Like Us They Bleed [concluded]

[DemetrioMachete]

The doctor dusted off his robes, taking a deep breath as he adjusted himself. Had he satiated the Craze for today? Certainly not but he felt there would be more to satiate himself with later on.. maybe mending injuries.


Klaus looked over to Prudence, trying to speak to the pirates. They were on a boat.. and Klaus couldn't fly.


Not yet at least.


Of his own ambition, Klaus trotted over to the edge of the pier, and waved to the ship, hoping one of the crew would spot him.


"Hellooo!? My name is Klaus - I am a doctor! May I come aboard?"

. . .

​

Aizen merely nodded, and picked up the pace. He hadnt thought much of how they arrived here.. but at least it was quick. Enemy infiltrators and an army could easily abuse those gates though, just as the witch and the doctor had..

 

[Andraus]

Lanister heard the yells, and ran faster. Seeing Kuvira covered in blood, and hearing the words, Lanister was left with a paused look on of horror on his face, as he rushed in. Seeing Troy laid out on the bed, Lanister would rush over, trying to awaken her. "No no no no no.....No, you can't be dead, she's wrong......You wouldn't leave us....not like this...."Lanister said. He felt hot tears running down his face. Troy was like family to him, a sister almost....and here she laid, lifeless...


Lanister held the woman close his chest, grounding his teeth.


Soon after, the Grand-masters arrived, along with several medic's to secure the room. Osuin looked at what happened, and sighed. "Another rose, wilted and fallen to the ground....another to add to the Cryptum. "He said, closing the woman's eyes.





Clementina was fuming, pacing back and forth outside the room. "Dammit....Dammit!" She hissed to herself, not only because it was day-time, and the sunlight burned, but because she saw another young prospective gone. Taking her fist, she slammed it into the wall. "DAMMIT ALL TO HELL!" She said, leaning against the wall. She then walked over. "Who did this to her?! So help me, I'll murder the bastard myself!" She said. There was vampiric killing intent in her eye. Hell hath no fury like a woman's scorn...





Amelyn was over Troy's body, her eyes scanning her, as she'd turn towards the others. "I need you all to leave, so we may examine the body....I have a lot of work ahead of me. Someone needs to inform Thornton of what happened."She said, using her job to keep her focused, instead of letting her emotions cloud her judgement.





The room would be sealed off, as the Wilting Rose Members kept it under guard, their hoods over their faces. Lanister was outside the door, not far from Aizen. "Dammit.....Dammit.....I'm sorry..." He said, internally to Yaro.


Yaro was not far from Prudence, before standing. He then took her hand, to assume a protective stance over her. "My name is Yaro Azarus, the last of the Azarus of the Yunkanian clan." He said, before bowing. Noble's often showed respect towards other nobles, but a Noble showing respect to a pirate? It was unheard of. However, Yaro was not stupid: He knew that if they wanted too, they'd likely kill them for stepping on their ship. So Yaro wanted to give them no reason to be antagonized. "It is a pleasure to meet you."





@Aithen the Kindled


@Robyn Banks


@Enuky K


@DemetrioMachete

 

[Spacing Out]

Kuvira knelt there on the floor, continuing her soft sobs as the maids assisted her up and ensured her that after a long bath everything would be alright. She looked so fragile at this state though it was only for pretend, she played the part quite well. She whispered repeatly like an broken record. "I wish to see the King.I wish to see the king." Of course to calm her down, They told her that he would arrive soon when she was cleaned up.

The two women drew the bath for her. Soaking it with flowers and fragrances before stripping the Queen naked and picking up the clothes to dispose of it. She simply sat in the water, looking up at the ceiling. The part of the mourning Queen was over for now. " What idiots." She said in a hushed tone. What idiots they were to think that there was a way to save everyone, how naive they are to be so optimistic.

She watched the blood on her hands go along the water.Blood. sometimes it out her teeth on edge but tonight it helped control the chaos that was in her head. She laid her head back and closed her eyes, what she needed now was rest.​

 

[Hyydra]

@Aithen the Kindled[/URL]
Togther the resistance and the pirates were swift in their movements to protect the ship. Within seconds, the entire pirate crew was assisting with the battle. Canons were blasting, arrows were fired, and soon the opposing ship was no more. Outside the ship the citizens of Amberjack were emerging from their homes. Although it was still early in the morning, the powerful explosion of cannons was enough to wake most of the small city. Upon seeing Captain Nagathe's ship protecting the harbor, the people began to cheer, hailing the captain aonce again as a local hero.


In Amberjack, the pirates and the commoners enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship. The small city experienced economical benefits from the large amounts of money the pirates were able to spend there, and the pirates were able to freely scope the city without fear of law enforcement pursuing them. The citizens also benefitted from the protection the pirates brought with them, like now. They did not have to fear an enemy ship taking over the harbor as long as Captain Nagathe and crew were there.


Prudence glanced off the ship's deck and to the crowd of people cheering from the port. It turned out the pirates hadn't needed much help after all. Now her attention swiveled back to where they were all standing. The captain was standing a short distance away, and she studied him. He was nearly twice her size, and instead of acknowledging them his first mate approached to speak on his behalf.


She looked him over as he spoke to her, suddenly finding herself intimidated by the burly men. The witch was already apprehensive about being on the water, although she would never have admitted that to any of them knowing well what ridicule that would ensue.


Expecting the pirates wouldn't have much respect to give a tiny, pregnant female, Prudence stepped closer to her comrade. She stood between Yaro, and internally appreciated having the support of men with her, knowing well these pirates would otherwise hear nothing from her.


"Forgive us for our intrusion; we've come seeking aid", Prudence then said, hoping these pirates would be open to negotiations.

As the hurricane appeared, all of the pirates turned to face it. But these sudden whip-arounds weren't expressed in shock or surprise or impressiveness, but it was in fear. Turning slightly the captain did, staring with a low grumble in his voice as the hurricane slowly disappeared. Sighing in relief, or so it seemed, the crew resumed their audience to this Prudence. The mystery of their worry of the hurricane was a question to ask later on, or perhaps one could easily view it as a worry for the sea's behavior. Nevertheless, the discussion was destined to continue. After all, questions needed answering.


