Shattered Horizon IC

[Astoria]

Ultimately, they lost out in the end. With Agatha not at her best to begin with, it probably wasn't best to fully rely on her powers, but even so, Lyra still found herself a bit disappointed by the outcome. Unlike her Sandakken counterpart, however, stepping foot again on dry land meant little for her; they'd only been at sea for a couple days, and honestly, she would be one sorry citizen of Illiserev if the roll of sea made her uncomfortable. With Agatha tending to the ship and making sure it was secure in port, her first priority was to immediately consult with wherever the company branch was located, to both hand over the ship and find news of the other cities. Since Reizal was under the control of the Veldarilts, it was only logical to pay a visit to the local lord's seat as well, even more so, considering their militaristic zeal.

Before she could ask any locals about anything, however, their small group once again chanced upon the Sandakkens. As it was increasingly seeming to be par for the course, their self-styled commander once again approached them with combative words. Really though, with a quarter of the group consisting of nobles all from powerful houses and on Illiserev soil, it was not her place to be smacktalking anybody. For example, one of them could just as easily summon the local constabulary and have the Sandakkens thrown into a bunch of cells and then sort out the diplomatic row later.

But really, responding to their provocations was a hassle, and Alexa was attending to the problem anyway, so once again, Lyra returned to her disinterested state of staring at the Sandakken princess. It was not like she hadn't introduced herself already. After a moments deliberation, however, she finally threw in her own words.

"You're on our soil now. Act civil, you represent your own nation."

 

[Izurich]

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

"I hope I'm still as good, or even better than the last time you saw me, Lyra." Agatha quipped at her purple-haired childhood friend, "Absolutely! We'll show them what we're made of!" Even with a cargo vessel and ragtag crew, she'd do all in her power to win this 'race', petty as it might be, it also served a practical purpose of getting them faster to their destination.

The brunette was obviously enjoying herself, with her gaze obsessively fixated on the foreign ship in front of her. Agatha didn't forget about the well-being of the inexperienced crew of course, but... she was sure they could handle a few light bumps and sways here and there, nothing compared to sailing in the middle of a storm really. Those who got seasick? From her experience, Agatha believed those people would be sick during sailing no matter what anyway. Still, Alexa pointing out her impulsive decision managed to make her feel guilty... just a bit, though. "Well, yes, that'll be correct." Agatha answered the Granville heiress, "I know, but... heh, can't just let those islanders mock us, can we?"

Gradually, the Mauritanian vessel caught up with its opponent, "Woooooo!" flowing more power to fuel the wind, Agatha boosted the vessel until it overtook the Sandakken warship, the pride shining from Agatha's face was blinding. "Oooooh yeaaaah!" For the moment, the heiress forgot all of her troubles, struggles, and hardships, immersing herself in the joy of showing off her capability as a ship captain. However, like all good things, it must end sooner or later. Disappointing as it might be, Agatha wasn't surprised when she felt her arcane reservoir struggled to maintain the wind flow. "Haaah... damn it..." The ship's velocity steadily dropped until it would return to its normal speed once Agatha ceased her wind magic, allowing the Sandakken ship to close the distance then regained its first position once more.

"Well, such is life." Agatha cracked a small smile, a little bit bumped, but that's normal. It was something she couldn't actually win anyway, she was just a human, not a goddess or vampires or anything. Heck, even those powerful beings had limits. Fun time's over, back to the important matters at hand.

Reviewing the map, charts, and compass, Agatha made sure they were still on the correct course. Yep, all were good, in just a few hours, they'd be arriving at Riezal, one of the few ports in Illiserev able to operate in winter. It should go without saying that she was quite familiar with the unique cliff town. Ruled and protected by the honorable Veldarilt family, it became a bustling centre of trade and commerce and much unlike Yuimas, it would have nothing to do with the foul practice of slavery. As expected, the Nightingales had extensive workshops and connections in Riezal, providing and maintaining vessels for the Mauritanians and other merchant families. Aside from it being the closest active port around, her family's presence there was a major factor why Agatha chose to moor there.

"We're approaching Riezal! Half-sails!" Agatha announced to those on the deck, then she raised an eyebrow as the crew seemed to be confused, it was such a simple and common orde-... ah right, they were ex-slaves, not sailors. "Right, I mean, furl the sails half way so only part of them are exposed to the wind!! We have to reduce our speed!" There, now they began working, gosh... Once the sails were properly half-furled, Agatha bellowed once more, "Cliffs abound, stay away from the sides!" She ordered before picking up the talentium stone then worked on manipulating the airflow around the sails, providing her with greater control over the ship's direction than just a wheel and rudders. "Steady... steaaaady..." Even for someone like her whose occupation involved piloting vessels as a core activity, guiding such a large ship into a narrow cove was challenging, fortunately, Agatha loved challenges. "Woops... hehe, close one..." Just a few inches away from scraping the cliff's side there, first so far, certainly wouldn't be the last. "Aaaand..." The vessel drew to a close near the wooden piers, "Done! Alright! Drop anchor and tie her to the piers!" If they couldn't understand these two orders, then Agatha would seriously question whether these girls were mentally challenged or not. Fortunately, everything was done without much issue, noticeably slower compared to experienced crews, but accomplished nevertheless.

