Like Us They Bleed [concluded]

Troy would look over towards Kuvira. She was trying to be as little offensive as possible (and technically had done well, considering she spent her life hating the Monarchy) but disapproved of Kuvira's condescending tone. Troy then realized that she herself sounded condescending. "Oh. You think I am boasting or insulting you, do you?" Troy said, shaking her head. "Sorry. I am not trying to offend. Unlike most of the Wilting Rose and the people here, I wasn't trained in....proper etiquette, as I'm sure you no doubt have noticed. If I offend you, please let me know, I really don't know."She said, being surprisingly pleasant. Kuvira had taken away Troy's second family, yet Troy was trying her best (that she knew how) to get along with her.


"Also, Kuvira, I must tell you that just because I developed a school, doesn't mean people listen to me. Outside of your kingdom is very different when it comes to magic: Have you ever had to watch a mage be burned at the stake for being a 'heathen' or a healer have their throat slit in the dead of night for bringing 'death and disease'? Because I have, more than I care to admit." Troy asked. As a Queen, Troy hoped that she had at least known of the other nations reaction towards magic.


"People can't practice or use their magical talents out of fear of death. I teach so they control their abilities, for I know for sure you can understand the dangers of an untrained mage. "She said. Mage's without proper training could cause catastrophic disasters without even meaning too. "Also, you misunderstand what I mean by school....I didn't teach magic: I developed magic."She said, looking towards her, before pushing herself away from the table.


"Here.....The best way to explain is if I show you. "She said. She then pulled out a small book. The back was stripped, and it appeared to be very worn down, but it was clear what this was: A research journal. The pages were written in a cipher, and there were numbers and symbols doting the page. Whatever she had been developing, she obviously put a lot of work into it. Troy would then set the book in front of Kuvira. "Watch over this as if your life depended on it: That's my life's work you're holding. "She pleaded with Kuvira.


She would then walk to the center of the dining hall, before facing the both of them ."Before I show you this, I must have your lifesworn pledge that what I am about to show you 'never' leaves this room. This magical study is very young, and it has the possibility to either bring great peace....or total devastation. I am trusting you both with knowledge that could very well challenge divine authority. 'I' don't even use it unless in the most extreme of circumstances." She said. Whatever knowledge was within the encrypted pages of the book, it was obviously powerful enough for Troy to fear it.


She was also giving them a reason to trust her: She was basically placing her life on the line showing them this knowledge, and giving them the only thing she had worth giving. She was basically giving them the sword over her neck.





Yaro landed back near the moon-gates, having been launched by a ball of fire. His dragon was behind him, obviously worried for it's masters safety. However, as soon as Yaro stood, he looked to where Lanister was, only to not see him there.





Lanister would land next to Aizen. " Aizen, stand back. This woman is stronger than she looks. Focus your strength on the cleric! "Lanister said, before pointing his folding blade towards Prudence. "Why Yaro would choose to follow you I don't know or understand....but I must ask this: Turn yourself in, and I will see too it you'll all receive fair trial. I am willing to do this peacefully once, I ask that you take my offer. "Lanister said. He was a lot of things, but most of all Lanister was a fair person. He'd avoid unnecessary conflict if he could, and wanted to spare Yaro's life. He was also trying to see what it was that the cleric and witch were doing. What would they accomplish with this?
 
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Aizen merely nodded, his head turning towards Heinrich. His eyes narrowed at the doctor.. Whispering under his breath.


"A tall tower with no structure.. it will fall with a good push." the halfling whispered, now knowing he had an ally by his side, Aizen took the time to analyze his new foe. Like Prudence, he had that mask on.. Meaning his eyes had protection from gouging and dust. This one, however.. had some form of light armor on beneath his robes.. Aizen could see the leather leggings, studded with strips of iron.


Heinrich froze as Lanister spoke. Fair trial? Surrender? Turning ones self in?


...


Heinrich just laughed. He kept his eyes locked on the two assassins, his shoulders twitching from each chuckle. No, there would be no surrender, today. The doctor had tasted blood, and now he wanted more.. but then he thought about Prudence.. about Yaro. Yaro must have been wounded.. if Lanister was able to make it over here. The doctor relished in every opportunity to heal someone. Fighting a battle like this would endanger Prudence and her baby, as well.. his laughing ended with a deep sigh. To Prudence, Heinrich whispered.


"Can you keep them from attacking me for say.. Ten seconds? I know a spell that may stall them long enough to get through the gate in one piece."
 
OOC: 4 POV's...wow. Here goes.


The lenses of Prudence's mask became illuminated as blue sparks erupted from the effects of the doctor's spell, which shielded the witch from a fatal slash of the goblin's sword. The goblin had attempted to strike the women's belly, but instead found himself thrown aback by the energy of the wall of magic between them. As Aizen collected himself a wide and satisfied smile stretched across the witch's lips. The electrifying wall was beginning to dissipate, and now she was standing with her hands on her hips smiling down upon her attacker. There was an air of arrogance about her as she surveyed the effects of her stone hard punch, which proved to be effective.


As Klaus joined her side she took a step closer to him and drew her wand, waiting to see what their attacker would do next. Prudence readied her wand threateningly as the bloody-nose Aizen prepared himself, but before anyone could have the next strike Lanister interrupted the brawl. Lanister focused his attention on Prudence while holding his sword ready. What he said next was surprising to the witch, whose hands instantly returned to her hips. She began chuckling, "you're a fool", Prudence said to the agent in response. She would never turn herself in. She had come too far to throw it all away because the Wilting Rose decided to ask nicely. The Wilting Rose was an enemy of her's, and compliance with them was sure to get her thrown in jail she reasoned. The promise of a fair trial would make no difference.


It was then that Klaus whispered to her his question. She cackled at his question, "of course I can", she snapped. She then lifted her wand again and in one quick flick of her wrist she was casting another spell. This time, it was directed to the cave ceiling. "Petram ruina!" She called out, causing a bright beam of light to extend from her wand and to the rocks above them. The light shattered, blanketing the rocky ceiling in a beautiful sheet of sparkling dots. The lights began to fade, and an eerie silence fell over the scene. A distant rumbling started, followed by chunks of rock collapsing from the ceiling. It was an avalanche spell, and the size and speed of rocks falling from above was growing rapidly.


"Let's get out of here!" she called out to Yaro as more rocks began pelting the ground around them. A large boulder fell to the ground between Prudence and Lanister, narrowly missing Prudence herself. Prudence hoped her team could escape through the moon gate and that the avalanche would be enough to keep Lanister and Aizen at bay. Surely the Wilting Rose agents would have to prevent any significant damage from occurring on Valpurina's mountain before following them.


The witch turned to Klaus and whispered to him, "you better come after us soon". Prudence then started her way towards the moon gate, confident that she could do so with Klaus present.


. . .

​



Thornton had been gazing at his queen with his usual look of adoration, but as Kuvira went on with her suggestions his face morphed into a frown. He was disappointed to see that his queen had an interest in dark magic. The forces of demonic magic were none to be played with. Thornton knew in his heart that this type of magic must remain unacceptable in his kingdom. It was, after all, the use of such forces that led to his sister's curse. He could not allow subjects of the Rose Kingdom to partake in demonology. It would be reckless of the kingdom to allow that kind of power into the hands of subjects. He wondered what business Kuvira could have with it, but he made no comment directly to his queen about it.


Instead, he focused his attention back to Troy who was getting way ahead of herself. He had not anticipated his suggestion to become so misconstrued, but it had. Clearly he had not elaborated enough on his ideas. As Kuvira and Troy continued to converse Thornton found himself becoming agitated. Finally, he interrupted them as Troy began passing around a book. He would have to make a few things clear. Thornton was not in search of a Magical Advisor. This role had already been filled by Kuvira, as the main purpose of their marriage pact was for her magical expertise and aid in reconstructing the Rose Kingdom. Kuvira would be the only Magical Advisor of the Rose Kingdom.


He cleared his throat and began to speak, "I do apologize for any confusion I might have caused, but understand that Kuvira is my official adviser of magic. I was hoping that your expertise could be useful to us in other ways... namely, how to prevent and regulate forms of malicious magic. You will be responsible for legislative work behind making these practices illegal as well as a supportive agent in the event that these laws must be enforced. You would be the... Judiciary Commissioner of the Forbidden Arts". Troy's responsibilities would essentially make her a judge, as well as the head of a new department in the Rose Kingdom. Prior to the war, there had been no need to differentiate "malicious" magic from white magic, but now the Department of Forbidden Arts would have to be established. There would have to be a special task force assembled of which would police the new laws, and Troy could play an integral role in that.


. . .

