Fantasy Saga of the Nineteen Islands

[Dominaiscna]

"Is the young lady looking to purchase the instrument?" the vendor inquired politely with a warm smile on his face, noting the soft expression Isolde wore. In response, she nodded slowly, gazing over the carefully crafted panflute.
“That one was hand crafted by my brother... he is well known in this here town for his creations,” the vendor said with a hint of pride in his voice, “however, the design of the panflute is rather simple... are you sure I can’t interest you in something more... eye catching or attractive? More decorative?”

“No... it’s fine,” she replied, lifting her eyes to meet that of the thin, middle aged man. “...it’s just...I had a pan flute as a child...and it was very much like this.” A faint smile pulled at her lips as memories days in the orphanage floated to the surface of her mind.

The vendor looked as if was about to say something, yet his gaze moved to behind her as if someone else had approached the store. A second later, Isolde heard Destrian’s voice as he joined her in front of the table and she turned her head to look at him as he spoke. However, she made no response to his comment, only offering him a smile she sensed that he had more to say. Soon enough, after a short pause, he continued onto the main topic.

At first, her gaze only reflected confusion... yet as he spoke, this slowly turned to realization... and a dark shadow deepened the cold blue of her eyes. Flustered, she looked away, catching glance of the vendor who looked like he was hearing something very private and had the good sense to busy himself with his wares.

“.....I appreciate your care and consideration, Destrian,” she said softly, not meeting his eyes as she focused on placing the panflute back into its glass case, “but... it’s not something that I’d like to talk about... at least not now. I’m sorry Destrian.”

A short and awkward silence dropped over them for a few seconds before Isolde raised her head and, as if on cue, the vendor looked up too. Hoping to avoid Destrian’s line of conversation, she asked the vendor, “... um sir, how much will this be?”

Athanas

 

[SilverFlight]

Keenan let himself be pulled up, still glaring at the man in the dirt. "Back Blue." He commanded and Blue stopped growling, going to heel at Keenan's leg. Graham was about to stand when a crack sounded and a flash hit the earth just by his foot. He looked slightly startled as he stared at the charred earth and his gaze slowly raised to Kadri. As she made her threats a smile began to creep onto his face.
"Aww, lookit you, wee lamb! Threatnin' me like that." He sheathed the blade and got up, brushing snow and dirt from his coat.
"No, I wasn' sent by the queen, but, you'd know why tha' was wouldn't you? I've been sent by the future queen's minders te bring her back safe an' sound, so," he lowered his voice, "if you've had your bit of fun galavantin' abou' the world princess, let's be off soon shall we?"
Graham looked Keenan up and down critically. "I dunno how you managed to con an Arenthor knight into protectin' you, but he can come too if he promises te be good."
Keenan gave Graham an equally-scrutinizing look. "You're Kadri's guard? From the Volk palace?"
Graham's brows disappeared into his hairline as he stared at Keenan and then back at Kadri.
"He knows? Sendrin's flaming ballsack, why did you tell him who you were?!"
Graham pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Alrigh'...I'm from the palace yes. I'm not a guard per se, or a' least not in the conventional sense. Its my job te take care of threats before they happen and to do it..quietly."
"You're an assassin." Keenan finished for him and Graham smiled.
"Clever boy. Except now, it seems I've been demoted to keeper of the royal bairne. If ye don' mind, I'd like to get back to my old job; the one where I don' freeze my ass off running around after entitled would-be monarchs, what's the soonest you'd be ready te travel?"

Baconhands

 

[Baconhands]