Agatha stayed behind with some of the former slaves who had more experience with ships to settle things to make sure the ship was moored in the right place and no one would have issues with them being here. Tulian the beautiful elven male decided to accompany her, it seemed he'd be a fine addition to her crew indeed... once she found them "Yeah, don't worry about that, Tulian." Agatha smiled as she patted his shoulder, "Me and Lyra will take care of everything, our families have lots of businesses here." After multiple life-threatening ordeals, they could finally take a breather here in Riezal, a town where combat capable maids and butlers were about, sigh... if only Elaina was awake right now.

By the time Agatha and her small sub-group arrived at the top of the stone stairs and came within the presence of Lyra, Alexa, Araki, and the others, Kanuni's arrogant bullying and the following reactions were over. As such, Agatha didn't get the chance to join in, nor notice the tense exchange transpiring just now, probably for the better. "So, everything's set on the vessel." Agatha announced, speaking to everyone, but directed her eyes at Lyra's, "Alright, first things first, we should get these girls settled, I can arrange them shelter and transport at one of my family's workshops here. After that, for myself personally, I'm going to find the Lughanta and my crew." She huffed, "I don't have any solid plans yet, but anyone is welcomed to help me locate them. I personally assure to make it worth your while."

[/fieldbox]

 

[Skyswimsky]

"I'm not going to thank you, elf." As much as I Myriel hated to admit it, the glass of water felt like a miracle, not to mention how tired and hungry she was either. Still, it only took her that long until she realized that an elf took pity on her! How much more shame could she bring to herself and her dead sister? "Now, if you could leave the food here and take your leave, I would very much appreciate that." She tried to sound threatening, though not sure how much she succeeded in that, Tulien probably yielded sooner or later. Leaving the Knight all by herself again. Once undisturbed, it didn't take her long to swallow down the actual food before simply falling asleep despite the turbulence the ship had gone through, until... .

Noises. A lot of them. The moment Myriel opened her eyes again the once peaceful corridor was brimming with slaves that quickly made their way to the top of the deck, making no secret out of actually having landed in a town - a safe location at that. "..." It took the Knight-errant a bit, but she knew herself that just rotting here would her do no good. No, while her life didn't really have any purpose anymore there was still one thing left to do, even if it might have been too late by now, she wouldn't Benedicta's sacrifice go to waste. She would kill that Rift Beast with her own two hands. For her sister and to atone for her own sins. For that, however, she first had to return to Astopol. Maybe. The girl needed power, fast. If the Rift Beast survived Benedicta's attack after all, the black-hair doubted anyone would be able to threaten it's existence any time soon.

Despite that conclusion, it took her a few more minutes to actually manage to stand up, her mind clearly still grieving. Finally fixing the flag back onto its flagpole, the young Astopolian herself finally made her way outside, making the girl one of the last to leave the ship.... .

F"Out of my way." Shoving some of the slaves away, some more forceful than others, Myriel slowly fought herself through the masses who more or less stopped as they started paying attention to the small quarrel between their own 'saviour's' and some other group. In regards to herself, she didn't care. She was done with those people, she didn't need to get paid for her services either, all the girl had in mind was to quickly return to her own home-lands as fast as possible, thus, aiming for the airship port of Reizal.

 

[ERode]

@Asuras @Izurich @Warm Regret @Psyker Landshark @Click This
The Sandakkans' provocation drew the ire of a few of the women within the group, but other than a couple of frowns and a general tensing, none of the cloaked individuals spoke up directly against the dark-haired princess. As Lyra and Alexa spoke up against them, one of the women, hood up to hide her elf ears, stepped beside Tulian. Without looking at the blue-haired elf, she murmured, "Pull up your hood. You're still in Illiserev."

Meanwhile, another girl pushed towards Agatha, tapping her on the shoulder. She motioned towards the injured in their party, who have only received what amounted to first aid, as well as the two unconscious individuals that the party still carried alongside them. "Before shelter and transport, Miss, we need to get medical attention for everyone. The two with us still haven't woken up, after all, and I'm not sure how long they can last without eating or drinking."

Around them, the congregation of two groups of people, as well as the tense atmosphere around them, were beginning to catch the attention of Reizal's citizens. Murmurs spread throughout the crowd, people wondering what exactly was going on.

@Zombehs
Breaking off from the group, Araki slipped away without anyone's notice, inconspicuous enough in the face of the foreigners that he melted into the crowd soon afterwards. As he passed by, he heard speculation about the two groups, why armoured people had arrived so suddenly, and who those cloaked people were. Cultists? Pilgrims? Or a gaggle of hobos?

Thankfully, Araki wasn't associated with them, and as he continued down the snow-swept streets, the Crystalla eventually came across a tavern with a meaty aroma that caught his attention. The Hunter's Saw was a quiet establishment, a bar for patrons that enjoyed their drinks in quiet. Runetech discs radiated warmth and heat from above, and the checkered tiles were clean and dry. Behind the counter were two aproned girls. One, with tousled, blonde hair, nodded and smiled at Araki as he entered, while the other, straight, black hair tied in twintails, stirred a large pot of dark curry. The back door, slightly ajar, let out the aroma of fried food as a third, unseen individual continued to cook.