​



Sir Edwin of the Emerald Thorns took another moment to glance back to the king as he listened to his response. He couldn't help but laugh then, seeing the king's answer as nothing more than horseshit. What man wouldn't take advantage of such a situation, he wondered. He was wrong of course as Lance had virtually zero interaction with Cecile during the time she spent there, but Edwin would never believe it. If he were to believe it it would likely be another reason to detest Lance.


Lance's question was met with more laughter. Edwin was truly amused by Lance's apparent innocence. "Well, I was hoping you'd have something a little more detailed to share with me. You know, something for me to imagine", he explained. He then fell silent for a moment before adding, "I'd of hit that". He was referring to Cecile, of course. It may have seemed like a sickening statement for a Rose Knight to make, but truthfully the attitude wasn't uncommon among them. The Rose Princess did in fact have one political role in the Rose Kingdom, and that was to serve as a motivational tool for the soldiers. Her job was quite literally to look pretty and make appearances for them. Unfortunately, it also led to some soldiers lusting after her. It had proven to be an effective tool despite this, however.


. . .

​



Cecile was inwardly hurt by Syniad's further criticisms. This time it was because she had stopped for a moment. The girl blushed and looked to her feet, unwilling to take up for herself. She'd been pushing herself to keep up with his speed, and didn't like having her efforts go unnoticed. Nonetheless, Cecile remained quiet. Her behavior had become the blame of so many of her previous issues that she finally learned to hold her tongue when issues arise. However, perhaps the new skill would be harmful to her.


A sudden, heavy downpour made the princess shiver, and the next events that took place were a blur to her. Suddenly she was being pushed to her limits as Syniad took off in a sprint. She wasn't sure what was so urgent about the situation, but she wasn't surprised about the rain. Her feet and legs ached as she struggled to keep up with the new speed. She was almost being dragged along.


Finally, the two reached an old well. Cecile tried to pull away and avoid going into the thing, but the man easily forced her down. Now they would wait. The screeching of heavy winds made anything the two could say barely audible. Then it came.


In the blink of an eye Cecile witnessed the old pulley system be sucked away into the dark and swirling entity above. Now exposed as the well exterior was gone, Cecile huddled against Syniad in fear. She closed her eyes and braced herself for the worst, unsure of whether or not Syniad's magic box would hold out against the vicious tornado.
 
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Klaus nodded with confidence, shutting the world out as he bowed his head and began to pray. So quietly he spoke to himself, it was hard even for himself to hear what he was saying. His holy symbol began to glow with divine power, and soon after, his arm began to become engulfed in radiant white flames.. he then turned his head up to face Lanister and Aizen.. Ready to unleash the spell..


...


When a massive boulder came crashing down right in front of him. He leapt back and waved his arm, prematurely discharging the divine spell. Rather than creating a massive wall of divine flames, the spell began to light the boulders that had fallen with the flames. Klaus took a few more steps back as Prudence moved towards the gate.. Looking up at the boulders, now alight with white fire.


"....Oh." was the only real word that came out of his mouth as he turned tail towards the gate, making a whooping sound as he sprinted towards it.


Aizen tried to dash past the boulders.. With no magic of his own he would have to rely on physical ability to traverse them. Before he could begin scaling it though, he shielded his eyes as the boulders became covered in sacred flames. He began breathing rather quickly as he swallowed the fear of pain, and with a strained roar, he leapt onto the boulder, biting back the searing divine burn as he leapt for the fleeing Klaus, dagger poised to stab him. Much to the Hobbit's satisfaction, his knife got at Heinrich's back.. But rather than hear the sound of steel piercing flesh, all he heard was a metal clang, and the sound of tearing cloth as his dagger bounced off of Heinrich, and tore off a part of his robe instead. Too late now, the Hobbit realized as he looked up at Heinrich fleeing through the gate... practically unharmed.
 
Lance only became wary at the sound of Edwin's laugh. This man truly was a creep!


"Something for you to imagine..?" Lance asked rhetorically, his voice a bit closer to a growl. Edwin's blatant disrespect for Cecile was doing nothing but provoking the king, whose temper had shortened as the full moon drew closer. His last statement made the king stiffen with anger. He sure hoped that they would be home in Bathelon and Edwin long gone before the king did anything stupid. The Emerald Thorns would find themselves missing a soldier, if that didn't happen.


"If you're going to disrespect Cecile, then don't talk about her at all," Lance finally replied with a cold tone. It was obvious the king had no tolerance when it came to bad-mouthing any of his friends, even if it was supposed to be a sick sort of compliment. Or something gross like that. He returned to staring out the window, although he was sure to cast a withering glare in Edwin's direction whether the soldier could see it or not. It helped him calm, somewhat.


///


The forces of nature were not something to be trifled with even by the strongest of mages. The unpredictable nature (haha) made adapting magic much harder than it would normally be; there were no movements or glances to predict from. Only the slightest of warning came from any movement. It was almost like fighting a clown, insanity causing the opponent to move at random.


It wasn't long before things seemed to calm, but looking up would reveal a dark wall of dust and wind swirling around the well. Unintentionally, Syniad had ended up practically rooting the tornado to the spot, draining any energy he had much faster. Not to mention keeping the shield up was a pain. His green eyes were practically lighting the dark well up all alone; it seemed to be some strange effect of the magic drain. Although, the man had claimed he couldn't use magic..


A few minutes that seemed like something closer to hours for Syniad passed before the tornado began to weaken and pull away from the ground, twisting and turning like a snake before it disappeared into the clouds. As the spell he was casting was finally released, a lighter rain finally hit them both. Syniad had dropped to his knees by then, panting, and could barely be heard muttering something along the lines of, "I'm getting too old for this."


"Give me a moment to rest and I'll get us out of this well," he said after another moment, still breathless. "Sorry about not giving you any warning and all." Exhausted, he seemed to have a bit less of a sharp tongue.




​
 
Edwin could only shake his head at the young king's growing anger. The Emerald Thorn knew little about Lance, but he was educated enough to know the kingdom of Bathelon did not allow the use of magic. He decided that Lance must be similar to the monarchs of the Rose Kingdom, devoid of any magical talent. Because of this, Edwin was not intimidated by the other's growling tone of voice. Lance may have been the king, but it was he who had the real power, thought the knight. He had been forced to accompany the man for his protection, after all.


Of course, Edwin had no knowledge about the man's wolfish issues. There was nothing to warn him of this potential danger as darkness fell upon the old roads and nighttime set in.


"Alright, alright, your highness", he said in response to the king. He didn't wish to cause too much trouble with the angry man. Despite the little respect he had for the Bathelon king he knew his place in fulfilling this mission. He did not want to risk getting in trouble with the commander over a few comments about a frivolous female. However, it was easy to tell by his tone of voice that he saw nothing wrong with his statements or his views on the princess. "I didn't think you'd be so sensitive to such things", he added with a shrug of his shoulders.


It was then that Edwin pulled gently on the reins, bringing the horse to a stop. Alone they were on the empty rode. He swiveled around to face the king again, who greeted him with a look of disgust. Edwin ignored his malicious stare and asked, "are we gonna stop now for the night or are you gonna take over this thing?" Edwin had been handling the buggy since early that morning, and felt he needed a break.

. . .

​



To Cecile's dismay, the man's efforts to avoid the tornado only forced it to stay in place. Now it was hovering above them in a swirling vortex with no where to go. It was already bad enough to the dainty female that they were crammed into such a dirty place. Frightened by both the tornado and their disgusting surrounding, Cecile did not notice that the man seemed to produce his own magic. Perhaps in all of the excitement she had forgotten that small detail.


The princess remained close to Syniad as she watched mud and debris be sloshed around the well while the tornado thrashed about. When at last the tornado broke free it disappeared into the air, leaving Cecile and Syniad in a strange state of quiet calm. It was nighttime, and the only light available to them seemed to be emitting from the man's eyes.


For a second the well lit up from a bolt of lightning outside and rain began to fall softly onto them. Now Cecile shifted uncomfortably; they were sitting in mud and it was dark and wet. Similar to the dungeons, these were conditions that left the princess terrified: To be surrounded in filth and darkness.


The princess became upset at the man's next words--that she would have to wait there longer. "Okay", she said. Her voice quivered as if she would soon cry.


She tried to wait for him, but suddenly she felt something cold drop onto her neck. She reached her hand back and discovered it was a worm. It was the last thing she could take. Cecile shrieked, and flung the thing away as she looked frantically around for more of the disgusting things.


"I can't wait", the startled female cried, reaching for her broomstick from behind her back. When she got a grip around its handle and her free arm entangled around one of Syniad's, she demanded it to fly and sure enough the broomstick lurched upward, dragging each of them with it to the opening above. The broomstick seemed to struggle with the weight of both, and once they reached the top it dropped them hard onto the wet ground.


​
 

Kuvira examined the book momentarily before Thornton made his statement clear. She felt shameful of her suggestions but didn't regret it either. She knew how beneficial it would be for her in the upcoming battle however she had to trust in Thornton's wishes... For now. She will have to find some spells on her own privately, right now she had to play the part of a loyal fiancée.