Stunned by the newcomer's attitude, Kadri couldn't hide her shock as he blurted out obscenities without so much as a hint of hesitation. She was quickly brought back to attention, however, as she thought about what he had said. Minders? Clearly he meant the Councillors. Kadri rolled her eyes at the thought of confronting them if she should return to Volk. Having not met them in person, the lineaged could only go by their reputation, and she wasn't exactly keen to keep all of them once she assumed the role that the Ever Watching had assigned her to. However, only one truly came to mind when she considered who could have sent Graham.
"I am not returning yet. Maybe not for a while. You can tell your Master that when you scurry back home to the hovels that I'm sure your kind like to dwell in." She said, a hint of venom to her voice as she dragged Graham to the side, lowering her voice, "As for him," she indicated to Keenan, "he's sworn himself to serve me. Let's just say alcohol was involved. Not to mention, there are several others who know who I am, and I trust all of them with my life."
At first, she turned to leave and go back to Keenan, but then an idea came to mind, "I'm not sure of your name, but I assume you're here because your Master wants me protected. So," she rolled up her sleeve and showed him her slowly darkening scales, "I'm in the process of becoming a shade. It's a horrible process etc etc. The only way to stop this from happening is to find Olikah's Artefact, at least, that's to the best of my knowledge. Therefore, in order to protect me, we need to find this artefact, right? And we're in the process of finding all of them; including that of Sidabrinis. Can you see where I'm going with this?"
SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Graham clutched his heart as if Kadri had stabbed him. "Oooh, 'hovels' eh? I can see you're shaping up te be a very fine elitist. You'll fit right in with the rest of the gilded assholes. Fills my heart with such joy." He was smiling, but the smile was hollow with no trace of mirth. He seemed almost disappointed.
Keenan sheathed his sword and watched as Graham let himself be dragged. When Kadri confessed to how the knight had known about her position Graham let out a loud bark of a laugh.
"Oh! Mercy please! Forgive me princess, but after tha' I don't think I've much confidence in your judgement. Who are these others then? I hope they're not workin' for that' lich that's been tailin' you. I may have killed a couple of her men here before you arrived. Just on a tangen' here, but you migh' not want to start screamin' in future establishments. It makes you very easy te find."
She turned to go but paused and said more.
"Well it's not as if you stuck around long enough to meet anyone." Graham shot at her bitterly, but when she rolled back her sleeve, all humour evaporated from his face. He grabbed her arm roughly to examine the blackening scales.
"Fuck..." he breathed. "I've heard of it...never seen it." He let go and backed away as she told him the rest. A mix of emotions flashed across his face as the information sank in. He turned and ran a hand through his hair before looking back. There was a dark fury in his eyes but he closed them and when he spoke his voice was calm.
"Well, bringing you back half dead is likely to reflect poorly on me." He finished her thought: "You wan' me te come with you on your little fool's errand. Fine. But as soon as you're no longer dyin' we're goin' back te Volk...My name's Graham, not tha' it matters to you, my comin' from a 'hovel' and all." Had he sounded...hurt?

Keenan tried not to frown. He didn't think he was going to like this Graham character, there was a lot that his expressions betrayed, even if he deflected with humour or insults. Keenan couldn't figure him out. Still, he held out a hand to their unlikely companion. Graham looked at it and then up at the knight before walking straight past him.
"I'll meet you in the rooms you rented."
Keenan was about to bring up the fact that Graham didn't know where they would be staying, but something told him a man like Graham was likely good at finding out.

Baconhands

 

[Baconhands]

"No I didn't mean tha-..." Kadri began but hesitation came to her voice and when he took her arm to examine it closely, the lineaged ceased trying to explain what she had meant all together. Once he had confirmed that he would be joining, with a condition however, Kadri wanted to protest and to explain what she had meant, but Graham was done, apparently. He walked past Keenan and Blue, down the street, curious eyes watching him as he went.
With a sigh, the mage approached Keenan, "Well... he says he'll work with us but once we find the artefact of your Aspect I will have to return to Volk with him." She paused and then a grin came to her face, "So, I think we'll delay that one as long as possible. What do you think?" She patted him on the shoulder, "Come squire," she jabbed playfully, "I believe the other two went to the market as well; maybe we can get some dinner or at least a snack on the way to our lodgings." Kadri jingled the key in front of him.
Once she was happy that Keenan was walking beside her, she tried to start a conversation.
"I think I said the wrong thing and really insulted him. The thing is, we probably come from a similar background," she sighed. Kadri turned her head to look at the warrior's wound and a grimace came to her face, though she tried to offer an optimistic opinion, "Well... I believe that scars are kind of attractive. Not that I'm you know... not that you aren't! Well... um... well that sounds... awkward." Kadri scrambled to regain her composure, "Maybe your magic will be able to fix it. I know a few of your kinsmen know spells that can fix wounds like that. You might innately know one or two."
She stopped, turning to face Keenan, "Be honest with me; you and Isolde, by the looks of things, are bound in Sendrin's eyes. And I know it shouldn't be my place to ask or even suggest such a thing, but I think you should get her something to show you have feelings for her. If they exist that is." She offered him a knowing, but sincere, smile, as she held out a small handful of gold coins for him to take, "Seltasfair is in two days. It would be an opportunity to tell her about our culture and religion and show her you at least care."

