Shattered Horizon IC

[ERode]

There is no moon.
There is no star.
There is no sun.
Only emptiness.
And from that emptiness, a prayer is spoken.
A prayer that becomes a miracle.
A miracle paid for by an oath.
An oath to live.
An oath to die.
~☩~
Shattered Horizons
Pieces of Clouds​

It fell slowly, drifting lackadaisically downwards until it joined its brethren. A solitary snowflake on the sullen port city. Wooden ships creaked and groaned, bobbing up and down as the wind playfully tugged at their furled-up sails. A few sailors cursed under their breath as they unloaded cargo in the sub-zero temperatures, enviously eying the smoke rose up from chimneys. A town of trade of all sorts, the number of inns and taverns vastly out-weighed the number of actual houses, and the revelry of those recently-paid could be heard down the snowy roads.

Today was an especially exciting day for many who had come. The Braxton Hall would once again be opened for commercial use, meaning that the slave trade that had bolstered up Yuimas's importance within Illiserev would once again begin. From aged or broken slaves purchased with only a smattering of coins, to the finest elven maidens worth their weight in gold, there was bound to be an article for everyone, at any price range.

For now, though, wagons full of those 'articles' were still going in and out of the great hall, and its gates remained closed to the curious and the excited.​

@Click This @Zombehs
After landing a few kilometers off from Yuimas, the Captain's crewmates handed over a few cloaks to the underdressed individuals out of pity for the trek ahead. Armed with only a map of the town and its surrounding areas, a pouch of coins, and a pink-ish pearl that came along with the other two items, the duo found themselves knee deep in snow. Regardless of the opulence that Illiserev's more successful merchants could indulge in, the land itself was harsh. With gray skies, a flat plain, and cutting winds, it wasn't a very comfortable journey to the borders of the port city, even with Araki's telekinesis supporting them.

Nevertheless, they made it by the time the clocktower struck noon, and other than a few curious glances shot at the two weirdoes who seemed to have walked to Yuimas in such weather, they were free to explore.

Or, more precisely, to continue their hunt.

@Psyker Landshark @Izurich @Warm Regret
Once the wagon arrived in the confines of Braxton Hall, Alexa could feel a downward shift as the wagon tilted forwards, going down an artificial slope until it stopped in an underground dungeon. Forced out with the rest of the women by the fat man and the ever-present Eiros, whose smile was enough to get the Dansilan women to obey the squealing shrieks of the slave trader, they were quickly categorized, led by faceless guards to different numbered rooms, from 1 to 10.

Ashe was pushed into 2, the talentium needle still resting in her clenched fist.

Wynn was escorted to 9, sparing a backwards glance at Alexa before she disappeared into the doorway.

And Alexa, finally, found herself facing a door with a golden 6 nailed onto it. One of the guards brought out a set of keys from his hip and unlocked the door, as the other strong-armed Alexa into what could only be assumed as the cell.

Except it wasn't much of a cell at all.

Should it be considered impressive, how organized everything was?

Should it be considered surprising, how clean everything was?

Or should it be considered disgusting, still, that these were just gilded cattle pens?

The room was spotless and dry, a far cry from the conditions within the wagon. Though there was no furniture outside of a chamberpot and a couple of small beds, runetech lighting cast a warm glow over the room, and the floor was carpeted. There were a few other individuals within that room, most of them non-descript albeit for a woman with hair tied in twin tails and an androgynous figure with blue hair, but they all looked relatively well-fed and well-clothed, dressed in a white one-piece dress.

It appeared that whoever owned the building, at least, was more concerned about the well-being of the slaves than the men that brought her here. Though the future was still uncertain, especially now that she was separated from her accomplices, it appeared that she could rest well for the time being.

For now, at least, there was no threat of a vampire breathing down her back.

@Ehb @Wayward Killjoy @Asuras @Skyswimsky
A hive of scum and villainy was definitely one way to describe this immoral place.

But then again, in Yuimas, an establishment like the Boar's Hat was commonplace. Waitresses served patrons both above the table and under the table, as working men gambled away their life's earnings or punched each other out. Drinks flowed freely from the tap, feeding the addiction of the alcoholics, and it was impossible to get any sort of proper conversation if one didn't shout. Most patrons were already on the verge of passing out, and the sun hadn't even neared the ocean yet.

Why, then, was a maid, a sellsword, and two Astopolian knights even there, when at least three out of four would have been hit on five seconds within settling down in the tavern?

Because even the most hardy individuals needed sleep, and to sleep without shelter in a wintry Illiserev was tantamount to suicide.

Anyways, loosened lips were a fountain of knowledge, if one had the patience to listen to their owner's ramblings.

 

[Ehb]

[fieldbox= , red, solid]

Should I have a plan 'B'?

A sporty looking girl in maids clothes sat in a ponderous state. Nitpicking the small details of what it would take to free her master. She had found out where she had been carted off too, she even knew location. But, Elaina was still uncertain. Verily uncertain. Uncertain as to whether her own master would manage to screw up her ex-filtration out of there. Elaina did manage to get into contact with the family. Thus, if she waited it out a little longer, money wouldn't be so much of an issue. Considering the composition of the stock there, her master was probably relatively low on price range. Her skills and talents mostly limited to those looking to satisfy their carnal desires at a lower price rate - at least in the eyes of most slavers.

