Eleena
Eleena just shook her head at the Gotian outburst. Well meant, but delusional. Astra herself had killed one of their allies. More of them could have been dead. And that wanker only cared that some girl she didn't even knew was rescued from an explosion and a scene of carnage. "Really? You, at least, seem particularly idiotic." She let out that one snarky comment before the hostile girl left. And then felt guilty about it immediately after. AAAAAAAAHHHH That was pointlessly vindictive! And venomous! And vile! Bad! Bad Eleena! Bad words! Bad thoughts! People were mean. Deal with it. She didn't want to be mean in return. It was especially worthless to say hurtful things just to make yourself feel better. Well...
Damnit, it was already too late. She was gone.
Agh. Fine.
Whatever. Clear thoughts. Ignore bitches. Succeed in life.
Eleena stopped having an anxious breakdown and refocused on the situation. And how much her feet hurt. Ow ow ow. Well she certainly wasn't going to be carried by Halberd. That'd be ridiculous. She simply picked up two long pieces of wooden debris and used them as impromptu crutches. It was awkward and Carol would probably kick them all the way back, but they'd make do. Thankfully, she hadn't been reprimanded for her actions. She didn't mind if others hated her, But Eleena wouldn't be able to stand it if her own brothers and sisters, the people who worked to keep the town safe, disliked her.
Well, as for the child... Carol, was it? Thankfully everyone was also watching out for her as well. Halberd and Terren were pretty good guys, huh~? "Ah, good. Good. ... You don't mind if I bring some of the neighborhood kids over to play with her, do you? They'd probably be pretty excited about getting to visit the Guardian's Borough... " Without really focusing on the end of her sentence, Eleena looked up at the destroyed attic. ...
Eleena would regret the souls lost later tonight. For now, she was still on duty.
The words just seemed to replay in his mind. She didn't understand... it had to be done. Leaving the vampire alive would have just caused even more deaths... deaths of innocent people. She could spit, repeatedly say 'fuck' around a small child to try and emphasise her point, and say an overly long speech about the ways they screwed up all she liked. But at the end of the day, the job was done; some good was done for the city. Despite the negatives. Nonetheless, that one sentence seemed to hit Halberd hard. Halberd slung the axe back over his shoulder.
"Bye, then." He said plainly.
She could have fun staring at the vampire's dead corpse; there were probably the shrunken corpses of the vampire's victims in there, too. Then she'd get it. With his thoughts, Halberd watched the girl as she began to turn away with expressionless eyes, before turning away himself with a sigh. Goetians and Guardians would never get along, unfortunately. Suddenly, Eleena spoke.
"Really? You, at least, seem particularly idiotic." For some reason, Halberd found the way she said this amusing.
Halberd let out a small smile. At least she was around to brighten up the mood, even if she was somewhat... erm... peculiar. Better than being a boring old bastard like he was, though. His smile instantly faded however at Mimo's stern response to his earlier question.
~ ~ ~Present ~ ~ ~
Halberd glanced at Mimo's look, quickly looking down at the floor afterwards from embarrassment. He'd caught on to what the look meant - there was a viable reason she was doing this. He should've known Mimo wasn't heartless enough to put a kid into custody for no reason, he'd just overreacted. Now he felt stupid for saying such a thing.
"Alright... I understand." Halberd said quietly, scratching the back of his head. Glancing at the child, he was glad to see the kid was starting to calm down, mostly thanks to Eleena. He watched Carol somewhat nervously, worried she might go to slap him again if he spoke to her. Nonetheless, he tried to help calm her down.
"You'll be okay with us, Carol. It's... a shame you had to get caught up in all this." Halberd paused. He was also regretting he'd been basically useless to this mission. What if Mimo had lost that battle whilst Halberd was blindly stumbling about? The death of a warden would be partly on his shoulders.
"Anyway! Eleena's right, there's loads of kids to play with back at the borough. Nice cakes, too." Halberd added, trying to brighten up a little for the child's sake. He knew he wasn't exactly great with kids, but he was trying. Judging by Mimo's words: 'We're going to have our hands full, pretty soon', they weren't safe from anything just yet.
Halberd glanced at Eleena, who was using pieces of wood as crutches. "You sure you're okay? Like... I don't mean to be persistent, but if your ankles really start to hurt, my offer still stands. It was brave of you to do that for a little girl... ignore what that Goetian bi-" Halberd paused; he couldn't swear around a kid. "-uh... meanie, said. What you did was right." Halberd said, beginning to relax a little now that the situation was over.
Aesil seethed, boiling on the inside as her metabolism switched modes, funneling energy towards her self-inflicted wounds. Her skin reddened, heart rate drumming as her pupils dilated, feral. Faint wisps of steam hissed off her, as the sweat from her previous battle evaporated, and her body began to wholeheartedly focus on patching up the injury that was on her hand and head. It was a slightly nauseating feeling, but the beast girl had long grown accustom to it. As the others spoke of words made inaudible by the beating of her heart, Aesil boiled on the inside, her natural healing rate accelerating beyond human levels.
And then, suddenly, the feverish warmth disappeared, replaced by two cool hands placed against her bare skin. A song-like phrase, or perhaps a phrase-like song, cut through the ear-numbing thump of her heart, and Aesil found herself calm. It was an odd feeling, as a pleasantly warm light washed away the pain without taking anything away from her. The monster-girl looked at her left hand curiously, watching flesh knit itself back together without bubbling like mad. It didn't even leave a scar, and soon, all that remained was the crusted blood that had spilled out from her initial bite.
The girl licked hand clean, and used the edge of her cloak to wipe the blood off her forehead.
There was a word for this, she knew, but it escaped her befuddled mind as she watched the angelic guardian bind the dark-skinned martial artist.
~
Aesil trailed behind the other two girls as they brought their prisoner to the Citadel, partly to distance herself from the temptations, and partly because she was still in thought. It was a melody, something that her implanted knowledge told her was 'song'. It was a form of entertainment, and a popular one at that, something that many enjoyed. It came in many forms, had many messages, and was connected to the art of 'teaching'. Oral tradition, was it? It was a difficult art to master, but an easy one to begin. It was sung in both groups and solo, and can be accompanied by instruments. Most importantly though, it was something that is not eaten, but 'drunk'.
She closed her eyes, recalling those gossamer words that brought forth a healing light. There was something wriggling in the back of her mind again, another something that was taught, not given. Something something something…
Aesil opened her amethyst eyes, ignored her hunger pains, and took one big leap, propelling herself all the way to in front of the pink-haired girl that smelled of pain and kindness. Looking into Kanadekondou's eyes, she said a single word, one to express gratitude and appreciation.
"Thank."
Wait, no, she forgot the subject.
"Kanadekondou."
After that, she tried to smile, flashing her pointed teeth, before turning back around. It would be improper to let the captain see her back, after all.
Kanade was surprised at how hot Aesil's skin was, to her touch. Her hands briefly flinched away, before she renewed her determination. Whatever was going on with this girl, she just got curiouser and curiouser.