"Maybe that would be best." She replied handing back the book to Troy, she gave a long stare at it prior to looking the other way. "The role does seem important and a person with your expertise will flourish in the field." She wasn't a person that usually gave people reassurance but this seemed reasonable. She had to make sure Troy stayed on their side.

"I think I've eaten well enough. Why don't we practice your speech in the Throne room? Maybe even go for a walk after?" She inquired arising and linking arms with him. She wanted to finish their duties quickly to get to private affairs. Her ladies were arriving soon, the wedding needed to be prepared. There wasn't much time in a day.​
 
Troy would appear thoughtful at the suggestion, before speaking up. "Very well, Thornton....on one condition, however: If I am going to be a Justiciar (I looked it up, it's an actual term) I will need members of my own council for support and Guidance.....but no offense meant, I will not trust any member of your court. "She said, before taking the book. "I don't know them, I don't know if they'll put their own gain above those of the many, and I don't know if they won't try to circumvent my authority....My condition? I want my council to be run by my Mercenary corp. "She said, before looking towards them. "Now don't think that just because we're Mercenaries we are without manners or are merciless killers: My mercenary band are mage's that have to hide in plain sight. It was this way I could offer protection to those that would otherwise be subjected to witch-burning. "She said, which made sense. Mage's in the Rose Kingdom needed some place to go. Where else except with other mage's?


"I understand, also, that you two are busy....but don't worry. I will make this demonstration quick....I am sure Kuvira will find this manner of magic to be quite informative.....and it is not black magic, so I assure you there is no dark influence at work....it is just.....well.....many religious factions would consider it heretical. "She said, shaking her head. "Also, if Kuvira is willing to accept it, I am willing to teach her what I know about this form of magic. I assure you this: No-one else has made a study into this like I have."





She would then walk to the center of the room, before taking a deep breath. "..Mana is the essence used to activate spells, summon creatures, and create complex wards, correct? Some consider it another form of stamina, but such a vast oversimplification does not explain it's true purpose, and in doing so, does it a great disservice. Mana is an energy, a primal force, that most people can feel simply by placing a hand on a plant, or an animal. It's raw energy incarnate."She said, speaking with a surprisingly educated viewpoint. Though she may not be a courtier, she obviously was an avid researcher into the magical arts.


"People can tap into this force and focus it, such as using it as a weapon to cast fire or lightning.. They can even use it to mend or heal. Some also use it in machinery, like Dwarvan automaton. But, then there is blood magic, which opens up a whole new liner of questions: How can our life-force fuel spells?...."She said, before looking over towards them. "Before you ask, I will not show you Blood magic. That magic is simply a crutch, it holds a mage back....No, what I am showing you is the ability to manipulate a force that many think only a god should be able too...."She said, before taking a big breath. She was about to spill her biggest weapon, her biggest secret....but she had to get them to trust her, and this was the only way.


"What I am talking about....is the creation of life, from the energy in your own body."





Troy would then hold out her hands, as a mage circle would appear. However, this was not a summoning circle....indeed, the circle was rather indescribable, as it didn't match any known circles. Troy would then sigh as a blue wispy essence would leave her body. Only Kuvira would be able to recognize it for what it was: Raw magical energy. She poured what was in her body onto the circle, as it started forming into a ball. Soon the energy would begin swirling, causing the air to feel rather tense. Troy's face, despite only maintaining this for half a minute, was already covered in sweat. Whatever this was, it drained her quickly.


Soon, the magic bubble would leave....but in it's place would be something else. Standing at twice the size of the average dog was a rather strange creature. It started sniffing the air curiously, before looking at Troy. It's eyes showed intellect, but there was something else in it. There was....almost a sort of blind obedience in it's eyes when it looked at Troy. It was as if it was awaiting orders.


Troy would sigh, before finally looking towards them. She still looked exhausted, but was not yet about to pass out. "This is what I meant......The magic I used is called many things, life-crafting being chief among them.....Me? I call it 'Shaping', The art of crafting life from nothing but the raw mana in your body.... This creature is something 'I' made, not a god or any other being.....It exists because I made it. Unlike a summoned being, it has no need to leave....until it expires, it serves me."She said, reaching her hand out. The creature would walk over docilely, and rub it's head against her hand, obviously recognizing the woman as it's 'Master'.


It was obvious why Troy wanted this magic hidden as much as possible. The backlash from the Churches would be almost immediate, not to mention the sheer fear of what someone could do with this sort of power...But the possible benefits? They were endless...


And Troy had offered to teach Kuvira 'how' to use this magic.


Yaro saw that Prudence was causing the avalanche in the mountain, and his face had clear shock on it. Were this to escalate further, it could very well bury the city, and destroy the Wilting Rose forever...As well as cause the destruction of one of the last free cities in the world. Yaro soon her Prudence yell at him to move, as the agents began countering it, to avoid serious damage. Standing up, Yaro began moving after her, yelling. "Are you insane?! There are innocent people in this city! "Yaro yelled, before turning around.


Yaro knew perfectly well that he could either stop now, and help the Wilting Rose.....or continue down his path. As much as he wanted to help the people that taught him what he knew, he also knew he was committed to his path: To stop now would be to accept defeat, and that was something Yaro absolutely refused to do. Yaro saw that the Wilting Rose were going to keep serious damage from being done, and kept going. He had to follow after Prudence.


Then, he saw Lanister.


Rushing forward, he'd push Prudence out of the way. "Watch out- GAH!" Yaro yelled out in pain as a blade was stuck through his side. Launching a ice blast into his chest, Yaro managed to send Lanister before, pulling the blade out. He was now bleeding- badly. "We need to go!" Yaro yelled, as he felt warm blood seep through his fingers. He then rushed through the gate.
 
Lance simply did his best to ignore the knight from that moment on, acutely aware of the setting sun and nervous about the rising moon. Edwin's tone of voice had only added to the king's anger, but Lance refused to reply.


When Edwin stopped the carriage and asked whether they should stop for the night or if Lance would continue to drive them, he didn't get an immediate answer. On one hand, Bathelon needed the cure as soon as possible. On the other, Lance had himself convinced that if he managed to sleep through the night then Edwin would be left unscathed.


"We will stop for the night," Lance finally decided. "I am going to take a walk, first. I do not need your protection; I am simply trying to clear my head." Truth be told, Lance had no idea what possessed him to wander instead of just going to sleep; all he knew was that the urge was there and ignoring it wouldn't help anything.


The king stepped out of the carriage, although he reached back in to grab a separate pair of clothes, bundling them discreetly under his arm.


Just in case, he told himself. Nothing is going to happen.


Before Edwin had had a chance to see where Lance was going, he'd already disappeared into the woods.


Lance walked for a short time, eventually sitting down with his back against the tree. His entire body ached, and while the feeling felt familiar he couldn't place a feeling on it. Fumbling in his pocket for the Wolfsbane potion, Lance let a single drop slide down his throat before capping it. He shoved the bottle and the spare clothing into a small hollow between the tree's roots and the ground. That was all he had time for before his shaking and the transformation's pain disabled him. Despite the Wolfsbane potion, Lance's anger still acted like a barrier, making every movement foggy and not quite his. He would probably not return until the crack of dawn, and if Edwin went out to investigate he would have quite the surprise.


///


Syniad remained oblivious to Cecile's discomfort as he recovered, but the girl's sudden shriek was enough to alarm him. His head snapped up, taking in his surroundings before he was yanked by his arm off of the ground and out of the well. When he finally touched the ground again, Syniad rubbed his throbbing shoulder.


"That hurt, you know," he grumbled, but didn't say anything else. He turned to look at the village.


That is, what was /left of it.


The tornado hadn't formed right on top of the well. It had actually plowed through the village first. It had been unusually strong; the houses were completely demolished, as revealed by a flash of lightning. It would've been a stroke of luck if a single house had had a cellar, nevertheless an inner room. The families who had huddled together fearfully were, in all likelihood, dead. It was a grim reminder that humanity wasn't the only thing capable of destruction.


"There will be no rest for us here. We will have to find shelter in the woods." It was something the princess would probably dislike and complain about, but the state of the village would probably be enough to quiet her.
 
Thornton watched on as the demon hostess demonstrated her newly discovered talent. His eyes widened as the beautiful glow of raw mana emerged, but his brow furrowed and a look of disdain came to his face when a small dragon-like creature materialized before them. This was problematic indeed. A sick feeling came to Thornton's stomach as he processed what he and his queen witnessed. The creation of a life form. The rose king began to wonder if perhaps granting Troy an official position would be a mistake. He could not allow a member of his courts to play with the powers of God. It could bring smite upon the Rose Kingdom, reflected the young man.


