying for revolution. They were generally an uncontrollable lot-- anger-driven, high on adrenaline, unpredictable. It was a nice touch to Stardusk's retaliation. And a perfect cover for Cedric to complete his mission.

When she first left her her quarters, the rioters were climbing the gates. Now she imagined they'd reached the inner cloisters, perhaps the main courtyard itself, and if they were only a distraction then there was a good chance Stardusk had met with her Sirens. Those that were left. The Spymaster frowned as her soldiers parted and opened the door into the royal's private dinner chambers. No heckler flapped his wings at her unceremonial entrance. A bad sign. Her eyes alighted on Sid, proven to be the only one there, and free of his Orleans illusion. Half-eaten dinner plates littered the tables with candles lit and the king's papers left at his crowning seat.

Charlotte closed her eyes as her men parted into the room while others remained on guard in the hallway. "Perhaps I am getting too old," she muttered to herself.

Opening them, she focused on her protege. "You disappoint me. Not that I'm surprised. I'd hope, the opportunity to work here again, in the summoning capital, might encourage you to see my way. That'd you answer your master's call. I was wrong." Moving into the room, she casually pulled out a summoning page and walked to the table. Her blatant and open movements spoke of no attack against him, but her eyes never left him all the same. She put the paper to flame. Shadows blossomed out of the ashes, floating up and up to the ceiling, then throw the ceiling to the sky. It hovered in the sky, creating an abyssal cloud for all her loyalists to see. She placed a hand on the king's chair.

"The King and his family won't get away, Cedric. I won't allow it. That's finality. The question remains, unblooded son of mine, what will be your fate?"

One of the soldiers came from the hall. "Mademoiselle--""

"-- not now--"

"Madame, attackers are--"

"Charlotte!"

Jack's voice rang out a split second before the crack of a rifle sang, and the wall to Charlotte's left exploded.

Stone fragments showered on Cedric and Charlotte. Men shouted and screamed as they were caught in the falling rubble. Charlotte flung herself to one side, another spell already in hand. More shadows erupted from her center of being, swathing outwards to cover her escape as the soldiers turned to deal with the newcomers. The Jackal, and his blood-haired companion, threw themselves at their force. Charlotte inched out of the door and past the fighting mass. She headed in the opposite direction; hesitating at the corner long enough to see if Cedric chased her, then vanished again. The castle descended into madness around them. It didn't matter, so long as she finished her mission. Not even Cedric's betrayal could touch her.

******​

Jack didn't need Chester's impertinent meow to let him know where Sid was. The cluster of masked fighters told him everything he needed, and it reared an ugly rage. Without a word of warning, he unslung his rifle and primed with his haki. "Charlotte!" he screamed. The soldiers turned, confused for half a heartbeat at seeing two unidentified men dressed their own colors. It ended when Jack fired.

He and Luro attacked before they could regroup. Jack thought he caught a glimpse of Sid past them, running after Charlotte. He tried to call after him. Didn't he know, he couldn't take her alone? Not even Jack envisioned a foolish action. He glanced at Luro fervently and fought harder. He wanted nothing more to run after his brother… but he made another promise. He wouldn't fight alone anymore.

 

[Mizos]

​

It took all of Zilia's willpower not to fall to her knees when they were finally freed from the tunnel, she leaned against a barrel taking slow and steady breaths. She already wasn't a fan at being trapped in small enclosed space, flashes of her imprisonment by pirates flashing through her mind with almost every step in that tunnel. She also had the strange feeling that Adelaide had insulted her earlier but decided not to press the matter, her attention was on getting the water out of her boots currently. While holding a second boot upside down, questioning how the fish currently flopping on the ground got in there, she picked up on the noise outside.
"Wherever there's chaos and fighting, one of us is probably nearby. I'd wager Luro and maybe Jack are closer than we think."
Zilia picked the fish up off the ground and after tossing it into the nearest clear water she could find she listened a bit closer.
"...that's above level three chaos in Stardusk terms. I'd bet one of my herbs Luro at the very least is nearby."