She didn't respond to their captive's taunt. Weak, they may be, but for the moment, they were her captors, and it would be undignified to talk back. She wondered why they were attacked, and more importantly, by whom. She did have other questions of her own, such as why there would even be a surprise attack on them. Surely the other group could have avoided their patrol, and not even risked capture or death... She hoped this wouldn't drive a wedge between the Princess and one of the other factions. The situation further deteriorating would just be thoroughly unwelcome.
She kept her thoughts to herself on the way back to the Citadel. She jumped back a step when Aesil landed in front of her. "Ah! You startled me, sorry." She quickly regained her composure. "You're welcome." She paused for a bit. The way she was addressed, well, it bothered her. "You can just call me Kanade. You don't need to use my full name all the time, Aesil. Actually...that's kind of funny, that you're named after our faction." he was relaxed enough now to continue with the idle conversation, at least until more serious proceedings demanded her attention.
Fantasy and SciFi are the two genres I most enjoy. I absolutely adore Dark Fantasy/Dark SciFi, and I quite enjoy RPs with at least a facet of comedy in them too.
Natalya collapsed backwards when Astra died. A cryptic message from a dying person, spoken with their last breath? Normally Natalya would have laughed it off as cliche, but it all seemed too tragic. Melea dead, Clanna vanished, all for some mysterious secret that raised more questions than it answered. Sighing, she got to her feet and searched for any sign of Clanna, hoping to salvage at least something comprehensible from the whole debacle. However,as far as Natalya's senses could carry her, signs of Clanna were nowhere to be found. Any trace of her having been there was gone.
Even the thorough searching wasn't enough to block out the memory of Astra's last words. Pausing, Natalya turned to Galina.
"Galina, what...what Astra said...were we the bad guys in this whole thing? Astra was so close with Kaileb, for her to disappear so suddenly...she must have had a reason, right? If the reason was that kid, if she was willing to go against a whole faction for one kid, then...what does Kaileb want with her?"
Natalya swore softly under her breath. They were but mere foot soliders, and the real game was being fought above their head. They didn't know enough to answer the questions she said.
"Well, I guess we'd better go make our report...or at least, decide on how much of this we put in our report." Natalya glanced at the still forms of both Astra and Melea. "We'd better take Melea's body back too I guess. What should we do with Astra's, do you think?"
A glance at the slip of paper and Gerald raised an eyebrow as he walked away from a confused individual. Apparently the address was non-existent to the general populace, odd given it was a bar of all things. Hell, the man had even called over a couple others and he'd been left with no more information than before. Well, it wasn't too much of a problem for him thanks to certain talents, but he wondered if the other hired help would even be able to find the damn place. With a slight sigh he shifted his vision and glanced around his surroundings. The general populace were wisps as expected, but there was a source that sat beyond his range, its brightness enough that rays of light nonetheless reached him.
Given all the buildings in his way though, the mage simply opted for the simpler method of taking to the skies. A few constructs rising upwards and Gerald was left overlooking the nearby district. His vision shifted once more and upon confirmation, he slowly descended into the alley. The occasional shift to make sure he stayed on track and eventually he managed to find himself at the relatively unmarked and heavily obscure Hellhound. Three presences sat inside while one stood a bit off, and with a shudder Gerald noted that one was similar enough to the monster he'd noticed in the Arena earlier today. With a sigh, he opened the door and stepped into the rather opulent interior, blinking in surprise at the sharp contrast.
Most noticeable was the fact that all three had their faces covered in one way or another, so Gerald didn't feel too bad about having the hood of his robe up all the way. He gave a small wave at Jorn's greeting, but otherwise refused the offer with a slow shake of his head. His mental capacity was his greatest strength and he wasn't about to pick up a habit that'd help in killing it. Rather than take a seat next to the three, he instead pulled a stool over towards him with a slow curl of the fingers and took his seat; the blunderbuss held softly so it didn't bump into his seat as he moved. His eyes strayed momentarily towards the other two, them familiar to him, but the opposite untrue as far as he knew. Careful to keep himself from staring, Gerald reached into the folds of his cloak and pulled free a familiar novel to pass the time before an explanation was given.
As they approached the Citadel, Lyssa stayed in front of the group, leading the way towards Francisca. She listened in on Kanade and Aesil's conversation, still wondering to herself how and why Aesil managed to restrain herself from eating Konyuu. Had she just been sated from eating the other Palace fighter right beforehand? Then again, if she had been full, Lyssa didn't think Aesil would have resorted to self harm to avoid taking a bite out of Konyuu. Perhaps she'd simply ask the girl once they were back in safe territory and Konyuu had been handed over.
On the bright side, at least one of her concerns had been alleviated. Kanade hadn't even so much as blinked or said a word of protest at killing one Palace champion and capturing the other, despite her Palace heritage. The girl had clearly earned some measure of trust from Lyssa for that. Clearly, she'd misjudged Kanade.
After they entered the Citadel, the group approached Captain Francisca, and Lyssa bowed before the woman, gesturing towards the bound Konyuu.
"Reporting in. We encountered two Palace champions on our patrol. We slew the first, and one of the Princess's angels captured this champion. What do you wish to do with her, Captain?"
[fieldbox="Galina Raske/Sitara Qadir, aqua, solid, 10, Times New Roman"]
A useless surge of adrenaline shuddered through Galina, accelerating her heart beat and creating a thin sheen of sweat across her forehead as Astra released her final breath. Nobody had ever died in front of her like that, this was the first time. As powerful as she had been, Astra had been gripped by fears and regrets she could never overcome, and although she had killed Clanna, Galina still felt helpless for not being able to save her. What if we had just surrendered? Was if this was my fault? she wondered. She knew that the healthy thing to do would be to let go of any what ifs, but it wasn't that simple.
While Natalya performed her own search of the floor, the vampire's words played back in her head. They had the sound of a dangerous and powerful secret, one that Galina did not know who to ask about with Clanna and Astra both gone. She sat in silence, focusing on the symbol and tracing its path through the air until she was sure she could replicate it without fail. Finally satisfied, she took Astra's hand and ran it across the bloodstain before it could dry, rendering it illegible. Natalya's voice broke through her chaotic skein of thoughts, and she turned to her companion, the only other one who had witnessed Astra's words.
"I don't know what Kaileb wants with her, and honestly, I'm afraid to find out…" Galina replied. "I don't think the Guardians know anything about the child, so she might be safe with them. I fully intend to leave her, and Astra's words, out of the report until I've come to understand them. Goetia isn't what it used to be, I don't know who to trust anymore," she paused, sighing. "The Guardians ambushed us. You and I escaped, but the others weren't so lucky. Astra was killed in action. We recovered Melea's body and Astra's, but Clanna's disappeared..." She turned to Natalya. "I'm not strong enough to carry Astra, so if you can I'll carry Melea…" While waiting for Natalya's response, she closed her eyes and let the symbol form in her mind, making sure she hadn't forgotten a single detail.
Collab between Asuras, Skyswimsky, Kingdomkeylight, and Zombehs For all good that happened, Este's day got only worse. She ultimately lost in the arena, actually found Saya's brother, who was still thankful to her AND, for some reason, just had a bad feeling that something even worse happened. She couldn't quite make it out, but it was there. It only worsened when she, at the near end of her first day outside, asked around for this dumb place. The Hellhound. Did it even exist? Or was it just some kind of dumb joke? These dumb humans really put her to the test...if only the Guardians wouldn't exist, it was too humiliating to admit she wasn't able to take them on all by herself… .