But on the same note, paying money to those types didn't sit too well with her for some reason. Thus the more disrespectful 'steal her master right back' seemed more appropriate. If that was the case, all Elaina really needed was herself. She had already scouted out the location earlier. To her skills, this was all level 1 material. The locale was easier for her to work with - easier than her first job even.

However, this wasn't an assassination. This time, Elaina had to get someone out of there. Alive.

For that, Elaina needed to have redundancy - a plan 'B'.


Falling back on her old ways, Elaina set her table knife down into her mug. Among the Illiservians, it was the visual code that someone at the tavern table was looking for some underhanded work to be done.

Waiting, Elaina would build her plan B off of what cards fate would hand her in this tavern.

@Wayward Killjoy @Asuras @Skyswimsky
[/fieldbox]

 

[Warm Regret]

"Well it looks like we have one more." Tulian said out loud, mostly to Agatha but loud enough for Alexa to hear.

"They must think we'll fetch them a prettier penny than the others." He said while flipping some hair from his face.

He was quite stunning actually and it wasn't until he started speaking that Alexa would be able to tell his true gender. He and Agatha had been cooped up in that room for a few days now but despite being a prisoner, he still preferred his time with the bubbly young girl than he did with his lecherous former master. With a sigh, he sat back down on one of the beds and crossed his legs, pulling a ribbon from his garment and reaching up to tie back his cornflower blue hair. His pointed ears and oddly hued eyes easily giving away his elven heritage.

As he sat there, he couldn't believe his terrible luck, first plucked from his home to work in some unforsaken brothel, then bought by an idiot slave master who couldn't keep track of his own finances, and now sold like some hand-me-down garment as if he were nothing. He didn't allow himself to get too worked up over his current situation though, he had learned long ago that it only caused him unnecessary angst. He wasn't in control over his own life anymore, it belonged to whoever had enough coin. He paced himself to wait and see whom his next master would be and hoped that whomever it was, had at least a handful more sense than that fool Reingard.

"You may as well get comfortable." He said softly to Alexa. "We'll be here until the trading begins."

@Psyker Landshark @Izurich

 

[Izurich]

[fieldbox=Voyager of the Skies, Brown, solid]

Fate worked in mysterious ways, the phrase rang very true for the Nightingale Heiress at the moment. She was back in Illiserev, her homeland. However, not as Lughanta's Captain, but as a captive turned slave. Carving another tally on the wall near her cot using a small piece of chalk, Agatha sighed. Four in total, each representing a night she spent cooped up in the cell. Laying her back against the wall, the brunette crossed her arms, once more pondering the events that led her into this situation.

---

"Captain!!" A young man almost to his twenties, wielding a cutlass came up to her, going back-to-back with his leader, squads of pirates surrounding them both. "This is not good, we're being overrun!" He exclaimed, parrying a strike then kicked his shin into a pirate's gut, knocking the scum out, one down... many more to go. "What's your plan, we can't hold out much longer!" Shouted the crew.

"Tch!" The captain in question clicked her tongue, swinging her bo staff as she took out two pirates with one wide strike. They were like rats, defeat one, a hundred more came. More and more pirates were pouring in on the two, Agatha could barely see the battlefield due to the sheer amount of thugs around her. "I..." She wanted to say something, anything, but the words were stuck in her throat. As much as she hated to admit, she had bitten more than she could chew, a lot more.

She thought this was just going to be another routine quest of capturing air pirates then as it turned out, The Yellow Bandanna pirate company was waiting for her... along with six more airships lurking behind the clouds, waiting to ambush The Lughanta. Someone must have set her up, probably Yellow Bandanna himself, the whole job was bogus, she fell right into his trap. Agatha was cornered, wounded, and her stamina was running low, she had used every trick up her sleeve, including her Skill.

No, no! She was not going to end like this, she and her crewmates would live through this. Gripping her staff hard, Agatha manipulated the flow of winds, swirling around her body in multiple mini tornadoes. "Aaaaaargh!!" With a yell, Agatha spun like a lethal ballerina, knocking the pirates off their feet. "Ha... ha..." Panting, she took a moment to take in her surroundings. By the Gods... the Lughanta's deck was swarming with pirates, clipped by grappling hooks from all sides. Aft, bow, port, and starboard, the red airship had nowhere to go. Gritting her teeth, Agatha's reddish brown eyes searched for her personal maid/bodyguard, Elaina, the elf was nowhere to be found.

"Capt-aaaah!" A scream tore from behind her.

"Fencer?!" She turned around, the young man - now named Fencer - was laying on the ground, seemingly electrocuted. Before she could check up on him, two figures came up in her vision, a tall man wearing a yellow bandanna and beside him, a wizard clad in black robes. "Tch..." Agatha took up her stance, trying her best to not wobble despite her conditions.

"Well, well, well..." Yellow Bandanna smirked, taking small sure steps at the female captain. "If it isn't the 'Red Baron' herself... not so tough now, aren't ya?" Even the mighty Lughanta company was nowhere near invincible. "I have to say, your crews put up a good fight."

"..." Agatha stayed silent, not bothering to mention Yellow Bandanna's men outnumbered her by ten to one, there were no such thing as 'honor' among thieves and scum. She didn't have anything smart to say, even if she did, it'll only amuse him more.

"Now what should I do with you, I wonder..." YB crossed his arms, his eyes raking the brunette's body up and down, "Fit body, quite a looker too. Well, you're not exactly an elf, but you should get me a small fortune considering your reputation." The pirate captain then motioned at the wizard beside him, "Take her out."