When they stepped out into the open Zilia flinched a bit at the sight, her eyes scanning the area as she watched the people tear through the streets, her eyes narrowed a little and grabbing her hood she pulled it up over her head. It appeared the Captain was right, but she was concerned what exactly had caused this 'revolution', they seemed to be attacking the castle. Her mouth twitched to the side not liking the possibility that Charlotte was having her way and what that meant. She closed her eyes reminding herself of the tenacity of those three before following after everyone. Within a few moments she felt a familiar sinking feeling hit her stomach, as if something that could ruin her day was within walking distance.
It was at that point that Adelaide pointed out Luro and subsequently Jack.
Looking in the two's direction, the doctor's body visibly relaxed her shoulders falling slightly and a relieved sigh escaping from her. Though her body showed relief there was a silent fury in her gaze and if not for the sudden rumble that knocked her to her knees she would have sprinted towards the two to question where the third one had gone.

Zilia tried to climb to her feet only for roots to rise out of the earth almost catching her causing her to fall onto her rear. She quickly backed away on the ground from the pursuing earth getting back up only for the light to rain down on them; she raised her arms in response to it and her blood ran cold as a voice penetrated the chaos. Her eyes moved over to the source and the color drained from her face seeing the Sirens. Those stepping up to fight didn't waste any time approaching their charges. Zilia gave a small nod to those buying them time her eyes almost screaming at them to stay safe, before following Adelaide.
There was little time to stop and admire the castle with guards constantly attacking them almost at every turn, Zilia stepped in helping where she could, catching a few off guard that went for Kadi or Adelaide.
Zilia didn't pause in her steps as the geyster of water exploded revealing the king and queen; she was already sprinting to help the monarchs. She knew what their death's meant and she couldn't let that happen. She wasn't allowing Jack ANY excuses when she found him.

 

[Fox of Hearts]

Collab: @SilentxChaos & @Fox of Hearts

Palais Celeste: salle á manger (3rd Floor)

​

Charlotte's words tore into Cedric, reminding him of what he chose to cast aside. He clenched his fists, as his inner turmoil surfaced in his eyes. If it weren't for Jack, he might have wavered. He loved Charlotte like the mother he never had. He needed her to acknowledge him. He wanted her praises.

He knew he still craved her attention deep down, but he also knew she considered him as good as dead. Charlotte hardly trusted anyone; break her trust once and she'd never forgive you. Despite the ache gnawing at his heart, Sid managed to keep himself grounded. He was getting ready to attack when a yell tore through the dining room.

"Charlotte!"

Jack's voice broke Charlotte's hold on Cedric. Sid's ears barely stopped ringing when he heard stone cracking overhead. Leaping to the side, he skidded to a stop at a place where Jack was most visible. His brother's head bobbed helplessly in an onslaught of red. Sid's heart hammered loudly. Help Jack! Go after Charlotte! The two impulses screeched as they battled for dominance.

He clenched his fists. No! Charlotte was more important. He needed to stop her even if he died trying. The king was a vital piece in his plan to exonerate Jack.

Sid sped off after his mentor. His brother's shouts trailed after him. He could hear Jack's struggling. His brother's desperation. His brother's anguish. Cedric's jaw clenched. He pulled out two cards from his pouch. Taking note of Charlotte's direction, he pulled to a stop. He turned around and tossed the first card.

The card exploded. Shadows writhed and hissed. They solidified and dripped from the walls forming a black river. The pitch black mass stretched upwards forming a wall that filled the entire corridor. Cedric snapped his fingers and the wall crumbled. A massive tsunami emerged from behind the dam. It raced towards Jack.

Sid threw his second card towards the ceiling. The card sparked at the edges and exploded. Intense heat and blinding light filled the corridor. Dust trickled down interspersed with chunks of ceiling. A deafening roar filled every ear soon after as the ceiling collapsed. Thick clouds flooded the hallway on either side of the rocky pile.

The young summoner coughed violently, as he staggered to his feet. His eyes were still screwed shut. The precautionary measure didn't alleviate his discomfort. Tears streamed down the sides of his eyes and a million white and grey dots danced behind his eyelids. He was forced to rely on his other senses to track his former mentor.