At the end though, the vampire noble found her goal. Finding herself victim to a lovely greeting as well. "I suggest to watch your tongue, human." She was visibly not in a good mood, though did turn to the armor clad woman she humiliated just earlier today while letting herself down on a free place. "Oh my, I wouldn't have imagined to meet you that soon again."
It was indeed a rare case to hear of a place that almost no one ever heard of. For the most part of the day Aurora found herself asking numerous people for directions to this "Hellhound", and most responded with a crude manner of useless information. Miraculously Aurora would eventually find one person of a questionable nature who did know the way. Unfortunately when she got there with her face hidden by her clothings hood she was met again with the noble woman she had lost to.
"Aye very unexpected... or very ironic given to the circumstances," she responded still keeping her hood on as she didn't feel like sitting down with the rest. Leaning lightly against a chair she took out a pipe, and stuffed a few herbal leafs in. "Well then I guess this is the part where we hear the reason for this... get together?"
Jorn took his original seat with a slump, spreading his arms out over the headrest of the couch. "That it is," he said, "Though I suppose it'd be pertinent to introduce ourselves." Gesturing to himself, he looked between Esterellia and Aurora. "I am Jorn, and these two..." he looked to the woman and then to the masked man, "Are Zaie and Aposto." Aposto nodded to Aurora, while Zaie kept her gaze averted from all three.
"From the intelligence I've gotten, it's in our best interest to make things here short so we can get a move on. I'll make it quick," Jorn said as he took a sip of some clear drink. Without a pause or quiet voice, he spoke.
"We're breaking into the Madurn Sanctuary."
As expected, the two were familiar with one another, and Gerald simply listened to their greetings without raising his head. He did raise an eyebrow at the first girl's odd choice of emphasis, filing it away as something of interest. As Jorn's voice broke the brief lull of silence, the novel was quietly closed and slipped back into his robes. A slight shrug was made towards the introduction of the man's peers given their own lack of reaction and he leaned forward as the actual meat of this meeting was revealed. "Interesting. Possibly suicidal, but interesting." "Well," Jorn cut in, "More like..."
"Walking in," Zaie stated. She turned to the gathered three with a passive expression.
"... And what pray tell do you desire in that which the Goetia consider most sacred," Aurora asked nonchalantly as she tried to find something to lite the herbs with. Reaching into the satchel on her back she was annoyed with the fact she had no matches. Mumbling lightly to herself she returned her gaze to Jorn awaiting a answer.
Noticing the armored girl's conundrum, Gerald raised a hand in her direction and, pinching his thumb and finger together, asked, "If I may?"
Este's mood became a lot better all of a sudden, the Madurn Sanctuary, now, that sounded interesting. "Walking in? Just like that? Now, that sound's rather daring, doesn't it?" Not like she was all against it, considering the Sentence did the 4 Factions just as bad as they did her own clan.
"That's what we want to find out," Aposto said, "We've got no clue what's inside, but we think it's about high time we look."
"I am sure Kaileb is lying as to what he saw inside," Zaie stressed, "As former guard of the tower entrance, I of all people should deserve to enter the most."
"Which is why it will be easy getting in," Jorn said, "Considering it'll have no one to protect it, and few if any individuals who would turn us away."
Aurora's face turned lightly in Gerald's direction as she willingly handed over her pipe to him before raising a unseen eyebrow at Zaie's words. It seemed there was more to the situation with these three unknown "planners" than one would immediately assume. As such a new thought came to mind. "So then this is to help Goetia realize they follow a false prophet while gaining a look at what truly is going on inside?" It was intriguing alone to wonder what could possibly be inside the Madurn Sanctuary, but why now so long after the Sentence?
Refusing to take the pipe from her, he simply snapped his fingers sharply instead. Within the pipe, air twisted in on itself and the resulting friction set the air and, by extension, the herbs within aflame. While Zaie sounded bitter, Gerald didn't pay it too much mind. He'd always been curious as to what Kaileb had seen within the Sanctuary and the lost opportunity presented before him was rather enticing. Leaning forward to rest his chin on his hands, Gerald was content to let the others talk.
"As inviting as it may sound, I do have to ask though, if it's THAT easy, why not just do it yourself?" Their offer was way too generous as if she could just accept it, especially the way she knew humans, especially regarding the way that woman, Zaie, sounded.
"It has less to do with Kaileb and more to do with knowledge for knowledge's sake," Aposto said, leaning forward. "As for the reason we need you three... Consider yourselves additional muscle in case we come across something... violent inside."
A small grin formed on his lips at Aposto's comment and he couldn't help but comment, "Knowledge for knowledge's sake is certainly something I can agree to." His eyes flickered and for a moment Gerald looked unsettled, but the expression passed quickly enough.
"Gods only know what the Madurn concocted within," Jorn rose his eyebrows and took another drink, "But if Kaileb went in alone we can assume there's nothing too serious inside."
"Are you so sure? I have heard many a rumor that Kaileb is not one to be trifled with," Aurora didn't doubt their words, but one did not simply grow in ranks as fast as Kaileb without a few people pushing back. From what the general public knew of the situation Kaileb wasn't challenged… Aurora highly doubted that. Her attention on the matter was broken, however, when the male with the blunderbuss caused the contents in her pipe to combust with a snap of the fingers. "My… that's a useful ability to have," she chuckled lightly nodding in thanks as she took a small puff from the newly lit pipe.
Aurora's question elicited a slight scoff from Gerald, though he kept silent otherwise. Though it probably didn't matter all too much given how Kaileb had earned his position, his weakness wasn't something that should probably be spread around. Even when he had left the faction there had been at least a dozen individuals that could have beaten Kaileb in actual combat. Nonetheless he gave a slight nod of the head to her comment and replied, "It does have many uses."
"This Kaileb person..." Este said while thinking about his name. "I've never heard of him before, so I doubt he could be that dangerous, truly." Back then, when the name Forbes was putting fear in peoples hearts, her clan did have some connections towards Guardians and Goetia. And even while she wasn't that interested in politics and alike back then, that name wasn't ringing even a single bell. "Anyways, if what you promised me at the arena is true, I am most certainly still still willing to go along…" Though doubting she could just claim whatever powers were hidden within, she could always just backstab the party.
"That only leaves Aurora," Jorn smiled, shooting the girl a grin, "Are you still in as well?"
"Aye you have my interest. I'll join this little expedition into the unknown," Aurora answered. Just like the rest of them she wanted to know what was inside a place like that well hidden from the rest of the world.
"Excellent." Jorn stood up and clenched his fist as if celebrating victory. "We leave momentarily."
Francisca had long since seen the troop approaching the steps of the Citadel. A huge plaza was spread out before the wide staircase, and Francisca jogged down it to reach them at the bottom. The Aesil champions all along the stairs all stood or turned to them as they appeared, looks of surprise awash on their faces as they witnessed a Palace champion being brought there in bindings.
Francisca approached with a stern eye, focused entirely on Konyuu. Though so much shorter than the Palacian, Francisca maintained her prideful and tough stature, nevertheless looking up to meet her gaze.
