Shattered Horizon IC

[Ehb]

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Joining the other two, an additional woman came fourth. Judging by this person's immediate looks and disposition, it seemed like she was in the company of the other Astropolian. But, if there was any doubt into who the two exactly were, then those doubts were immediately dispelled just by seeing the blonde haired knightess take a seat. She seemed to speak with a haughty impatience.

"Get on with it girl, I don't have the patience to listen to your hyping. Let us be the judge of what we're expected to do."

Elain'e mouth curled up a little in bemusement. This woman seemed as purebred as they came.

"I see the knights are about the same as ever. That training is certainly quite standardized, considering you all seem so standardized in the way you make conversation."

After the immediate quip, Elaina's expression went back to being plain and stoic.

"But sure. As you wish. At the very least, you three seem to be in the same kind of tactical niche. I can appreciate that uniformity, if anything else."

Leaning forward, she briefly explained the situation in summary.

"I have an associate who's been kidnapped and taken in by slavers. Mind you, she isn't an elf or anything like that, she's an unfortunate merchant girl who's become a princess of sorts that needs saving. The uncouth bunch who have taken here do not care who they throw into those cells so long as they can make a quick stack of gold off of them. I worry for my friend, considering the only use most people will find in her is for those nighttime pleasures....

But I digress. In short, I need to get her out. And, in return for their insult to me and my friend, I'm looking to see as many of their so called 'product' escape as well. I'm certain my associate isn't the only one who's been wrongly kidnapped. But honestly, the latter is optional. All we're paying you for is to get that one girl out safely."

Elaina leaned back, and began to thoughtfully arrange the plate and utensils in front of her. With the general background out of the way, she could move onto the general outline of what they were expected to do.

"The plan is simple. Start some chaos, and use said chaos to district the guards while I ensure the release of my associate. We make our way out via the Flementine Tunnels that run under the city, but over the sewers. The entrance to one should be in the building. You can take any alternative escape route you wish. But, if you want to get paid, I need you to do well in the distraction part, and appear at an agreed location later on to get paid."

Finished with arranging the things in front of her, Elaina looked at the three.

"So that is it in a nutshell. By the looks of things, you do have Talentium equipment on you all, which should make short work of any cages or things needed to break into the compound. I'll have to infiltrate a different way in when the action starts, to get straight to my associate. In the chaos, I'll extract her out safely."

With so much to say, Elaina let herself have a breath before closing.

"So with all that said. Are you in or are you out? I'm not allowed to tell you who exactly I'm employed you. Bust rest assured, I'd imagine the payment we can come up with for her safe return will keep you satiated for quite a time, and those slavers are kind of jerks in the first place, so you can call it working towards the common good or something like that."

How would they respond? In the backdrop of the ambient chaos of the tavern, Elaina waited their answers and reactions.

@Skyswimsky @Wayward Killjoy @Asuras
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[MagusOfTheScales]

Jacts sat down begrudgingly at her request, sitting at the edge of the table next to the wall. Hundreds of different things could have flown out of his mouth at the downright rudeness from whatever patron he was listening to. She was a rather fiesty young thing and that got on his nerves ever so slightly, because fiestiness was only as well as long as it didn't come across arrogant and rude, which it did. Of course, she tried to make it seem as possibly out of their league with the way she tossed out her words and tried to make it seem like "outnumbered" was something someone of Jacts' profession had any aversion to. The introduction of one more woman to this group, one more woman with a mouth that shouldn't be talking so rudely, caused him to become visible with frustration. Things like this were supposed to be simple, not convoluted by one person showing up after the other to take the job like it wasn't going to dampen the pay.

The description of the job... was simple enough to tell the truth, and wasn't something Jacts hadn't done before to some extent... he just didn't have to keep up with knightesses and maids with tongues sharper than their wits. Someone enslaved that didn't deserve it, even if, slavery itself was an abomination in Jacts' eyes. The course was to rescue via a distraction that was likely to be taking place in multiple areas with three people trying to take the job, while the maid procured the prize. The only issue was it was quite obvious the woman could run off without paying him if he got held up in any fashion... but it looked like the only job here so it was in his best idea to go with it.

"It's a job, I can tell you that." He said, speaking up, putting his elbow on the table and resting his chin in his palm, quite nonchalantly, communicating he found the job boringly simple. "I'll be quite honest, prison break types aren't typically my thing considering how badly they can go wrong, and believe me when I say that in this town a job like this will most definitely somehow go wrong. However, if the pay is as well as you say I could lend my services without a problem." He explained, casting a sideways glance at the two Keeps, one that communicated curiosity if not also disdain. "My equipment and supplies are up in a room I rented for tonight, I might have a few things that could do us well in the terms of utility, in case you want to be a little more covert up until the time of a distraction."

Jacts smirked as he sat back an stretched his arms upward with a small yawn before putting his elbows back on the table. "I'm not exactly covert however, so if you're wanting quiet you're going to need to do it yourself. If you need loud then I'm your man, same goes for good ol' crushing power." He explained smiling before chuckling out "Just don't think I'm your average over-sized lug, please, I'm not brutish, even if I seem so."

@Ehb @Skyswimsky @Asuras

 

[Skyswimsky]

Myriel didn't really mind the behaviour of her employer considering their circumstances. If she was looking for people being hired in a terrible place like that there was no way that she wouldn't be though in one way or another, regardless of how cute she looked. Before the Astopolian Knight Errant could reply however her older sister cut in and, with her more-or-less pushy behaviour, made it clear that she would be the one making the decision of getting the job done or not.


Regardless, Myriel now sat down as well before listening to the ginger's briefing. Slavery, of course, now it made sense! It wasn't exactly outlawed in Astopol, and being a Knight Errant she still had to respect the laws of other countries - safe a few exceptions. Sex slaves were one such exception and reason enough to get the younger Keep motivated. It still felt weird though - that by freeing slaves - it was them who were the bad guys.


"I'll do it." Myriel replied, she didn't put too much thought into getting paid or becoming 'famous' in this shit-hole, no, it was simply the right thing to do and it was her job to deliver justice. There was just one little thing that gave her some doubt considering how well-informed the maid seemed. Of course, the young girl kept those doubts to herself. "No human being deserves such vile treatment." She added, now looking at her older sister rather than their employer, hoping she would join this mandatory duty of justice.

@Wayward Killjoy @Ehb @Asuras

 

[ERode]

"Oh, this was curious indeed."

"Shall I call off the auction then, my Master?"

"No need. Just extract her when necessary."

"As you command then."​

@Zombehs @Ehb @Click This @Wayward Killjoy @Skyswimsky @Asuras
A trumpet sounded throughout the snow-laden streets of Yuimas, a high-pitched note that wasn't beautiful but was certainly attention-grabbing. At the front gates of Yuimas, a portly, middle-aged man, with lavishly wasteful clothing and too many jeweled rings, hollered out loud. "Ladies and gentlemen! I, Erantus Morcheba, am happy to announce in the steed of Lord Braxton, that the Yuimas Biweekly Slave Auction is now open!"

As if they had been waiting for that exact moment, a large procession of people gathered up in front of the gates, quickly forming a crowd of drunk leering idiots, rich overconfident merchants, and elegant well-dressed aristocrats. It was a large enough crowd that soon, most of the guards that patrolled the perimeter had to assist those at the gates, ensuring that every patron of Braxton Hall is processed efficiently. Many who looked too poor or too drunk received the blunt end of a spear, sending them reeling. Aristocrats, flanked by well-armored guards, pushed through the unwashed masses and got preferential treatment, allowed in with minimal fuss as they exchanged a few coins to the guards. For the rest, it was definitely going to be a decently long wait.

Upon getting past the outer wall, the reception at the inner courtyard of Braxton Hall was much more relaxed. The auction still hadn't started yet, with wealthy and unwealthy people alike picking up numbered signs or relinquishing their weapons to the guards. Each weapon was lined up against a rack by the oaken double doors that led to the interior of Braxton Hall, and a few well-dressed maids were striding about, offering small cubes of fine cheese, or glass of blood-red wine. Another announcement was soon hollered out by Erantus, declaring that the first row of slaves will be displayed within twenty minutes.

Inside the hall, many have already settled down in their seats, the center and front rows being the ones that were most crowded with people. Interestingly enough, there were a disproportionately large amount of good-looking individuals within this crowd, attended to by equally striking servants. Today's slave auction must really be high-quality, for all these unknown nobles to be popping up, ready to flaunt their wealth. Guards lined the wall of the circular building, common mean with hardened leather armor and Talentium spearheads fastened to oak staves. The only armed individuals within the large hall, the guards nevertheless looked a little bit nervous. Perhaps they were cowed by the aura of authority that many of the guests had, or perhaps they were just new to the job.

Regardless, Braxton Hall was open, and people were coming in, slowly filling up the seats available, some even opting to just stand on the walkways. There was still time before the auction, for people to come in and sit down, but that window of opportunity was shrinking by the minute as the flood continued to press against the gates.