The last thing Agatha remembered before the void took her was a fiery sphere roaring at her...

---

Her arrogance costed everything, her airship, her crews, and her own freedom. She wondered where were Elaina, Fencer, and the rest of her men. Were they captured as well? Or worse, executed? She had to accept reality, she's a slave now, but that didn't mean things have to stay that way. One way or another, she'd break her way out of here, rescue her crews, find her airship, then go back home to her family. She was already in Illiserev anyway.

The familiar beautiful voice of a blue-haired elf broke her thoughts. Tulian Reingard, the male elf who was stuck in the same cell as her for the last four days. She and him grew to be friends, he was a pleasant company in Elaina's absence. "Heh... those bastards just can't have enough." She quipped, she vehemently hated this stain on Illeserevian society, slavery... a fucked up system that had no place in any civilization. The Nightingales didn't employ slaves, all elven servants in the household were provided with pay and protected by them, including Elaina.

Speaking about this new person, Agatha turned her gaze at the woman with auburn hair and hazel irises. "..." Her facial features rang a bell in her head, she... knew this woman from somewhere, somewhere in the past. "Don't tell me." Agatha stood up, approaching the taller female, brown eyes going up and down. "Are you... Alexa, Alexa Granville?" If she was, then holy shit, the slavers were in deep shit, enslaving two Heiresses of prominent merchant families was tantamount of suicide.

@Warm Regret @Psyker Landshark
[/fieldbox]

 

[Psyker Landshark]

Alexa raised an eyebrow at the relatively clean conditions of her cell. Now this was just unusual. Given the relatively short amount of time they'd spend here before the auctions, what was the point of having such opulence for slaves? Especially the carpeting. That was just excessive.

Before she could give more than a cursory examination of the elf, the familiar twin-tailed girl spoke up, and Alexa realized who she was.

"...Agatha?" She murmured, both of her eyes widening in shock. Another childhood friend. Well, friend was pushing it, considering that they weren't quite that familiar with each other, but at least an acquaintance.

Wait. What. Alexa stared for a moment at both of the other people she was imprisoned with. Shit. Shit shit shit shit shit shit. There was literally only one reason she would be stuck in a gilded room with another heiress to a merchant family and an elf. The slavers knew who she was. Alexa let out a breath. "You didn't tell them who you were, did you?"

@Warm Regret @Izurich

 

[Astoria]

For the lightly-dressed, brown-haired girl that had disembarked the airship along with Araki, her immediate priority was to find somewhere to find warm shelter. Perhaps in the slightly longer run, clothes too, but with the prospect of freezing to death in the unforgiving Illiserev winter, she knew full well that any other course of action was bordering on the suicidal. Making do with what they had, she buckled down and steeled herself for the three kilometer trek to town.

Several hours later, cursing the airship captain for putting them so far away from their destination, Charlotte Covinghall finally trudged into the uninviting confines of the debauched city of sins. She resolved more than ever to save her comrades from whatever ill fate as slaves the future had in store for them.

---

On the other side of the wretched town of Yuimas, a more properly dressed girl disembarked from a freshly arrived clipper ship. Following her most reliable lead, the impromptu detective had boarded a company airship from Dansila to Illiserev, and taken a routine fast mail clipper to the frigid city of Yuimas. Her goal, in the process, had changed; before leaving Cykes, she had become enlightened to the fact that one Charlotte Covinghall was not the one in trouble, but rather, according to words left with her last innkeeper, another equally distinguished acquaintance, Alexa Granville. While this caused a moment of hesitation for the purple-haired Lyra, she saw it as nothing more than a challenge to overcome. Unfortunately, she saw the matter more in terms of sharpened sticks and magical wards rather than diplomatic maneuvers and pointed words.

The city was unfamiliar to Lyra. Perhaps a more skillful individual would have requisitioned a proper guide or escort, but the thought never crossed her mind. Under a layer of cloak, coat, and scarf, she did the noble equivalent of bumbling around town like an idiot. But apparently, it yielded enough useful information that she could piece together a picture of what was likely to happen in the following days.

Lyra stretched in place with a suppressed yawn. Sitting in the quieter corner of a small tavern on the main street, the Illiserev girl pieced together the facts over a mug of hot cider. If the town crier and the local barkeep was to be believed, there was to be a big slave auction later in the day. Even Lyra could see what that meant. It was in the books that Yuimas was a well-known slaver's holdout, so there was a reasonable chance that a missing girl that was tracked down to Yuimas would be displayed for sale at a well-publicized auction. If all went well, all she had to do was to walk in, raise her hand a few times, and recover her using her own name as credit. Problem solved, and then she could get on with her life again.

Paying the tab for a cider and a chicken pot pie, Lyra Mauritania hurried on her way to the infamous Braxton hall.

 

[Asuras]

Benedicta sighed. The sort of sigh that was meant to grab one's attention. It spoke words. "Ask me about why I'm sighing," it said. She tapped the wooden table impatiently as she sat, leaned back in clear boredom with the atmosphere. Why here? This place stunk. She sneered at the occupants without hesitation. The glimmer of her armor and the glare on her expression was enough to keep most of them away, though she occasionally had to boot an especially drunk individual to the gut for them to get the picture.