Her eyes were drawn to her right, looking in to the market. In the distance, she could see Isolde and Destrian at, what looked to be, an antique store exclusively selling music instruments. In the foreground, however, was a woman with fiery hair, wearing relatively simple clothes. A red cloak draped her shoulders and she was kneeling, with her head bowed, in front of Kadri, who was immediately embarrassed.
"Can I... help you? You wouldn't be another-"
The stranger interrupted and spoke with a strong Imperial accent.
"My name is Aistra, Aistra Rurikid, your majesty. It's to my understanding you are hunting arte-"
"Rise! Please rise! Welcome aboard!" Kadri said hastily, and the kneeling woman, looking insulted, stood. "Um... please, walk with us. We can... discuss matters... in a less public place."
SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Keenan let Kadri fill him in as Graham walked away.
"I don't like that." Keenan replied on the matter of the Olikah artifact. "I'd rather see you healed as soon as possible." He didn't need to add the 'or else' to it. Kadri didn't need the reminder.
She called him squire and he raised an eyebrow before following obediently, trying not to let on he was still in pain. That Graham kicked like a mule...
Kadri mentioned how badly Graham had taken her words. "He's probably used to being treated a certain way by people of high rank. Maybe he was hoping you'd be different? Your crown wasn't hereditary, you never got the chance to feel entitled to it."
Kadri made a face at him and it took him a moment to realize she was looking at the cut on his cheek. He took out a square of cloth from his pocket and dabbed at the blood, nearly dropping it as Kadri stumbled over her next sentence. He looked at her in surprise, colour creeping across the bridge of his nose. Finally he grinned and laughed.
"Well, thanks for that, but so far I haven't been able to heal so much as a splinter since the first time...I don't think I'm very good at magic.."
Kadri's next line of conversation caught him completely off guard.
"Aspects above, does everyone have something to say about that?" He realized that he'd come off a little harsher than he'd meant to. "Sorry...it's just, I don't really know if there is anything there...at all." He turned his eyes down to the muddied snow, looking unhappy. "The past few days Isolde hasn't wanted anything to do with me..."
The shine of the coins caught his eye and he tried to smile. "I forgot about Seltasfair...It was my favourite festival...Do you genuinely think that's a good idea? What if that makes things even worse?"

He followed her gaze, Destrian and Isolde were still speaking by the vendour. Keenan noticed the elegant set of panpipes that had caught Isolde's attention.
The woman that had knelt before Kadri drew him back to their immediate vicinity. She was beginning to attract stares. Then she said her name and recognition sparked in Keenan's mind.
"Rurikid? Champions of the Kingdom of Fire? The same Rurikids that brought back the legendary war-beasts from extinction?" He repeated his childhood lessons, suddenly very interested in the new stranger.
"Kadri's right. This conversation is best left for safer quarters. It's good to meet you. My name is Keenan," and before he could think about the consequences of giving a noble his full name: "Keenan Dunmar."
Baconhands

 

[Dominaiscna]

The vendor responded to Isolde’s enquiry about the price of the flute with a voice laced with tension. However after he finished speaking, the man offered a warm albeit awkward smile as he noted the unease in the lineaged’s eyes.

“..thank you, sir,” she said softly, gaze lowering back down to the instrument. Her eyes studied the elegant panflute for a moment before she breathed out a sigh and carefully replaced the instrument in its glass case.

The vendor, sensing what was to come, slowly took the case from her and closed the lid. “Does the young lady need some time to... consider?” He offered politely, carefully picking his words, “Perhaps I can save this specific panflute for you if you would like to buy this later?”

“No, it is fine, thank you,” she said with a gentle smile yet it did not reach her eyes. “I wasn’t really looking to buy... seeing the panflute just brought back some childhood memories of mine,” she admitted honestly, gaze flickering from the case to the vendor, “....I’m sorry for having wasted your time.”

The vendor waved his hands in a dismissive manner before placing the case down on the table. “Not at all not at all,” he reassured, “though if you change your mind, you are very welcome back to my store.” To this Isolde smiled, more real this time, and politely bobbed her head to the vendor before turning away from the little stall. Yet as soon as her back was to the man and she was a good few feet away, the smile slowly melted away.

Truth be told, Isolde did very much want the panflute. It was like finding a link of her childhood, an important piece of her past that was linked to only good memories.
Though, while she could afford to buy it, Isolde felt guilty about using the money Kadri gave them for supplies and essential things on something that held more sentimental value than anything else. Even though the other lineaged had told them to by whatever they wanted, a part of her still felt bad about spending money that was not her own.

As she continued down the line of stalls, her eyes noticed the familiar figures of Kadri and Keenan in the distance. There also seemed to be another person who was with them... a stranger.
Frowning slightly, Isolde started towards them, slipping through the crowds of people to reach the group of three with her hands nervously tugging at the white fur of her hood.