@Psyker Landshark @Izurich @Warm Regret
The rumbling of hundreds of people above could be heard even in the underground prison cell Alex, Agatha and Tulian were in, signalling that the auction was about to happen soon. As if on cue, the door to their cell clicked, as a helmeted guard with indistinct features opened the door with a creak. With one hand on the sword to warn against any risky movements, he gestured for the three to get out, where they joined a line of other enslaved women of varying beauty. Though it may have been tempting to eventually break out of the line and try for an escape, as there were no chains or magical bonds that tied them together, as Alexa followed the others up the stone stairs, she saw a familiar face.

Long black hair and sharp eyes. Eiros Kiluma, the vampiric mage that had trumped her first attempt at escape with almost playful ease. Only then did she notice a distinctly supernatural presence, sensing the magical pressure of an unseen ghost on her shoulders.

It looked like, at the moment, escaping wouldn't be an easy feat at all.

Eventually, the line of women ended up in a large wooden room, lit up by ghostly flames. The sounds of chatter was stronger now, as if they were but a single floor below the Main Hall. Five delicate human-sized birdcages, adorn with whimsical engravings and brass flowers, stood before the group, and in front of that was the fat, overdressed Erantus Morcheba, trumpet still in hand. Two rugged guards flanked him, steely eyes trained upon the slaves with fire still in their eyes.

"Well then," the slave trader said hoarsely, wiping his brow with the back of his hand, "I'll make it clear to all you cattle. Five cages, one for each person. Appeal yourselves and you may get a rich master. Don't do that and maybe you'll just get your brains fucked out by a sailor on his payday, before getting dumped in a ditch to die. It's a win-win if you work with me here, yeah? I don't give a shit about the poorfags either."

He nodded, satisfied at the lack of responses, before beckoning a few in the crowd of slaves to step in.

"You all got ten minutes to figure out your routine, so stop your crying, unless you want a really sadistic master…though those are my repeat customers, seeing how they damage their goods so often, so actually, go ahead!"

With a sneer and a laugh, he clapped his hands twice, and disappeared.

Now, there were but two guards, an unknown amount of ghosts, and a whole lot of weaponless slaves.

 

[Warm Regret]

The commotion upstairs signaled the start of the auction and Tulian temporarily craned his head upwards to ponder what was happening above him. It didn't take long before the door to their cell swung open and they were lead out to join the other slaves who overwhelmingly appeared to be female. Tulian took note of the different expressions held by each of them, the collective weight of their circumstance was almost too much for him to bear. He joined the others and walked single file to the holding area, taking note of the armed guard and ominous presence that seemed to be all around them. It wasn't that long ago that he was talking of escaping with Alexa and Agatha and somehow becoming free himself in the process but the more they lingered there, the more he could see their odds of such a thing slowly fading away.

Standing near Alexa and Agatha, Tulian remained silent when the boorish slave master known as Erantus Morcheba addressed them. Tulian was familiar with him, perhaps more so than the others. He and Reingard had often done business with each other and Tulian was sure he had caught a glimpse of him once or twice when he visited Reingard's manor. The auction process was explained to them and Tulian took note of how nervous some of the more fragile slaves reacted to Erantus's threat. When Erantus took his leave, Tulian turned to face Alexa and Agatha somewhat worriedly. "If we're going to escape, we need to come up with a plan quickly but from the looks of things, I fear any attempt to free ourselves at this point, will do more harm than good. There are armed guards we have to contend with and they probably fight using talentium, which puts us at a severe disadvantage. Also, the air is rather heavy here. Something isn't quite right." He said with trepidation.

Taking another quick glance around the room, he finally let his blue and gold eyes resting on Alexa. "Look carefully, Do you see your friend here? What does she look like?" He asked the dark haired girl while looking around again himself. With a sigh, he let his eyes drift back to his cellmates, his hope rapidly evaporating. Suddenly, he pinched Agatha's cheeks a few times, causing them to become flushed and he quickly straightened her hair. They had no make-up or anything to help aid in their looks so he had to improvise. Taking her wrist in his hand, he gave it a slight squeeze and looked at her more seriously than he had the entire time she had known him.

"Listen to me Agatha. Morcheba is a pompous, fat, blowhard but what he said is true. When it's our turn to be introduced to the buyers, you must stand out. If you have any skill at all to make yourself more desirable, anything, do it…do you understand? Your odds will be much better if you can appeal to someone who has money to spend, rather than some pervert hoping to get lucky buying a slave for practically nothing because no one wants them."

@Psyker Landshark @Izurich

 

[Zombehs]

Surprised by the sharp sound, the map snapped taut in Araki's hands as he looked up from it. The voice wasn't particularly hard to notice, but the words were basically indistinguishable given the distance. He had a fair idea of what the announcement was for after he had paid the Fight Club a brief visit though. With the map fresh in mind, it was folded and slipped into his robes before he grabbed the meat pastry from his mouth. He smiled blissfully at the tasty treat, and approached the Hall at a lax pace as he polished off the pastry.

Thus it wasn't really a surprise to see that when he got there the entrance was already blocked off by a massive crowd. Given his height Araki couldn't exactly see what happened at the gates, but from how the crowd moved it seemed the wait would be quite some time. He glanced around a few more times before he ducked into a nearby alley and then used his telekinesis to float just high enough off the ground so he could get a good look at the gate when he peeked around the corner. 'Two, four, six…' There had to be more than a dozen guards at the chokepoint to deal with everyone who wished to attend the auction. In all likelihood they had simply been called up to assist with the event rather than pulled from the guards assigned to the Hall, but it was worth a check to see if holes in the perimeter patrols had been opened.

As luck would have it, the moment he poked a head over the walls showed absolutely no guards in sight on the other side. Araki managed to, with the help of his telekinesis, float over the wall and leave the snow undisturbed beneath him. It was a rather close call as his magic faltered ever so briefly at the odd sensation on the edge of his awareness. He frowned and focused in an attempt to puzzle out the exact nature of the sensation, but it slipped from each of his grasps to understand and comprehend. With a huff Araki gave up for the moment, shook his head to clear to thoughts, and drifted towards the reception at the inner courtyard.

A short distance from where the other auction-goers milled about Araki ceased his telekinesis and trudged the rest of the way through the fallen snow. The need for a numbered sign was considered, but the guards didn't really pay him any attention and he figured there was no point in anything that might cause that to change; it wasn't like he planned to bid in the first place. They didn't think of him as anything more than one of the aristocrat or merchant's kid, and that suited Araki just fine.

One of the first through the double doors when the announcement that the auction would start soon, Araki stilled with a frown. A bump from behind jolted him from his thoughts, but the sensation still lingered as he came to a stop off on the side. His first few glances scanned the actual hall before he began to subtly study the guards the lined the walls. What he might have passed off as the nerves before a big event, Araki couldn't help but find suspicious now. The odd sensation was definitely more intense now, but any attempt to understand it continued to fail and only frustrate him.

His gut didn't scream danger, but there definitely seemed to be something afoot… A hand reached within his cloak and grabbed the coin pouch from the airship captain and crew. It was faint, but there was an unnatural warmth that radiated from within. For the general discomfort and strangeness the orb had wrought on him while on the airship, it was oddly comforting at the moment.

 

[Izurich]

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

"Yes." The brunette returned Tulian's slight disbelief with a warm confident smile, "I believe everyone has rights to be compensated for their work and to be treated as a person rather than an object. Human, elves, it doesn't matter, we're all sentient beings." She was an idealistic person and proud of it, change didn't come by itself, someone had to make the first step. "As I said before, you will be part of my crew. Rest assured, anyone who messes with my crew, messes with me." Agatha reached out her right hand as she firmly patted Tulian's left shoulder, "See? You haven't completely lost your spirit after all, my friend." The road ahead would be difficult, but Agatha expected no less. They would go through it all, together.

Of course, inspiriting speeches were good and all, but actions mattered the most and to realize her dreams, they had to escape this predicament. Their situation turned for the worse as the loud commotion above reverberated all the way through their cell. "....don't tell me..." Brown eyes turned at Alexa then at Tulian, "The auction's today?" As soon as she said that, the metal door opened; a guard sauntered in, ordering the inmates to follow him, making his point clear by the weapon he held. "Fuck..." The young woman gritted her teeth, having no choice but to obey. Leaving the room, the heiress widened her eyes at the rows of female slaves; how many did they capture? Could she find some of her crews among them?

Her hands clenched into fists as Agatha tried her best to keep calm though her heart was beating faster with each passing moment. She tried her best to take note of her surroundings, the slavers didn't shackle or physically bind them in some way so they were either fools or very confident... most likely the latter. As far as she could see, Agatha couldn't find any familiar faces aside from Tulian and Alexa, her crews weren't here... female crews at least. She was no mage, but Agatha had some grasps on the arcane due to her ability using Talentium, thus she noticed the unknown supernatural weight on her shoulders as she stepped up the stairs. She didn't know what it was specifically, but she bet it wouldn't be for her benefit.