Still, her ears were attuned to the clamor. Her honor was on the line, and even the stench of low-lives such as these folks wouldn't be enough to turn her away. She and her sister, Myriel Keep, had approached the drunken hive in hopes of catching some sort of opportunity. Freeing a village from bandits. Killing the sewer creature that was fond of eating only a victim's limbs. Liberating an entire city. Inns and taverns were an endless source of inevitable adventure, so long as you had the mind to believe what the patrons said, and the awareness to hear all of their driveling conversations.

The bigger the better, Benedicta continually chanted to herself, in the back of her thoughts.

Turning to Myriel, she spoke in between another groan. "Heard anything yet?" she asked, eyes still trained on the air in front of her, as if guarding it exclusively for her own breath. She flicked her gaze. A knife sat in someone's mug. She'd researched culture enough to know what it meant. Benedicta looked to the table's occupant and found herself staring, confused, at a simple maid. Did her master get carried off by angry villagers demanding ransom?

The knightess scoffed. There were better options, surely. At the very least she wanted to kill something immense. Something worth talking about. Still, it seemed less and less likely they'd come up with anything. She kept the maid in her thoughts, just in case.

 

[Zombehs]

Muttering a few choice curses as he wrapped the offered cloak around his many layers of robes, Araki sighed in relief as the wind's howling faded from his ears. Sure the sigh came out as a white cloud of frost, but his telekinesis meant the wind wasn't a problem. Charlotte seemed eager enough to start the slow trudge and he was of the same mind, taking the lead to cut through the deep snow. Skill over ice and water magic allowed him to leave a smooth path for the brunette to follow in, and the journey to Yuimas didn't seem to take long. Hard to tell exactly how long since the grey skies blotted out the sun's exact position. It was still uncomfortable, but frankly he was glad they hadn't been taken further south instead.

There was a job to be done for both of them here, but between Charlotte's inability to shrug off the cold and his own desire for food after shielding the two of them from the elements for several hours they settled for a chance to recuperate first. It didn't take long to stumble across a tavern and even if it hardly looked reputable, he didn't planned to stay here for the night. Between what they originally had and the pouch given to them by the captain, they could afford better board. For now it would do to warm Charlotte up and get Araki some food.

It might have been them, or the rush of cold air that came with the door's opening, but Araki was greeted with a flurry of yells that blended into an unintelligible babble. While Charlotte hurried off towards the fireplace, Araki did much the same towards the bar counter. Impossible to hear over the general ruckus of the place, he counted coins with soft clinks beneath his cloak as he approached. A stack of ten copper pieces, likely more than enough for several meals at a place like this, was placed on the counter. "Get me a lot of food," he muttered to the bartender whose eyes had widened, "no booze either please." Throwing his hood off, Araki shook his head for a moment before he pulled an unoccupied chair to him with a finger flick. Hopping up to take a seat on it, he was short enough that his feet dangled off the ground and began to sway as he propped his elbows onto the counter.

 

[Izurich]

Collab between Izurich and Psyker Landshark

[fieldbox=Agatha, Brown, solid]
Well, someone please slap her and wake her up from this dream. The redhead in front of her was indeed none other than Alexa Granville, the Heiress of the Granville merchant family. What were the odds of two Illiserevian elites being trapped together in this place? Agatha knew it, there was a reason for the cell's oddly clean and maintained condition, this was a cell reserved for 'high-profile' slaves. "...fuck me..." Agatha took a step back, sighing heavily, "Over all these years, I've never even thought of us meeting again under this... circumstances."

The twintailed brunette looked to the side, gritting her teeth as her eyes narrowed in frustration, "No, I didn't tell them... they found out on their own." Agatha crossed her arms, "My crew was ambushed by Yellow Bandanna and his cohorts, if anything, he must've told the slavers beforehand about my identity before handing me over. Unfortunate, but most likely they also know who you are."She turned back at Alexa, tilting her head up to look at the woman in the eyes, "Not to be paranoid, but... please tell me Lyra is safe."Agatha and Alexa may have not been that close, but the former knew the Mauritania Heiress was close with the both of them.
[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox=Alexa, Aqua, solid]
Alexa resisted the urge to curse out loud. Great. She'd be watched with more scrutiny now for sure. It'd be a damn sight harder to break out alone now, as was originally planned. Sighing, she shook her head at Agatha's question.

"Sorry," She murmured. "But I haven't seen Lyra in at least about a year now. You think she got captured too?"
[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox=Agatha, Brown, solid]
Her childhood acquaintance's answer wasn't comforting in the least, if anything, it only added to her worry. "The last time I met Lyra was a few months ago in Dansila, she's researching magic, as usual." Granted, Lyra wasn't exactly the out-going type unlike herself and Alexa so the possibility of her being enslaved was rather far-fetched. However, an awful thought came to her, "I think there's more than meets the eye here."

Agatha put one hand near her chin, pondering, "Do you think... someone is pulling the strings behind our backs? Whoever they are, they aim to capture every Illiserevian Heiress out there. If my assumption is correct, then Lyra is definitely on their list. Gah!" She clenched her fist, fighting back the compulsion to punch a nearby wall. "I don't know where my crews are, they are either captured as well or worse, dead, and... do you remember Elaina, my personal 'maid'? ...Knowing her, if she managed to slip away, she's our only solid chance of escaping... unless you have a plan, Alexa."
[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox=Alexa, Aqua, solid]
Alexa could only shrug at Agatha's inquiries. Crew? What the hell had this girl been doing since the last time they'd met? Ignoring her own questions for the moment, she decided to answer Agatha's.