A menu was offered, and, after a few quick decisions, a mountain of deep-fried meat and a pool of curry was placed in front of the counter that the Crystalla sat at. Before he could chow down, however, a tall flagon of mead dropped by as well. The blonde girl smiled and said, "It's on the house. Smells like you've been through some rough stuff, sir. Or are you just a butcher that forgot to change clothes before heading here?"

@Skyswimsky
Armored and bearing the flag of Astopol, Myriel found little resistance through the masses. No one really wanted to talk with an Astopolian Knight who looked exceptionally mean-spirited, after all. While the knights of Astopol could be paragons of virtue, it was clear that this young boy was but an errant knight, too self-absorbed in his quest to care about things such as courtesy.

Trudging down the main street, Myriel continued on for a long time, until the sounds of the town began to die down, replaced with the roar of airship engines and the shouts of airship crew getting ready to dock, set off, or whatever else. It was a remarkably clear day for an Illiserevan winter, and no one wanted to wait around for bad weather to strike once more. On a snowy field filled with half a dozen airships of various sizes, as well as scores of muscled men and women rushing about to fulfill various duties, the knight stood out like a sore thumb…but no one paid her any attention anyways.

After all, these airships were all used for trade across the continent, not for pleasure cruises.

 

[Zombehs]

New rumors were already abound for the grapevine, and Araki couldn't help but sigh in relief that he had no part in them for now. Guided by a simple desire, he found himself at the door of a simplistic looking tavern. Basked in warmth the moment he opened the door, he couldn't help but feel out of place with his soiled appearance. Still… the aromas made his mouth water and he had already been noticed. Brushing the light dusting of snow from his hood and shoulders, Araki smiled tiredly in return as he stepped inside and towards the bar.

Tugging his hair tie loose, Araki shook his head for a moment to let his hair fall down messily. Slipping the Talentium band onto his wrist for the moment, he took a seat by the counter carefully, hoping he wasn't making too much of a mess. In the brief moments before his food arrived, he was able to take a look at the other patrons, few as there were, and confirm that he really did stick out. With a quiet sigh, he seemed to deflate and shrink as he pulled the heavy cloak tighter.

The quick arrival of food gave Araki more than enough reason to perk up though. He did want to just dig in, but surprise stopped him and then manners dictated otherwise. "Thank you," he replied softly as he dipped his head towards the blonde girl. A small stream of water slid out of the tavern after he used it to wash his hands, and he drew the flagon closer. "Well thanks for not kicking me out then, and it's nothing that simple." About to take a drink, Araki noticed something about his reflection in the dark mead, frowned, but then continued anyways. A blood stain on the cheek hardly made a difference when there were plenty on his clothes.

It didn't burn quite as much as sake did back home, but the mead was definitely something Araki could get drunk on unlike common ale. The bitterness reminded him of coffee, but there was also a mellow sweetness that lingered afterwards. Nothing he was used to drinking, but a pleasant experience in the end. Blinking a few times, he set the flagon down and murmured, "It's good..." Fishing out enough coin to pay for his meal before he got his hands dirty, he set them on the counter before he asked, "Interested in the story?"

 

[ERode]

@Zombehs
The blonde bartender smiled at Araki's compliment. "Thanks. Mom's honey mead was pretty much what kept this place afloat before we got ourselves a decent cook. And thank you for your patronage!"

Scooping up the coins and counting them through, she nodded once to herself, dropped them in a pocket in her apron, and then scanned the cozy room. The others were taking their time, thankfully, and her half-sister was just absent-mindedly stirring a pot anyways. Leaning her elbows against the counter, she mentally decided that this was her break time, and said, "If you're interested in sharing it, please do! I always appreciate a good story, sir."

 

[Zombehs]

"Huh." If appearances weren't deceiving then the two of them couldn't be much older than he was. A bit strange for them to run the front of a bar all by themselves, but he wasn't too interested in prying and nodded in response to her thanks. As she busied herself with his payment, Araki took the opportunity to take a few bites of the food while it was still hot.

Dipping a piece of the fried meat into the curry, Araki hummed in satisfaction as he began to chew. 'Souya would have liked this…' His brother's favored foods really did clash with the image he projected… Sighing softly in both contentment and resignation, he looked towards his audience of one with a considering expression. How much and what could he say? For now though, Araki opened with, "Uh, Aki's fine. Sir's just strange to hear."

"It's not a pleasant story. Slavery, vampires, a rift beast, and lots of death at Yuimas would be the shorthand version." He drew the flagon closer, took a sip, and glanced at the blonde bartender to gauge her interest. Unsurprisingly the grim opening didn't seem to deter her in the slightest... "Well, it starts at the Yuimas Biweekly Slave Auction. This time though, there's a pair of Astopolian Knights in town, and well you can probably guess how they view slavery." He took a moment to take a quick sip before he continued on in a quiet voice.

"They storm Braxton Hall, and it turns out that most of the nobles in attendance? Vampires. I don't know what the Hel happens inside, but somehow the slaves get loose and escape into the city. Meanwhile everyone's bolted the shutters and doors as the vampires decide to do as they please, and the two Knights can hardly stand up to their numbers."

"This goes on for maybe half an hour? Most of the vampires scatter back to their homes, so we're thinking things might have calmed down a bit. Maybe gone back to normal. Course then it happens... Have you ever been around when a Rift Beast tears their way into the world?" Waiting for her response, he took the time to cut and dip another piece of fried meat in the thick curry.