Their little journey ended in a wide room with wooden walls, wispy flaming tongues licking at the air, blanketing the space with their ghostly glow. Her eyes turned until they locked onto the adorned cages. "...." The woman breathed in and out, one hand holding her heart; the chattering sounds just above them were occupying her mind, they were prospective buyers most likely. The Nightingales could buy her off but what if her new 'master' was someone who held more power and wealth than her family? The possibility of her being permanently enslaved was there. Tulian's answer to her question regarding a slave's life played over and over in her mind. To think that she'd be sold off as a possession to one of them... despicable and... frightening, yes, she had to admit it, Agatha was afraid.

She narrowed her eyes as the overweight extravagant Erantus made his speech. His words ringing in her ear, cattle? So they were just livestocks to him huh? A bunch of cows ready for sale. In all her life, she never experienced a murderous rage so intense as the one reserved for him. This kind of people was beyond help, he must die for the good of the world, some people just didn't deserve the life they had been given. Not just showed off like some kind of whore, she had to actually appeal to her would-be 'owners', trying her best to get a wealthy master who would treat their pet well or else bought off by a thug who couldn't care less about her life. "F-fuck you...!!" As much as she wanted to scream that out, Agatha knew it'd be suicide.

Ten minutes... ten fucking minutes, she had to do something, anything! Agatha turned her head here and there with rather frantic breaths, her mind struggling to formulate an impromptu plan. She couldn't get into that cage, no... never! "I know..." She faced the blue-haired elf, her chest heaving up and down. " I know!! You are being obvious." She raised her voice at him, he didn't deserve it, but Agatha was too agitated to notice.

Agatha shifted her attention at Alexa as Tulian spoke to her, "Yeah, y-your friend... find her quick, we have to do something." Her shoulders were trembling now, this was a particular situation she never experienced before. Separated from her crew, weaponless, about to be sold as a slave, it was enough to turn the normally proud and brave Captain into a quivering mess. "A-alexa..." Agatha drifted closer to the fellow heiress, "W... we can't let this happen, p-promise me..." She grabbed both of the younger girl's hands, "Whoever gets out first must free the rest. C-contact Lyra or her family, t-they can help..."

"...eh?!" The brunette flinched in a twitchy reaction to Tulian's makeshift attempts at 'make up'. So dumbfounded and confused, she just stared as the elf flushed her cheeks and tidying her long hair. "...?" She raised an eyebrow as he held her hand, giving a puzzling reply to his serious expression. ".........." Tulian would realize the further he continued with his advice, the angrier Agatha became until she wrenched her hand away then literally slapped him with it.

Offended and outraged with a thick coat of fear, Agatha raised her fist in an attempt to punch him, but stopped short; she resorted to grabbing his dress' collar instead, "W-who do you think I am?! I'm not about to parade myself!! I'm not someone else's property!!" She growled at him, baring her teeth, "I... I'm not a slave... I will never consider myself a slave, neither should you!" While he may mean well, it was clear he had struck a nerve. Releasing her grip, Agatha took a step back, staring blankly at the cages, "...I will kill him..." She whispered, "I will tear his fat throat with my own hands...."

@Warm Regret @Psyker Landshark

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[Ehb]

[fieldbox= , red, solid]

It's simple for your own sake, mister.

Was the immediate internal reply to the Male's responses. Though, he was someone she had to keep in relative good graces until their contract was over, so no teasing this time around. Though, by goodness did she find his Mercenary to be ever so slightly off putting. He must've been one of those mercs whom were in that stage where - by having done a few hard jobs, they begin to think there exist categories of jobs that are entirely above them.

The only reason in his mind to take this was probably for the money. As any mercenary should. Still, when you manage to go the extra mile to try to insult your employer, it's about the same as asking 'Put me in the role that will most likely get me killed!'. Elaina didn't see any problem with that actually. If merc was as good as he said, then a suicide role was certainly not a problem for him.

Ah, there were quite a few things Elaina could say. But, this wasn't a decade ago. And this wasn't someone she was going to have to work with for much longer beyond this task of rescuing Agatha. He could act as haughty as he wanted if he did his job at least. If he could help her see this through successfully, then Elaina didn't have much room to complain.


"We'll go through things in a bit more detail on the way there. I'll repeat what we're doing with more and more detail each time, so you'll have it down. As simple as version one looks, that's only the basic overview, for good reason. And sure, as long as your equipment doesn't somehow lead to my Associate getting blown up, or otherwise killed. maimed, or hurt in any way, then it's fine - bring what you need."

"I'll do it."
"No human being deserves such vile treatment."

The girl with the gauntlet seemed to have made her decision to assist. She looked over at her partner.

"So I guess both of you are in then? Very well, thank you all for your assistance."

---

There wasn't much time for down. After hearing a bar patron mention the telltale horn going off in the distance, Elaina decided to move forward as soon as possible. They didn't have to run, but on the way there, she would go over all the minor details. Mostly the fruits of her scouting the slave hall earlier. With it, they were at least able to have a grasp of what the building was like without ever going into it, as well as the available exits to the establishments.

Next, was the visual description of Agatha. Amongst the details of eye and heir color, and being female... the most helpful descriptor were those... obnoxiously... long... twin-tails.

"Additionally,... considering Agatha, she will likely be causing a scene, certainly perpetuated by being in a less than favorable situation. She may go feral and come at you, but she's relatively harmless without that staff of hers. Just do be careful as her fingernails are taken well-care of."




Just around a corner from the auction building. Elaina made the three wait. Getting in one last look at what was going on there before they would begin. Inside the auction house, things were certainly beginning. As Elaina was worrying - there were quite a few people there. The money holding types too. Would one of them be the ones who would buy Agatha?

If Elaina waited, there was a chance that Agatha would be bought. But there was an opportunity in that. She would be much less guarded when taken on the way home. She could extract Agatha after a quick ambush there.

But... at that point, Legally, Agatha would be someone else's property. If that someone who bought Agatha truly knew who she was... then, it would mean trouble for the Nightingales. It was ridiculous, but the scenarios that played out in Elaina's head - after that fact, where grim for the Nightingale Business. In the end, really, Elaina just wanted to rescue her as soon as she could.

---

Coming back around the corner, Elaina regrouped with the other three.

"It looks like things are starting off out there. So the front entrance is looking pretty packed. There isn't going to be much way of going in through there unless it's cleared out. On the bright side, it looks like they've concentrated their employed guards in the main auctioning yard to guard those aristocrats. It's also looking like they invested in some Talentium Spears to make their guests feel extra safe. With all those aristocrats around... and all that money they're bringing around... don't you think this is a great opportunity for a mass hold-up?"

Elaina waved her hands before letting the two two Knight Sisters respond to that suggestion.

"Of course, I don't actually mean this is becoming a robbery. But - those nobles tend to be awful jumpy. So, let's say three very imposing looking people surrounded that crowd at the front gate, and then started to demand money. A couple of things would happen. Firstly, whatever servants they brought to guard them would sally. The nobles themselves would try to rush into the safety of the auction house, and the guards inside would be obligated to respond to the threat outside to protect the nobles."

She paused for a beat to let that all sink in.

"With all the attention turned to the front, I'll sneak around back and hopefully, I can pinpoint my associate and get her out from there."

"The plan is still more or less the same. You're still distracting attention so I can do what I need to. If you can intimidate those nobles enough, then they might just end up stampeding through the auction house. That could create enough chaos for you to break in and free slaves if that part was particularly important to you."


That was Elaina's version of the plan. If the three outside failed, she she would be cornered as she tried to free Agatha. If she couldn't escape, it would be over. The other three had easy avenues of escape - running the opposite direction of the building, as they were starting outside. But - Elaina was obligated to see her Master freed at whatever cost.

"You guys had better do a good job of causing chaos. I was originally going to go this alone - but, I don't think I'd fare too well if a whole bunch of guards came at me while I was trying to protect someone. That's why, I'm depending on all of you. If you guys manage to break in, We'll meet at the tunnel entrance I mentioned further in the building, and exit together. Otherwise, just get out of there and meet the rest of you back at that old tavern tomorrow."

"And of course... use your head when you need to."

"So, you all ready?" She asked them.

@Skyswimsky @Wayward Killjoy @Asuras
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[Astoria]

On the cue of the high-pitched note that signified that opening of the slave market, Lyra Mauritania was one of the hundreds in the crowd that waited their turn to enter the hall. The small-framed noble didn't have the guards or the girth as many of the others had to manhandle her way through to the front of the crowd, but with a bit of magic and well-positioned barrier magic, and bout of lucky weaving through the crowds, was about to match their pace towards the front. Observant enough of the way they acted, even though she was unaware of the custom, she too, paid off the guards up front to expedite her entry inside.

After actually making into the hall, the bustle and hustle of outside was nearly nonexistent, and felt more like a social gathering at the capital instead of the inside of a slave market. Naturally, this could be attributed to most of the people inside being only the wealthy and the noble; the peasants had so far been kept outside. Unfortunately, this also meant tight security, and Lyra had to hand over her staff to the equivalent of a coat check. This was not a big issue, however; her plan entailed no violence, after all. The only snag would be if a person existed that could outbid the coffers of the Mauritania family, and there was little to none that could rival the vast reserves her family had. Even so, Lyra wouldn't even be paying for the cost of purchase; it would be sensible for Alexa's family to bail her ass out of slavery and reimburse the Mauritanias, anyway.