"A plan? Something like that." She murmured, turning around and raising her shirt to reveal the runes etched in her back. "Bust out of here, and then come back with help so I can get my friend out too. Well, that would've been the plan if the runes were finished." She shook her head as she put her shirt back in place. "Basic framework's still the same, though. Find a way to get the hell out of here, and then come back with my family's forces. Well, our families' forces now."
[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox=Agatha, Brown, solid]
Things just got worse by the second, they had no solid plan of escaping. Agatha could only hope Elaina and/or one of her crews managed to slip away and get some help, and while Alexa had an ingenious scheme of etching runes on her back, it was half baked.

Nevertheless, Agatha commended the younger woman's loyalty to her friends. "I am in the same boat, once we get out of here, we'll get reinforcements and storm this depraved lair. We'll get everyone out, not just your friend and my crews." For now however, nothing to do but wait and see...
[/fieldbox]

@Psyker Landshark

 

[Skyswimsky]

This was hard.

Not only had Myriel to prove herself, no, she had to do it alongside a great personality like her elder sister. Not that she had any ill feelings towards her, no, if anything, the younger Astopolian Knight had to simply try harder. Of course, their superior's didn't make it that easy by picking a place like Yuima's. Or did they? With two out of three humans having more problems with themselves than with others, it came to no surprise that there was indeed no grand task for honour and fame, no, this had to be about something different, yet the same. After all, helping somebody was ultimately a thankful soul, no matter the scale.

Regardless, simply doing nothing would bring them nowhere, and while most of the problems they could solve in this tavern was probably 'beneath' them, it was still better than just waiting, at least that's what Myriel thought. Finally opening her eyes Myriel eyed her sister. "I overheard the barkeeper, I am sure you did too, the over-sized rats in his basement? That's better than just sitting around here. Feel free to join me." Yeah, Myriel also had to take the initiative. With that said, Myriel got up and turned around to move towards the counter... .

Moving past a certain red-head, the black-hair stopped in her tracks. "....?" Eying the table knife with the mug, it slowly dawned upon Myriel, right, something shady was going on here...or maybe she just did not know? After all, she was, apparently, a maid...or maybe just a get-up? This was indeed...strange, and seemed more mysterious than the rat-problem. And while a shady job was certainly not something a Knight Errant was supposed to do, she could always just turn the tables and do the right thing instead. There was just the small problem of Myriel, well, actually being a Knight Errant. Though, with the exception of her Talentium Gauntlet her neutral and plain look would actually something working in her favour.

Finally speaking towards the disguised elf, Myriel asked. "You're looking for help?" The young girl was still minding her manners - and rather stood than inviting herself onto the table.

@Asuras @Ehb

 

[MagusOfTheScales]

Jacts was the center of a drunken tune being belted at the bar counter, his mug raised high in the air as he led them in some off-key tune to a song about some of the heroes of the Talentless Strife. It was a silly thing to be doing, honestly, but Jacts was a tad bit tipsy and found fun in his off time as a wonderful way to keep himself from working himself to death, which he'd very well do if he never visited a bar. So he'd often busy himself starting a ruckus and laughing at drunken dopes falling off their chairs while getting a hair's breadth away from intoxicated himself.

There was a small commotion at the counter as two men were in a drunken rage and began pushing each other in their chairs before falling on the floor and squirming without purpose, neither were really coherent enough to truly hurt each other, so Jacts just watched in amusement. However, looking in that direction alerted him to two women at a booth and there was a knife erected in the manner of underhanded work, which was typically where he would run to in a jiffy. So, without much fanfare or care for that matter, he picked himself up and the sheath to his sword sitting next to him and slung it over his shoulder as he approached the two women, back straight and shoulders back, towering over several people in the bar.

He had been a mercenary for several years now, and each job seemed crazier than the last. Some ended in crazy love affairs while others lead to gruesome deaths, very few ended up in such a clean manner as everyone wanted. The fact that one if not both of the women were the client, in a cold place such as this, in a bar such as his, told him that this job would be more fun than his usual wanted poster. He briefly wondered what country or countries the two came from, Jacts was not as known in other countries as he was in his home country, if you were any knowledgeable about mercenaries in Illiserv, you knew of Jacts the Juggernaut. Though his fame isn't always necessarily good, some places know him for breaking down support walls for buildings on accident when in brutal fights, or destroying expensive equipment to catch his mark. Not everything is as clean cut as people want it to be... and this job would definitely not be clean in a town such as this.

"I'm assuming you need something done, if the job is not already taken I would enjoy the work." He would say, walking up from behind Myriel to the table, standing next to her and giving her a sideways glance that was equally friendly as it was judgemental. Jacts let the sword scabbard slide off his shoulder and thunk to the ground as the heavy broadsword was kept upright by Jacts' hand on the hilt. He was currently in civilian's clothes, his armor up in the room he had bought for the night, so his sword was the only tell to the kind of person he was, not willing to go too long without some sort of weapon to look imposing with.

@Ehb @Skyswimsky

 

[Ehb]

[fieldbox= , red, solid]

"You're looking for help?"

An Astropolian girl with a gauntlet, and likely a penchant for doing good.

"I'm assuming you need something done, if the job is not already taken I would enjoy the work."

A large man who kept his sword with him like it was a security blanket.



Indeed, fate had dealt her - once again - with an unfavorable hand.