 

[Asuras]

"I'm acting uncivil? What have I done?" she grumbled. Kanuni cleared her throat and crossed her arms. She turned to stare Alexa down with no less a postured expression than before, and tilted her head side to side. "Well considering my original destination is now in ruins, as you say, I need to work around it. As I'm a noble now residing in another's city, perhaps it'd be a good idea to visit the rulers, whoever they are. I cannot say I studied up on this Illiserevian city." She turned to Lyra and pointed with a finger, hand still partially clasped around an arm.

"You said you were of some noble house, right? I imagine you'd know something about this place and who presides over it? Maybe even where I may speak with them?"

 

[Warm Regret]

When Agatha patted him on the shoulder, he turned his head to look at her. She always seemed so confident about everything, it was a trait that he wished he possessed. She told him not to worry, that she had everything under control. He took her words at face value and nodded. He didn't think she would be able to handle everything as easily as she thought but he would still be right there with her to help her along the way. "All right then." He replied softly, nodding his head before fading back into the group of ex slaves and their cloaks. One of the ex-slaves whispered into his ear and he leaned into her, so that he could hear her more clearly over the ambient chatter. He didn't think they were in any more serious danger in this small town than they were in Yuminas but looking around, he did see that they were beginning to draw a crowd.

He wondered if the gawking was because the townsfolk didn't like what they saw or if they just weren't used to so many strangers showing up in their town…Strangers that appeared to have nothing to do with normal shipping business. Nodding his head, he pulled up his hood once more to obscure his elongated ears and abnormally beautiful features. "You may be right, better to not draw unnecessary attention to ourselves." Although most of him was hidden under the cloak, a portion of silken blue hair rested lazily over his collar bone. When the entire group was together, the atmosphere was both tense and awkward. The mysterious boy from earlier quickly distanced himself from the group again, making Tulian more suspicious of him. Not in a way that viewed him as a threat but actually curious as to why he kept crossing paths with them. While shifting through the thoughts in his head, the Sandakkan princess whom he was meeting for the first time, approached them. It didn't take long for her to toss some subtle jabs in their direction while members of his own group tossed them right back.

Tulian remained quiet throughout the exchange and looked down, choosing to try and let things settle on their own before intervening. Her words didn't bother him though, not after the day he just had. It would take far more than a few careless words to get under his skin at this point. It was around this time that Myriel came barreling through the crowd, shoving them to the side with the same vigor she had before Benedicta's unfortunate demise. Part of him was glad she was back to herself again, even if she refused to acknowledge him. Instead she just callously shoved him aside as if he were nothing. Afterwards, Agatha made her pitch about locating her airship and crew. Tulian had already spoken with the slaves earlier, so there was nothing more to say. It was up to each individual to decide for themselves what they were going to do at this point but Tulian had already made up his mind.

Walking over to where Agatha stood, the male elf responded to her offer. "You won't be alone in your search." He said softly. "I'll be coming with you." He said decisively. "We'll find your missing airship and your crew, I'm sure of it." He said sounding uncharacteristically positive, although the hollow look on his face never changed.

 

[Psyker Landshark]

Alexa would have responded to Kanuni, but she was distracted by the sensation of something slipping up her leg. Raising an eyebrow, she looked down to see a slip of paper tuck itself into the sheath of his sword. Or it would have, if Alexa hadn't caught it out of the air mid flight.

"The vampire responsible for your and her captivity has sailed off with Ashe." Was all it read.

Alexa's blood ran cold. That bastard Eiros made it out of Yuimas? Ashe was alive? She clenched her fist, crumpling the paper in her hand. At least she knew what she had to do now. Track this vampire down, kill him, and save Ashe. If she was still alive. Personally, Alexa had her doubts, but she still owed it to her friend to try.

She paused as Agatha announced her own plans, but shook her head sadly at the girl.

"Sorry, Aggie. But I've got a friend that's still enslaved by the vampires, and apparently that bastard managed to sail out of Yuimas too. This is the closest port in the country, so I'm going to try to track him down here." She started to walk off, raising a hand up in farewell. "Good luck, yeah? Good seeing you again."

A few inquiries later gave Alexa the location of the harbormaster's office, and so she entered, giving the man a polite nod. "Good day. I'd like to make a request. Don't suppose a ship from Yuimas docked here recently? I'm searching for a black-haired man named Eiros that may have been aboard the ship."

 

[Astoria]

"Yes, that's right," was Lyra's response. Her answer was ambiguous as to which question, and the flat expression on her face did little to discern between the two. Nonetheless, to Lyra it seemed that she was incredibly ignorant for a noble of even a small nation, so it was time to impart some commonly known facts.

"Besides his Majesty the King Nathaniel Thurias, Illiserev is ruled by three main noble houses: Siaruth, Mauritania, and Braxton. As I've already clarified, I am of the Mauritania house. The Siaruth-Veldarilt family reigns in this town. It is more of a fort than a port." She paused, before continuing. "I am not intimate with the workings of this city, but as guests, I will look into arranging an audience. It would help if you stated your intentions first."