Without much more thought, Lyra made her way to the front rows at a rapid pace, hoping, and managing, to secure a desirable seat towards the front. While a more experienced person might have been unsettled by the odd demeanor and striking appearances of the guests, Lyra's only note of interest was that of all the fantastically garbed, important looking people, she recognized of them. In the end, she passed them all off as more minor individuals on the chain of importance. They probably all just dressed for the occasion. With an almost dismissive pat on her lap, she sat her ass down waiting for the auction to start so she could get the whole thing over with.

 

[Psyker Landshark]

Alexa glanced around frantically, trying to find any sign of Ashe.

"Where is she?" She muttered to herself as she scanned the room, seeing neither hide nor hair of the girl. "Where the hell IS she?!" Her whispers only grew more desperate as Ashe continued to not be present in the room. What the hell had happened to her?! Had something gone wrong? Where was Wynn? There had been no sign of the caustic girl that had accompanied Ashe and herself either, and Alexa's worry only grew.

"Damn it," Alexa hissed at Agatha and Tulian. "Looks like we're going to be the first batch sent up. This screws everything up."

Even as the overweight slave driver spoke, Alexa only had eyes for the vampire that had so easily dispatched her and Ashe during their previous escape attempt, settling for simply glaring at the bastard. As Agatha began to froth in rage, Alexa sighed, laying a hand on her shoulder.

"Relax, Agatha. Worry about finding a way out first, but don't try anything right now. Remember that black-haired bastard on the way in?" A quick gesture at Eiros. "He's a vampire. We're not going to be able to take him down without talentium, and there's no way we're going to find any at the moment. Just keep calm, wait for an opportunity, and get ready to improvise." Alexa said with steel in her voice. She would find a way out. And then she'd come back, get Ashe, and burn this fucking place to the ground.

@Warm Regret @Izurich

 

[Izurich]

Flashback Collab with Warm Regret

[fieldbox=Agatha, Brown, solid]
4 days ago...

It seemed today would be just another dull boring one for the blue-haired Elven slave. Stuck in his cell with nothing to do but wait until the Trading event where he would be handed over to a new owner like some kind of property. At least, the cell was clean, carpeted, and slightly furnished, and he got a few other inmates there to keep him company.

The hours passed... until somewhere in the afternoon, the metal door into Cell Number 6 opened. "H-hey! Don't touch me! What did you do my cre-... aaah!" He could hear a small scuffle before one of the slavers shoved someone inside. The person turned out to be a woman in her 20s with long brown hair tied into twin ponytails, apparently a freshly caught slave judging by her rebellious attitude. Like the others, she was clad a white one-piece dress and nothing else.

She stood up, "Release me at once, fucking scum!" her panting breaths conveyed her exhaustion as she banged at the metal door to no avail.
[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox=Tulian, royalblue, solid]
That bastard Reingard didn't even tell him he had been sold, it wasn't until two seedy looking individuals arrived to the nearly gutted mansion, that Tulian realized what was going on. Honestly, he should have known sooner that something like this would happen. Obviously, something was wrong from the way Reingard was getting rid of his servants, selling off his less desirable slaves for a fraction of their normal price and auctioning off anything else of value. Perhaps Tulian was naïve to think that as Reingard's bodyguard, his position would be upheld but when he felt his wrists being shackled, he quickly dismissed that notion as nonsense. It wasn't all bad, at least he didn't have to spend another night underneath that slob of a man.

It was perfect timing for the slave trade, the big auction was in just a few days and Tulian was sure he would find a new owner by the end of the event. Looking at his surroundings, he was a little surprised at how decent the accommodations were. He assumed his -pampering- was because his captors knew they could sell him at a higher price and it would be impossible to get top dollar for damaged goods. In the beginning, he busied himself by tidying his temporary quarters. Although he was waiting to be sold, he found it a passing reprieve to be in a cell by himself without any master to belong to, however his moment of solitude didn't last very long, as a feisty young woman with brown pigtails was thrown into his cell.

She didn't even notice him at first, as she was so overcome with rage and repeatedly banging on the metal door. "It's no use." He said calmly, when the banging finally stopped. Standing a few feet behind her was a lovely blue haired elf wearing similar clothing. It was a little hard to tell whether or not this beautiful creature was a male or female. "The Braxton Hall Slave Trade is in just a few days and I'm sure our captors are going to keep their finest stock under lock and key until the event begins. You should consider yourself lucky, not everyone in our situation has accommodations as nice as these." There was a despondency in his voice but he didn't look upset at all, it was more like he had given up hope, hope for anything encouraging and had completely resigned himself to his fate.
[/fieldbox]

[fieldbox=Agatha, Brown, solid]
The brunette's outburst was taking its toll on her already tired body, she could only manage a few more pointless bashes on the cell door before she stumbled back. "Ha... ha... Fuck!!" She let out a curse, barely keeping herself upright. So wrapped up in her emotions, she didn't notice the melodic voice behind her until a few seconds after the figure finished speaking. The woman abruptly turned around, her reddish brown eyes in full alert, but soon relaxed after she identified who was speaking to her.

An elf, once an elegant prestigious race, stomped down into servitude and slavery. Agatha took a few moments to examine the blue-haired person... androgynous, possessing both masculine and feminine qualities, but from the obvious lack of... 'mounds' on the elf's chest, she assumed he was male. He was beautiful alright, very much so, just like Elaina really. She knew most of the Elvenkin were seen as attractive by human standards, one of the major reasons why they weren't exterminated during the Talze Utera purge. However, considering they were turned into properties, Agatha wasn't sure if it was a better fate than death.

She sighed, listening to the heterochromic elf's explanation. "Braxton... that shitstain son of a bitch!" Agatha never even thought once in her life, she'd be enslaved in her own homeland. Unlike her, the elf seemed resigned to his fate, but he didn't surprise her, it was a common thing for elves to accept their social status nowadays. She - and her family - didn't agree with the slavery system, but alas, most of Illeserev seemed to accept it.

"*Sigh*... I'm not a slave... I'm not even supposed to be here."She hugged herself, feeling so exposed by her lack of decent clothing, all of her previous clothes were most likely burnt down by the fireball that took her out. If anything, she could get some rest for now. The brunette sat down on an unnoccupied bed, turning her head at the elf. "...I am Agatha by the way, who are you?" If they were going to be cellmates, may as well get to know each other, this elf was a possible ally.
[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox=Tulian, royalblue, solid]
His first impression of the young woman before him was that she was certainly colorful and outspoken, which was probably a stark contrast from his own personality. However, he felt it was refreshing to be around someone so lively. When she mentioned that she wasn't a slave and that she wasn't supposed to be there, Tulian didn't believe her. He didn't think she was lying but that perhaps she hadn't accepted the fact that her freedom was now gone. Before he could comment, she asked for his name, which he offered kindly. "Hello Agatha, my name is Tulian Reing…" He stopped short of giving his full name, he remembered that he was no longer Reingard's property, soon he would belong to someone else, so he corrected himself on the spot. "You may call me Tulian." He said softly.

Walking over to her newly claimed bed, Tulian sat beside Agatha and offered something that could be considered a smile. "Don't worry Agatha, it's not uncommon to reject the idea of being a slave but eventually, you come to accept it." His words weren't exactly encouraging, but they came across so beautifully that it was hard not to accept them as dipped in honey. Looking away from her, he stared at the metal door that kept them prisoner. His blue and gold eyes devoid of any emotion, similar to the stillness of his voice. "If it is of any worth to you, you're very pretty. Chances are you'll be bought by someone wealthy enough to take proper care of you." There was no guarantee in his words but he hoped it would provide her with at least a little bit of comfort.
[/fieldbox]

[fieldbox=Agatha, Brown, solid]
"Nice to meet you too, Tulian." The brunette gave him a small smile. She noticed him cutting off his last name but decided to not question the matter. Whatever the reason may be, she'd respect it and besides, she didn't give her last name either.

After being captured, separated from the crew, shoved into a damp dark wagon, and now, locked up in a cell; Tulian's presence was a blessing, she needed someone to talk to other than shouting slavers. Still, he was a stranger and even though Agatha welcomed him sitting on her claimed bed, the keen elf could sense there was still some subtle tension in the air."Heh..." She sighed with a tinge of morbid amusement, "That is precisely what's wrong with Illiserev, Tulian. Sick people treating others like trade goods. No one should own slaves, No one should accept being a slave either, this whole 'system' is fucked up. "

His beautiful elven tone somewhat soothed her anxiety, quite a change from Elaina's usual attempts at annoying her. That didn't mean she liked what he was implying though. "Hey, thanks for the compliment and I appreciate the effort, but... I don't exactly find myself being used for sex acceptable, if that's what you meant." Agatha put both hands behind her, propping her upper body as she leaned back, "...Curious, was that your role, Tulian? A pleasure slave?" Considering the elf's breathtaking beauty, it was a distinct possibility.
[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox=Tulian, royalblue, solid]
When Agatha expressed her resentment towards the customs of Illiserev, Tulian turned his attention from the door back to her. His soft lips parted slightly and the blue and gold heterochromia in his eyes became more focused on her. It was as close to a look of shock as she was going to get from someone so composed. He was surprised that she disagreed with the beliefs of Illiserev, he had never encountered anyone from Illiserev who were opposed to slavery, well not a human anyway. It was true that he had only just met Agatha but already she was like no one he had met before. Perhaps he was wrong, maybe hope did exist out there, just in unconventional forms. He quickly snapped out of his own thoughts when she continued speaking, asking him about his role as a slave.