Without so much as a warning, Thornton drew his sword and slashed directly through the creatures neck, ending its 'life' in a single blow. The things decapitated body fell to the ground and then the thing burst into a poof of sand-like material that glistened with the same colors of the raw mana. Thornton remained with his sword in hand as he faced Troy, "there is to be no more of this in my kingdom".





He returned his sword to its sheath and continued, "you are dabbling in the powers of God, Troy, and such actions do not go unpunished. The Lord will not continue to allow such things, and I will not let you bring such wrath upon my people. Whatever it is we have just witnessed, it is hereby outlawed". Thornton then reached forward and confiscated the book of Troy's work. "I will be reading this thoroughly tonight, but if you will excuse us, my queen and I must be off to prepare our public appearances for the morning... you are free to return to the guest quarters", he said while skimming through the pages. A flash of lightning illuminated the room followed by a clash of thunder, perhaps it was the thunderstorms Cecile and Syniad were facing.


Thornton turned to Kuvira and raised his eyes brows to her. He hoped she could see the that his decisions were for the best in this circumstance. "Shall we go?" he asked, and started his way to the door. It would be a long night for the young king.


. . .

​



The witch had no remorse for her actions, and was in fact still carrying an arrogant grin on her face. She paused to survey her damage, and to her delight it appeared to be enough to slow the Wilting Rose down. It was then that Yaro yelled at her with his concerns for the city and the people in it. Admittedly, the witch cared little for them. The people of Valpurina had largely shown little interest in retaliating against the Rose Kingdom, and as such were no use to her anyway. The witch had no concern for these people, but she knew that the Wilting Rose did. The aSgents could not choose her capture over the safety of these 'innocent people'.


Prudence cackled in response, "I know", she said between laughs. The pregnant female had perhaps made herself too comfortable with her success because before she could react Lanister was coming in for an attack. She tensed and anticipated the worst for herself, but in the blink of an eye Yaro stepped in, taking the full brunt of the blow and shielding her with his own flesh.


Now a look of concern came to her green eyes, but this remained concealed within her mask. Was it remorse? More rocks collapsed, causing Lanister's attention to return to preventing the avalanche, and Prudence and Yaro each made it through the void safely after Klaus. They made it to the Yunakai. Immediately, Prudence approached Yaro, "he's injured", she said worriedly to Klaus. Yaro, who had been hit with Lansiter's sword, was now bleeding heavily from his side. She turned to the void gate and added, "we need to find somewhere in the city to go quickly... that avalanche will only give us so much time".


. . .

​



Cecile did not pay much attention to Syniad's complaints as she took in the dismal sight of the village. There were no homes left standing, it seemed. There also appeared to be no survivors rummaging through the wreckage. It was likely that all of these people were dead, reflected the princess solemnly. She stepped nearer the village to get a better look at the site, but it was hard to see in the darkness and light rain. The only opportunities to see the village was whenever the occasional bolt of lightning passed from skies above.


When she gave up examining the land for survivors she returned to Syniad's side. Her wide eyes welled with tears with what he had to say next. The loss of the village left the two travelers with no where dry to stay for the night. Cecile looked down to her shoes, which were soggy already from puddle of water they were standing in in the well. "Stay in the...woods?" She asked Syniad as if she was clinging to the hope that perhaps she misheard him. "I can't do that, I can't stay here", she said, panic and the threat of crying rising in her tone. She lifted her broomstick and sort of waved it at him, " but I can get us somewhere else quickly", insisted the frightened girl. She mounted the broomstick and tried to fly, but the broomstick only seemed to struggle before becoming lifeless. The princess had used too much of her energy throughout that afternoon while flying slowly, and forcing it to lift the weight of two people paired with her physical and mental exhaustion simply left her powerless.


The princess whimpered to herself and hurried along after Syniad into the forest. There were tears streaming down her cheeks, but she was doing her best not to make any sounds that could irritate her mentor. She had always been sheltered from horrors such as these, and of course the girl was kept in comfort. There would be no sleep for the princess tonight.


. . .

​



Sir Edwin could only shrug his shoulders at the king's decision to go on a walk. After securing the horse to a tree and providing the creature with food, the knight returned to the carriage. Edwin was inwardly glad to have the night off and even more so to have the inside of the carriage to himself to rest in. He sipped from the flask he wore at his hip, and soon found himself warm and comfortable from where he was. Once nicely buzzed from the effects of the alcohol, the Emerald Thorn drifted to sleep. There were no concerns about the king on his mind.


When Edwin awoke it appeared to be a late hour in the night. He became concerned once he discovered that the Bathelon king was still absent from the carriage. This meant that he never returned from his walk, thought the Thorn bitterly. "God dammit", he muttered to himself as he climbed out of the carriage. He did not want to risk leaving the carriage unattended, but he also couldn't risk leaving the king alone in the woods. He could have gotten himself lost or assassinated, worried the knight.


He looked around while trying to remember what direction the man went, but because Lance slipped away so abruptly he had no such recollection. The aggravated knight at last selected a random direction, and headed blindly into the forest hoping to find some trace of Lance. It would be on his head if something were to happen to him, after all.
 
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Klaus tumbled through the gate, landing on his arse as he found himself out of Valpurina, and under an open sky.. Klaus looked around. This was Yunakai?


...


He merely nodded. This place looked okay. Before he could process another thought, Yaro was brought to his attention. He gazed at the boy, almost uninterested until he saw the blood oozing out of him. At this he snapped to attention, bringing his holy symbol into his hand. It began to radiate with white, crackling sparks.


"Ooh yep. Yep that's pretty bad. But!" as Heinrich jammed his symbol into the wound, the sparks reacted with his blood and torn flesh, closing it over as the sensations of pain were drowned out by sensations of relief. His wound would close significantly, leaving only a shallow cut.


"You forget, Prudence. I can do that!"


Such a deep wound it was, that without more time put into the healing, it couldnt be completely undone. Or maybe Heinrich deliberately held back..


"Well.. I believe we are wanted folk twice over." Klaus announced to his allies, turning around as he threw his mask onto the ground and reaching into his coat.


"To me.. We will need another disguise. I am already prepared." as the doctor turned around, he had a black cloth wrapped around his face, up to his nose. Now his crazy green eyes were fully on display, and his solid white hair flowed down to the lobes of his ears.


"Acquiring a new hideout will be an easy task. I am certain there is another beefy apothecary man we can... Ahem. Acquire." the combination of beef and apothecary caused him to remember Howard, though he made no mention of him. "What of everyone else? Are we all in agreement?"

. . .

​



Aizen remained on the ground.. He looked at his hands. The skin had begun peeling back, and the exposed flesh began to bleed. In his frustration, he slammed the ground with his fist.. Cursing his own inability. Slowly, he rose to his feet.. The dust falling from above reminding him of the situation here. The rocks were falling. But.. How could someone like him help?
 
The void gate brought the trio near a coastal city in the southern region of the Yunakai. They were left standing on an isolated beach. The breeze was heavy here, and ocean waves could be heard washing over the distant shoreline. Shortly after all three made it through, the exiting gate vanished, leaving them with only the light of a full moon looming in the sky.


Prudence joined Heinrich's side and watched closely as he performed his healing magic on Yaro's wound. She cringed and looked away when Klaus retrieved his holy symbol and suddenly shoved the sparking object into the wound. She hoped it didn't hurt as bad as it looked. When Klaus finished the wound was much better and no longer seeping with blood. Prudence examined the remaining scar; it was quite a transformation. She was impressed to see that Klaus could perform such advanced healing techniques. The witch herself was limited in the area of healing magic.


"Excellent work, doctor!", she exclaimed to him, deciding to offer praise because he seemed eager to demonstrate his work. She removed her mask and met her darker green hues with his brighter ones before giving him a big smile. He had just thrown his own mask onto the sandy ground, and his stark white hair was blowing wildly in the sea breeze.


"Agreement", she said as she tossed her mask to the ground next to his. "Our first order of business will be to find shelter for the night", Prudence added. She was uncomfortable and exhausted, and wished she could get off of her sore feet. As they awaited Yaro's response, she glanced around the beach looking for signs of civilization. Not far from where they were standing, the silhouette of a city could be seen standing quietly in the night.
 
(I thought of a way I can finally display Troy's powers, without anyone here.)


Troy would call out to the king. "I understand your fear....but ask yourself this question: If your god, whatever one would actually exist in this cursed world, didn't want me studying this....why hasn't he sent someone to stop me? In my entire life, I never felt no divine presence guide or help me...The path I walk is mine alone. "Troy said. She knew she'd not change his mind about outlawing Shaping, but that wouldn't stop her from studying it. Magic was magic in her eyes. It wasn't like she was planning on using it for ill, she actually just enjoyed researching. Her words, however, would strike a cord: From the way she sounded, it seemed like she believed that whatever deity was real had abandoned her. Considering the life she lived, it wasn't hard to imagine why. How could she believe in something that was supposed to be a protector, but had lived a life of suffering just because of what she was?