"Konyuu Shora, quite the surprise," Francisca said, offering a light nod to her captors in recognition of their efforts, "A shame that so powerful an enemy was the first to be taken out of the picture.
"I'm not dead yet," Konyuu grumbled, practically leaning over the captain. Francisca chuckled and brought her hand to Konyuu's shoulder. With a sharp grunt, she forced her down to her knees and quickly grabbed her by the hair, further bending her down. With her free hand, she retrieved her greatsword and gripped it tightly.
Konyuu did not resist.
Francisca seemed ready to execute her on the spot, but paused, looking up to Kanade. "You," she said, "You will do it." Francisca lifted the handle of her sword towards Kanade, still keeping Konyuu's head lowered.
"So... this is all you came across, hm?" Kaileb said, eyelids drooped in a look of suspicion. Galina and Natalya had returned to the Goetia Library at the tail end of sunlight and quickly put together a report on the incident, carefully making sure to leave out any mention of the silver-haired girl or Astra's last words. She was, 'unwilling to return and attacked Melea and Clanna before being subdued by the sudden arrival of Guardians.' They both, 'escaped the building before the Guardians could apprehend them, and returned later to find Astra dead and Clanna missing.'
Still, knowing Astra's words, it was clear to Natalya and Galina that Kaileb did not believe the report. They knew that he knew, so to speak. Nevertheless, they kept quiet. "Unfortunate," Kaileb commented, lowering the report upon his desk before entwining his fingers together. "I don't suppose you recognized any of the Guardians there, or know where they went?" he asked.
Mimo, though they were unsure of the name, was vaguely familiar to the two. Her status as Warden of the Guardian Borough was well-known, though her name wasn't quite reaching them. Kaileb glanced between the two a few times before sending them on their way, 'thanking' them for their work and offering condolences for the loss of Melea and Clanna.
Still retaining memory of the symbol, Galina and Natalya went to work uncovering the secrets behind Astra's words. With such a huge Library, it was practically impossible for anyone to find what they needed there unless they were fully familiar. Only the experienced memory of a Goetia Librarian could have tracked it down. After searching a few more minutes just for the Librarian himself, they finally found what they were looking for. Directions to the book. Still, the Librarian, a tall, pale-faced young man, seemed quite confused as to why they were looking for the particular book.
"That one? What use could you two possibly have for the Heaven's Repetoire?" he asked, fixing his glasses.
At the mention of other children, Mimo raised a finger and looked as if she were going to object, but she quickly retracted whatever it was and nodded at Meira. "Certainly. The headquarters can get pretty boring, so I'm sure she'd prefer to have some company,"
"Stop talking about me like that! I'm standing right here!" Carol hissed. "And I'm not so childish I don't know what you were going to say... asshole!" she pointed a finger at Halberd, clearly furious, though her swearing seemed hesitant. Mimo rolled her eyes and nudged the girl forward, angling her back they way they came from.
The group headed to the Guardian's Borough, having completed the mission, as disastrous as it had turned out to be. Mimo made mentions of filing reports and such herself, making an off-hand joke at how she didn't trust the two Guardian's intelligences to get the job done right.
Carol proved to be a nuisance the entire way, managing to find some sort of complaint every other minute. More than once she attempted to escape, but was summarily snatched by the collar at Mimo's hand a split second before she could even take a second step. Eventually the girl gave up, huffing and crossing her arms in acceptance of her situation.
The Guardian's Borough was, understandably, without much in the way defense. Its sector was known for its extremely low crime rate, and under Tycen's leadership, the faction itself worried little about trifles with other factions. Its doors were open to all, all day, every day. Certainly, numerous Guardian forces were seen walking about, but beyond their uniforms, they presented little sense of threat or seriousness. As the spire of a Guardian headquarters symbol made itself visible from the street-level, Mimo paused and turned to the other two.
"I'm entrusting Carol to you two until I'm done filing a report. Keep her with you at all times," she sternly said. A quick glare at Carol indicated she wanted her, too, to cooperate. With a mild salute, the Warden walked off to the headquarters and presumably her office, disappearing behind large doors.
Carol looked up to Meira and Halberd and frowned. "I'm hungry."
Carm Hill was situated over a small neighborhood just outside of Palace territory, made up of a steep face looking over the buildings and an exhausting rise of stone-carved stairs on the other side. A thicket sat at the top obscuring one end from the other, but was run through by another foot-worn path. Junkiro made his way up the stairs, taking large, slow steps considering the height of each one compared to another. It seemed as if it were built for someone twice his height.
At the peak, he was granted a view over numerous rooftops and beyond. Under the moonlight, he could see at least to the edge of the city where the lights of homes glowed dimly. The moon hung high in the midnight air, surrounded by countless stars. The air was chilly, but still. An occasional, gentle breeze ruffled dry leaves and brush.
He waited a mere minute until the sound of boots upon a stone surface caught his attention. Turning behind, he faced the individual who supposedly had called upon him. Their head was bowed, covered up by a small cap that was pulled down by a white-gloved hand. Their face was obscured by the tipping, though he could tell easily enough from their voice, that they were female.
"Junkiro I presume?" she asked, keeping her cap lowered.
The group of six left the bar, but not without waiting for Jorn to finish the rest of his drink in one last gulp. The lady behind the bar gave a farewell to each of the three, seemingly familiar with them already. As they made their way to Goetia territory, it became increasingly clearer how non-chalant they were about simply walking into the tower. Jorn was talkative, with the occasional snippet of words from Aposto. Zaie, on the other hand, remained at the back, maintaining silence as she kept her eyes trained on skies.
With one decision made, Gerald clicked his tongue as he found his thoughts occupied with another. As the six of them filtered out of the Hellhound, he was at least glad for the fact that Zaie took up a position by the rear. While he hoped that the other two were aware of her "condition", it didn't really speak for their trust of one another if they weren't, Gerald also didn't want to step on anyone's toes more than necessary. Curiosity would not be held back though, and with their walk well on the way he approached the former guard. A quick glance to make sure neither Aurora or Este were paying attention and he asked, "So what's your deal besides being a former Goetian. Aposto seems far stronger, but you're stranger."
Zaie's head quickly snapped to Gerald, and she gave him an angry look. She seemed inclined not to even respond, but after a moment Zaie gave into her own curiosity.
"What are you talking about?" she asked, looking Gerald up and down.
Ah… nothing like the ire of someone superior to get the blood pumping. He could feel his heart hammer from the anger Zaie expressed, but otherwise refused to show any indication of such. Instead he simply cocked his head ever so slightly as he awaited something a bit more substantial as a dismissal.
While it might have been a bit impudent of him, Gerald nonetheless cracked a small smile at Zaie's willingness to at least discuss things. Another glance to ascertain that the others weren't paying attention to them and he continued in a low whisper. "A talent of mine. Your "lifeforce", for lack of a better word, seems somewhat detached from your physical body." Zaie stopped in her tracks, one leg still behind as she practically recoiled in surprise at Gerald's claim. Quickly regaining her composure though, she bit her lip and kept walking.
"So you can see that, then," she mumbled. Zaie picked up her pace and walked past Gerald, seemingly trying to distance from him.