He forced himself to listen for Charlotte's footsteps over the din coming from the courtyards. Amidst the muffled shouts of "Vive la révolution" and "Étoiles nous bénissent", he heard Charlotte's fading footsteps. He cursed softly as he realised she was heading towards the stairs. He stumbled forward, praying that his vision would return fast enough for him to avoid tumbling down the narrow steps.

Sid, don't.

Please don't do it.

Don't leave me--

"Cedric!" Jack bellowed over the chaos. He could see his brother, just barely, through the soldiers. Hesitating. It clicked in Jack's mind what he planned to do and he bared his teeth. "Don't you dare. Cedric! Wait for us--" A fist landed on Jack's cheek and his vision exploded with starlight. Jack lashed out with an armament blade. He lost sight of Sid.

Something else took his place. If Jack hadn't been facing in the same direction, he might have missed the sudden transformation of the castle. He watched with a mix of horror and rage as part of the wall dissolved into black liquid, and rushed to their group. This was Sid's doing, he just knew it. The soldiers who caught on fastest, turned with terror. They shoved their brethren out of the way only to be swept beneath the torrent. Jack launched himself at Luro, sending them both down to the ground just as the wave hit. It Jack off and sent him rolling: thick, syrupy substance that attached to his skin like glue. His body panicked as it surrounded his mouth… then slipped away. He felt his body grow heavy and when he looked down, he saw the liquid form soft and pliable chains that tightened with every movement.

Damn him!. Jack cursed and he didn't know what angered him most. Sid's foolhardiness, or the fact his actions reminded Jack of his own previous fatalistic plans.

The next instant, a blinding flash and rumbling shook the hall as part of the ceiling collapsed. Jack pressed himself to the ground, his cursing escalating to verbal insults. Of course his brother would go out his way to make Jack's job harder.

Once the hallway's shaking subsided, Jack struggled-- in vain-- to get the chains off, Armament flaring up and down his arms as he tested the strength of this spell. He heard Luro and the others doing similar, but the chains were flexible as hell, and hard to let up. Minutes of rolling, flexing, and struggling led to one arm free. Jack worked to pry them off, finally slipping out from the bindings before racing to Luro's side and helping him out. He glanced at the rubble blocking the hallway and shook his head. "She's going to kill him," he whispered.

Some of the soldiers were beginning to figure out their own way through the bindings. Jack imagined more on the way-- the rioting was growing louder, it was only a matter of time before more soldiers fled to their position-- and his heart plummeted. How could he possibly reach Sid before he took on Charlotte alone?

—————————-

"Vive la révolution"
(long live the revolution)

"Étoiles nous bénissent"
(may the Gods (and Goddesses) bless us/our cause)

 

[SilentxChaos]

Collab bet'w Captain and Silent​

Location:

A strike that was aimed for Scorpiox changed at the last second to attack Vulpecula. Runali didn't expect it to strike true, she'd be a little disappointed if it did, but she wanted to test the masked woman's reflexes. The roots she conjured before manifested from the ground, stopped the blade's attack and separated her from the rest of her crew. "Oh good. You're paying attention. Now let's see if you can keep up." In the moment of getting Vulpecula's attention she hoped the others followed suit rather quick, but she also realized she forgot one thing. Putting a hand to her shoulder, she adjusted the rifle she was still carrying and huffed. "Damn it, I shoulda gave it to Z… I'll make it work."

~~~

There was a tangle of roots and stone everywhere but far off to the side, in a small more open area, lied Vulpecula- unconscious with a crack in her mask. The woman's sword was splayed near her with a similar crack to her mask- cracked but not completely destroyed. Off to the side, practically under most of the debris, Runali sat on the damaged ground with one leg tangled in a root while she clutched her petrified arm. Above her, both her chakram were embedded in a low hanging branch, and resting on her lap was Luro's rifle. She'd have to apologize for the scratch on the barrel, but it came in handy when she had to dodge a too quick strike.

It took a few stiff movements and quiet hisses of pain, to get into a better seated position. She wiped the dust out of her eye and felt around making sure nothing was broken. At a first pass, she was almost sure nothing was. At a second pass, she was sure she had a lot of new wounds for Zil to patch and stitch up. At her attempt to stand, she realized her first pass may have been wrong- but she inhaled sharply and ignored it, deciding it was fine for now. She stood up, slinging the rifle back over her shoulder and grabbing her chakram. It took a few agonizing moments, but the petrification wore off eventually as well and she stretched out both arms and tested her haki. "Still able to move. Still good." With a ragged huff, Runali looked back at Vulpecula and gave a small salute. "You almost had me there. This was fun, but let's not make this a habit." She grunted as she hoisted herself over a large rock. "If you're not dead, consider this mercy." With that, she turned and headed in pursuit of the rest.