She also didn't worry for the book. It was written in Cipher, so no-one but two people could read it, and the only other person capable must NEVER learn of it's existence. She also placed every magic ward she knew on that book. No-one, without sufficient magical power, would be able to damage the book, much less destroy it.


Walking down the halls of the palace, she entered the palace barracks, before looking at the bounty board. She then reached over, before plucking one off the board.





Bandits inside Rosales forest, Hideout unknown


General location marked


Leader: Halder Iron-hand


Image: Here


Reward upon proof of kill or capture: 500 gold coins



​



The reward money was a pittance, Troy could make three times that in a frontier city, but it wasn't about the gold to her: Muramasa was likely getting antsy, and she was under a LOT of stress right now. Most people, when under stress, had hobbies to calm them down. Some took to drawing, painting, pottery, or something time consuming like that. Others had a female or male (or a whole group) to 'relieve' stress that built up. Some even took to training, either magical or physical. Troy's version of stress relief?


She liked killing bad people, and this way, she was at least getting paid for it.


Troy would take the bounty, and register it with the boardsman. She noted the man found it amusing that a 'woman wanted to play soldier' but simply smiled and nodded before accepting it, She would finally grab some provisions, before walking to her room, and strapping on her gear. She placed Muramasa on her belt, her bow on her back, and her extra sword next to Muramasa. "Ready to get going partner? There are a few bandits who need to be murdered."





"Hehehe....I'm always ready partner."





"Then let's go, it's killing time. "She said, before walking out. She made her way out of the palace before tying her hair back. She'd then continue on, before making her way out. It'd take her time to get her to the forest, so she was going to head into the city to procure a horse. She wanted to savor this...





Yaro felt his wound seal up, before breathing a sigh of relief. He'd then let out a chuckle. "Keep doing this, Doc, and I'll never be able to pay you back...thanks. You're a literal life-saver....when you're not out scaring the hell out of me. "Yaro said, before looking over towards Prudence. "Are you okay? Were you hurt?" He asked, worried about her. He knew she was likely unharmed, but that didn't stop him from feeling concerned for the woman.





Lanister would hold up his hand, as he (along with the other WR mage's) began counteracting the damage to the mountain. He would then look down towards Aizen. "Aizen, you're the fastest one here. I need you to head out and gather other mages. We need to make sure Valpurina is structurally intact, otherwise this place will become our tomb." Lanister said. He knew Aizen was fast, and trusted him to get others to head the situation.
 
Kuvira observed from a safe distance.Curious of how a person like her could've created such a spell. Making slaves to do whatever she pleased. Her thoughts was cut off as she saw the beast be beheaded before her very eyes. She jumped back in shock before looking at the man that killed it. She never seen this side of Thornton before. She watched Troy say her statement before moving aside to let her leave.


She felt her words weren't needed in this debate. She took the book from Thornton's hands before walking towards the blazing fireplace and toss the book in without hesitation. " No one should have that much power. I don't know what that cursed magic can possess nor do I want to find out." She looked towards her fiancée, trying to phrase her next words to not be offensive. "You have a big heart my love, able to forgive and forget. But its time for you to hide it. Trust no one... anyone can betray anyone." With that said she walked out the door, heading towards the Throne room.


When they arrived shortly after, she sat on her throne. Which was extravagant enough but not as grand as the one that stood beside her. She didn't put much thought into it, instead she turned to Thornton with a faint hearted smile to ease the mood. " Do have an idea on how you want your speech to be so far? Maybe you should start with the disappearance of your father first, it will be better to announce it..."
 
"We will head into the town then. Any residence or place of business with a cellar or basement will do." Heinrich told the two. He blinked at Yaro, before he let out a chuckle, waggling his finger.


"Believe me.. My services have only begun." that finger turned into a fist, as he looked towards the city in the distance. "I will not be so vague, once we can relax, do not worry." With no further words, Klaus began to march towards the city, a gentle breeze beginning to blow. Since Prudence had not been injured there would be no need to pause for her, the doctor thought.

. . .

​



Aizen merely nodded, a good indication that what was desired of him would be done. He rose to his feet, ignoring the searing pain in his hands as he sprinted off, to warn the other mages. His feet were like a blur, and his voice rose in urgency as he shouted for the assistance of the Mages of the Wilting Rose.


"Cave in! Cave in! To the gates, Mages, your presence is needed!"
 
At first the Rose king was satisfied to hear Kuvira agree that the power of life was too great a force for a mortal. Thornton listened carefully on as she continued, but could not stop himself from worrying about her intentions as she made her final remark. He wondered about how betrayal could apply to him, and found himself feeling deeply concerned for his bride. She had already expressed an interest in Troy's field of magic, and this left Thornton wary of trusting her. He hoped that his bride would choose to remain pure by keeping away from the evils they witnessed, but he knew how women were so easily misguided. Kuvira was likely no different from Cecile and Troy, he thought.


From pondering what Kuvira meant the man did not speak as they made their way to the throne room. He was so deeply considering her intentions that he barely noticed when they arrived to the large room. It was located in a large open space on one of the bottom floors of the castles. There was a long red carpet that extended from the thrones to a set of double doors, which were sometimes left open for public forums. There were two thrones, one notably larger and more masculine than the other. This was where Thornton sat, as was expected of a king. He turned to Kuvira who sat upon the queen's throne and reached his hands over to grasp her's.


"You look beautiful there", he said. Kuvira was the first woman to sit there since the death of the Rose Queen nearly twenty years earlier. The old King Thornton had never remarried, and was always quite protective of her empty throne while he was living. Even the children were not allowed to sit upon the queen's throne growing up.


He relaxed into his throne and stared out into the empty room. It was only dimly lit with small torches hanging from the wall. "Yes, we should start with my father...", he said. He debated what would be the best way to explain his father's disappearance. "Perhaps we should claim that he abandoned his duties... I could forge a note" he speculated.


. . .

​



Prudence was caught off guard by Yaro's concern for her. She stiffened as he stared her over and sputtered out a quick "yes" as she averted his gaze. It was Heinrich who granted her the opportunity to avoid it as he took off in the direction of the city. The witch smiled faintly to Yaro and followed shortly thereafter. Prudence wasn't feeling very well as her demonic fetus resumed its stirring, but she couldn't stand admitting that her pregnancy had such a toll on her at times. Although she chose not to voice her complaints to him, she appreciated Yaro's actions. Even after she caused trouble for Valpurina he still worried for her care.


Soon the group reached the city, which appeared just as desolate as the beach. At this hour of the night there were no people about the streets, and the city was resting in darkness. Prudence looked upon each building they passed. They were trying to choose the best place to break into. For Prudence, her greatest concern was in finding a building with a comfortable place for her to sleep. The young woman shivered as the sharp and cold breeze swept over them.


Another concern for her was finding a location free of other people. She did not wish to see the horrifying procedures of the doctor again, and so she desperately hoped whatever building they chose was empty. At last, they came upon a building with a storm cellar. Prudence paused and gestured to the low door, sitting inconspicuously to the side of what looked like a small home. The opening was covered in two wooden doors which were chained shut. "Look there", she said, knowing Heinrich had wanted a basement or cellar.
 
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Heinrich walked with Prudence into the city. He spoke not a word.. not even 'Klaus'. The lack of people on the streets was frustrating the doctor. No supple, peelable flesh.. No veins, throbbing with fresh blood.. no beady, fearful eyes staring into his own...


With her, the doctor eyed the buildings.. looking for any place that had a cellar of sorts. If the residents had to be disposed of first, it would be of no concern to the doctor. It just meant more brains to play with and more pain to cause... Behind a curtain, at least.


As Prudence mentioned the home with a storm cellar, Heinrich rushed over, scanning over it with his mad eyes and gloved hands. Nodding at the chains, Klaus drew his mace, holding it with both hands.


"Mr. Spanky.. Don't fail me now." Heinrich whispered as he hefted his mace, and with a mighty swing, smashed it down upon the chains, which broke apart with a loud clank. The force of his swing not only broke apart the chains, but also splintered the wood a bit.. Even in the dark it was quite noticeable.The doctor laughed to himself quietly, reaching for one of the doors, hurriedly motioning for Prudence and Yaro to huddle inside.
 
Lance had wandered randomly around the woods, although he always made sure he knew where the carriage was. His anger had finally cooled, he believed, and was hoping he would switch back to his human form soon because chasing game through the woods wasn't exactly his idea of fun. He'd grown quite bored and there was nothing he could really do about it.


When he spotted Edwin walking about, looking for him, Lance felt a small amount of panic. What if the soldier caught sight of him and somehow realized he wasn't just some diseased peasant but a king? But his worries were shoved aside as feral rage stepped in. This man had disrespected and probably ogled Cecile!