"Tch." He clicked his tongue as Zaie nearly jogged past him to put an end to that conversation; the group was already moving at a fair pace. The temptation to try and grab hold of her was thankfully short lived given it wasn't too improbable she could rip his arm out if he pushed too far. Instead, he simply sped up as well to keep alongside her, giving her a curious look all the while. "You're going to need to be a little more forward if you want to be left alone," Gerald said as he clasped his hands behind his back.
"I don't share my secrets so readily," she stated, glancing at him, "...If you want to know, you'll have to trade. You tell me how you saw what you saw, and I tell you exactly what you were seeing." She grinned.
"Fair enough, knowledge for knowledge. Slow down a bit?" With that, he blinked and his eyes took on a slight pale blue glow from underneath his hood. Almost immediately his hand rose to shield them thanks to his close proximity to Asposto; seriously, he felt goosebumps crawl over his skin from the man's strength. He turned his gaze towards Zaie and lowered his hand to let her get a good look before his eyes returned to normal with another blink.
"Like I said, a talent of mine. I can see sources of magic or life when I shift my vision. The larger the source, the brighter of a glow they give off. Asposto looks like he could manhandle all of us. Your glow is as I mentioned before. As for how I achieved such a thing, I'm actually not quite sure. Certainly never read about it from anywhere, just managed to tap into it a few years prior to the Sentence." He shrugged, knowing that the explanation wasn't all that great, but it was all he had; as far as Gerald knew, he'd simply been lucky to have gotten the Sight as an innate magical ability.
"Interesting…" Zaie said, narrowing her eyes. She peered deeply into Gerald's, and he could notice the minute shifts in her gaze as she surveyed the changes in his own. "A useful thing to have, did you learn this through magic?"
"Wouldn't really say I learned it. More of felt the possibility one day, reached out, and grabbed it one day." He dipped his head to look at the cobbled path they walked on as he reached back into old memories. It didn't take long for him to dredge up that day many years ago and Gerald nodded as he confirmed what he'd thought were the facts. "Yeah, I can't say there was anything particular about that day aside from gaining this second sight."
"Even more peculiar, though I suppose many of us in this world are born with something peculiar." She closed her eyes and sighed, tilting her head to the side as if reminiscing. "I suppose I have to tell you what my peculiarity is then…" She put out a hand for Gerald, waiting for him to grab it. As he did, he immediately noticed the coldness of her skin.
"It is as you say. My life force is separate from the body you see. I am not dead, by any means, but this body has become less of myself, and more so my hand. It is puppeteered by my true self, a thing which you can apparently see, but which you cannot touch. That is what you saw," Zaie explained.
"Ah." The moment he felt the chill of her body things became quite clear for Gerald. He tightened his grip just slightly as Zaie began to explain, but surprisingly there actually was still a pulse if just barely. So her body was kept alive, if just barely, by her "soul" which was tethered to it. Upon closer examination of Zaie with his other sight, he confirmed just that; the body itself wasn't completely devoid of any light. Her hand was let go as the explanation came to an end, and he gave a slight bow to Zaie. "Thank you for sharing that. I don't suppose you fancy yourself a necromancer?"
While he would never touch that particular school of magic, Gerald was familiar with it and, more relevant, one of the pinnacles of it; lichdom, a form where soul and physical body were separate yet connected. The body became more expendable as the crucial soul was stored within a container hidden away or well protected. Her condition resembled it to a lesser degree at first glance, but the nuances would make all the difference. Perhaps after this the two could discuss it some more, but for now Gerald was satisfied.
Zaie shook her head. "Not in the slightest. What I have done with myself is far from manipulating the dead." As she looked ahead, she fell quieter. "We're here."
Soon enough the group had reached the foot of the tower, a menacing structure that had seemingly too many layer walls with open gates surrounding it. What was once a closely guarded monument had become a practical museum, though until now, none dared to visit. Without slowing in speed, they approached the final doors to the tower; the only ones thus far that had remained shut.
Zaie was the first to reach it, speeding up to get ahead of everyone else. In a strange tongue, she spoke a few incomprehensible words, and the door creaked into life, slowly opening to the interior. "Mind yourselves," she said, turning back to them all, "Even I don't know what's inside."
A minute within, and things seemed fine for the most part. A wealth of strange objects and symbols caked the tower's interior, seeming like some sort of repository for all manner of mystic things. The tower ascended for some time, lifting the occupants up through a circular staircase that lined the walls. Various rooms stuck out from the ascent, leading into libraries, dens, and ritual rooms.
Only the occasional whisper of an unknown voice served to make the experience far from comforting.
It wasn't too different in appearance from what Gerald remembered, and with a blink he nearly stumbled to a halt. He pushed forward though, even as he marvelled at the sight that stretched into the night sky before him. Aposto might have dwarfed most of the glows within the structure, but sheer quantity had its own impressiveness to it. A pang of disappointment filled him as he realized they likely wouldn't have enough time for him to examine even a fraction of the sources that laid within, but he pushed the feeling down. It was a golden opportunity and not one he intended to spoil with sour thoughts. He came to a halt with the others as Zaie rushed on ahead and opened the door with an incantation.
The interior was about as expected really. Inscriptions lined the walls, layered on in certain areas, while objects imbued with magic laid strewn all over the place. Really, it was a bit of a mess to move through if he was to be honest, especially given he was wary of touching anything that might have been booby trapped. As if that weren't bad enough, by the time the group had made it into the heart of the tower, the sensation that there were more than just the six of them had become impossible to ignore. Phantom whispers from nowhere aside, Gerald himself was unable to shake the sensation that he was being watched despite his Sight revealing nothing. It wasn't just the sheer number of glows around either, each time he tried to catch so much as a glimpse of whatever it was, the sensation simply faded completely.
Unable to pin it down, Gerald simply settled for driving it back with the occasional glance of True Sight; it was basically routine for him at this point anyways. "So did you three have anything specific you were looking for? Or are we all just planning to rummage around until someone triggers something?" Gerald asked as he carefully cleared a few objects from his path, raising them up slowly and setting them aside. While he wanted to simply push to the top of the tower and see if any remains of the the Covenant, he also wasn't about to rush ahead of the group. Not in such unknown territory and without so much as a clue as to where anything of importance might be.
Before Aesil could formulate a proper reply to Kanadekondou, who was now just Kanade, Franscisca approached them. There were others as well, now that the beast-girl wasn't wholly consumed by her own hunger, and she could sense that they were surprised at the sight of the captive demi-goddess. Perhaps, there was even some sort of admiration there, towards the job they had done. Praise, was it? The brunette hadn't gotten much of it back in training, and even when she had, there wasn't a reward to go along with it. Perhaps they would give the three of them a feast for bringing forth such a gift to the princess.
But then, the silver-haired captain did what she didn't have the right to do. She brought the 'present' down, with the intention of killing her. No, not even that, but she was going to kill Konyuushora using the hand of Kanade, so that she could 'scavenge' a meal and say that it wasn't even her fault. That silver-haired vulture was going out of her way to steal what was Efrida's!