Joffrey shook his arms out, loosening up as he stared to her for a moment, huffing in disbelief to her statement, then looking up to Athok, who's mighty head nodded for the next question, which their long years of friendship were displayed by their hive mind-like way of thinking. Turning ninety degrees to his left, the elf began to pace back and fourth by four steps each. "As from what we've all witnessed, you few, yet powerful, warriors seem to handle these ships on your own. So, pray tell me, stranger, what can such a ship as ours do in service for you?" A grunt suddenly came from the captain, which made Joffrey pause for a moment. realizing the error in his questioning. Clearing his throat he hurried into the next sentence. "That is, of course, if we even consider your request. You may recognize us as pirates, but you still ask quite a heavy request from such a specific captain. We aid few, and help even fewer. With your plea there must be some reward residing within it, yes? Do tell." Joffrey halted, turning to her with a half-risen right arm, mid-sway as he paused to face her directly.


While this occurred, however, the crew began to ease up more, distant, fading commands heard as they fixed up the ship's sails and set up while the conversation continued. All except for one, however. And that one was the crow. Hanging upside down from a swaying rope only a couple yards from the conversation, his eyes frowned and his eyes narrowed to the group. From there, he found interest. There was something about this group that promised both a tale to tell and a treasure to take, but he cared more for bragging rights than anything else. A humorous left arm wrapped along his chest, resting his right arm on it as his chin lifted up to rest on his hand, as if studying the group in the most ridiculous way possible.


As this occurred, however, the captain appeared to still be annoyed with Joffrey's words, but he cared not to make it any worse. Anyone staring to his gruff, scarred face could see narrowed bushy eyebrows, and possibly a gritted jaw due to Joffrey's lack of communicating what the captain wanted to say. But nevertheless, the man was his first mate, and knew what he was doing. Athok's chest was pumped out, shoulders raised, a proud manner as he looked down to Prudence with eagerness to hear her response, hoping for something to clarify his inner questions.


(@Enuky K @Anyone else on the ship currently)

 

[Andraus]

(This was a joint made, and approved, post by me and Aithen)


Yaro heard this, and began tapping his foot, thinking of the appropriate response. He would then reach around his belt, and pull off his coin purse. He would then begin speaking. "I, personally, thank you for your generous offering and hospitality for willing to hear our plea, Captain of the Leviathan. As a token of gratitude, and a promise of more to come, please accept this." He said, placing the coin bag in Joffrey's hand. Inside was a profuse amount of gold coins, along with a small handful of precious stones. If Yaro had learned one thing from his travels, is that if you wanted to gain aid from pirates, you had to make it seem like they had the upper hand. Humility was a very valuable trait in dealing with them.


Yaro would then begin to speak. "What me and my Companions ask for is not a simple thing, I will not lie. However, I can promise you the reward is vastly substantial enough to make up for it." He said, before speaking. "The people of Yunkai have long since been suffering under the hand of Kuvira, and her navy has made it difficult for such a hardened lot like yourself to make a living: Taxes on trading, increased naval presence, and pirate hunting." He said, knowing that Pirates were likely to be jeered at this. Hunting them was as antagonizing as it could get.


As Yaro spoke, Joffrey looked into the bag, a face of impression as he looked back up to the stranger with a grin, tossing it into the air and walking a bit towards Captain Athok. From there, the giant captain looked to Yaro now, as he bought the platform. However, the platform didn't last too long before Captain Athok himself spoke now. With a left foot stepping forward, the captain narrowed his eyes to Yaro. A hand was raised up and thrown behind himself, as he spoke aloud. At first, the voice could be startling, a voice quite surprisingly low, vibrating in Joffrey's chest as he was the closest to him. From there, everything grew silent as the captain conversed quite rarely.


"Do not preach to me the conditions of my people, guest. I suffered as they suffered, and I pained as they pained. The ships of law have made no trouble for me, for you still do not recognize the reputation I have on these seas." He stood up and positioned himself back into a formidable position, staring down to Yaro with a bit of offense seen in his eyes. Obviously, accidentally, Yaro stepped on some buried feelings Captain Athok had. With that, his arms lowered to his sides in weak fists as he waited for a response from the individual.


Yaro would nod to the captain, walking to the side. "I never spoke in disrespect to you or your crew, nor do I deny the loss you've all suffered.....I too, have been personally affected by this Queen's rule: For speaking out against her actions, and standing tall against the weight of the rest of the nobles, my entire family, including my baby sister, my elder brother, and my mother were betrayed and killed.....I remain, as I have price on my head, but one thing keeps me alive: If I am living, I am capable of fighting." He said, a look of defiance in his eyes, that was not directed at the captain. No, it was directed at the entire world.


"But what I ask for, and what I have to offer, are all one in the same: A chance to show the Murderous Queen who really rules these lands and ocean. What I offer is a chance for you all to show the Yunakanian Navy who is the true master of these waters."He said. He would turn towards the captain. "Due to her actions, the Plague has finally spread to Yunakai.....now, so soon after making amends, she plans on releasing the 'cure' via trade. She intends to make herself look like a savior, when she was the one who brought this disease to our shores in the first place!" Yaro said to all of them.


"I ask all of you only one thing: Let us fight with you. I offer the full support of the House of Azarus, as well as 2/3 of my entire fortune, to rally together and crush this oppressive rule, before it is too late." He said, before clarifying. "Through a marriage pact, the Kingdoms of Rose and Yunakai are uniting.....With both their militaries combined, they will soon surely turn their attention on the waters, on your people."He said to them.


"What I ask, is no easy thing, and I myself know that I have little right to ask of your crew to join in such a dangerous undertaking, but I wouldn't be here if I wasn't willing to fully commit to fighting this. The only way for us to defeat the Murdering Queen Kuvira, and her traitorous Noble Coalition, is for us to fight together." He said.