~~~

Sirens left to their separate demises, Runali hailed Sara and Alicia, and the trio headed back to the castle. It was eerily quiet; either the rioters' fights moved further into the interior, or they'd vanished when the Sirens appeared. They found Adelaide with Zilia and Kadi a floor above protecting the King and Queen of Trovale. Adelaide nearly beheaded the captain when the three rounded the corner. An invisible scythe cut into the wall instead, leaving a deep gouge in the stone. The remaining Siren huffed. "Announce yourself next time?"

The rest of Runali's crew weren't worse for wear, but certainly met resistance as they moved through the palace, defending the royals from Charlotte's forces while also attempting to locate their missing numbers. Zilia and Kadi sported minor injuries, the King bled from his head while the Queen was battered as her eyes darted frantically, holding her daughter close. Adelaide breathed heavily and looked pale. "Are they dead?"

"Of course…" Runali eyed the spot in the wall for a moment. "I'll make sure the entire castle knows next time." She looked past Adelaide, taking a moment to inspect the royals as if she was looking for something. It didn't last too long. When Adelaide spoke, her attention flicked back to her. "Didn't take the time to check. But she'll be out for awhile, that I'm sure. Trust me, I hit her hard enough." She rubbed her shoulder, remembering how hard she had to hit the heavy blade, and became a little more thankful for all the extra haki practice. "I see the ones who shouldn't be dead aren't." She leaned away from Adelaide to look at Zil and Kadi. "Good job."

"So, we have the dead weight. Not quite who I wanted but they're a plus. Guess the next step is finding the rest… Now are we still in favor of avoiding Lady Spy or is there an option b?"

King Rohan looked at Runali with vague puzzlement. "Dead weight?"

Adelaide reassured him in Trovalian before shifting closer to Runali. "Cedric appeared before the King when the rioting started. Seems like he told the royals the truth about Charlotte's plot and Jack's involvement...a part, at least.They're too in shock to consider believing him for not, so if I were you, I wouldn't mention you're pirates...Lily?"

Jack's mother limped up to them. Three armed townspeople flanked her, looking around with blank eyes of shock and weariness. Lily gave a haggard smile, one-arm hugging Adelaide against her protests while assessing everyone's state of being. She gave a nod of satisfaction. "You're all alive. Thank the spirits. The floor is clear...there's no sign of my son, or his brothers however."

Adelaide closed her eyes, thinking. When she came to a decision, she rolled up her bloody whip and handed it to the captain. "Give me a moment," she said and vanished into wind.

King Rohan wiped his brow and looked blankly at Runali. "Who are you again?"

"Well that's not where I need them to be." Runali murmured more to herself than to Adelaide at that, raising a brow when she was told not to mention her status. Runali didn't respond to it, but followed her attention to the hall. She looked a little more curious but only slightly relieved seeing the familiar face. Before she could take a step, there was suddenly a whip in her hand. "Wh-" Adelaide was gone. "..Fine." She left it alone, keeping the whip in hand.

"Who- Oh, right." Runali turned around to the king with a curious look. She didn't answer him at first, deciding to take a step closer. The step turned into a quiet walk around similar to a predator, had she seemed hostile enough for it. "You've got a little," Runali gestured to his head. "Doctors usually suggest you keep that on the inside."

Runali snickered a little, once more in front of the trio of royals before giving a two finger salute. "Captain Lev at your service. Here to get you and the rest of my crew out of here and to safety."

Touching his temples, Rohan pulled bloody fingers away and looked confused. He turned back to Runali. "Captain?" He echoed. Eyebrows knitted as he tried to get his thoughts to work. "You're… friends of Adelaide, no? You're not pirates?"