Nodding his head softly, his bang of blue hair fell past his left eye, hiding it from view and giving him an even more exotic appeal. "Yes, it began in a brothel here in Illiserev, then I was brought by a slave master by the name of Reingard." His voice was as still as it always was and although there was no apparent emotion on his face, the way he let his eyes drift off into space, made it easy to tell he was bothered. "My body was his to do with what he pleased, he would regularly use my flesh to gain favor amongst his associates or cover debts to those he owed money to. I was also trained to be his personal bodyguard and granted a pair of slippers with talentium properties when serving him in that capacity. I suspect Reingard sold them along with me when his money ran out, so now I find myself here."

Exhaling softly, he turned to look at her again but this time he didn't seem to be so downtrodden with his own life than he was curious about hers. "What about you Agatha, what was your life like before you found yourself here?" He asked politely.
[/fieldbox]

[fieldbox=Agatha, Brown, solid]
"I see... Sorry to hear that... I won't try to sugarcoat it, you had it rough." As it turned out, Tulian was a pleasure slave, nothing shocking about that; it was the 'default' role of Elven servants anyway. Still didn't make it any less screwed up though, hell, even prostitutes got paid by their clients, sex slaves were just there to be used like toys. Agatha huffed, leaning forward as she crossed her arms across her chest. Damn it was cold here especially with nothing underneath her white thin dress. "Ah... so that last name you held was 'Reingard', huh?" She asked rhetorically, "I heard of his family name once before... but no one big I presumed or else I'd know more." The brunette wondered.

"Oh, so you can fight, use Talentium too, hehe..." She was pleased to hear this particular part of his past, very much so. "Excellent, I'll need every help I can get if we're going to bust out of here." Yep, Agatha had zero intention of accepting her fate. "Rest assured, we'll get out of here... somehow, someway..." She tried to act brave, spirited, but her voice trailed at the end. Agatha had doubts, she didn't prepare contingency plans. "...If worse came to worst, my family will send people to rescue me anyway, and when they do... oh boy, these fucking scums will get what's coming for them... and more."

It seemed he was curious about her background, Agatha locked her amber eyes with his pair of blue and gold for a few moments, pondering. Well, she realized she had implied she was more than just an enslaved brown-haired young woman. Telling him wouldn't hurt and if they were going to be allies, this was a solid decision to build mutual trust. 'You scratch my back and I scratch yours' kind of deal. "My full name is... Agatha Nightingale." Likely he already heard the family name, the merchant family who played a major part in inventing the Airship technology and was a big player in the manufacture of vehicles in Illeserev. "Heiress of the aforementioned family." Agatha took a few moments to let the information sink in. "I am, still and always will be, not 'was', a Captain of the Lughanta private mercenary group. My crew was trapped by Yellow Bandanna and his cohorts and long story short, I'm here now... but not for long."
[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox=Tulian, royalblue, solid]
It was an odd feeling for someone to have sympathy for him, he wasn't sure how to react but his mood seemed to get somewhat lighter. He wasn't surprised that she knew who Reingard was. It was a family name known for more notorious reasons but despite the controversy they spawned, they still managed to drudge themselves into the status of being among the 'well known' but not exactly famous. The fact that he was able to fight appeared to be of particular interest to her and she quickly voiced her desire to escape. "Bust out?" He repeated, looking at her with a somewhat confused visage. He wasn't sure how something like that would be possible but it seemed to cheer Agatha up so he let her go on about wanting to escape.

Eventually, Agatha shared her last name and a fanciful story about being captain of an airship and winding up a slave after being caught in an ambush by sky pirates. Tulian found it all very entertaining but he didn't believe a word it. The Nightingale family was known all throughout Illiserev. It was absurd to think that the heiress of such a prestigious family would be sharing a cell with him, waiting to be sold as a slave. He thought maybe she bumped her head, for she really seemed to believe her story. Once again, he decided not to refute what she was telling him, perhaps it was something she needed to do in order to cope. "Well Ms. Nightingale, I'm sure someone will be coming to rescue you soon. I'll keep you safe until then." Taking her hand in his, he gave it a light pat before standing.

"We should get some rest, it's late and you've been through a lot today. Let's talk more in the morning ok." He said with a light nod before retiring to his own bed for the evening.
[/fieldbox]

[fieldbox=Agatha, Brown, solid]
Elves were famous for their enigmatic reputation, there was a saying one should never verbally argue with an elf lest one'd be sorely humiliated by their rhetoric, keen senses and stoic poker faces. Agatha knew this firsthand from her elven maid, Elaina just knew how to push her buttons, this stereotype held true with Tulian. The heiress couldn't notice the male elf was weaving a white lie in his attempt to empathize with her. "Much appreciated, but we should try to find an opening by ourselves instead of waiting, the sooner the better." His gentle touch on her hand brought much needed comforts to her mind, "After all this is done, you will have a place in the Lughanta as my crew, a paidlegitimate job. We always need someone capable like you."

She nodded, "Yeah... I'm tired too, let's think tomorrow." a clean cell, an actual bed, and some scant clothes; she found herself agreeing with what the elf said earlier, things could've been worse.

The next morning...

The pair of human and elf were disturbed by the grinding sounds of a metal door sliding open. "Wake up, slaves!" If they weren't fully awake, that particular loud shout would jumpstart their half-asleep minds. Two heavily-armed guards and a robed man entered the Cell. The shout came the taller guard, his dark eyes scanning over the two finest stocks around."Heh... a pretty elf." He grinned as his eyes raked on Tulian's form, "The bitch ain't half bad either." then moved onto Agatha.

Agatha tensed, turning her eyes at Tulian then back at the three slavers. What were they going to do with her?

"Alright, puppies, time for your bath." He snickered, "Take off your clothes and stand in front of the mage there. Embarrassed? Tough shit, we have to keep our goods clean, you know." The male elf's multicolored eyes were placid as expected, but he noticed the human female widening her eyes in shock.

"N... no!! I won't let you touch me!" She even had the audacity todefy orders too, that could only mean one thing.

"...You're a new one aren't cha, bitch?" He stomped to Agatha then overpowered her, using one big hand to grab her dress then yanked her up, "Let me get one thing straight, girlie. You're a slave, a property, a trading goods, you don't get to decide anything anymore unless your owner lets you."

"...K-kuh..." Curse this man, if only she had at least her Bo, or a weapon at least! "G-go... fuck yourself..." Going against her better judgement, Agatha let her bravado took charge.

"Oh~ a feisty bitch we have here, that's good, some peeps like them resisting." Without further ado, he ripped apart Agatha's dress with both hands, then immediately grabbed the brunette's shoulders, turned her around so her back was facing him, and finally moved his hands to pin her wrists behind her back; exposing Agatha's clothless form to everyone in the room. He forced her forward, positioning her besides Tulian who had most likely already followed his order to strip. "...Alright, bitch, I give you a choice, clean up yourself or do we have to do it for ya?"

"Nmmmgh...!" Her furious blushes and angry face goaded the men more, Agatha perfectly knew she couldn't resist here. How humiliating, forced to show her nude form like some kind of whore. She futilely tried to release her wrists for a moment then sighed, "...F-fine, I'll do it myself..."

"Heh, gotcha." He promptly released the brunette then stood beside the other guard once more, "To be honest, I was expecting her to choose otherwise." He waved a hand at the mage, "Go ahead, clean these slaves up."

The mage nodded without a word, raising both hands, his palms were brimming with a bluish energy. He manipulated the moisture around both slaves, conjuring two gentle streams of water flowing from above each of their heads, essentially a shower powered by magic.

Gritting her teeth, Agatha curbed down her embarrassment and tried her best to ignore the watching guards. Her hands worked on scrubbing her body, "...Tulian... tell me..." she whispered at him, "Things will get much worse than this, aren't they?" The answer may be obvious but she still wanted to hear it.
[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox=Tulian, royalblue, solid]
When their rest was disturbed by the 3 slavers, Tulian opened his eyes slowly, his blue and gold gaze melancholy and dull. When they were ordered to rise for the purpose of bathing, Tulian did as he was told without opposition. Standing near Agatha, he looked away when one of the slavers made mention of his looks, hiding his disgust behind a temporary veil of royal blue hair. He raised his eyes to meet Agatha's, who he sensed was becoming uneasy. However, Tulian didn't look at all bothered and hoped that by remaining calm, it would help ease Agatha's anxieties. Soon they were ordered to undress and although he imagined it must have been degrading to Agatha, Tulian once again tried to ease her into the situation by loosening his gown and letting it cascade off his shoulders. He tossed the garment aside without a fuss, revealing his naked form to everyone in the room. Although feminine, he was unmistakably male.