Indeed, Lyra was not particularly familiar with this port. She didn't know which particular lord of the Veldarilt family had his seat in the town, but she did know her family also had an office headed up by some minor lord. Sure, she could have marched up to the manor gates and almost guaranteed to be let in, but really, that was silly when she didn't even know where it was. Whoever was the manager of the branch could easily hook up a meeting between the three with his knowledge of the city, so that was where Lyra started to head, if the Sandakkens and others of the retinue elected to follow her. At the same time, she nodded to Agatha.

"I can look into the matter through the company. Failing that, the Veldarilts have a good military intelligence network. I'll ask them about your ship and crew as well."

 

[Izurich]

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

So the... Sandakken female noble warrior-general-whatever wished to meet the leaders? What for? Well, not that it mattered for Agatha, she had better priorities, but the woman's attitude seemed rather... arrogant, not exactly surprising hearing her claim of noble blood. Astopol, Illiserev, Dansila, every developed civilization had its own share of snobbish upper classes, these island foreigners were no exception. Usually, it wouldn't bother Agatha, but in this case, her antics were directed at Lyra so yes, the brunette was annoyed, but not enough for her to barge into the conversation, Lyra could handle it on her own.

Getting her mind off the arrogant stranger, Agatha regarded Tulian, her features grew bright and uplifting as the elf's soft voice graced her ears. "Thank you." She firmly said, patting Tulian once on his shoulder, "Yes, we will find them even if it's the last thing I do!" The burning embers in her brown irises confirmed that she truly meant what she said, "It means a lot to me, Tulian, it really does. Once Elaina wakes up, I'll introduce you to each other." Elves, humans, it didn't matter really, Agatha welcomed all who were capable regardless of race or species. Actions and attitude should decide how one would be treated, not race and appearance.

Up next, came Alexa's answer, "I see, Alexa. It's alright." Agatha wasn't disappointed, in fact, she expected Alexa to refuse as the brunette knew she's also looking for her friends. "Good luck to you too, I sincerely hope you find your friend, smite that bloodsucker scum, and return safely." Agatha waved back, "Should I find the Lughanta and my crew first, we'll help you find her!" Yes, they were all in this together.

After Alexa went off, Agatha turned to Lyra, "Many thanks, Lyra, yeah... that'll be a good place to start. Let's begin with our companies first, then the Veldarilts." Hopefully with the combined network of the Mauritania and Nightingale families, they'd find solid information on the whereabouts of the unique red airship and her crews. "Now then, let's g-... yes?" Feeling a tap on her shoulder, the twintailed woman turned around to find one of the ex-slaves speaking to her, bringing up a good point, "Ah yes, you're right." Agatha muttered, glancing at the injured among them, then at Elaina and Wynn's unconscious forms, "Let's go to a hospice and get you all treated. Come on then." The heiress motioned with her right hand as her feet carried her towards the nearest medical institution, paying no mind to the stares and murmurs of bystanders.

As she led the group, Agatha briefly wondered on where Alexa's dark-haired friend and the young Astopolian knight were... the former was most likely already with Alexa, but the latter...? Reuniting with her fellow knights stationed in Riezal maybe? Ah well, they were all safe here, nothing to be worried about.

[/fieldbox]

 

[Skyswimsky]

Collab between @ERode and @Skyswimsky

"..." It didn't matter for Myriel what kind of Airship's were doing there business here, be it to transport civilians or just mere trading, both kinds of ships needed people to handle it, and both kinds of ship would surely have enough space to take a Keep girl to her home. The only problem was actually finding a ship that would make haste towards Astopol, and considering the weather they had the girl couldn't waste too much time without any aim.

She gave a small sigh to herself as she clenched the flagpole, her thoughts shortly wandering off to her sister before she looked around in more detail. All the knowledge she had absorbed could surely serve her.

Indeed, it didn't take her long until she spotted a bunch of chests with the brand of a particular famous Astopolian Restaurant: The Three Colored Swords, famous for it's good food. Regardless, Myriel didn't care too much about the place itself rather than the ship's destination the crates were getting carried onto, which was unmistakingly Astopol.

Not wasting any more time the girl simply pressed onwards, with her flag making her own alignment pretty clear she seeked out one of the crew-members, interrupting him in his work. "Excuse me, I'd like to speak with your Captain."

~

Balancing three crates on each hand, and a seventh on his head, the muscled crew member, draped up in a heavy fur coat, turned around awkwardly as a voice sounded behind him. He was a middle-aged man with a weathered face and a thick, snow-speckled beard. Encumbered as he was, he said, "The Captain's a busy woman, but if you have business, just head on up. She should be on the deck."

After some contemplation, he added, "Better hurry up though, she's gonna be heading down into her room soon, and when she does...yeah...better hurry up."

~

"Thank you." Myriel simply replied, a tad surprised at the monstrous strength the man had. Maybe he used Talentium itself? Not thinking too much more about that, she simply let him do his job, continuing towards the rope ladder to make herself on top of the deck it wasn't a challenge to pick out the captain amongst the people gathered around. Still, to be on the safe side Myriel simply addressed the supposed to be captain as, well, captain. "Captain?" She asked carefully.

~

Sitting cross-legged on an elegant chair was a raven-clad woman with brown-hair and yellow eyes, her lips curled upwards in slight amusement as she watched her men at work. She looked to be eating outside, her hot meal maintained with some sort of runetech device within the table, and when Myriel approached, the captain of the ship cocked her head to the side.