Before he could stop it, he growled at the man, revealing himself and making his way forwards threateningly, aiming to back Edwin into a tree and teach the arrogant warrior a lesson.


///


Syniad looked on quietly as Cecile panicked, too tired to snap at her. In fact, he partially understood, although in his case the death had been his fault and involved his first murder. A young and innocent version of himself had been sick and depressed for days after, but the second killing seemed to be enough to make him realize that the world was too harsh a place to avoid wrongdoings entirely.


When Cecile finally calmed, he led her back into the forest. He led her deep within until he found a dead tree that, conveniently enough, housed a rather sizeable den underneath. The fact that it hadn't toppled over yet and the slight magical hum suggested an old and worn enchantment. Maybe a Mage had used this at some point, or someone who had a small amount of magical talent. Syniad didn't know and didn't care. All he knew was that it was shelter.


He led Cecile inside where it was surprisingly dry, and even at his height one didn't have to stoop.


"A space-bending spell, then," he murmured to himself as he looked around. "Must've been an old coven hideout, perhaps." Faint rust colors still circled and crossed the dirt, sending shivers up Syniad's spine. Even someone like himself knew better than to cross with dark magic.


"It's not the warmest here, but it is dry. I hope you can sleep at least a little bit. Your magic needs recharging especially if you're going to use your broom tomorrow, and I am not carrying you."
 
Soon, mage's from across the city were concerning themselves with maintaining the stability of the mountain. Thankfully, with the help of Aizen, enough magical energy was gathered that no severe damage was done. However, the moon-gate they had used was damaged: It'd need to be repaired, and by the time they were able, they would likely not find them in the same spot. Lanister, instead, had the Wilting Rose on high alert, and sent out as many agent's as he had to track down the noted individuals. He then finally came to Aizen.


"Agent, you did wonderfully. With your help, we managed to partially identify the group working in the capitol. I'll have it so that the guards are on high alert. As for you? I have a special assignment for someone of your talents. "He said. "You'll be travelling to the capitol of the Rose Kingdom, with me. We'll need to make sure that their king is secured and informed as to what has transpired here. "He told him. He was honestly impressed at the goblin. Were it not for him, they'd likely have never came close to spotting the trio. Now they had information desperately needed.


Yaro would walk into the room, before casting a Mage light spell. It was a minor spell, but immensely useful. It would light up the dark room with it's luminescent glow. "Haven't been to a coastal city in years....and never have they been totally abandoned. Suppose it's pirates or raiders?" Yaro asked, curious as to why they haven't seen anyone.


Then, his thoughts started falling into the darker side of him. Prudence would be able to see his eyes turn ice blue again.


"Then again....if this place is truly limited in population, then this would make an ideal hideout: A harbor, settlement is built to withstand the waves, and if there are pirates, I am sure they can be....persuaded to leave. "Yaro said, as he made a small ball of flame appear in his hand. He'd use it to light a small fireplace, bringing warmth into the air. "Or we could let Heinrich entertain himself with them....The Queen Regent was so useless, she could never send forces to clear the pirates out for good. Scum like that need death, and I'd like to see the look on their faces when he cuts up one of their buddies...."He said, before shaking himself. His eye's would return to their 'normal' purple.


"But that's just if there are any here." He said. He still had no proper control over his shattered soul, nor did he seem aware of it's condition. He appeared more kind when his eyes were reder, and the bluer his eyes got, the darker his personality turned. Sadly? His eyes were turning blue more often than red.


Yaro would look towards his dragon AveNix, before holding the creature close, kissing the top of it's head. "shh....shh.....It's okay AveNix....No-one will hurt you....I promise."He whispered to the dragon, hugging the creature. He truly cared for the overgrown lizard, and was willing to die to protect it. It was an innocent, and it did not deserve death.





After purchasing herself a horse, Troy made her way to the edge of the city. The horse she got was a Rose Mustang. It was normally used for hunting, so Troy felt it was appropriate to get him, though the hunting she was doing was anything but appropriate. She named the horse 'Giacomo' to give it a bit of identity. She then stopped at a normal pub for food and sustenance. She needed to eat after all. While she sat down, after having tied up Giacomo to a stand outside, she waited patiently for her food. She heard people make snide remarks regarding her, again hearing the words that she was a 'child playing at war' dressed as she was. Troy was getting quite irritated with hearing this. She may be a woman, but she was a Dragon-Slayer, an Assassin with the Wilting Rose, and a Mercenary for the Virtues, Dammit!


The Virtues were the 'Illegal' (though now technically legal) Mercenary Guild that she and a few others used to protect mages. Within the halls of their guild-home, mage's had a place to feel safe in Rose Kingdom. It being a Mercenary guild, Mage's normally traveled out when hired. This worked because they followed a strict moral code of ethics, and they didn't just take any job. This gave many mages a chance to start in the positive light, especially in a kingdom where someone could sneeze magic, and they'd be burned at a stake. Their headquarters was a secret, naturally: If the Emerald Thorns knew, they'd surely have razed the place to the ground by now.


The name 'The Virtues' was actually an inside joke: Each member of the guild was given a code name based on their personality, and how it corresponded with a Virtue. Their Leader, Ethan, was called 'Loyal' for he had unwavering commitment towards his guild and people, and was the one that founded the Guild. Troy's codename was-





"Hey, You there!" A voice would call out. Troy lowered her cup, before glancing at the person speaking to her. Walking towards her was a man, with two others behind him. From his gear, his attitude, and the fact that he was carrying a warhammer? The guy was a Bounty-Hunter. "You're her, right? 'Freedom'?"





Troy would sigh, before setting her cup down. I haven't even gotten my food yet..., she thought solemnly. Troy would then look over towards the person speaking. "If you know that name, then you're here for a reason. What do you want, I'm busy."She said, looking as a worker brought her plate of food. Despite her resentment for the land, she still loved the food here. It made her feel as if she was really at home. Handheld meat pies fresh from the oven were great anywhere, but here it just had that 'at home' feeling. After they refilled her tankard, Troy began to dig into her meal.





"I think you know why we're here girly: We're here to bring you in, or take you down. Someone out there's put a nice price on your head. Nothing personal, kid. Just business." He said, raising the warhammer up, as his two friends did the same with their weapons. It was obvious they were not going to be swayed.





Troy would swallow her food, before looking around: The whole pub heard his words, and were watching with wide eyes. Troy would then sigh. "Look, I am not in the mood, so I'll give you one warning: You leave me alone now, you'll walk away alive. You don't listen, then the only way you leave is in a casket." She said. She made it clear that what she was about to do was self-defense. Her giving him a warning was to assure that people heard it. When she saw that he wasn't going to leave, she sighed.


Well, she had warned him....


"How about we play my favorite game: 'Whose the better killer?' "She asked, looking towards him. "We both pick a weapon, and we both get one shot at each-other. What's yours?"She asked.





The man would hold up the warhammer. "This, obviously. What, you going to fight me with your pig-sticker of a sword?" He asked.





She would just laugh at this. "You think you're actually worth bleeding on my blade? Haha, no. I won't kill you with that. "She said. She would grab her tankard, and drain it in one go. She would then hold it up. " 'This' will be my weapon of choice..."She said, before standing up to face him.





The man found this laughable, thinking the girl was drunk or something. He would then look towards her. "Alright little girl, your funeral.....As they always say, ladies first. "He said, waiting for her to take her best shot. He expected her to him in the face with it, or something similar to that.





Troy would just smile sweetly, playing with the rim of the cup. "How generous of you..." She said, as she set the cup down. She started counting internally. She ran her finger over the edge of the tankard. She had used her 'flaming' touch to melt the edges, so they were now up into a pointed, sharp angle.


3...


2...


1...


Almost in a flash, Troy grabbed the mug, tossing it in the air, before slamming it into the chest of the bounty hunter. She saw the look of shock as the metal cut through his chest....and through his heart. She would slowly lean in, before whispering. "Don't underestimate an Assassin's capacity to kill, little boy...."She said, twisting the cup in his chest. She'd then lightly reach up, and tap his forehead. With a satisfied 'thud' he fell to the ground. Troy would then see the two others were standing there, dumbstruck.


"Oh. You two are still here? I guess you two want to play as well."She said. She then looked as if she thought for a moment, before reaching the pocket on the back of her pants. She then fished around for something before pulling it out. "Aha! found it. Now, you remember the rules, boys? 'this' will be my weapon this time...."She said, before placing it down.


On the table.....was a hair pin.


Troy had to keep herself from laughing from how fast the two ran out of the pub, obviously fearing for their lives. Shaking her head, she'd step over the body of the bounty hunter, before walking towards the bar. The barkeep would hide himself, fearing for his life...before he'd hear the sound of gold dropping on his counter. Climbing back up, he'd see a small bag of gold waiting for him.