His skin was smooth and toned, giving him the defined and supple figure that one would expect from a dancer. Unfortunately, Agatha was still uncomfortable with the idea of bathing in front of strangers and the tense situation escalated as one of the slavers got more physical with her. "Don't hurt her." He said quietly, holding his hands to his chest, his eyes softened as well, but his plea was ignored as the clothes were ripped from her body. When the slaver gave her an ultimatum, Tulian whispered to her. "Don't resist them Agatha, it'll be all right." He was glad that she eventually agreed to the bathing process. Once the magic had been cast and the cool water had begun to rain over them, Tulian glanced in Agatha's direction to make sure she was ok before proceeding to gracefully clean himself. Finally, he pulled at his long azure hair, cleaning it as best he could when he heard Agatha whisper to him about things getting worse.

Not wanting to give his fellow slave false hope, he answered Agatha truthfully. "Yes…" He whispered. "But you can make it easier on yourself if you don't resist them." Still not believing that they had any hope of escape or that Agatha was from the well-known Nightingale family, he was certain that no one would be coming to rescue her and so he continued with his warning. "You must remember to obey your new master as well. Someone will surely purchase you at the auction in a few days and Illiserev masters are not so kind to slaves and servants who disobey their masters or talk out of turn." He spoke like someone who had already been broken. "I won't be able to protect you after you're sold Agatha…promise me that you'll do your best to stay out of trouble, ok?" He said while turning to face her now, a fair bit of compassion in his listless eyes.

[/fieldbox]

[fieldbox=Agatha, Brown, solid]
Letting strangers watching her bath, this was the most humiliating act she had ever done in her entire twenty four years she spent on this world. Unlike Tulian who was calmly cleaning himself, it was clear Agatha wanted to get it done as soon as possible, her trembling hands frantically scrubbing away at her body with a tad too much vigor, driven by her rage at this travesty. She turned her blushing face away from the one guard who made no attempt to hide his perverse glee in watching two slaves showering in front of him. Tulian was the only individual here who could provide her with some comfort... at least she wouldn't suffer through this alone.


"...*Sigh*..." An obvious answer to an obvious question, but hearing it with her own ears still hurt. She refused to believe this was going to be her life from now on, but... if it was, then she didn't know what to do. No, her family wouldn't allow it, worse came to worst, the Nightingales would buy her freedom, then she'd work on finding missing crew, including Elaina of course. "...I know that, but... I can't... these people... to obey them... aaaargh..." No use arguing, Tulian was just trying to help her in his obedient slave kind of way. Thinking about it, the male elf's words made her curious about a particular topic, one she seldom touched due to her revulsion to this fucked up part of Illeservian culture. She'd ask him later, better finish the bath for now.

Soon, the magical shower died down then the slaver-mage moved on to 'drying' them with an improvised version of a sauna. He increased the temperature around Tulian and Agatha, vaporizing the water into moisture. Not too hot,, not too cold, pleasantly relaxing really. "Ah..."Agatha let out a small sigh, a small comfort for the ordeals ahead.

"Alright, little slaves, good job!" The loud guard clapped his gloved hands in an obvious attempt to mock them, "As a reward for your good behavior, we'll give new clothes." His partner put a pair of identical simple white robes on one bed for them to take later, "Also, we'll send your meal in about... one hour." He snickered, "Until then, be good bitches and stay here, well... not like you can leave anyway, hahahahaha!" His guffaw was the last thing the enslaved pair heard before the slaver trio went out of the room, the metal door clanging shut then locked, trapping them both in their cell.

".........." Agatha was trembling, limbs tensing, she was this close from screaming out her frustration and went on a rampage at the room. In the end, she swallowed it all down, moving to grab the clothes instead. She gave one to Tulian then dressed herself. "Fuck them, fucking piece of shit..." Agatha growled, she sat down with a long frustrated sigh on the bed. She closed her eyes, holding back her tear ducts, to cry was to show weakness and she wasn't a weakling. "Fuh..." Agatha took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, "Ha..." then exhaled; it somewhat worked, she was calm enough to follow up on the topic she thought earlier, "Tulian, so... tell me, let's say that... someone buys me, what will they do to me? How will my day-to-day life look like?"
[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox=Tulian, royalblue, solid]
While personally he found it refreshing that Agatha was so headstrong, it also worried him given her situation. He could just imagine her disobeying her new master and being punished repeatedly. He didn't know her that well but she seemed like a decent person, unlike most people he had come in contact with. Her strong spirit was attractive to him, perhaps because his had wilted into almost nothing. Although he hated what happened to him at the hands of the humans, he recognized that it wasn't Agatha's fault, so he found no enjoyment in her being subjected to a life of slavery. After he had finished washing his hair and body as best he could, the mage had changed the spell so that he and Agatha were warmed by a magical light, it was soothing but fleeting, he wished it had lasted longer.

Rolling his hands and arms through his damp hair, he let it cascade down his back and fall over his shoulders, now almost completely dry and refreshed. Once again, he looked like he could pass for a lovely elven female. If he weren't completely naked, it would keep most people guessing what his true gender actually was. Soon the slavers left him and Agatha alone again, much to Tulian's relief. Thankfully they were presented with new clothes, which Agatha fetched for them. Tulian instinctively helped Agatha with her robe first before dressing himself. Shortly after dressing, he made a small fuss over Agatha, making sure her hair was a neat as it was before the bathing process and that her robe fit just right. He stroked her arms lightly as he felt she was trembling, mouthing off expletives as one would expect from a pirate, however he hoped that a sympathetic touch would ease her frustrations.

Once Agatha had calmed down, she sat on her bed and asked Tulian about what she should expect when purchased by her new master. Standing over her and stroking her hair, Tulian looked down at her with beautiful blue and gold eyes that were nearly depleted of any of their former shine. "It's hard to say but I think you'll be treated fairly." He began softly. "The slavers here are providing us with above average accommodations. I still believe that is because they will try and sell us to the highest bidder. Most people who pay top dollar for a slave won't abuse them unless they have to. They will tell you the rules and the consequences for breaking them. You will most likely be expected to tend to your new master's whims, whatever they may be. You could be expected to cook and clean…" He looked away briefly with his eyes staring off into space. "…or provide… more physical services for your master."

Looking at her again, he continued. "Are you able to fight? Your new master could be in need of a personal bodyguard as well. If you are sold at a high price, your master will probably want to get as much use out of you as possible." He didn't mean to make her seem like a thing rather than a living being but the reality was that's how she would be perceived.
[/fieldbox]

[fieldbox=Agatha, Brown, solid]
"Heh." Agatha wasn't expecting the male elf to help her get herself settled even before wearing his own clothes, but she welcomed it nevertheless, it somewhat felt like being helped by Elaina. As he was assisting her, her attention was drawn to Tulian's androgynous form, he truly was beautiful; it didn't shame her to admit she liked the sight, she was a sexually healthy female after all. Alas, their circumstances made pursuing such pleasures improbable and besides, no offense to the elf, but there was someone else in her heart... a certain fellow heiress with lilac hair and pretty purple eyes.

The brunette sighed on the bed while Tulian fixed her hair, tying them back in signature usual twin ponytails style. "Hey, thanks..." She scooted closer to him, using his warmth to ease her fears while he kept stroking her brown locks. "Heh... that's rather ironic." Being a slave in itself could be called anything but fair, the notion of her being treated fairly as someone else's personal property was absurd, but she understood where he was coming from. "For sure, those bastards wanna get some fat cash by selling people, conscience be damned."

She narrowed her eyes as he listed her possible roles in slavery, "Cooking and cleaning... like a maid, huh?" Only that she would get no pay or even respect, next up was the one she expected (and worried) the most,"...Right, that one, sigh..." and the last one was quite interesting really."Yeah, I can, but I imagined arming a slave with weapons was one sure way of getting yourself killed..." then she looked at Tulian's lusterless eyes, "...unless they're sure the slave is completely obedient." Agatha gestured for him to sit beside her, "Thanks for the info, Tulian. All the more reason to remove this... 'system' from existence." One day, it'd come true, she'd make sure of it.
[/fieldbox]

@Warm Regret

 

[Skyswimsky]

"You want us to make a commotion, a fight even, around the front gate?" Either this maid was deluded, or she hold the three of them in very high esteem. In the end however, she would probably like to see them dead. After all, that way, her master wouldn't need to pay and they would have done their job regardless. Still, in Myriel's eyes this was suicide. She didn't know what the mercenary stranger was capable of but she doubted he was stronger than her older sister, at least not that much to make the difference.