People coming up and announcing that they wanted to 'take' a job. Ten years ago, that would've been considered a pretty amateurish thing to do, in this sort of line of business. Murder, Theft, Kidnapping, Sabotage. The 'knife in the mug' meant that all of these things, and then some, were on the table. As such, seeing people approach so casually about it... Elaina internally cringed at this. It reminded her of her days as a beginner.

Still, to be fair. High Rank Merchants were not longer getting murdered on a weekly basis. Indeed, Elaina herself could attest to her little world here in Yuimas wasn't the same as it was a decade ago. Times were different, and the world has changed.

Elaina didn't have the liberty to go through the selection process like she originally did in the past. The only thing she could do was the bare minimum. Just to verify they wouldn't screw things over before things even began.

Of course, there was one thing that was irking the young maid somewhat. And before anything could begin, she wanted it to get addressed right away.

"Yeah, I do happen to have a job I need help with." Elaina finally said, lifting the table knife out of the mug and setting it down neatly beside. "I would like if you where to sit down if you're sincerely interested. That way I won't have to talk at you two to hear me."



A small and poignant stress on the word at.

"An employer never speaks up to the employee, even if that employer happens to be a maid." Elaina said, daintily gesturing at the other empty seats at this small table. "Invite yourself to a free chair and introduce yourself, and I might invite you to a job in return."

Even if Elaina was only going to screen them through the most basic of checks - she still had her rules of etiquette.

In fact, assassins may have had more rules of etiquette than anyone else.


"Oh, and I'll go ahead and make it easy for you two. If you're not good at handling yourself when outnumbered, then you can now leave."

Coming up with her plan 'B' on the spot. Elaina threw the last sentence in. If things got out of hand, the chances of this happening would be no less than guaranteed.

Elaina's 'disinterested' tone was off-putting. Impartial, or insulting. If Elaina was acting like she didn't need them, then why would they need to go through this ridiculous charade to even find out what said job was? Watching them, it seemed like Elaina's eyes were expecting them to walk away. The urge to think of all this as nonsense was tempting, logical even. But, in work such as this, this sort of behavior is a given. Made to save the lives of those who would simply get in the way.

Before this commanding girl, the Yet-Introduced Jacts and Myriel responded by....

@Skyswimsky @Wayward Killjoy
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[ERode]

@Click This
Braxton Hall was a large enough building, towering above most others in both height and width. Whether intentional or accidental, the opulent structure was vaguely phallic, with tall, straight walls and a rounded roof that was currently covered in snow. Occasionally, the freshly fallen snow will break loose, spilling a miniature avalanche on whomever was unlucky enough to be below it. The stone wall that circled around Braxton Hall, served more to hide the snowbank that circled around the base of Braxton Hall than anything else. After all, stone was really only good for keeping out the natural elements these days.

Though once white, age and neglect had turned Braxton Hall into a light beige, veinous fractures running up the side of the building. It would have been simple, really, for an earth mage to reconstruct and fill in the gaps, but the money was never paid, and ultimately, despite the golden gilding, the large windows, and the pleasant patios that ring around the outside of the hall, there's a distinct sense that the building was past its glory days.

Nevertheless, the Braxtons were rich enough to hire guards, and as Lyra approached the front gates, from which a small line of wagons was forming, one of the guards stopped them. A middle-aged man with a helmet, gauntlets, and pale red clothes that stood out in the white and gray of Yuimas, he said, pulling one hand up, "Apologies, young miss, but the Braxton Hall isn't accepting any visitors at the moment. We're still preparing for this afternoon's events, so please come back in an hour."

"Though," he added, "Someone like you should probably wait until next week's auction. The stock's pretty good this week, from what I've heard, so there's definitely going to be a bunch who are willing to splurge."

@Zombehs
Honestly, the real question that Araki had to ask himself was whether or not it was even a good thing that the food that he ordered came relatively quickly. Or, more specifically, it came much too quickly. Having interpreted his demand for food as the young boy asking for something to fill his stomach up, bowls of thin soup and stale bread found its way onto Araki's table, filling it up in a feast-like manner, without any of the heavy foods that one would associate a feast with. At the very end of the train of soup came some pity from the chef of the tavern, in the form of a very, very, very well-roasted fish.

Araki's Dansilan tongue would probably be disappointed with what ten coppers got him, but in Illiserev, quantity over quality was king, and it looked like he would just have to deal with it.

That being said, it did look like some others were eyeing his mound of food rather greedily. And as he was just another kid who probably got too much allowance from his parents…

 

[Astoria]

Collab with @ERode

The… interesting shape of the hall, while large and imposing, was lost on Lyra. It was clear enough that the building had fallen into disuse, though, which made her think that either the building hadn't seen much use in the past few years or somebody wasn't paying enough for their maintenance. Regardless of its condition, it was heavily guarded, and surprisingly enough, she was stopped by one of the guards and told to come back in an hour. Puzzlingly though, she was informed to come back next week, because 'the stock wasn't as good as this week's', leading her to tilt her head. Naturally, if she was in the interest of buying actual slaves, why would she wait for the broken messes that were picked over? Being herself, she informed the guard just so. It wasn't like she was wearing rags either, but that wasn't on the mind of the purple-haired girl at the moment.

"That's illogical… Why come back next week when the best has already been sold?"

The guard made a motion of scratching his head, only for his fingers to scrape against the back of his helmet instead. This was a rather precocious kid, wasn't she? Well, it was nice to see that the young girl wasn't too obnoxious about wealth that wasn't earned by her own hands. "Mm," he said, "What I'm basically saying is that this particular auction is going to be drawing out a lot of rich folks, so, you know...I'm pretty sure young ladies like you have better things to do than to get outbid on every item that shows up."