"I don't know you, do I?" A further pause. "You work for Ellenil or something?"

~

"Ellenil?" That name rang a bell in her head, though she couldn't quite make out where she had heard it before, most likely something rather unimportant in one of the many texts she had read.
Regardless, Myriel wasn't in the mood for any long or fancy talk, the burden of her dead sister far from forgotten. "No, we haven't met, though, I get straight to the point. My name is Myriel Lucille Keep and I need to get back to Astopol. I can pay, of course."

~

"Geez, a Keep?" The Captain cocked her eyebrow, before cutting a sliver of meat off her venison steak. "Looks like my airship's practically a ferry now, what with those other randoms a couple days back...and eh, sure. Just don't do anything stupid like sleep in the cargo area. How much are you paying?"

~

"..." Myriel fell silent for a second, asking her for an actual price surely would only mean the Captain would try to haggle? Giving a silent sigh, the girl clenched her sister`s flagpole, she wasn't in a mood for jokes or smalltalk either. "From here to any major Airship port in Astopol it should be 20 coins, no?"

~

"That's only if you're in Astopol. Cross-kingdom fees are 40 coins," the Captain said.

~

Of fucking course, though, not like money was a problem for her and considering she didn't feel like playing her games at all, she simply nodded and paid the price.

 

[ERode]

@Zombehs
As Aki began recounting his story, the young bartender's expression began to change, from curiosity to anxiety. Vampires and Astopolians? That was a volatile enough mixture, but add a Rift Beast to that? Narrowing her green eyes, she replied, slowly shaking her head, "Not as far as I can remember, but…doesn't Yuimas have an Aboveground Fight Club? Or actual guards?"

The Astopolian Knights definitely shouldn't have stood a chance if they were up against that many vampires, but on the other hand…it didn't make much sense at all, how there were so many vampires in Yuimas to begin with. Were the rumors true after all? Or…

@Asuras @Click This
Despite the tension between Lyra and Kanuni, the princess of the Sandakkens nevertheless followed behind the lilac-haired girl as she led the entourage off. As the groups began splitting off, so too did the interest of the bystanders, and soon, it was business as usual in Reizal once more.

Being one of the more prominent branches within the South Illiserev Company, due to location if not size, it did not take too long at all for Lyra to locate a large building with the Mauritania crest emblazoned on the door. Though the two guards at the front of the door originally tensed up in the face of the well-armed Sandakkens, after the heiress flashed her necklace, they were quick to bow and step aside. The receptionist, a bespectacled woman with her hair done in a neat bun, had almost the same reaction as the guards, but the power of the Mauritania name was enough for even the fifth, almost-unwanted, child of the family to get an audience with the man in charge of the branch.

After a few minutes of waiting in awkward silence, the man in charge of the South Illiserev Company's Reizal branch soon showed up down the stairs. A broad-shouldered man with sunken cheeks and dark curls, he removed his top hat and bowed respectfully towards Lyra. "Good afternoon, Lady Lyra Mauritania. I am Tacio Membles. How may I be of service?"

@Warm Regret @Izurich
A doctor was easy to find. A hospital that could fit all those who had only received the most basic of first aid though? Much harder. Ultimately, after finding a healer who was willing to do work before she was paid for it, Agatha and Tulian split off from the rest of their large group in order to search for weaponry and better clothing. As just a couple wearing heavy winter cloaks, they were much less conspicuous or cult-like now, and began to do what every poor person did when they were walking alongside a street filled with stores.

Window shop.

Being a town in which many Combat Butlers and Battle Maids honed their craft, there was no shortage of vendors selling a wide variety of less practical talentium items. Many stores featured rings or necklaces of talentium, while a few others had some really interesting clothing that had thin needles of talentium threaded into them. Not all of them were very practical, of course, but they were all still things to be marvelled at.

Tulian, in particular, was in luck, with the bevy of talentium-soled shoes he could find, from loafers to sandals to boots. None of them were particularly cheap though. As they were designed for servants who could very easily be employed under one of the Illiserevan Big Three, the craftsman had to fuse functionality with beauty, and there was nothing able that looked to be a bargain.

The amount of talentium that was obviously weaponized was even lower. As far as a quarterstaff specialist like Agatha could find, most of her own searching ended up with various ornate canes, some of them containing handles that could be unsheathed to reveal talentium cane swords. Near the end, however, she did come across a seven foot quarterstaff made purely out of talentium, but like most weapons made out of an excess of that miracle-making metal, it was extremely expensive.

Well, while their funds were lackluster, at least they found what they wanted.

@Psyker Landshark
The harbormaster, a bearded man, scratched said beard as Alexa came in, inquiring about Eiros. Shooting her an odd look, he replied, "Eiros, was it? As far as I know, nope. But then again, we don't get many ships from Yuimas, and I don't really make it my business to know the names of everyone who comes in here."

It should have been an answer Alexa expected anyways. After all, Illiserev was a large place, and after that particularly large bloodbath he had left behind, was there really any reason for Eiros to have docked in a town at all?

---

@Skyswimsky
One Day Later
Myriel spent the day on the airship in solitude, staying within her room and never venturing out. After her initial talk with the Captain about fees, the Astopolian Knight Errant found no need to communicate with anyone else. She wasn't hungry or thirsty, and she slept fitfully, until the Captain's voice, resounding from the interconnected pipes within the airship's walls, announced that they would be starting their landing preparations for descent into the mountaintop capital of Astopol: Ansiba.