Through the rest of the speech did Athok remain silent, a sense of respect seen in his stare down to Yaro. Joffrey bounced the bag in his hand once before tucking it in his belt side, staring to Yaro, and then to Athok. After a moment of thinking, which Yaro could tell by how moved the captain was he was going to agree, a rather surprising proposal came up.


"Care for the gold all you wish, and hand me whatever you please. But you are a people of magic, and therefore can give me something greater than gold and cannonfire. You have sent the ship to the depth of the sea, where the Sea's Warden resides. With that power alone do you show the potential for what I want. You, and these others, will grant me immortality."


The request came off quite powerful, as if a build up was necessary. But the gruff, wanting eyes of Athok stared deeply into those of Yaro's. From there, he continued slightly. "You prove to me that we both have a debt to claim to this world, and this Queen which doesn't rule over us a sentence to hanging. You shall ride with me, but you will give me this gift in return." He found himself slouching towards the end of the conversation, where he stood up once more and looked down to Yaro, in a much calmer, respecting gaze.

 

[Enuky]

Prudence was too busy examining the pirates to notice Yaro reaching for her hand. By the time she did see him, it was too late as he had already clamped his hand around her's. Once again, Prudence behaved like a skittish feline, prickling up and seemingly unsure of why anyone would do such a thing. As Yaro gave his own introduction, Prudence hesitated and her face reddened slightly. She tugged her hand free, deciding that hand holding wasn't the best way to earn the respect of pirates.


Now her attention turned to the elven pirate as he stepped nearer to them. She was amdittedly surprised to see an elf as a pirate, but she gave him her undivided attention no less. At first she felt relieved when it seemed the pirates were receptive of their needs, but a gruff grunt from the captain quickly corrected the elf. Prudence became less confident after that as Joffrey corrected his statements, but nonetheless she stood firmly. Prudence was beginning to answer, but Yaro gave his own lengthy response before she could. The witch stood by impatiently, and while he spoke she glanced to Klaus, who was still standing on the dock.


Yaro was doing a good job of pitching their case to the pirates. Prudence could hear his passion for their cause in his voice, and it brought her more at ease. The pirates also appeared impressed with the rewards Yaro brought, and in lieu of both of these details Prudence found herself confident their deal would be accepted. When Joffrey tucked the pouch of gold and jewels into his belt, she thought the deal was done, but it was then the captain stepped forward to speak. He commanded the eyes of all who stood around him.


What Athok had to say caught the witch completely off guard. She gaped slightly and stuttered while her brain searched for a way to grant his wish. Off the top of her head, she knew of no way to grant immortality.


Unless... Suddenly, the Prudence's green eyes became more vibrant as the possibilities came to her. The Umbra Carcerem... She reflected on her distant dream of locating the lost city. No one knew for sure what could still be lurking the shadow prison, but there were said to be many powerful demons there. Perhaps one of these demons could grant his desire, she thought. She then stared up to Athok as a confident smirk stretched across her lips. They would have to speak in private soon, she noted.


"We accept those terms", said Prudence confidently. Truthfully, she was taking a gamble, but the pirates seemed to already believe them capable of promising a force such as immortality. She then took another moment to glance to Klaus, "but before we can continue our negotiations, I would like all of my comrades present".


She then lifted the long, wooden handle of her broomstick to her lips and whispered to it, "to Klaus". Without a moment's hesitation the broomstick zipped across the ocean's surface where it landed at the doctor's feet. With Prudence's permission, the broomstick would now obey Klaus. She hoped the doctor would be able to use the thing, but with this she turned her attention back to the pirates.

 

[Hyydra]

Athok suddenly turned to face the small witch, staring with a building desire within him. It could've been seen growing like a raging fire the moment she agreed to these terms. With her sudden statement to continue negotiations, he responded with quite speed and aggression in his words. "There shall be no more negotiating. My ship will sail where you need it." With that, he turned towards his cabin, marching towards it. As the doors opened up without any hands upon them, he halted, turning his head to face his right boot, speaking once more.


"I best pray you keep to your end of this bargain, strangers. Otherwise these tides can be quite unmerciful."


With that, he ducked into his cabin and the doors closed firmly behind him. With this, the first mate, Joffrey, sighed with a bit of satisfaction, bouncing the pouch in his hand once more, quite satisfied with the amount of rare stones in it. Turning to face Yaro and Prudence, he nodded with a raised eyebrow and a greedy grin. "I'll make sure you get the hammocks, keep the swaying of the ship from messing with your stomachs. Though you'll have to sleep below, I hope that's alright. This ship doesn't creek, though." He assured to Yaro with a wink, chuckling as he made it obvious that they had a kindship now. For an elf, he sure was deep within the pirate life. Such a superior attitude towards others elves generally had wasn't seen with this one.


As the entire crew- now seen to be about fifty people scattered along the giant ship -came to the deck, they spread out. A good ten were hanging on the mast and nearby the crow's nest. the rest were scattered along the ship, doing whatever needed to be done. Some washed the floor, others polishing rope hooks. Joffrey was now seen standing at the wheel, sighing with a bit of pleasure as he made sure no commands to take off were present until the other came aboard.


While this went on, however, the crow was seen swinging into a frontflip, landing on his feet with his hands on his hips, in front of the duo. "Oi, glad to meet you both, name's Johnny." He shook both of their hands quite fast, literally grabbing them to shake them, not waiting for them to raise their hands themselves. "Umm- Quick question: How do you two, well, three, feel about singing?" His hands clapped together while he spoke, lifting his legs up by the balls of his feet for a moment before landing flat footed as he awaited a response. His way of asking made it seem like quite an important question, but with someone as goofy as Johnny, any question could be made to sound important.