Then again, what else was there for people to do in Yuimas outside of the slave market and the brothels? Play in the snow?

Lyra was getting mixed feelings from this particular guard. He wasn't particularly looking down on her nor did he seem to have a really high regard for her, either… So he thought she was normal, apparently? Well, whatever it was, it was not like there was any other reason for a girl to be in Yuimas anyway.

"Well, isn't that the point? The first week is of exceptional interest," she countered. "I'm looking for something particular, as a matter of fact."

"Something in particular?" The guard tilted his head to the side. What would a young lady want anyways, when most slaves were the nubile, female type? Unless...oh, wait, no, there was that one particular article. "Oh, you're referring to Lord Reingard's elf-boy?"

Lord Reingard? What did he have to do with anything here? Lyra guessed that it was rather obvious that he had a slave for sale, but, well, not a boy. Apparently such a thing was a bit more rare. Unfortunately, he was a bit far off the mark, but if he was so specific about certain lords and what they have for sale, perhaps she could wring more information out of the older man.

"No. A girl. Nobility, perhaps?"

"Well, if Reingard was a young girl, and he doesn't pay off his debts soon, then that's a thing, but hm...only thing that comes into mind are the Covinghall's whelps, but they're either Braxton property or escape to other countries. Fallen nobles are pretty rare, all things considered. Most of them aren't stupid enough to stick around in Illiserev while their businesses burn to the ground."

As it was, after a minimal amount of poking around in Dansila Lyra already knew that her friend Charlotte had eventually managed to escape, even if some her family didn't share the same luck. That wasn't why she was here, though, but of course, she was naturally curious who didn't make it out in time.

"Nobody else, then? But hmm, the Covinghalls. They were a big rival in the shipping industry. Who were the ones that managed to get themselves caught?"

"Not my business," the guard replied, leaning against the stone wall. "Apparently Lord Braxton's son keeps one of them as his secretary or whatever though. Not sure why a brat who doesn't work even needs a secretary, but eh, could be worse for the lass."

"Secretary? Why?" Lyra echoed the question. "Well, I'll be back in an hour, then."

 

[Zombehs]

Surprise colored his expression for a moment at how fast the food had arrived, but resigned disappointment took over quickly. There was more than enough for him to eat his fill, but the question now was did he want to... With a quiet sigh and slumped shoulders, Araki looked at the pile of stale bread and swirled a finger around in the air idly. The bread was torn apart and dumped into the bowls of soup mostly in silence, but there were a few rolls he didn't even bother with. The dull thunk when he tapped them against the counter, or one another, made it pretty clear why.

He studied the plated fish for a few moments after it had drifted in front of him. A poke revealed just how bone-dry it was and Araki grumbled as he set the plate down and gave the fish the bread treatment. Magic picked meat from bones, leaving the skeleton clean, before portions were dumped into a few of the closest bowls. Though tired and hungry, he still felt the attention of others shift towards him at all the food he had.

He considered them, tilting his head side to side, but figured it wasn't worth starting any trouble with them. If they wanted the trashy food then they could help themselves to it. The scrape of chair legs against wooden floorboards when he began to eat wasn't drowned out somehow, but it was easily ignored as he downed the first bowl in a single go. The taste was more bland than it was offensive, it went down easily, and after a few moments to let things settle he figured it was filling enough as well.

Before Araki could grab seconds though, a large hand was planted onto the counter. He turned his head to look at the one responsible and had to fight to the grimace off his expression. Drinking certainly hadn't improved the smell that clung to these drunkards. The man opened his mouth to speak, but stopped when bowls floated before him and the others. Their drunken state probably didn't help, but they all seemed rather dumbfounded as they tried to grasp the situation. Most of them eventually took the food and were content to eat away, but the one drunk that had approached first sneered at what he thought was a golden opportunity.

Not that he didn't messily down the bowl of soup first, tossing aside the bowl with a clatter. With a grumble Araki set down his second emptied bowl and slipped off the stool, leaving a few full bowls on the counter. He wasn't about to deal with the drunk's crap over what amounted to a few coppers. Turning to leave in search of a better establishment with actual food, he felt the man try to grab his shoulder. A thought was all it took to break his grip and let Araki continue on his way though. Another thought shoved the man back hard enough that he was forced to brace against the counter, scattering soup everywhere. By the time the drunk had recovered, Araki had already slipped outside. An attempt to pursue ended quickly as the entrance flew open, smashing into and flooring the man while revealing Araki was already a few meters away.

 

[Warm Regret]

Listening to his fellow cellmates from his place in the background, Tulian was completely lost by their conversation. Some unfamiliar names were being thrown around as well as talk of escape plans. Slowly, Tulian began to wonder if what Agatha had been telling him these past few days was actually true. The feisty young woman with brown pigtails claimed she was part of the distinguished Nightingale family and insisted that she commanded an airship and crew, however Tulian didn't believe a word of it until now. He thought she was making it all up as a sort of coping mechanism or that she suffered from some kind of mental illness. It was illogical to think that someone of her status would be in a place like this, waiting to be sold in a slave auction…but now another woman was here who was able to substantiate her claims.