"For the food....and the cup...and the mess. " She said, before walking out.


Muramasa would speak up. "Was scaring the shit out of the them really necessary?"





Troy would simply laugh at this. "You know you had as much fun as I did."





"...Not the point."





Troy would mount Giacomo, now finally full, and would proceed to head towards the woods.
 

She could tell The King was quite suspicious of her after her final remarks. Which wasn't surprising, perhaps that's what she wanted. She merely gave him advice that would get him far in life. She couldn't help but smile as he complimented her appearance. "So I don't look beautiful everywhere else?" She joked to lighten the mood. As he continued to go in she stopped him.

"There's no need to forge the note, it wouldn't make sense if you did. It would make it quite suspicious that you didn't hand it to Commander Vohon as soon as you received it. Tell them a half truth, you both were in a heated argument about the affairs of the kingdom. He left in rage, only later did you find out that he was missing." She noticed that they rarely knew each other as if she was marrying a complete stranger, which was true in many circumstances. They were more alike than he would expect and Kuvira decided to make their similarities known.

" It's funny how were are alike in this way... Killing Kings, our fathers. Having to keep it secret and when it is exposed making it a good cause." She said in a hushed tone. She knew Thornton would look at her differently after this but she ignored that fact and continued to go on. "My father became Insane towards the end of his reign. Burning the innocent, cutting off the tongue of those who spoke against him... I didn't kill him using force instead I poisoned him slowly made it seem like he was undergoing a fever he couldn't break. After a week, he took his final breath." She looked towards him with a frown. "I'm not innocent nor pure, if you thought that you might as well call the devil a saint."







She tapped on the King's Throne as the Squire read the letter aloud. "Queen Kuvira request for the nobles involved to be in a secure premise inside the castle as well your highness heavily Guarded." Morgana scoffed at the statement before remarking. "She requested that? I thought she would've known better. Spread the nobles throughout the countryside, make sure that they are protected day in and day out."





"But what about you?"





"I can take care of myself, I will remain in the castle to welcome our heathen Guests. I want them to let their guard down before I strike. Make sure that Yaro and his company is directed here. Tell them I wish to negotiate with them about the conflict in hand. I despise having to participate in the goose chase. I want some of the mercenaries and dragon slayers hidden inside this palace and striking at my command as well as some soldiers and navy sailors close by. If they try to escape I will make sure that they are captured. "





The squire courtesied prior to going on his way to report to the others. "Oh and dearly." She called out. "Make sure there's a feast prepared. I dont want to disappoint."
​
 
Klaus fiddled with the door, making sure it was sealed fast. He contemplated on how he shattered the chains.. How would they lock it, now? An idea struck the doctor as he stepped into the main area, taking advantage of Yaro's light as he found a sturdy plank of wood. Klaus braced it against the door, giving it a few test pushes to make sure it would hold under pressure. Once satisfied, the doctor nodded to himself. Safety.. For a respite however brief.


With that out of the way, Klaus listened in on Yaro. Pirates, he said? With a lively chortle, Klaus rubbed his hands together.


"Like something out of a viking myth.. I could command an army of the bearded dead.. Heh heh heh heh..." that was.. Assuming all pirates had beards, Heinrich thought.


!


That actually reminded him. He gestured to Prudence and Yaro, trying to capture their attention.


"I've been meaning to tell the two of you something. Something that.. I am certain will cement myself as useful to your cause, if you will hear me out." Klaus seated himself on the floor, awaiting for Prudence and Yaro's responses.

. . .

​



Aizen grunted to himself as he bandaged up his hands.. He nodded solemnly at Lanister's praise. Knowing who the enemy was.. It was better than nothing. Aizen's plan was to either kill or arrest the three of them.. so while he wasn't living up to his expectations, at least he was doing something.


Then Lanister spoke of a special assignment. They were to go to the Rose kingdom? Aizen could only nod.. Smiling behind his cloth mask.


"Alright, sir." he answered to Lanister, plainly. His voice may have been deadpan.. But his body language displayed enthusiasm with the subtlety of a thunderstorm. Surely.. He was excited for this..
 
From the shadows of a nearby alleyway, a tall and lanky figure watched the Virtue mercenary ride away from the tavern soon after there'd been a bloody mess inside, causing the other two bounty hunters to flee.


"Great Bahamut, what a lousy job," it muttered, pulling its cloak around itself before stepping into the light. Most of their body was hidden; behind a high-collared cloak and a long-brimmed hat, only their grey, nearly colorless eyes were visible. For the most part their movements were gender-neutral, carrying neither a feminine grace or a masculine strength.


Shaz Kunsel stopped to peer into the inn at the dead body everyone was still too jumpy to clean up, striding inside almost unnoticed despite her odd attire. Almost as if the moment anyone looked at her their glance passed over. Like looking at a ghost and not registering it was there.


"Gold for your thoughts on the show off Snowflake who just left," she said quietly, setting a few pieces on the bar and watching the frightened man expectantly. He cowered for another moment before realizing he had a customer, so he straightened quickly and almost sheepishly.


"Well, ya see, with the lady bein' so dangerous I'm gonna need a bit more than that," he insisted bravely, and Shaz just shrugged, setting a small bag of coins on the wood.


"Speak."


"Er, I don't know much. The men who came in called her "Freedom", for whatever reason. Um, she had a real uneasy presence, like there was some evil creature lurking around her. That's all I really know, I swear!"


"Mhm." That was Shaz's only response before turning and leaving, casting a long look towards where Troy had disappeared. "G-class Snowflake Toriel, also known as Freedom of the mercenary guild The Virtues. The hunt is on." While Troy was on a horse and Shaz had no chance to catch up, surely, she made her way onwards on the path the dragon-slayer had gone.
 
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Sir Edwin wandered quite deep into the forest without seeing any signs of the king. After realizing this would likely be more difficult than he anticipated, the knight lifted his wand and cast a light spell. It created a ball of light at the end of his compact, black wand and illuminated a small area of forest around him. Now with the aid of a light upon his path, the knight examined his surroundings while walking.


"King Lance", he whispered harshly into the forest. He didn't want to make enough noise to draw attention to himself, but was growing anxious from the absence of the king.


It was then that the sound of a ragged growl pierced through the air from behind the knight, causing Edwin to twist around. The beast standing before him was a true shock to the Emerald Thorn, but he remained calm. He began to cautiously back away while holding his wand pointed in the werewolf's direction. Edwin was forced to stop as his back met with the wide trunk of a tree, blocking him from backing away any further. "Stay back", he muttered. He cast a lightning spell, sending a small bolt of lightning to the creatures feet. He was hoping that the spell would startle the beast and cause it to flee.


. . .

​



Cecile and Syniad walked through the tattered forest for what seemed an eternity to the girl. Much of the forest had been destroyed by the tornado, and scattered about the ground were entire trees, rocks, and mud slung haphazardly about. The girl hoped that they would stop soon because her head was throbbing and so were her muscles. She began to feel a slight dizziness when the man stopped to examine an old tree. She stood by his side, and felt a rush of relief when it seemed they finally found a place to rest.


Under the protective branches of the tree was a good sized den. It was dry here, and after hearing Syniad's explanation of how the place could exist Cecile nodded to him. She paced around the area before slipping to the ground and curling up. Syniad was explaining the importance of sleeping, but Cecile felt too scared to sleep. It was cold there too, she complained internally about to herself. She would hate to be unable to use her magic the next day, however; and so the princess closed her eyes and began trying to make herself sleep.


The sound of Cecile's soft crying and whimpering filled the den, but was soon replaced with her small snores. At last the princess would get a bit of rest before morning.


. . .

​



Thornton blushed when Kuvira responded to his compliment. He hadn't considered that it could be taken in such a way. As he was fumbling for the right response to her play, the queen became more serious and critiqued his idea. He then sighed and leaned back. He was trying to decide the best way to organize the news surrounding his father. After listening to Kuvira's ideas and considering his own thoughts, Thornton cleared his throat and spoke again.


"Yes, my queen... that is what would be best. I will say that father was stressed by the pending war against the Yunakai, and in a rash decision expressed an interest to abandon his royal duties. Then shortly after our argument he left, and has shown no signs of return since", he explained. This seemed like a solid plan, reflected the king.


After the two prepared his speech for the morning, their conversation took an unexpected turn. His blue eyes widened when she mentioned that the two both shared killing their fathers in common. How could this be true? How could someone as good as Kuvira have done this? He had a hard time accepting or believing what she said. As she explained the gruesome details of how she coordinated her murder, Thornton looked away. There was a long silence that fell over the two by the time she finished, and finally Thornton reached out to touch her cheek.


"Hush now, Kuvira; you are not evil. You are pure. You are simply misguided ", he explained. His brow then furrowed and he added, "you must separate yourself from these dark ideas of yours".