Soon, there was a flurry of activity, shouts everywhere within the airship, and, fifteen minutes later, the airship gracefully descended upon a grassy plateau kissed by warm sunlight. Without much ceremony, Myriel was shown out of the airship, and soon found herself in a landscape drastically different from the blizzard-scarred landscape of Illiserev. The eternal spring of the Goddess's blessing warmed Myriel's very soul. Butterflies danced, flowers blossomed, and, off in the distance, the white walls of Ansiba stood as a testament to the fortitude of the nation.

 

[Warm Regret]

After a few short exchanges and acknowledgements, the group split up and he and Agatha were alone again. It reminded him of the time they first met back in Braxton Hall, at that time it was only the two of them, until a group of others crossed their paths. So much had happened since then, things Tulian would never have imagined. He truly thought that he, Agatha and Alexa would be sold to slave masters and that would be it…but fate had something else in store for them, for which he was grateful. If the Braxton Hall auction had been allowed to proceed, and knowing what they now knew, there was no telling what would have become of them at the hands of their vampric predators. In the back of his mind, his thoughts drifted to those who had fallen. The mercenary, the slaves, the knightess, the people of Yuminas. Was there something that could have been done differently to save them? In terms of the mercenary, Tulian felt especially responsible.

By the time his mind cleared enough to pay attention to what was currently happening, he and Agatha had finally found someone willing to tend to the wounded. Tulian made it a point to show extra gratitude for the healer who was able to help them out while they were in a tight spot. Eventually, he and Agatha were able to cruise the shopping district for supplies, namely weapons and clothing. At first Tulian was surprised that the small town carried such an assortment of talentium, especially items that were more to his liking but when he found out about the servant academy, it all began to make sense. Most of the jewelry they saw didn't interest him, save for a pair of intricately designed hair pins, earrings with octahedron shaped jewels hanging from them and a pair of loafers that reminded him of the ones he lost. The loafers would be the most familar for him to rely on in battle and of course they were also the most expensive.

There were also things it seemed Agatha had taken a liking too as well or at least things he thought would be useful to her. Looking at the high price tags attached to everything, he sighed. When they had a bit of privacy, he lowered the hood of his cloak to reveal his beautiful elven heritage again. Placing the two hair pins he was admiring earlier into the base of his ponytail at the 2 o'clock mark, he examined himself in a nearby mirror. Brushing some hair from his face, he turned to look at Agatha. "It doesn't seem like we'll find much of a bargain here. Your friend Lyra holds some rank in this town does she not? Perhaps she can help us obtain a few of the supplies we need?" He asked while pulling the hair pins from his ponytail and placing them back on display. Drawing his hood up again he continued. "At the very least, I hope she was able to find out something about your missing airship and crew. Without any leads, it'll be very difficult to begin our journey."

 

[Zombehs]

"Can't imagine most of the guards weren't corrupt in some way, so I doubt there was enough willing to take on dozens of vampires. As for the Aboveground Fight Club… well I think most of them didn't use Talentium and there's only so much training can do…" Araki seemed a bit saddened at the last bit, sighing as he sipped from the flagon again, before he closed his eyes and then continued.

"It was not a particularly loud or unusual sound, but it was impossible to miss and there was just a sense… of wrongness. That things were not as they should be." Unsaid was the fact that his excitement had quickly overwhelmed any other emotion Araki might have felt at the moment. "The sky just sort of cracked like glass before it tore open into a rift black as night. Then the sludge begins to fall. Imagine a night with no stars and if that sky were to fall to the ground, smothering everything in darkness."

"It spread quickly. Yuimas must have been mostly covered in a few minutes, probably less. The sludge moved with a sense of purpose, gathering into large masses to smash down buildings that otherwise might have stood. The Fight Club tavern fell that way… Course, there's no way to hurt the damn thing since it's just a mass of black sludge. Not until one of the Astopolian Knight goes out in a blaze of glory to buy us some time. Literally, she fell to the earth wreathed in flames like a shooting star. Levelled a portion of the city, but splattered the Beast into countless pieces."

"Thing's still alive though… pieces are wriggling about and trying to gather up again, so I left. Hopped on a boat with other survivors and sailed away from the city. By now it's probably pieced itself together already… That's about it really." With that finished, Araki turned his attention to the slightly cooled meal in earnest.

 

[Psyker Landshark]

The harbormaster had been a complete waste of time, and so that left Alexa with very little clue as to where Eiros could have gone. If tracking through official channels wouldn't work, she supposed she would simply have to find a clue the old fashioned way: by asking around the taverns and guilds for any mention of vampires. Of course, asking that Astopolian knightess would have helped, but the girl had disappeared after they made berth and Alexa doubted she'd be in any mood to speak, considering what happened to her sister.

Shaking her head, Alexa began her search in a nearby tavern, only to see Araki sitting down, chowing on a meal. Huh. How fortuitous. Sitting down next to him, Alexa gave the boy a friendly wave.

"Hey, kiddo." She grunted before calling for a meal of her own from the barmaid. "You have anything to follow up on with that little note of yours?"