It took all of Aesil's self-control not to snarl, not to show any obvious sign of bestial as she stood in front of Kanade, blocking her from the handle of the greatsword. Gazing down at the vulture with amethyst eyes that felt like they were burning, Aesil said, fists clenched, "Efrida's prey. Efrida's choice."
Four terse words, before she stepped to the side once more. Though her body was brimming with manic energy after her recent meal, Aesil knew that there wasn't really anything she could do to stop the High Guard. She would back down, but, if nothing else, she would remind the knight who their master was.
"M-me?" Kanade asked in surprise, pointing to herself. "Ah...if you command it, it shall be done." She reached out to take the sword with grim determination. Aesil's sudden intervention stopped her fro taking up the sword immediately. "Honestly, I don't agree with a summary execution, either. I'll still play the role as executioner, for whatever reason," she paused, "but unless she's just too dangerous to even hold, shouldn't we question her first? I... doubt letting her go would end up seen as a sign of good faith."
Kanade moved aside from Aesil and reached out to take the sword. And promptly the sword's blade rang across the flagstones. Because she had underestimated its weight and almost lost control of the heavier blade. "Ah! Sorry, sorry," she quickly apologized, getting proper control of the blade and hefting it over one shoulder as she took a step away from everyone. "I usually use a much lighter weapon."
She turned to Konyuu and sighed. She wouldn't make any final stroke until her superiors had considered her and Aesil's opinions, but she was clearly ready to dispense her duty, should it still be demanded of her. Her occasional glances toward Francisca clearly show she's...a bit nervous about all this. "Well, Captain...your decision?" If she had her doubts as to her own opinion's rightness, she did her best not to let them show.
Halberd exhaled a captivated breath as they returned to the Borough. He could feel himself become less tense, and the grip on his axe became much more relaxed. This was what home was to Halberd, essentially: a place where he could share a mug of ale with his companions, and train to his heart's content - with barely any crime to deal with. He was usually out on patrol rather than being here, but when he was at the Borough, he enjoyed every second of it.
"I'm entrusting Carol to you two until I'm done filing a report. Keep her with you at all times." The stern voice of Mimo ordered. "Understood." Halberd replied, returning the salute in a casual manner, then she walked off. Halberd watched as she disappeared through the double doors; he was still mad at himself for leaving her to fight the vampire alone. Like... it wasn't as if she couldn't handle herself, but... still. And - well...
"I'm hungry." Carol suddenly announced. Blinking as he turned his gaze away from the double doors, Halberd looked over his shoulder at Carol. Well, it'd been a long walk, and the poor girl had been through a ton, so getting her something to eat would be the least he could do at this moment. If it was a trick of hers to try and escape again, Halberd was fairly sure he could catch her. If Eleena wasn't on crutches, then escaping wouldn't even be a slight option for Carol. "Let's get you something to eat, then." Halberd replied plainly. He had some money lying about in the pockets of his trenchcoat... somewhere; he'd find them eventually. As for Eleena, now that they were in safe territory once more, it probably would be a good idea for her to see a medic. She couldn't chase Carol on clutches anyway. Well. Probably.
"Hey, Eleena? If you want to get that ankle fixed up, I'll be at Sarah's bakery. You know, the one not too far away from the inn." Halberd said, before putting his eye back on Carol. She hadn't made a break for it - good. Halberd really didn't want her to try and get away again; if she actually succeeded, who knew what the consequences would be?
Halberd kept a close eye on Carol as he walked through the streets of the Borough, often giving a brief wave to some of the people he knew here and there. He sort of wanted to make some conversation with Carol, but now wasn't really the time. Besides, he'd been somewhat patronizing to her; she clearly knew how to swear. 'Asshole'. Halberd couldn't help but chuckle a little as he remembered the way she said it; he'd been told.
Soon enough, they arrived. The place was pretty quaint; a nice alternative to the mostly busy streets of Drisbane. Ensuring Carol was close behind him, Halberd ducked under the low doorway, going up to the counter as he rummaged in his pockets with his free hand. "Hallus...!" The bakery owner, Sarah, suddenly said in an annoyed tone. She was friendly enough most times, but apparently she could get a bit cranky if she didn't get her daily booze. Halberd just did what she said to avoid trouble... not that he bought cakes often. "...?" Halberd raised an eyebrow in confusion, before realising he'd taken his huge axe into a shop that selled cakes. He'd done this before; sometimes he forgot his axe was slung over his shoulder. He was just so... used to it... being there. Blushing a little, Halberd carefully rested his axe against a wall before continuing the purchase. Scraping up some coppers and the few silvers he had in his pockets, Halberd paid up for a nicely decorated... sponge cake? Of some sort. Halberd's cake lore wasn't really up to scratch, but he bought what looked like one of the nicest things available.
"All yours." Halberd said, handing the cake to Carol. Everyone liked cakes, right? Leaning against a wall, the smells of the bakery were really starting to get him peckish. Withdrawing some of the hard tack in his pockets, Halberd chewed it plainly as he waited for Eleena to arrive, keeping an eye on Carol in the meantime.
"So..." Halberd said, awkwardly trying to start a conversation with a kid that probably despised him. Failing to think of something to say, Halberd cleared his throat, before delving into the deepest pits of his imagination to try and find something to start a conversation with that wouldn't make Carol even madder. "You like it...?" He finally asked, gesturing to the cake. "I know it isn't much, but... you know. I guess I don't want to be an 'asshole'... heheh..." He mumbled, rubbing the back of his head. Where was Eleena when you needed her? She was probably hundred of times better with kids than he was.
Carm Hill was a lonely place: While it had the appearance that it might have been used for somebody (maybe twice his size), it was, for the most part, desolate now; only a worn footpath or three adorned it now. Junkiro's mind was a relatively blank slate at this point, seeing as a great portion of his day was spent walking, and now, as the moon began to hang high in the sky, he was getting tired. As he soldiered on, he wondered if this mission, as he figured that's what it probably was, was going to be worth all the trekking, when he could have spent the day playing Solitaire.
But at last, the slope gradually leveled, and the peak was found. Junkiro was a little bit starstruck with the view; how had he never noticed this before? The lights of the Palace faction glimmered in the distance, giving a great nocturnal light show that had more than its share of beauty and peace. Jun let out a sigh at the sight; why did the world have to make sure sights like these were quelled if it did not belong to a single group? Either way, it looked like he was the first one there, so he swung his legs over a rock, admiring the view as he popped another stick in his mouth.
Well, THAT didn't last long. With barely a minute of calm stargazing and city-watching, footsteps interluded his relaxation. He knew he ought to be on high alert, but this place seemed relatively deserted, and his contact at least didn't SEEM to want his head on a pike, from the letter's content. Thus, he left both machetes comfortably on his back and merely spun around on the rock he was seated upon.
Not too shocking that they'd remain as anonymous as possible. Their cover, while relatively weak, sufficed, given the darkness of the area, and Jun was left largely in the dark to the physical specs on his encounter. Either way, by her pitch and intonation, he'd have to be a dullard to not recognize that his patron was a woman. Everything else, however, was a mystery to him.