Lowering his eyes now, their blue and gold texture looked like they were meant to shine with some type of emotion but instead they looked rather dim. Agatha mentioned escaping again and not only for herself and her friend but for everyone that was enslaved there. Perhaps Agatha was telling the truth before, about her heritage and being an airship captain but he wasn't convinced that even someone as energetic as her could achieve what she was saying. Tulian thought he would be satisfied if his two cellmates were rescued and achieved their freedom somehow, but there was no hope of something like that happening for him. Approaching the two young women, he spoke quietly. "So you two know each other? How peculiar." He said softly. "Unless you have a solid plan, it may not be wise for you to try and escape right now, it may hurt your chances in the future. I would suggest patience, waiting until after the auction." The beautiful elf explained.

Looking back and forth between them, his silky blue mane swayed with the movement of his head. "It may not be pleasant but I believe it'll be easier to escape your new masters than it would this place. You should have at least one chance and if you both have allies on the outside, it may be your best option."

@Psyker Landshark @Izurich

 

[Asuras]

It was supposed to be their last option, Benedicta thought. Her finger tapped with an increasingly more rapid frequency on the wooden table until agitation got the better of her. She couldn't let Myriel fall prey to some underhanded job without her, at the very least. For a moment, she thought that maybe -just maybe- allowing her sister to take the reigns could prove lucky. The knightess stood up in a hurry, swiftly moving to Myriel's side just as the maid addressed them to sit down. Benedicta complied, feeling exposed before the table.

She fell into her chair and crossed her arms in a huff. Her brow raised as the mention of being 'outnumbered'. Despite the work at hand being shady and far from the anticipated noble deed Benedicta was hoping for, there was apparently, at least, the prospect of a challenging experience ahead. She could only hope there was some sort of noble spin to the job in addition. That was, after all, why they had even come to this god forsaken place. Woe be her if they get caught up in something completely irrelevant to their intended journey.

"Get on with it girl," Benedicta groans, "I don't have the patience to listen to your hyping. Let us be the judge of what we're expected to do." She lifted a leg over another and leaned back, face clear with conviction. She gave a passing glance to Myriel beside her and exhaled.

If this didn't turn out beneficial...

 

[Psyker Landshark]

Alexa turned to the elf as he spoke, just realizing he had been there. She was so engrossed in her conversation with a long-forgotten acquaintance that she'd written the elf off as secondary for the moment. Still, at least his words had merit. Good to see there was someone in this cell that was at least somewhat reasonable. Seriously, what the hell had Agatha gotten up to in the time she'd been away? An airship captain? Crazy girl must have stolen herself an airship.

"...Bit of a problem with that." She said, crossing her arms. "I have another friend that got captured with me. If I get sold off and before I can find out who buys her, she's screwed. Besides," Alexa tilted her head towards Agatha. "Only one of us needs to get out. Both of us have familial contacts in the city, so as long as either of us makes it out, we should be fine."

Of course, that was horribly unfair towards this elf, but Alexa couldn't find herself caring at the moment. She didn't know him. Ashe was more important than him. Hell, Agatha was more important than him. She'd try to get him out, of course, but if it came down to it, well, no one would miss another elf.


@Warm Regret @Izurich

 

[Izurich]

[fieldbox=Voyager of the Skies, Brown, solid]

"Ah, Tulian." The enslaved Heiress turned her attention at her only real friend for the last four days, "Well... yes, we do." she rubbed at the back of her head, thinking on how to best summarize her relationship with Alexa; quite easy actually considering they only met each other a few times at best over the years. "We're acquaintances." Yep, that was the most fitting word. "Our families did some business deals with each other a couple times." Still, considering her situation, she'd take any possible ally she could get.

"Well, we're not escaping right now, we should come up with something first." Agatha then turned at the fellow Heiress, nodding at her, "Alexa's right, Tulian, it's not just about ourselves. If it was, as she said, our respective families can buy our freedom... or storm the place considering Mom is rather overprotective and Dad will definitely be furious if he finds out. Dunno about your parents tho, Alexa." She shook her head lightly, "Anyways, yes, we must rescue as many as possible, this includes my crews, her friend, and you."

The off-duty captain went back to her bed, crossing her arms, "Look at the bright side, we have each other now, this improves our odds. Not one of us can do this alone."

@Warm Regret @Psyker Landshark

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[Warm Regret]

After listening to Alexa and Agatha, Tulian realized that the pair had a little more at stake than just saving themselves. He was somewhat impressed that they were concerned with the well being of others but that was something he had already picked up from Agatha since meeting her. He still didn't think it was a good idea to try and escape, especially for himself. He had no connections outside of this cell and there was no family that would protect him, he would be considered a runaway slave and treated as such. He kept quiet for the most part, keeping his head down with his somber gaze staring at the floor but focused on nothing. He listened as Alexa explained her situation and then listened as Agatha chimed in as well.

When Agatha mentioned she wanted to free him along with the others, he looked up with a start. "Me?" He asked softly with a mixture of confusion and disbelief. It was the first time he had ever heard someone say to him that they wanted him to be free. The skeptical part of him still didn't think it would ever happen but he was touched that Agatha would even consider helping him, so in turn he would do the same. "I'm not sure if someone like me can be rescued, I would have no place to go even if I did escape. It would only be a matter of time before I was captured again…but…when you speak that way, it reminds me of something I thought I lost long ago." He said softly while glancing at her with eyes that were a little less heavy.

Nodding his head decidedly, he spoke again. "I'll help you. Both of you." He said looking at Alexa as well.

@Psyker Landshark @Izurich