@Andraus @Enuky K @DemetrioMachete

 

[DemetrioMachete]

Klaus was too far away to hear anything. Despite his requests, they didnt seem to welcome him aboard. That is.. until Prudence's broomstick flew towards him. Klaus looked at the broom with uncertainty. He was no Witch.. would this thing even fly for him? He picked up the broom, inspecting it. As though picking up on his thoughts of flying, the broom took off as Klaus held on to it. The



he made as he flew through the air would echo on the horizon, eventually descending and landing aboard the ship feet first, the broom still in hand. He looked around himself.. at the pirate crew, at Joffrey, Prudence and Yaro... and with a simple wave of his hand, he introduced himself.
"Hello! My name is Klaus. I am a doctor." behind his rag mask, he was smiling, and even his body language was jovial and open. "I look forward to fixing up any cuts scrapes, broken bones or other boo-boos you may bring to my attention." with that, he bowed to the pirates, straightening himself up as he turned to Prudence, looking down at the broom in his hand before offering it back.


"Do you... want this back, now?" he asked her, cracking his neck with his free hand. Either he had ignored Johnny's question about singing.. or he was waiting to address it; for as he spoke, Klaus said nothing.

. . .

​

Aizen saw the body.. and then the Grandmasters appeared.. the emotion in their voices were.. noticeable, to say the least. Aizen didn't know this woman, but the fact that Lanister was so upset by her body.. must have been someone close, he thought. He left the Grandmasters upon their request, accompanying Lanister. As much as he wanted to say something.. he chose not to. Maybe he needed a moment to respect the dead...

 

[Trombone Geek]

Syniad watched quietly as Cecile outstretched her arms like he had shown her. He nodded with approval at the greater amount of power the princess was showing, but as soon as he felt the energy starting to move too much for Cecile to control he reached over and tapped each wrist, closing the pathways for the split second needed in order to end the spell. Unfortunately he wasn't quite quick enough, and had to force the fire engulfing the tree to go out with a second spell.


"Good. But really, you should sleep now. Tomorrow we can discuss an easy-to-use method of control." As he said this, Syniad turned to head back into the inn, only to freeze at the sound of footsteps. A mostly cloaked figure stepped into the torchlight, head turning to stare at the two silently before continuing on its way towards the inn's entrance. Syniad couldn't repress a shudder.


"Something about that person sets me on edge. Be careful around them, whether I'm with you or not," Syniad warned, before finally leading Cecile back up to their room, where he fell asleep for real this time.


///


"That's good. Thanks for taking the reins in my absence and Father's death," Lance said. It seemed like he was making somewhat of an effort to relax.


"I suppose you would like to hear about the journey, then. Well, it started a bit troublesome, since you left Cecile all chained up.." The story was a rather long one, but Lance didn't leave out anything. He would've left out his transformations, but then he realized that Phillip had been close enough to Varudian that he probably would've known anyways. And even if he didn't, Phillip would need to know.


When Lance reached the section with Dante's death--not all that far in the report, surprisingly enough--his normal 'storyteller's voice' became more monotone and emotionless for a brief few sentences. It seemed to help him cope, and the king quickly resumed speaking normally after he passed that bit.


"...So now you know what happened. I've got the nagging feeling that my grandmother might show up in the castle and reclaim Ceci--her old room. She'd be a great help in legalizing magic, for sure."

 

[Enuky]

While the grandmasters and Lanister were facing the horror of Troy's murder, King Thornton was busying himself with more wedding preparations. He was rounding up the most trusted of servants for the important task of preparing for the ceremony. Thornton knew that in order to impress Kuvira's family he would have to serve the best food, provide the best entertainment, and show them the most elegant of weddings. The royal family of the Yunakai was traveling by horse and buggy along the main trading route to the Rose Kingdom. Travelling northward towards the Gallica Pass, these nobles were expected to arrive by nightfall, and there was much for Thornton to oversee before they should arrive.


The young king turned a corner in the castle, and stepped right into Aizen, whom he had never seen before. He looked over the short man briefly before gazing over him to Lanister, who was sobbing and mourning on the floor. A look of alarm came to Thornton as he popped into attention. He turned to Aizen, deciding this man could better inform him of the recent events than Lanister. "You there. What is going on here?" He demanded. It seemed something was amiss in his castle, and Thornton would not have this on his wedding day.

. . .

​

Cecile watched on with worry as Syniad extinguished the flames from her spell, glad that he was able to quickly save the tree. Next, Syniad suggested they return to their room. This disappointed the girl, but other than a slight grumble the princess made no protests as he then led the way back to the inn. She followed him closely and paused as he did when the sound of footsteps became audible near the lobby to the inn. Cecile looked over the figure once, deciding there was nothing unusual about another person about at the inn. He was likely just another guest, she thought to herself as they reached the door to where they resided.


After entering the room Syniad and Cecile each returned to their beds. Cecile tried at first to sleep, but she felt energized from using so much power for the first time. She simply couldn't sleep. After attempting to sleep for no more than a half our or so, Cecile decided to try and sneak away to practice again.


"Murinaemetamorphous", she whispered quickly. The gloves began to glow and white lights crept over the princess, but when the lights disappeared the girl was gone. Or rather, she was smaller. The spell transformed Cecile into a mouse! Now as a black-furred, blue-eyed rodent, the girl slipped under the door and hopped along the dark, empty hallways of the inn. She looked like a typical mouse, but upon close inspection one could see the tiny gloves she still wore on her hands.

. . .

​

Sir Phillip listened without interruption as Lance retold the tale of Plagued by a Rose. His emotions were easy for Lance to read, and his expression shifted to sadness when he heard of Dante's fate, and regret as he learned that the king knew of his werewolf state. King Varudian and Phillip once agreed to tell the boy when the right time came... but now Lance knew, and Phillips felt a certain amount of guilt over Lance discovering that while alone. He hadn't been there to assist Lance, and he knew in his heart that he should have been.


Phillip also had an especially hard time wrapping his head around the chilling details leading into Dante's death... He would have expected Lance to waver as he told this part of the story, but the boy only became hardened as he went on. He displayed no emotion, and this worried Phillip. Lance must be facing so much grief, thought Phillip. He wanted to reach across the table and bring the boy into another embrace, but he knew that Lance wouldn't be receptive of such things. Instead, he released a long, regretful sigh.