He stopped the questions short when a gust of wind funneled through the hallway, causing torn draperies to fall, and debris to shift. Adelaide pulled herself back into solidity and doubled over on her knees. She panted, gulping in lungs of air between her words. "Found them. Heading towards the throne. Can guide you just...give me a second."

"Found who?" the King straightened from the wall, the shock wearing off enough for him to question his surroundings. "What's going on? Why is this happening?"

Adelaide gave him a wry smile. "That, Your Highness, is a long and arduous story so I'll try to put it in simple terms: your country hates you, your nobles want to kill you, and your Spymaster is the one who's seeing it's done. Make sense?"

"Adelaide," Lily admonished. The spy shrugged.

The King stared at her, mouth flopping like a fish out of water. The Queen let out a small gasp behind him. Shaking her head, Lily "Perhaps I can provide clarification, Your Highness. I have the words of your own nobleman to back them." She procured the letter, glancing at Adelaide. The spy gave a nod; Lily handed it to the king before saying to Runali, "Me and these fine men can protect the family once you're ready to move. I'd prefer if you could save them without worries. I'm sure they'll have many questions aside…" Leaning closer, Lily placed a reassuring hand on Runali's shoulder. "I'll do my best to sway their judgement in your favor. Never know what royal types may decide to do-- who they judge enemy or friend-- in times like these."

Runali couldn't answer and it was probably for the better. Instead, she turned to her crew, eyeing them all over. With hands on her hips she gave an affirmative nod, as if she was perfectly fine. "While we wait for windy to catch her breath-" Ru gave a small chuckle at that. "Z, mind giving everyone a quick once over? Make sure they'll last getting the rest and getting outta here? I don't plan on carrying any of you, so steel your resolves for a little longer." She gave everyone a reassuring smile, only to look at when Lily finally came in. "Y'know I'd hope you'd be dragging Jack behind you. Possibly with Luro as well, but I s'pose nothing can ever be easy."

 

[Mizos]

​

Zilia's hand twitched and the rope dart returned to its home, Zilia rubbing her wrist and letting out a small sigh as she looked over at the Royal Family. It had taken a bit of effort and a few attacks too close for comfort but they were safe. She closed her eyes not entirely pleased about this current situation, she wanted to stop questioning how Stardusk constantly got into these circumstances. It was hard however when they were currently in a castle, saving a royal family from spies and magic users in the middle of a revolution. If she wasn't standing here with a few cuts in her clothes, and a body, courtesy of Adelaide, at her feet she wouldn't believe it herself.
"Hah...this part isn't going to sound real in the Chronicle either. I'll need to add specific details."
Zilia shook her head at this before her eyes shot open hearing footsteps, she quickly spread her feet bringing her arm back as Adelaide striked, but seeing familiar faces she relaxed and brought her arm back down. No one was missing any limbs at first glance so that was a victory in itself, she wasted little time taking out her notebook.
"I am glad to see you all safe."
She only offered a nod to the Captain's praise, Kadi and Adelaide had done most of the work she just helped fill in openings as need be.

While the Captain spoke Zilia retrieved her medical bag that got thrown off in the fight and after checking the supplies ran to return to the others. Noticing Lily had returned as well though worse for wear was a due comfort. Though she was prepared to knock Jack out she still didn't want to see him lose a mother. She eyed the woman for a moment and starting writing something down in her notebook, however her attention was pulled aside at the Captain's comment causing her eyes to twitch slightly. Offering a nod to the king at the Captain's words she then shoved a note towards the woman.
"If you are aware of this knowledge....then why do you not keep it inside more?!"
Zilia decided against pressing the matter for now as she agreed with checking on everyone. Taking out a few supplies she shoved them into the hands of one the townspeople along with a note and pointed to Lily. She'd try to treat the woman as well but her crew came first as it was an order from her Captain/Employer, that and she knew their tendencies. Lily could get basic care and Zilia could finish up, Stardusk was another matter. Alicia tended to avoid getting hurt beyond a certain point...but the rest were another story.
"I don't have time to be gentle so if it hurts blame the amount of wounds you have," Zilia said pulling out one of her needles.