. . .

​



Prudence was quick to enter the cellar after Klaus broke the chains that bound the door shut. She hurried down the steps following closely behind Yaro, and at the end of the stairway opened up to what looked like a large sitting room. There was a small table, a few chairs, and an old sofa covered in some blankets. There were also old pamphlets and candles.


The witch immediately went for the sofa. She nestled into its plush surface and buried herself in the blankets, all except her face which rested on the edge of the sofa. She was exhausted, yet there still so much for them to be doing. Prudence closed her eyes for a moment; the warmth of the fire Yaro made left her feeling perfectly comfortable for falling asleep. She was truthfully about to lose consciousness when Klaus, who was sitting on the floor before the sofa, spoke up. "What have you to tell?" the sleepy witch asked without opening her eyes to face Klaus.


She hoped that what he had to say would truly prove useful to them. In the morning the group would have much to do. They needed to organize a Yunakai rally and draw as much support as they could from this town before moving on.
 
Troy would finally come to the edge of the woods, before tying up her horse. She placed a protective charm over it, as to prevent anyone from harming it, before staring at the woods in front of her. Troy would then look at her blade on her hip. She had not used this form in over a year, and though she was stronger now, she did not know what would happen if she merged souls with Muramasa.....However, she had to learn how to tame her abilities somehow, and this was the best she could do.....


So now was time to open up the world to her inner demons. She would look towards Muramasa. "Are you ready, partner...?"


"I am always ready...finally, I can let loose, and unleash my full strength. Let's hope these bandits put up a decent fight....I hate to be bored."


Troy would take a deep breath, bracing herself for what was to come, before drawing Muramasa. The white and blue blade would shift and distort as the illusion would fall: The glowing black runed blade shone in the moonlight, with it's handle giving off a luminescent glow. Troy would then lift the blade up to her face, before cutting her palm onto the blade, watching as her blood dripped onto it. She then recited the oath that had been said since the swords first blade-master.





"In chaos, there is harmony


In disorder, there is unity


In defeat, there is victory


I long for a world where everything is permitting of me


I live in a world where nothing is befitting of me


From the moment we join this world we bring nothing but misery


But through my power I break this vicious monotony


I now live the way I was always meant to be

Complete Chaotic....but finally Free."



​



Troy would throw her head back, as she felt her body finally let go....she felt as her skin changed, her ears elongate, the armor morph and shape....and she'd feel the boundaries of her mind finally break away....Now, she wasn't Toriel Conners....She was Muramasa, The Demon Harbinger of Chaos. Opening their blue eye, the now single-soul being would merely smile at the woods. "It appears there are children in these woods....naughty children that need to be taught...discipline." Muramasa said, running her armored hand over her blade, before finally stepping into the woods proper.


Stepping into the woods, many would notice an unusual amount of birds flying from the trees. Animals began scampering away. They felt the dark taint of the demon nearby, and fled from it. This helped, so Muramasa could focus on the bandits at hand. Anyone with any sort of magical talent, and the refined ability to use it, would be able to sense the level of demonic power nearby. The dark taint feared nothing, so it did not hide itself. Anyone within the city could feel the energy, if they focused hard enough.


However, they were not the only ones affected by it...





Lanister would look down towards the goblin and nod. "Here. Take this, Agent. A cloth mask suits you, but you're one of our order....You are one of us, and thus have every right to wear this mask with pride. "He said, reaching down and handing him something. It was a Wilting Rose Agent's mask. Normally, these were not given to many people without expressed permission from the council, or had served the Wilting Rose for years. To receive one was an honor among their order.


However, Lanister soon stumbled back, pressing a hand over his chest. He was overcome with a feeling...of worry. "Wh....what is this...?"





Yaro saw Prudence Curl up by the fire. He sighed heavily, realizing now that he should've seen her pregnancy was affecting her. It was likely bothering her more than she let on, but she was too prideful to admit it. His mom was the same way when she was pregnant with his sister. Knowing she'd be too proud to help, Yaro promptly got up, and started around the hut, before stumbling upon a cupboard. Looking under it, he was pleased to see a plaid blanket. While likely a bit musty, it was warm, and it'd do a world of good.....except it was still a bit damp.


Inside the cabinet as well as a basic Longbow. It's design was simplistic, and the arrows were iron-tipped, but it would nevertheless be useful. Grabbing it, Yaro noticed hunting leathers underneath it. Whoever was here was likely a hunter. "Well, Prudence did say we need disguises...."Yaro said to himself, before grabbing the leathers.


Placing his hand on it, Yaro let his magic heat up the blanket. He waited until the blanket was dry and steaming a bit. Walking back over to Prudence, he knelt down next to where she sat, and wrapped her up in the blanket. "Don't forget, I had a pregnant mother. I know this thing is probably bothering you a bit.....and don't be too proud to ask for help, that's what I am here for. "He said, as if he was chiding her for being stubborn. He finished wrapping her up.


He then stood up, and looked towards the doctor, removing his armor and undershirt, revealing his muscles underneath. His body was covered in scars from previous fights, and across his chest, right where his rib-cage protected his heart, were four long gouge marks. Only one thing left gouge marks like that: A Demon. He would then place on the Leather tunic. While it did not offer him the same protection as his armor, it was light-weight, and that meant he'd be lighter on his feet. "What's up Doc? I was thinking about going hunting. A bit of hot food would do us a world of good." He said. Warm food would do wonders for morale, and it'd likely help Prudence with her child.


Suddenly, Yaro stumbled back, holding himself. He then had to use the bow to balance himself. When he looked down at his arms, he saw they were...shaking. "What....?"





Anyone that knew Troy was being affected by her transformation....
 
Aizen looked down at the mask, with a spark of light in his eye. How long had it been, since he became a Wilting Rose? Not even a year had passed.. but already, the honor of the representative mask was on him? Aizen looked the mask over several times.. he felt it would at least be easier to breathe through. He merely nodded his head.


"It is an honour. Thank you, sir." he spoke, unwinding the cloth from his head. What lied underneath was a tan, vaguely human face with curly black hair, pointed ears, and commoner eyes that had gone bloodshot. Aizen knew what he was.. but he hated the term "Goblin." He always saw Goblins as weak, cowardly excuses for warriors and theives. In Aizen's own words.. he preferred to be called a Halfling, or Hobbit. He had SOME human blood in him, after all.. didn't that count for something?


Aizen shook his philosophical thoughts away as he noticed Sir Lanister's distress. He cocked a concerned brow, looking upon Lanister's form..


"Trouble, sir?" he asked him, looking around the general area for a sign of distress. As he did so.. around his face, he put on and fastened to his face, his new Wilting Rose mask..

. . .

​



Klaus took a deep breath.. there was quite a bit the Doctor had to say.


"If you're unfamiliar with the term.. I am a Cleric. The proper use of the term is to describe a Clergyman that has a distinct connection with their Deity of Worship. In the case of Klaus.. that Deity is Saint Cuthbert, God of Knowledge and Common Sense. The mission of us Clerics.. it is as simple as serving one's Deity. The mission of Lord Cuthbert, is one of acquiring earthly knowledge.. and when we meet the Afterlife, what knowledge we bring, will be stored forever in the Great Library. Myself.. I have extensively studied a great many things about the Human body.. general Anatomy.. Language, and History. In exchange for my acquisition of this knowledge, Saint Cuthbert grants me power, with which I channel through this." Klaus paused, as he presented his Holy Symbol. It was like a tiny wooden shield, emblazened with a white circle, with a blue cross piercing it. It was barely the size of Klaus' fist.


"The nature of this power is that of what the Divine are willing to part with. The most well known use of a Cleric is to heal, as the two of you know by now.. But there is more to it than that. Myself.. I can conjure white flames that peel skin from bone, turn the Undead into ash, imbue weaponry with the power of Lightning, command the weak-willed, spy on anyone whose name I know.. And my personal favorites..." he laughed lowly, as he leaned in, whispering to Prudence and Yaro.


"...reaching into the planes of otherworldly existence, such as the Astral Plane, the Hells, and even the Elysiums of other Deities.. to communicate with the dead. On top of that... With a certain ritual... I can bring their soul back from the Afterlife.. back into a body, with memory and free will intact." Klaus emphasized this point as strongly as he could, eager to gain the approval of both of them. He was certain he had them hooked..


"This is not as simple as raising the dead. That creates an Undead.. a lifeless body with no soul. No.. this Ritual, it can return a soul back to its body, and restore it to the life it once had.. no strings except consent attached." behind his rag mask, Klaus smiled.. turning to Yaro, and then Prudence.


"Perhaps.. There is someone that has died.. That you would like to return?"


Klaus seemed oblivious to Yaro's distress.. mentally passing it off as either a cramp or a belly ache.
 
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