After passing through this tough spot in the tale, Lance's tone of voice returned to its usual tone. When at last it seemed Lance had reached the end of his story, Phillip spoke up. His eyes became intrigued and surprised when he heard Lance's last remark about Queen katha. "Queen Katha is still alive?" he asked, chuckling slightly as he reflected on his memories of her, "I never would have expected you to meet her of all people in this". Phillip then paused as he remembered her actions and banishment. "If she were allowed to return to Bathelon, well, that would be your choice now, King Lance", he reminded him.

. . .

​

At the Crow's question, Prudence seemed to become defensive. "Sing? I don't sing", she spat in a disgusted tone of voice. Prudence then turned and acknowledged Klaus by snatching her broomstick from his hands. "And don't ask me stupid questions", she snapped at the doctor as she secured it back in its sheath across her back. Of course she wanted her broomstick, she reflected bitterly.


In brisk strides, Prudence crossed the deck and ventured over to where Joffrey was standing at the wheel. She approached him and smiled, displaying a sharp contrast to her usual nasty attitude. "As the captain has said, we will sail to the place of my choosing", she chuckled as she searched her black robe for an old, folded sheet of papyrus paper. On it was a map of the Yunakai. She pointed to the city Amberjack and dragged her finger along the Yunakai coast until reaching the start of a river that opened up into the sea they were floating upon.


"It's time we pay our noblemen a visit, shall we? This river here --the Amberjack river-- leads straight to the Rose Kingdom", she stated, showing him on the map. What Prudence did not realize was that at the halfway point between Amberjack and the Rose Kingdom was a larger body of water... Lake Bloodlurk. It was named for its great beasts lurking beneath its surface, and would be a dangerous body of water to pass indeed.

 

[Hyydra]

As the response came to Johnny, at first he frowned, getting ready for a reply, his eyes still seeming to have a decently positive attitude still. But all attempts to respond maturely died fast with the sudden introduction of the doctor. The moment the screams were in hearing, not only did Johnny laugh to an intensity where he collapsed onto the floor with bent legs and a reddened face, but a few of the crew members that did hear were also laughing hardily at this doctor. Getting up after his introduction, the crow couldn't help but keep laughing, a hand slapping down onto the doctor's shoulder to support himself as he regained his stamina.


"HAH!!!! Klaus, oh Jack!" His other hand soon lifted up and slapped down onto his other shoulder, staring at him with the most entertained grin one could ever see. "I can tell by a simple broomstick you will be a delight on this ship!!" He said with a grin. "Now come, you two." He ordered as Prudence began to walk towards Joffrey. "I'm sure you all would love something to fill your bellies, aye? Let's go, I'll show you around the forecastle, savvy?" His left arm slithered around to hang over Klaus' opposite shoulder as he walked, starting a conversation along the way. "So, doctor, do tell me: Have you ever sailed before?" He used his right hand to stretch out in front of him to present where they were walking. As they headed towards the duel ladders that led below main deck.


As this occurred, Joffrey would be rotating the wheel only slightly as he listened to Prudence speak. Ignoring her little chuckle, as surprisingly it did seem to annoy him as well as take away his greedy smile, he listened and stared to the map. Staring to the map, his eyes lit up, and a grin once more came to his face, but more of as if he had something a-secret. "Oh, but my lady, did you not say only a moment ago you fancy not singing?" He questioned, turning his head to order the crew with a fairly silky, "Make sails!!!" Which soon echoed through the voices of the other pirates, who began jumping around the ship. Turning to Prudence once more, he spun the wheel rightward as he waited for her response, interest filling his eyes to their brims.


(@Enuky K @DemetrioMachete @Andraus )

 

[Trombone Geek]

Syniad didn't notice as Cecile snuck out, but if the princess were to find herself in danger the man would be jolted awake; after all, the tracking spell was still active.


From a rooftop a few houses away, a silhouette watched with a slight grin, fiddling with the throwing knives hanging from a rope by its side. Standing, it took one of the blades into its left hand, and threw it towards the oblivious princess as she exited the inn and reverted to her normal form.


Syniad was jolted awake by this sudden attack, and he rushed downstairs. He would've been too late and Cecile would've been wounded had the cloaked stranger from earlier not burst through the rear entrance and swipe the knife away with her long sword. As Syniad emerged to stand guard over Cecile, Shaz raced towards the creature, who had advanced towards them but was now trying to flee.


Shaz intercepted its path and kicked it into the wall of a house, keeping her pale, bare foot secure on its chest. Glowing amber-red eyes with all the allure of a vampire stared up at her disgustedly.


"Taken down by someone like you.. Pathetic!" the vampire hissed, but he flinched when gently rested the tip of her sword against his throat.


"Who sent you?" she asked quietly, the fact that she was dressed in nightclothes not making her any less intimidating. The vampire stubbornly kept his mouth shut and Shaz tilted her head in curiosity.


"Some rogue coven? No.. I'm sure you knew who you were about to kill. A member of the Order, perhaps? I was led to believe they were once avid hunters of your kind." Shaz glanced back at Syniad for a moment, who watched stoically as he stood next to Cecile. The mercenary turned her attention back to the vampire assailant.


"Do you want to try answering me?" she asked, pressing her foot down on his chest enough to make him squirm. Shaz stopped adding pressure when she heard a crack and felt a few ribs give way; the vampire thrashed in pain, but began laughing loudly. A few citizens woke and peered out their windows, but an almost rhythmic click of several doors being locked followed once they saw the vampire.


"It was the resistance.. They're using and means they can," said the vampire with a grin. "And you think it's that easy to defeat /me?!/" Despite his vulnerable position, the vampire shoved Shaz away and took off running. Shaz didn't give chase, though; instead the returned to the inn and her room without a word or glance towards Cecile or Syniad.


When Shaz had gone, Syniad glared disapprovingly down at Cecile. "I hope you've learned your lesson about sneaking out," he said firmly, ushering her inside and this time placing a barrier spell on the door and Windows to keep the Rose Princess inside. "I'm wasting my energy to keep you inside now because I can't trust that fear will do its job /or/ that you'll listen to me," he scolded.