 

[Zombehs]

The pile of fried meats was almost finished by the time Araki leaned back and sighed in satisfaction. Without any questions to answer, he returned to what remained of his meal in earnest. A few moments passed, and a gust of cold wind told him that the front door had been opened. Nothing of his concern; not until the latest patron took a seat next to him.

He glanced at the familiar face with a puzzled expression as he slowly chewed on the mouthful of food that prevented him from returning her greeting. A few moments later he finished, shrugged, and said, "Not really? The ship sailed off into the open ocean, and it was stuffed full of spirits and ghosts. Probably doesn't need to restock of supplies or stuff like that." He sipped from the nearly empty flagon with a contemplative look, draining it dry before setting it down. "Astopol's probably your best bet? They might actually know something about that vampire, and hell they'll probably let you tag along with whatever crusade they start."

 

[Astoria]

Thankfully for her own sense of pride and honor, Lyra did not have a difficult time finding the local branch of the South Illiserev Company. A familiar symbol on its front was enough for her to immediate identify the building. Lyra was not much to exchange unnecessary words, so upon greeting the guards up front and showing the neckpiece that identified her birthright, she gave bare necessity to remain polite before being shown inside.

Upon greeting the head of the branch, Lyra gave a reserved curtsy to the man. "Good evening, Lord Membles. You are doing well?" The name of the man's resemblance to a far Southern specialty food was lost on her. As with the guards, she was pragmatic and prioritized the more important matters. Not wanting to commit a faux pas, she first introduced the Sandakken princess. Momentarily delaying their request, she was quick to bring word of the unfortunate city and recounted the events in Yuimas, placing emphasis on the kidnapped nobles and most certainly the rift beast. She also made note that Agatha Nightingale's vessel was still missing.

Her storytelling tone was not riveting, but got the point across easy enough as she moved on to make her requests. "I'm sorry if this imposes too much, but in light of recent events, I must make a few requests." She made a gesture toward the Sandakken envoys. "I'm grossly unfamiliar with the city, but an envoy of Sandakke made port along with my vessel. They wish to open a diplomatic channel to Lady Marassi. Is she in town? I also wish relay the news of the loose rift beast personally."

After her talk was all said and done, she had a far more mundane question to ask of him. "Might you also know of a suitable merchant, either within or outside the company for furnishing me with a new staff?"

 

[ERode]

@Zombehs @Psyker Landshark
As Aki elaborated on the arrival of the rift-beast and the destruction that it wrought, the young girl's expression became tenser and tenser. It was all a lot to take in, that an entire city was practically wiped out by the presence of a single rift-beast. She had heard about the artillery rift-beast that attacked a week or so ago, but ultimately, that didn't end up in any significant casualties. To think that this…slime rift-beast swamped an entire city and was still alive…

This was pretty big news, wasn't it?

Another patron came in, a woman draped in the same cloak as Aki, who immediately began to grill him for answers after ordering a vegan salad. Strange choice for someone who looked like she enjoyed her morning beer a lot, but, well…

"As far as vampires go," she said, leaning in, "Rumor has it that there's a lotsa them in the Archipelago. Lotsa uninhabited islands and all that. And Astopol can't really crusade in Illiserev without permission, so…"

The girl trailed off, mulling in her own thoughts.

@Click This @Asuras
Tacio Membles scratched his bare chin as Lyra recounted her tale. Vampires during a slave auction in Braxton Hall, and not a single guard moving to interfere? And, moments afterwards, a rift-beast attack that decimated the city? Or, more importantly, the fact that many of the slaves came specifically from Cykes, after a vampire attack, or were nobility? As far as the Braxton family went, this was a really dire situation, wasn't it? If news got out of the connection, Illiserev may soon have Dansila and Astopol breathing down its neck.

Nevertheless, for all of his personal thoughts on the subject, Tacio was but an employee underneath the Mauritania family. Dipping his head, he said, "Lady Marassi is indeed in town. I shall send a messenger to notify her of these circumstances, and prepare a carriage as well. As for the staff, it shouldn't be too difficult to procure a new one within a day."

He motioned towards the furlined chairs and oak table within the lobby. "For now, please, take a seat. Tea will come shortly."

---

After ten minutes of what looked to be intense crystal ball communications, the curly-haired manager confirmed the meeting with Larota Marassi, and Lyra and Kanuni found themselves riding in a fancy carriage to the mayor's house. The remaining Sandakkens returned to their ship, trusting their princess to care for herself if some sort of treachery was involved. A comfortable ride passed, before the carriage stopped at tall building west of town.

Four stories high, it overlooked much of the rest of Reizal, and looked more like a tower than a home, what with its stone walls and iron doors. Just a few blocks away from Reizal's School of Servitude and Security, it gave off a stalwart vibe that didn't change once the oak doors were opened up to reveal the interior. Bare stone floors and basic wooden furniture was all that was present, and a freckled maid, sweeping the steps, lead them up the stairs to the office of the mayor of Reizal.

At the very top, the air was chilly enough that breath turned white. Entering the single room at the top, the two were greeted by a woman with graying hair, tied up in a practical bun, and a rather ornate eyepatch. Dressed in a fine suit, she stood up from her seat and offered a hand to shake. "You two must be Lady Mauritania and Princess Jadar. What news do you bring?"