Still, the maid wasn't entirely wrong, they had to cause a commotion, one way or another. Taking a look at the entrance Myriel shook her head. "I'm not so sure about that, maybe we should split. I, for one, will go inside. Maybe.... Maybe I can take some bigshot hostage." With those words she pressed her own Talentium Sword onto her sister. "Take care of that for me." Then again, it didn't matter too much, after all, the blade wasn't anything special or fancy, unlike her Talentium Gauntlet which she sure they would not take.

Taking the initiative Myriel made her way towards the gate, personally she would have liked to communicate more about a...better(?) plan than what they had currently going, but surely it would work out...somehow. A small sigh escaped from her as she approached closer and closer, shaking her head she whispered. "It's alright Myriel, you can do it. Justice will prevail."

Just like Myriel thought, she was coming clean off the security check, without her sword and a piece of armour, as dubious as a single gauntlet may be, not being threatening in any way, she soon made her way into the inner halls. Once there, the girl was actually surprised how posh everything seemed, though thinking about it for a second it did made sense. Having been victim to mandatory 'how to behave as a noble Keep woman' classes too, Myriel had actually no trouble blending in. Having been to late however, it was a drag to get closer and closer to the place where the main action would take place, a place to sit down was completely out of the question, but that just gave her more valid excuse to lurk very close to the front. After all, the girl did plan to get into action once an opportunity would arise.

@Ehb @Asuras @Wayward Killjoy

 

[Asuras]

Slaves. That was the magic word for Benedicta. Their wayward quest was now, in her mind, reducible to a noble act. She would help. The knightess leaned forward in her seat and nodded between Elaina and Myriel.

"Though far less dangerous than what I had expected, it seems a reasonable enough request. Consider us hired for the job," she said. Benedicta nodded to Myrield in agreement. "Indeed, to be considered property is unacceptable. Had I the power and authority, Astopol would not simply idle by while such a market continued in this world." She stood up and fixed her clothing and armor, prepping for work. Benedicta lifted her wrapped flagpole onto her shoulder, paying no mind of who it might have bumped along the way.

At the sound of trumpets, her attention shifted dutifully. Benedicta listened... and planned. Though the maidservant had her own ideas on what to do, Benedicta wasn't about to forgo the easiest option; outright slaughter. Frankly, as far as she was concerned, the people who attended that auction were all guilty of the same thing. And thus far... the maid hadn't yet forbidden killing anybody.

As they convened around the corner of a nearby building, Benedicta impatiently tapped the flagpole with steel gauntlets. Holding up the crowd seemed pitifully misguided; what would lead any of them to believe that two Astopolian knights and a thuggish mercenary were inclined to rob them all? Why would they even be working together in the same place? She eyed the crowd.

"Why not simply attack the guards? That will certainly lead them out. It will mire our reputation far less as well," she said impatiently. As Myriel bestowed her sword upon her, Benedicta seemed surprised and confused. She wasn't a Talentium-user, Myriel knew that! She gave only a blank gaze to her sister as she resolved to go inside herself.

"I suppose it's up to us," she said, turning to Jacts, "But between you and me, you'd be better off frightening them."

 

[MagusOfTheScales]

The iron-clad Juggernaut mercenary gave a brief smile, or a smirk, however you seemed to interpret the amount of well placed arrogance, the kind you could only have if you've succeeded countless times before in such a simple task. "Trust me Madam, scaring them is only part of what I do. A little tidbit before I do anything... I've seen almost everything, fought things both menial and retardedly dastardly. They call me the Juggernaut for a reason, learn something." He explained, looking down at Benedicta with a stoic look.

Jacts looked a little odd for the crowd, covered in all of his armor, greaves, gauntlet and all. He looked much like a well kept guard, but the design he sported to his look was much more independent than someone's silly guard. This kept eyes on him from all angles, some strange man in a way too prepared get-up... suddenly starting to walk way from the crowd into the street which was mostly clear at the time before turning around and getting into a small crouch, his hand swinging limply between his legs as he looked up and down, left and right, taking in many angles and possibilities, thinking about wind direction and whatnot... His original thought pattern was to be subversive and untouchable... but suddenly he felt like making a big scene.

"HERE GOES LOVLIES!~" He roared to nobody in particular, his mind temporarily focused on only one thing right after... jumping. His spring boarded farther into the air then should be even possible, the kind of jump one typically needed to fight some huge monstrosity, the juggernaut mercenary looking down from above in the brief moment everything which goes airborn comes to a gentle, if not quick stop. He let his mind open again for a moment, feeling the breeze around him before his backdraft skill and runetech was activated and began moving him in slight directions as he started falling again, he had to hit the opportune spot to have the clearest way to cause a scene. He hurtled down fast with a gutteral yell at the top of his lungs, causing those below, briefly confused, to begin to scatter as he finally hit the ground in a terrifying loud thud, drawing attention from anyone not too blind to notice.

Not 10 seconds after he hit the ground, Jacts' mind became focused so sharply it's a wonder his thoughts couldn't cut through steel, he felt the power in his greaves and was suddenly off like lightning. Sword still sheathed over his back, the mercenary began plowing straight lines through the crowd, knocking many people aside, pivoting when he came to a stop, and rushing another direction. He waited for a city guard to make a move, then the real fight would begin.

@Asuras @Skyswimsky @Ehb

 

[ERode]

@Skyswimsky @Asuras @Zombehs @Click This
Soon, the Hall was reaching maximum capacity, with the seats filled up with all manner of interested patrons. In the end, a few of the luckier commoners did manage to slip into the gates, settling down on the walkways alongside less fortunate nobles. There was a festive sensation in the air, as the musicians on the upper floors of the Hall began to play an upbeat waltz. Though the oaken doors hadn't closed yet, it was still fairly obvious that the auction was to start soon. The crowds hushed as the short song began to reach a crescendo and then, with a puff of smoke and a bang, all the torches within the hall were extinguished.

From high above, a recently-installed runetech torch was activated, shining a brilliantly white beam of light upon the wooden stage. Standing there was Erantus Morcheba, dressed in his best clothing. His many jeweled rings glittered, and his moustache was perfectly combed, curving upwards slightly. Looking around to ensure that he had the attention of everyone in the room, the man in blue said, "Welcome, one and all! The Braxton Hall Slave Auction begins…NOW!"

With that, five human-sized cages rose up from the stage, lifted up by transparent wires that were almost impossible to see with the human eye. The musicians on the upper floors started a sweeter etude as the crowd oohed and ahhed. As conventions dictated, the first that showed up for the night were always going to be either 'average' or 'below average' products, but this…this was clearly a cut above what usually showed up. As the five unfortunate women (one of them couldn't even be considered that) made attempts to appeal themselves in front of lecherous jeers from the less-savoury individuals in the crowd, Erantus called out once more, his squeaky voice cutting through the crowd, "Now, for the f-"

Suddenly, an explosion and multiple cries of alarm and pain sounded outside, cutting the man off. For a moment, Erantus narrowed his beady eyes, looking out of the still-open doors of the Hall. Men and women alike were literally being tossed into the air by some force at the gates? What was this, some uppity Talentium-user getting mad because he couldn't get in? Making a gesture, he signalled for one-third of the guards within the Hall to exit and assist.

As they marched off, perhaps a little too gladly, Erantus faked a smile, before smacking the side of one of the suspended cages, and continuing on with the auctioneer's chant.

@Wayward Killjoy
With violent force, Jacts melted through the unwashed masses that were still trying to get into the Hall. Those that got in his way, unprepared as they were, were literally sent flying, crashing onto the cold, hard ground moments later. Snow flurried around him, a tempest of ice petals that trailed behind the juggernaut as he blasted people aside. Bones snapped, bruises formed, and soon, the city guard recognized the threat. Even amongst others of his kind, the rectangular slab of metal on Jacts's back gave away his identity instantly, and the guards tensed, clutching their spears and staying in formation.

As the city guards, they should be tasked with the protection of the populace, but at the same time, Lord Braxton himself had ordered them to assist in making sure that the Hall itself was unmolested. If they left their stations, no doubt others would slip in. It was difficult, but then, a rallying cry behind them gave the city guard some hope. From behind, another eight guards, this time men who were specifically hired by Erantus to deal with any trouble, showed up, bolstering the guards numbers to twenty Talentium-armed individuals.

With this, the captain tossed away his spear, drew out his Talentium nun-chuks, flourished them, and charged. Leaping up into the air, the spinning end of the nun-chuk crackled with arcane lightning as he lashed downwards onto Jacts, a purple bolt of electricity blasting downwards, as three other guards charged spearpoint-first at the juggernaut.

The rest stayed farther back, at the gate. Twirling their own weapons, they fired off an elemental barrage onto the vastly out-numbered mercenary.

None of them knew who had hired the Sellsword Juggernaut, but they did know that, regardless of reasons, he was in for a bad time.

@Psyker Landshark @Izurich @Warm Regret
Down below, a few minutes after the cages rose upwards, the two guards turned their attention towards Tulian, Alexa, and Agatha. Crooking a finger towards the three, as well as two others, one of them said, "You five are up next."

The other one sniggered. "Good luck, ladies."