///


"She would be the gateway to introducing magic to Bathelon's people," Lance said, and he nodded. "We'll see if she shows up in a few days, and if she doesn't then we'll send her an invitation. Does that sound good?" He felt a bit ashamed inwardly for not being able to remember his grandmother's name but knew it couldn't be helped when she'd disappeared from the castle so long ago.


Remembering his grandmother led him to wonder about his mother, but felt that the subject might be sensitive so he let it be. Instead he stood, having finished his food, and excused himself before leaving to his room.


As the king passed a mirror, he realized just how obvious the scar left by the werewolf attack had been even with a shirt on. The jagged edges only ended fairly close to his windpipe, and Lance realized how close he had been to dying that day. If he hadn't fought and squirmed he wouldn't be breathing.


Shuddering, Lance grabbed a book at random from a nearby shelf and tried to read, but another headache--/another!/--made it hard to focus. So he set the book on the nightstand, extinguished the candle dimly lighting the room, and tried to sleep. Except that didn't work either. In the end he ended up wandering the castle aimlessly, feeling rather paranoid, like he was being watched.

 

[Enuky]

OOC: I apologize so much for how delayed this is.


Prudence could sense that something about her irritated the elf as she observed his dissipating smirk, but what it was that bothered him she could not be sure. Instead of inquiring about the sudden change in atmosphere, Prudence ignored it. After explaining their needs, the witch was surprised by what the Joffrey had to say. She hadn't realized the elf overheard her remarks to the crow. She glanced back to the crow and when her eyes returned to Joffrey they were slightly narrowed, but her lips remained curved into a soft smile. "Why, I'm not sure what relevance my distaste for singing could have", she said shifting to where her arms were crossed and her hip was slightly cocked.


Joffrey's voice then whisked the men into action as they prepared to set sail. Prudence straightened herself and suddenly became somewhat tense. She was growing in her apprehension about sailing on the ocean. The witch felt uneasy about the sea, and the constant movement of the ship was making the parasite in her belly stir. Her eyes darted around the ship for Yaro then back to Joffrey. Prudence was beginning to feel nauseated, but she decided it best to conceal her uneasiness from Joffrey.


As the morning sun burst through the skies, the crew made great haste in preparing the ship. Soon they were rapidly sailing through the sea and onto the Amberjack River. It would be only a matter of hours before the ship would reach Lake Bloodlurk, and from there it would be a short stretch to the Gallica Pass. Little did the resistance know, the Regent Queen and Court were travelling at a similar pace to the Rose Kingdom.

. . .

​

It seemed that in only a matter of seconds of disobeying Syniad, the princess was under attack. She let out a scared shriek at the piercing clank of metal striking metal. Suddenly a figure was above her, shielding her from what could have been a lethal blow. Cecile cowered as she often did as she peered up to the woman responsible for her protection. It was the cloaked figure from earlier!


Not a moment later Syniad burst onto the scene, causing Cecile to send a helpless glance his way. She was clearly frazzled by the attack. The rest of the attack was over in seconds, but her blue eyes widened at the remarks of the vampire. The resistance... , she thought as her hand instinctively found its way over her heart. These were the ones responsible for her curse.


As soon as the attack ended Shaz left without another word, and Syniad swiftly returned the girl to their room. When the door shut behind Syniad he scolded the girl, bringing forth Cecile's usual look of guilty remorse. She paced anxiously around the room, unable to settle down after being shaken. "But, Eric, that vampire said he was with the resistance. That means they already know we are here. Don't you think we should leave? I might not be safe here", her voice quivered slightly as she spoke. She approached a window and peeped out it, "and aren't you interested to know why that woman protected me?"

. . .

​

Also wandering the dark halls of the Bathelon castle was Sir Edwin. He was now, ironically, dressed in pants rather than a kilt. The nurses who tended to him brought him a fresh change of clothes consisting of a loose fitting pair of brown pants with a rather large linen shirt. The relaxed fit of the clothing helped lessen the pain of his arms, which were wrapped tightly in gauze under the sleeves of his shirt.


This was Edwin's first time visiting the kingdom of Bathelon, and after being fed a generous meal the knight too it upon himself to explore the castle. As Edwin rounded a corner her stepped straight into Lance, and gasped in his surprise. He hadn't expected anyone else to cross his path, and Lance was sauntering the halls too quietly for him to detect. Like a fucking ghost, Edwin thought bitterly, regaining his composure.


After straightening himself he looked over the prince, who seemed tense as always. "Everything alright, king?" he asked after an awkward silence fell over the two.

 

[Hyydra]

With that, the First Mate suddenly turned to face Prudence, his arms bending in so that his elbows poked out atop the wheel as he rested against it. "Ohhhh my lady, you should pay attention to these seas you wish to sail." He turned his head for a moment, continuing with a questioning face for only a sentence.


"Have you ever, pray tell, heard of the lake we will delve into? Bloodlurk, no reason to explain such a name." He turned his body to face the route ahead, continuing to speak. "And the monsters there have been witnessed, yes, and they have been the evil, most putrid creatures any man can ever witness. Crawling from the bottomless caverns below, it would shoot up and tear any ship apart. And that is why we sing, my lady. Not because we want to, but because we have no choice." Turning his head, he grew a more devilish, cunning smile, winking to her as he spoke one last line of converse. "So you might want to work on that baratone, my lady."


From there, he faced forward, speaking regular orders to the guests of his ship. "Tonight you'll dine in the captain's cabin, where we'll serve the finest of what we've caught this week. The rest of your crew- aside from that one fellow you seem to grab at- will be with the others in the mess hall. That are the orders we go by in this ship." With that, he began to hum a melodic tone, as if hinting at the tune the crew'd sing to later on.


(@Enuky K )

 

[Andraus]

Yaro would be with the crew, merely inspecting the ship, and aiding with the cannons. Having traveled, he was a lot more worldly than most, and knew how to properly clean, repair, and manage a cannon (he also had the scars to prove it). Looking over as he heard the elf male call him 'the one you grab at', Yaro would look up. "Yaro. My name is Yaro." He said, looking back at the cannon, and continuing repairs. He was trying to make himself useful, as to gain the good graces of those on the ship. After all, you didn't work you didn't eat.