"Well, I've been called Junkiro before. Though people tend to go by Gum-Junkie nowadays..." Junkiro quipped Kokusho in memory of earlier. Then again, as a rather unassuming Pseudo-Champion in the faction, he was used to being called "you" and "kid", and sometimes nothing at all, which sometimes made sense given the vast array of occasionally hard to pronounce names within the faction. "Gotta say, I wasn't expecting a call from, well, anyone specifically for me. Most of the time people want, you know, the strong ones. Kokusho, Konyuu...so before you tell me what's what, I've been wantin' to know your logic behind me over someone who might be able to win a fight one-on-one." Jun was never overly confident in his abilities. His general weakness compared to Champions, combined with his lack of conviction in the fights and spars he DID have, generally left him relegated to support, after all. Why call him, and him alone?
An execution? Lyssa could see High Captain Francisca's reasoning behind the order, especially in ordering Kanade to do it, but at the same time, it felt like a waste. This was a high-ranking Palace champion that they had captured; surely there was information that they could wring out of Konyuu. Nevertheless, the High Captain had authority in this situation. If she wished for Konyuu to die, the woman would die.
As Kanade fumbled with the sword, Lyssa watched her intently, trying to discern if the girl was truly just overwhelmed by the weight of the sword or if she was trying to stall for time. Kanade had earned a measure of trust for not stabbing the group in the back earlier, but that didn't mean she was free from suspicion of defying orders. There was a difference between simply standing by and watching someone die and performing the deed yourself. If Kanade slew Konyuu here, it would cement her loyalty to Aesil for good.
"Efrida's prey. Efrida's choice." Said an entirely separate Aesil, who seemed to be displeased with Francisca's orders. Ah, Lyssa reflected. So this was why Aesil had been so intent on sparing Konyuu: she wanted to bring her to the princess herself. While Lyssa was gratified at the girl's loyalty to her liege, it was probably a good idea to remind her of the chain of command. Pulling Aesil aside, she whispered into her ear.
"The High Captain answers only to the princess herself, Aesil. It's not a good idea to go against her orders. Remember, she holds rank over us: we are her subordinates. That means we do what she tells us, understood?"
Madurn Sanctuary... dear gods why were there so many freaking stairs? Initially Aurora's curiosity from the beginning had her eyes surveying the place in intrigued suspense over everything she could see in the dark atmosphere of the old Goetia structure. Well crafted mysterious pieces of art, and old runic tools of the dark arts were easily seen as far as the eye could see. Yet not to far in had Aurora started to hear the voices, and the presences of eyes watching them all from a unseen place.
"So did you three have anything specific you were looking for? Or are we all just planning to rummage around until someone triggers something?"
"I believe that was accomplished the moment we walked in," Aurora dryly spoke as she stayed on high alert for any signs of irregular movement. She would turn every once in awhile to see Gerald move a few things via his power, and then to Este who was doing her own thing. Her unnatural eyes would then rest on the other three. Zaie was clearly here for her own interests, Aposte was hard to tell, and then there was the main actor of the group Jorn. He was clearly excited from the beginning, and at this time seemed to be the lead of the mission... yet from how Aurora understood it he to was attached to strings by a unseen hand.
"Then again... aren't we all," Aurora whispered lightly to herself as she continued her pace with the group. Oddly enough her thoughts went to her father who had told her numerous stories on his theories to what laid inside the Madurn Sanctuary many of which awe inspired her as a child. Funny to think how she herself was now doing something her father only fantasied about.
"Gerald by any chance have we met before," Aurora randomly asked to the blunderbuss owner as she pushed away the thoughts of her father for now. For some reason the young blonde seemed familiar to her possibly from her childhood days.? More possible from when she had visited Goetia territory on numerous occasions before her parents had married as he seemed to have some ties to Goetia based on his reaction to her comment about Kaileb.
OOC: Ridiculously long for how unimportant this post is, so feel free to skip most of the parts. She pretty much just gets healed up, does some favors around town, and goes to the bakery.
Eleena
"Got it ma'am! Thank you for your hard work!" She raised her fist to the sky in salute... before scratching the back of her head. "And uh.. if you could... Make jumping out a window of a third story building not sound that stupid? If it's even possible... Ehehe... uuuu." Yeah, maybe there was a better way. She looked down at her feet. ... Yep.
After Mimo left, Carol let out a surprising outburst. ... Hungry? Huh? ... Well, maybe she hadn't eaten for a while? Hrm. And maybe some people ate to cope. Well, she had nothing against going out for a bite to eat, so Eleena nodded vigorously. FOOD. Yes. She wasn't a glutton! She just enjoyed the taste! She was a gourmet! Yeah!
Thankfully, Halberd had taken her earlier hint. Yeah. She needed to get her feet fixed up. Being in this state was pretty humiliating. Many of the people around town had asked her worriedly what had happened, but well, Mimo's glance and Eleena's smile was enough to send them away. "Alright! See ya guys there!" With that, and while humming her earlier tune for Sarah's bakery, Eleena whomped her way towards one of the local healers associated with the Guardians.
Well, she didn't like him. Not one bit. But he was the best around, at least that would definitely be there and ready to treat whoever walked in. She did like that about him. But she didn't like him. Not one bit. But she put a smile on her face and knocked on the door to his somewhat impressive house.
The door open. A man appeared. With a look at her, he led her inside. He walked to a bed in the middle of a dining room, and nodded for her to sit down. She did, that fake smile still plastered on her face. He knelt down and took off her boots. He then stared at her feet. That was all. No movement of his hands.
... A minute passed. His name? Maker Dun. Characteristics of appearance? ... Glasses? That was really the only defining thing about him. His powers? Ocular-based healing. It was a bit odd knowing that he was messing around inside her body right now as they waited. She didn't feel or see nuttin'. Other champions said that they could... but well, Eleena wasn't particularly sensitive to sensing magic at work.
Which was why she finally spoke. "So uh, are you... healing?" It took a few seconds but Maker looked up. ... Yeah, he took things slowly. It took another few seconds for him to speak. "Nope. I was just admiring your feet." And then he went back to... uh... admiring her feet? Yeah. He was a creeper. He was fond of the Champions, and made it his business to be a reliable healer to them. But... Uh... He had habit of admiring their traits. ... She honestly felt in danger of having her feet being chopped off in this choking silence.
But eventually Eleena had to speak up again. "So uh... Can you like... chant or something so I know when you actually start?" Another few seconds passed, and Doctor Dun passed his gaze up to her then back to her feet. He then began chanting.
DEAR LORD DID HE EVER. Eleena vowed to never bring Carol here. She was unaware one could swear so much, for so long, so intensely. It was like the man was possessed by the devil. Eleena even learned a few words herself. ... Wow, that one was archaic. What? Eleena liked history. ... Oh wow that ... Huh. Wait what? How did that one make any sense.... and how did that phrase even come to be? Wait wait he said that on-... Oh, this one is longer. Huh. Interesting.
After he stood and stopped his tirade of curses, Eleena assumed he was done. "Wow. Don't think I've ever heard you talk for so long. ... Or anyone swear so much. " She was genuinely impressed. Which seemed to annoy him. "Payment. You got hurt. Which means you were on a job. Which means you'll get paid. Which means I need to get paid. Twenty Silver, in fact." ... Uh... right. ... She didn't have that much on her. She usually preferred to keep her funds in non-perishable foods. Seeing her face, he sighed. "50% off if you do a delivery for me." ... Yay! Thank you Glasses! It was rare she genuinely smiled at him. "I can bump it up to 75% if you let me grab your thighs."