 

[Skyswimsky]

And then there was an explosion.

Myriel knew that this was her sign. Assuming her sister and the mercenary were at it too, there was no way that the young Keep would let this chance slip. The black-haired Talentium wielder had to play her part. She was close, not too close, but close enough. She only had a single chance, activating her Talentium from a semi-active state that stabilized her ill body to full-power she quickly closed the distance between Erantus and herself, pushing aside just a few people considering her fortunate starting position.

The element of surprise was probably what allowed Myriel to succeed, now, she was at the center of attention. Holding the fat man in a firm grip in front of herself she could probably snap his neck any moment. "EVERYBODY STAY WHERE YOU ARE!" Myriel shouted, quickly burying her doubts in over-confidence. If she didn't have everybody's attention before, she surely had it now. Pushing herself and her hostage closer to some sort of obstacle to cover more sides she spoke up. "You, slave-trader. Release the slaves and I shall show divine mercy." In her head this plan played out nice and simple. Yet, something was off, something that let fear inside her head... it wasn't the fact that nobody might care about this guy or that she also had to make it out of here alive, no, it was the fat man himself. Elantus, his reaction. Yes, he did seem annoyed but something was just...off...Myriel couldn't really tell, but he didn't seem to fear for his life at all... .

 

[Warm Regret]

They found themselves in a precarious situation and it wasn't unusual for emotions to run high in times like this, so Tulian didn't blame Agatha for losing her temper. Apparently, the twin tailed girl didn't appreciate Tulian's attempt to help her at the moment and his good intentions were met with a slap across the face. There was no reaction from him when she grabbed him by the collar and struck his cheek, only the same gray look he always wore as he looked away. The stinging sensation reminded him of his place. He wasn't Agatha's equal and he had no right to act as such. He realized that Agatha's words about freedom and justice were nice to entertain but they were just words. His droopy blue and gold eyes lay off to the side as he hung there in her grip and when she finally released him, he apologized without making eye contact with her or anyone. "Yes, you're right. I'm sorry." He said quietly. It was difficult to tell what he was feeling because his expression almost never changed.

Time was running out for them, their turn to be presented to the buyers was approaching based on the comment by the guard keeping watch over them but Alexa kept a level head. From her muttering, he gathered that her friend was nowhere to be found and there was a powerful vampire keeping an eye on them. Any hope of escape seemed unlikely given the circumstances. If they had weapons at the very least, they could stand a chance but they didn't even have that at their disposal. Plus, there was an eerie presence in the air that made him uncomfortable. His elongated ears twitched as he heard a slight commotion coming from the level above them but it was different than the excited commotion of when the auction had begun. He craned his head up and peered at the ceiling in deep thought, trying to figure out what exactly was going on. "There's something happening above us." He said quietly and to no one in particular. "But I'm not quite sure what." He said while lowering his gaze to fall on dead space.

The truth was it didn't really matter what was happening above them, like it or not, they were going to be presented next, so Tulian straightened his dress and teased the royal blue bang of hair that hung over his left eye. It was almost time for him to perform and he needed to choose the perfect dance to attract the right buyer. After this, he Agatha and Alexa would be on their own. He just hoped everything worked out for the three of them.

@Psyker Landshark @Izurich

 

[Asuras]

"For pity's sakes," Benedicta mumbled, trying to wipe away the disgust on her face. She gripped the flagpole tightly and stormed towards the gates. At this point she felt like the job was done and she could simply stand by. Still, she had to have some part in this, lest the brute get all the credit. With a hop, Benedicta leaped up onto the corner piece of a stone wall that encircled the outside crowd. Intentionally placed, the sun hung just above and behind her as she set down and unraveled the flagpole. In an instant it unfurled, powered by some sudden and convenient wind. She gave a brief sigh, looking down upon him. If anything he seemed more like her personal man-beast let loose. Her voice raised among the crowd's commotion, calling out as Jacts continued his rampage.

"Filthy scum! You call yourselves human beings, treating fellow countrymen like objects? Have you no shame?! Witness now the resolve of those who would free all men, and cower as we shatter your barbaric lifestyle!" That felt good, Benedicta thought. Her first step towards recognition, and it was grandiose. Perhaps it was a simple situation before simple people and simple danger, but for a brief moment Benedicta felt truly good. What she was doing here mattered not for a country, but at least for several unfortunate slaves.

The dreams of an incredible, world-shaking task still lingered within her, but at the time Benedicta appreciated the small achievements that much more. Her eyes narrowed at the hall's entrance, immediately picking up the faded glimmer of guards approaching from inside. She unsheather her sword, holding it before her eyes.

Knight of legend, grant me thine ears in death. Invictus Nator, Duelist of Perfection, Knight of Perfect Dance; I beseech thou to empower your loyal follower. Humbling Strikes!

Benedicta leaped once again, this time with great distance, and landed square in the middle of several guardsmen that had exited the hall. Without hesitation, she unleashed a great sweep of her flagpole, aiming to knock them off their feet. For the time being, something held her back from outright killing them. Perhaps it was an awareness of her identity as an Astopolian.

 

[Izurich]

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

"What...?" The brunette's equally brown eyes turned at the younger woman, widening in mixed shock and disgust. "The first batch? So... there are more?!" These women weren't all of them, merely the first batch... out of how many more? Innocent souls forced into servitude against their will, treated as nothing more than cattle, and left for dead once they were done with them. This system must be abolished for the good of all and all those responsible in sustaining it deserved swift public execution.

Alexa's warm hand on her shoulder managed to slightly calm her down, a quite different reaction compared to the blue-haired elf's gesture, something Agatha didn't consciously realize; perhaps when push came to shove, she instinctively trusted Alexa more considering they were both fellow Heiresses and knew each other since years back... or maybe simply because Alexa wasn't trying to 'prep' Agatha up for the auction. "Yeah... that shifty guy?" Oh great, he's one of those bloodsuckers. Noble, powerful, and devious... combined with the guards, Agatha had to admit her chance of escaping was jack-shit, "Fucking A, damn it! We just can't let them shove us in those cages!"

The commotion upstairs was getting livelier after the cages were raised, bunch of lechers and tyrants ogling over their fellow humans and the victims who had no choice but to sell themselves off like whores in the docks. The shouts, calls, and excitement only grew with each passing moment, so much the whole thing sounded as if they were... fighting upstairs? Whatever the case, Agatha had no way to actually see what was going on and everyone here were either wondering as well or wouldn't tell her.

"...Kih..." She did not appreciate those two guards pointing their fingers at her and her friends. From their voice, she recognized them as the duo that forced her and Tulian to bath a couple of days ago, one of them stripping her off then humiliate her in front of the whole cell. "Y-you... fucking degenerate... piece of shit!!" Finally losing her composure, Agatha charged at one guard like an enraged lioness... a declawed lioness at most as her blows, strikes, and pounds had no visible effect on the armed guard. He didn't react, letting the brunette unleashed her ineffective assault on him, in fact he was quite amused really.

"Rrrrgh!!" Agatha raised her right fist high and this time the guard deemed it was quite enough, she had her fun. The guard stopped the tantruming girl by grabbing her raised arm as it about to come down, gripping it as he held her limb in place. "Kuh...?!" The brunette winced, staring straight at him with fire in her eyes, only amusing the guard more as he shoved her back into the crowd of slaves. "...ha... ha... I... damn it!"

@Psyker Landshark @Warm Regret

[/fieldbox]

 

[MagusOfTheScales]

Jacts internally scoffed. He had been still for a moment when the onslaught on him had begun. Any normal person would be in a grievous situation at that time. Standing still, the center-point of a convergence of spells and a leaping attack from a Captain of the Guard. Oh boy, wasn't this a bad situation to be in right? Surrounded with lightning streaking down from the sky... Pfft.

For one, you never, ever, EVER lead in with an overhead strike on somebody who knew you were coming. Jacts' knowledge of basic physics and how they work knew that without help, this screaming guard captain was going to end up exactly where Jacts was, and would have a brief moment of pause where the man would have to maneuver his legs in order to continue the onslaught. But, in that amount of time, Jacts felt a surge of power in his grieves as he vaulted backwards into the sky, his magical wall placed a little in front of the guard captains route of pursuit, and positioned just right to where it'd ruin a jump and running straight forward would make him hit it, so the only way was to crouch or go around it, but, the wall was rather translucent and hard to see in a split second, so obviously the guard captain would be blindsided by it to continue his assault, which meant he'd briefly be stuck in the general area giving Jacts a small amount of control over how many would come at him at once.

Jacts had left a small present. It was a small runetech plate set to detonate, not an explosion, but a smoke bomb. Jacts dropped three in total, one where he was, and two while in mid air. After a brief moment, all three would blare up in enough smoke to cover most the crowd as Jacts landed just on the skirts of the area of the brawl. When he landed, he held one more smoke bomb in his hand, something told him to save it for later so he stored it right back into his hip bag as he began to look for an opportunity to start taking people out, or distracting them long enough.

The mercenary drew his squareblade and dropped into a battle ready stance as he surveyed for his first true opponent.