Hearing some people whispering behind him, he'd merely lift his head, his eyes on the cannon he was currently fixing. "If you have a question, ask it, I don't have time for distractions, I was given a task." He said, cleaning the inner workers of it. He had good hands, and knew how to use them.





"So....Is it true you were a Wilting Rose, and Yunakai special forces?"





Yaro would finish, before answering. "About two years of my life. First year it was with the Wilting Rose. Second with Yunakai. Spent the last two years traveling the world, thus where I learned how to repair weapons." He said, wiping his hands.





"Hey, I heard a rumor that the Wilting Rose were Demon hunters or something. That true?"





"Oh come off it, That ain't true."





"That is a half-truth." He said, loading powder in a rifle, before setting it down, and picking up another. "The Wilting Rose are not demon hunters. The Rosacae Inquisition, who they are descended from, were demon hunters. Training among the Wilting Rose also involves historical lessons."He said, setting the rifle down, before going to sharpen swords. "It's not a commonly known thing, but most of their teaching is descended from Demon Hunting Techniques. "





"Whoa.....So, have ya, like, fought a demon before?"





At the moment he was asked this, Yaro was sharpening a sword with a grindstone. The moment he was asked, however, his body froze up....until the blade began quivering, and 'snapped' in half, cutting open Yaro's hand. "Agh! Dammit!" He hissed, before closing his grip, as a healing spell would seal up the wound. Picking up the blade, he'd press his hand on both of the broken pieces, before using fire magic to meld them back together.


Looking over towards the two, Yaro would open his leather vest, before pointing towards the three claw marks over his heart. "You really want to know?... I got this after a demon murdered my friends.....before I ripped it's fucking head off." He said, closing it back up, as he went back to sharpening the blade.





"S-shit, that looked painful......are all demons like, as mad as they say?"





Yaro was about to snap at the man, before realizing this was a valid question. Sighing, he'd set the blade down. "Yes....and No. The thing is-....Oh shit." He swore to himself, as he got up, realizing one important thing


He hadn't told Prudence about the wreck yet.


Walking over towards her, He'd tap her shoulder. "I need to talk to you. It's Important." He said, urgency in his voice. He would lean against the railing, whispering to her. "Like I told you, earlier I was doing scouting along the coast....It may sound silly, but I was looking for signs of Sea Monsters." He said, leaning back. He made sure no-one was listening, before continuing. "I went up to a wreck and examined it.....there wasn't much left, but I sensed essence there, Prudence.....a very 'powerful' essence.....an essence you'd only get off one creature."He said, pointing towards her stomach, knowing she'd know what he was talking about.


"Now, normally, I wouldn't bring this up, but this was 'odd' Pru, even by Demon Standards: The ship wasn't damaged wildly, and there didn't seem to be much of a struggle....It also didn't help that the ship was picked clean, so most people would think Pirates....Pru, if my guess is right, this can either be fucking terrible or a goddamn nightmare." He said, before taking a deep breath.


"I think we're nearby Raid Survivors."


In the world, there were normally three types of Demons: Ferals, Normals, and Survivors. The Feral's were those that came over from the other side, but lost their mind in the process. Normal's were the ones that hadn't, but were not as strong as the Feral's, due to having a larger amount of control over their abilities. Those two were easily the most common types of Demons encountered, and even then they were not seen this close to the city often.


Raid Survivors were a WHOLE different subject.


There was the stories, obviously, about the Demon's that were captured or killed during the Demon raids centuries ago.....These Demon's were the remnants, and were everything the other types were not: Intelligent, Efficient, Well-trained, Well-armed, and 'abnormally' powerful. Having escaped capture and death at the hand of Monarchies, the Raid Survivors were akin to Unicorns in the modern world, almost a myth. The last proven sighting was over 50 years ago, so many believed the Raid Survivors were all gone.


People in Valpurina? They knew better.





@Enuky K @Aithen the Kindled

 

[DemetrioMachete]

Klaus straightened up, glancing over the crew one by one before he shrugged his shoulders, and began peering over at the water. So deep, so blue... Klaus found himself entranced by the waves rocking the boat beneath him. It was sombering, the way the sun glinted off the waves; which gave it a further sense of animation as the white streaks of reflected light danced off the-


Klaus slapped himself harshly as he caught himself daydreaming. While unorthodox, it certainly snapped him out of it... he shook his head, much like a dog would when it is wet.. smiling as he grew aware of the world around him.


He slinked out of the armly embrace of the Crow and turned back around as Yaro spoke of Demons and such. It actually.. reminded him of something. Klaus had an old relative, supposedly one of those Hero types, whose legends were built on him almost effortlessly slaying demons. He nodded to himself, as he thought about this. Maybe with a ship.. he could...


Klaus approached Prudence and Joffrey, his hands folded behind his back. As the ship began to move, the doctor stumbled back and forth. To any of the men that were curious, no.. Klaus had never sailed on a large ship before. He was quite a landlubber.


When he finally reached the first mate and Prudence, Klaus was silent for a time; staring out at the ocean still. He had overheard nothing.. except for a bit about singing. The doctor laid a hand on his own chest.


"Terrible singer, by the way. My voice cracks when I get too melodical." he mentioned absently.. maybe that would excuse him from being asked to sing.

. . .

​

Aizen looked up at Thornton as he made demands of him. He then looked back at Lanister, then back to the king.


"Someone is dead, your Highness." he bowed his head briefly, then looked back at Lanister. "I don't know who they're talking of.. but whoever it was, there seemed to have been a connection between them and Sir Lanister.. He is awfully shaken up about it."