WELP. There goes that smile. Eleena replied simply: "Sorry, I'm not a prostitute." And Maker replied thusly: "I just want to grab them." ... Well, her silence reconfirmed her answer. He left to go to a desk in the corner, presumably to fetch the package he wanted delivered. Eleena in turn, thankfully, had twelve silver coins and a few copper on hand.
She left the house, everything settled. Thankfully. She really didn't like that man. ... Now all she needed to do was deliver this barrel of home-made Ale to one of his friend. So heavy. Thankfully she could just roll it though. ... But when she did, his friend asked her to fetch some meat from the butcher. And when she went to the Butcher, the girl asked if Eleena could send a letter. And while she was doing so...
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Eleena slumped at the table with Halberd and Carol, an annoyed and exhausted look on her face. "Sorry I'm late. I'm way too nice for my own good." She got here like ten minutes after they did. 'Late.' But yeah, her exhaustion seemed pretty visible. The woman who was still energetic and cheery after jumping out a third story window was clearly tired. And had an over sized frothing mug of beer in her hand.
She lazily looked at it, then at the counter where Sarah was waiting expectantly. That damned lanky red-headed booze-hound. Why does she need a drink in the middle of the day, every day!??! Shouldn't she drink some milk instead so her chest could grow and a man could take interest and help out with her shop? No. Bad Eleena. People liked things. It was good to like things. ... And some men liked flat chests too. It was a thing.
Getting up with her bones creaking, (okay maybe it was the chair,) Eleena dutifully carried the mug to the expectant woman. Looking up at the taller girl's face, Eleena smiled. "Annnd here's your beer. The banana bread was wonderful, by the way." Sarah nodded, and Eleena turned around, beginning to walk away. But the sound of Sarah's voice made her freeze in her tracks. "Ah, Eleena. Could you do something for me?" ...
Aaaaaaaahhhh! Why why why why. Eleena LIKED Sarah. ... Aw fine, whatever! The banana bread was really good, okay?!?! "O-Of course." ... Eleena couldn't look her in the face. The other girl would probably feel guilty if she saw the exhaustion there. "Can you..." Eleena wondered what it was now. Haaah. She really was too ni-
SMACK!
The flat of a hand slapped Eleena's back. Hard. She staggered forward, barely remaining standing. ... Yeah, Sarah was training to be a champion. Ow. So much ow. SO MUCH OW. "Sit down and relax!" The baker girl laughed. Eleena's legs trembled horribly from the pain as she turned around. Tears were in her eyes from gratitude (and pain, oh lord the pain.) "T-Thank you." Sarah blanched a little when she saw Eleena's face. "Oh... Too hard... Eh? ... Well, I guess I can just give you some more banana bread. Ah man, you're a great friend. I slap you too hard, and you accept bread as an apology. Hah. Everyone else always holds grudges when I do something wrong. It's ridiculous."
Ahahah yes! More banana bread! ... Eleena was being bribed. She was definitely being bribed to be this strong-armed girl's friend and take the abuse that came with it. ... BUT DELICIOUS FOOD. SO DELICIOUS. ... Was something wrong with her? Perhaps the most embarrassing moment of Eleena's life was when Sarah literally slapped the blue head's shirt off after telling a joke. Right when she was treating some local kids to a cake that didn't turn out too pretty. To this day, two of the kids still competed and tried to win over Eleena's heart. She'd be flattered if they weren't half her age and only liked her because they saw her chest. But Eleena had, in turn, gotten a beautifully decorated cake of her own, all to her own, that was completely delicious! Friendship renewed!
... Yeah. She was a glutton for... well, food? Haaah. But she didn't eat a lot though! Eleena just liked the taste of things!
With that, Eleena skipped her way to her chair and sat down, happily waiting for her banana bread. ~~~
She smiled at Carol. "So, sponge cake eh? Do you like it?"
Being on her way, Este considered chatting up Aposto, after all, there was this slim chance that he would actually know about her brethren. Though decided to do that on a later point, who knew if they would still be on equal terms after this? Another option would be chatting up the armor clad woman she beat earlier this day, but all things considered, Este ultimately didn't want to bother with such plebeians, even if there was the slim possibility of her actually being some lesser vampire.
Sooner or later their walk led them to their goal, something the Goetian people were apparently afraid of entering. Was it really that dangerous? She did believe in the supernatural, but ultimately, it seemed utterly stupid in her eyes to not enter a place of power just because of some petty rumours or similar. Whatever the case, she would soon find out, and hopefully make this for now rather easy adventure worth. Even now she had her doubts about those sweet words Aposto told her and she came eventually to the conclusion that it was just all talk, simply to lure her. For a human, if he even was one, he did seem pretty sharp after all. Thus, the group finally entered the Madurn Sanctuary.
In there, Este, just like the rest, looked around. There wasn't really much she could make a use out of, she did recognize a few things here and there that her elders also used, but in the end, she asked herself. What exactly did they want here again? Right, getting behind all this hokus pokus. She was probably not the only one hearing that annoying whispering, no? Maybe someone else was there? But it sounded way too ominous, but just in case she was the only one hearing it, Este decided to continue her silence.
Fantasy and SciFi are the two genres I most enjoy. I absolutely adore Dark Fantasy/Dark SciFi, and I quite enjoy RPs with at least a facet of comedy in them too.
Natalya was getting sick of the sight of books. Every second wandering the maze of shelves was another second wasted, and the sense of urgency was doing the gnawing in her stomach no good whatsoever. Kaileb was the man who had lifted her from a life of poverty on the streets, the man who had stopped and looked at her, rather than through her. Surely she owed him enough to be honest, right? But then, what was happening was clearly serious, if information about Astra's potential disposition was being withheld from them, endangering their lives. As these thoughts swirled through her mind, the churning of her gut intensified and the greater the sense of urgency Natalya felt. However it turned out, it seemed that the book bearing this symbol was the key to unlocking the mysteries of what was going on around them. But what would happen when the found it? If they found it? Images of the two of them being smothered in the darkness flashed through her mind, before she forcibly shut them out.
Rubbing her eyes, Natalya yawned. Tiredness. That was all it was. It was making her jumpy, paranoid, just generally unsettling her. Not to mention that death was so recently with them - Natalya could still feel the soreness from carrying Astra's body back to the Library, could still feel the imprint where her dead flesh had rested. "A ghost on my back" she thought to herself, derisively. A couple of drinks, a good night's sleep - everything would be better in the morning. For now, they just had to find the librarian.
A couple of minutes later, they rounded the corner to find a lanky youth with the pallor of one who didn't get out much. Having not paid much attention to the symbol itself, Natalya hung back, letting Galina handle the talking.
"The Heaven's Repetoire you say?" Galina asked rhetorically, furrowing her brow at the name. "We are conducting an investigation as part of a discreet mission Kaileb assigned us," she said, adding emphasis to the word discreet. "Our information suggests that this book may have been a factor. Could you lead us to it?"