@Enuky K @Andraus @Aithen the Kindled

 

[Enuky]

Prudence was taken slightly aback by the news Jorffery delivered. She had in fact known nothing about this lake when selecting the route, and based her decision on only the logistics of it. Bloodlurk, she thought warily to herself; she should have known better than trek such territory. Now the nausea in her stomach was building, and she was beginning to sweat. She was fumbling for words to answer him with when a hand tapped gently on her shoulder, causing the anxious witch to twist around with a look of surprise. She seemed to become more calm once she realized it was only Yaro.


He was delivering more bad news about the potential dangers of their route. Prudence's brow furrowed, and she became somewhat irritated. "As long as we remain unprovoked, we have no reason to concern ourselves with potential survivors of the demon raids", she said. Then she paused and added in a more softened tone, "for now we need to focus all of our attention on making it to the Roselands". Prudence hoped they had enough man power to handle any potential attacks.


Finally, a third person joined the small circle around the ship's wheel. It was none other than the doctor. Now surrounded by three others and Joffrey's creepy background tune, Prudence felt overwhelmed. She stumbled sightly before taking a step away from the group. She was feeling clammy alright. She could do nothing but wait to reach their destination.

. . .

​

"Oh, dear...", said Thornton. A death in his palace? On his wedding day?! He retrieved a golden key from his pockets and entered the room the grandmasters were in. The solem sight of the grandmasters standing there and Troy's body made him sick to his stomach, but nothing would stop his wedding.


"I trust you have this situation under control?" he asked the grand masters, who seemed to be examining the body. "I can get help for Sir Lanister", he then added, wanting the man removed from any area where he could be seen by Kuvira's guests.


@Andraus

 

[Trombone Geek]

Lance quickly sidestepped to the side, although he still bumped into Edwin's shoulder. "Sorry about that," he said quietly, and rubbed his forehead as Edwin's question reminded him about the headache that kept him up. The king had been distracted enough while roaming the halls that he hadn't noticed the pain.


"Just a headache of sorts. It's difficult to fall asleep too, at least until the moon wanes a bit more. It's really troublesome," Lance admitted, feeling that since Edwin knew about his condition there would be no point in hiding it from him. Maybe the Emerald Thorn would even offer help.. Not that Lance would ask for it openly.


"What about you? Just scoping out the castle?" he asked with a joking tone. He didn't genuinely dislike Edwin, he just disagreed with some of his words and thoughts. That was no cause to hate a man, something Lance had learned especially during his time around Cecile and what little time he'd spent with Thornton.


///


"You're safe so long as I'm here. And that woman's business is none of ours, Cecile. For now you should just go to bed and rest. Stressing about anything else will make things worse. I've placed barriers and sensors so we should be fine. Can you trust me? I know I'm a bit harsh at times, but it's for the best." Syniad tried his best to make a convincing case. He needed Cecile asleep so he could figure out what the /hell/ the Resistance was doing, attacking the princess when she was under his care.


"If you want I can make some tea or something. There's probably chamomile downstairs. Would you like me to check?"

 

[Andraus]

"...I.....I'll be okay, I just need....I need a minute." He said, getting up. It was obvious this affected him, but he tried to keep his emotions under reign, for the sake of the king. He would stand up, taking a deep breath, before looking towards Aizen. "Hey, walk with me, would you? I'd prefer not to be alone right now...."





Amelyn would nearly snap at the King, before she saw who it was. When she heard him talk, and then continue, she would finally speak up. "Lord Thornton, I know today is a very important day for you, and we will do our best to make sure this matter is contained....but I cannot do my job unless I am able to concentrate. "She said, as she was already examining the body, and writing stuff down.


Osuin would look towards Thornton, before rising himself, holding the Demonic blade in a cloth covered hand. "We can talk with Kuvira, Thornton. She was with Troy when she died, so she'll likely need you right now." He said, placing the blade against the wall.





Little did he know of they know of the darkness threatening to burst free from that blade, or the scream of rage emitting from the demon within....





Yaro would look at Prudence and see she was nauseous, and she looked clammy. Yaro couldn't do much, as using the magic he had earlier had drained his mana, but what Yaro could do was the same thing his mom did for him when he was sea sick. Walking over towards Prudence, Yaro would walk behind her, and wrap his arms around her. He would then whisper in her ear. "My mom did a similar thing with me when I used to get sea-sick....having something to brace and balance yourself against helps immensely. "





@DemetrioMachete @Enuky K

 

[Enuky]

At Yaro's tender treatment of the witch, the first mate could only laugh in his realization that Prudence was suffering from sea sickness. Joffrey threw his head back in a small fit of laughter at Prudence's moment of weakness. "The oceans're a little too much for ye, aye, little witch?" He said, and Prudence could not control the instantaneous reddening of her face that followed.


Prudence stiffened when Yaro's arms embraced her midsection, leaving his hands resting against her rounded belly. She wanted to thrash about and escape his grip, but next came the warmth of his voice tickling her ear. She resisted the urge now; she'd never felt such a warmth in her ear before.


It wasn't long before the witch returned to her senses, however; and soon she tugged away from him, embarrassed by the pirates who still seemed amused by her womanly needs. She remembered what the crow had mentioned earlier about the hammocks beneath the deck. Deciding to evade her embarrassing predicament, Prudence said, "why don't we go beneath the deck where I can rest?" She then took it upon herself to lead the way towards the entrance to below, hoping Yaro and Klaus would follow.


Beneath the deck the trio was left alone, as the rest of the crew preferred to remain above deck to assist one another and remain alert to any potential attacks. Prudence was relieved about this. She made her way to a back corner of the dark spacious bottom deck and climbed into one of the empty hammocks. She hoped the crow's advice about this alleviating her stomach would prove useful.


Rolling around and making herself comfortable she said, "I would like not to be disturbed until we have arrived." She felt this was the only way to escape her uneasiness about ocean travel.


The pirate ship continued at an excellent pace. Soon, they reached the wide opening of Lake Bloodlurk. The sun was beaming down brightly from the sky above, making it hot above deck despite it being a cold season. The water of the lake was clear and gently flowing, and one would find it hard to believe there could be dangers lurking beneath its surface. In fact there was little to fear at this time, but would the group be so lucky during their moonlit return to Amberjack?