Athanas Baconhands SilverFlight

 

[Baconhands]

The bloody cheek of that woman; did she not observe any form of formality? The Rurikid stood, glaring down at the woman she had understood to be a queen, flaming red eyes briefly clashing with the stormy grey of Kadri's. A moment before she was about to raise her voice in condemnation, she caught herself. There were two reasons for this. First, this was a queen. As much as she didn't like this somewhat rude introduction, disregarding all formalities and not even addressing a kneeling person with the correct reverence and humility, she was, at least in Aistra's society's eyes, senior to her. And second, the man next to her recognised her family name. Clearly he was some sort of royal adviser. At recounting her parents' greatest accomplishment, a smile came to her face. Without so much as needing to ask who he was, Keenan had already introduced himself. My-my, the noble thought, If this isn't a fine specimen of Arenthorian steel. I wonder if his name holds any-.
"I'm sorry," she blinked, the surprise unfiltered from her voice, expression and body language, "Dunmar? As in... you're the man that led the equivalent of the King's guard against a... well... we don't have to go into that story here, do we?" Aistra added solemnly, sympathy honeying her words. "I assume, since you wish to talk about private matters elsewhere," she continued, her eyes, fixating on Kadri, "you have somewhere in mind?There we could do formal introductions and discuss not so informal things over wine and dinner before we continue to seek our ancestor's treasures?"
SilverFlight

"Yes... um... Aistra," Kadri began, "We have a place but not really any room to accommodate more people. Depending on the number of beds and the sizes of said beds, we might be only to accommodate four people, and... well we've got a party of six."
"Well I must insist I stay with you, for personal matters. And that will not prove a problem," the noblewoman began, "Status comes first when determining who sleeps where. Royalty, nobility, commoners. As you are at the top of the chain you decide where your... guards go but I have a feeling he might struggle sleeping tonight."
As Isolde approached, and a look of recognition passed between Kadri and her, Aistra nodded, "I assume she is travelling with you."
Kadri nodded slowly, and a look conveyed her thoughts to Isolde, Just roll with this.
"Of course, she's my sister... adopted sister. And thus I think she gets a bed at the least and a room to her self if it can be spared. And my loyal knight here has sworn himself to chastity until he has committed himself to another in a Bonding Ceremony."
Aistra looked disappointed at this, but nodded, "Shall we go to the accommodation then?"
She looked around and her eyes landed on Destrian. He seemed familiar, somehow, but she couldn't assign a name to the face.
Dominaiscna SilverFlight Athanas

 

[Athanas]

Destrian's face visibly sank at Isolde's dismissal. He had anticipated that at least after everything they'd been through, she'd trust him enough to listen to what he'd have to say. After all, wasn't he the one who had clearly been in such a situation in his life? That much was obvious, even though Destrian would much rather prefer it wasn't. He sat there in silence for a couple of moments, trying to find a proper way to reach through to her. Truly, it was not only sad, but also quite infuriating. Without thinking about it, he mumbled:
"Suppose I'll leave you be then. Sorry, my bad. I'll make sure to send for Keenan the next time."
He physically cut himself off at that last statement, awkwardly grabbing the back of his head. He prayed for a flash of inspiration to somehow make that last remark not seem as snide.

Sadly for him, no real inspiration came along. She just didn't want to talk to him, plain and simple. He turned to leave, fidgeting with his new medallion-It had been a while since he had any ornament around his neck, and he just now realized how much he had missed wearing such a one-, and his eyes found the group. Keenan stood there, all high and mighty, as he usually did, although he seemed to have a cut across his face-why?-. Kadri appeared to be engaged in conversation with two people, one male and one female. Neither of them appeared Hostile, which was a very positive sign. Perhaps they were fellow adventurers? The male one he found amusing. He had two large daggers at each sides, fairly common weapons for peasants or assasins. But he also had two damn rows full of throwing knives. Destrian resolved to inquire him why he didn't just use a light crossbow instead.

The female though... Destrian felt quite uneasy all of a sudden. He was absolutely certain he knew her from somewhere, and it was not a "We met at this Noble's feast" kind of somewhere. She turned and looked at him, and the way he saw a spark of recognition in her eyes made the hair on his neck stand up. Something was definitely off.
With your luck, you probably know her because you hanged her kid and mutilated her husband![/]
Do you ever fucking shut up?

Having edged closer to the party, he coughed, more out of akwardness than actual need, and spoke to Kadri in a modest tone:"Uhh...Hello. Who are these fine people?
Oh, and uhh, Keenan? Why are you bleeding? Do you need a patch-up?"

 

[SilverFlight]

Keenan had not entirely realized his mistake at first, because the noble woman was looking at him oddly. All of a sudden Keenan felt like he was being examined like a hog at market. It was not a feeling he enjoyed, but then recognition flashed across her face and he kicked himself for saying his full name. He had been so careful until now!
The stranger however kept what she knew to herself and he could only throw her a grateful look.
It was a matter of the lodging after that. Aistra insisted she stay with them, but the last few words confused him.
"Why would I struggle--Oh. OH." Realization dawned on his face as gave the perfect impression of a snared rabbit. "I..no..."

He didn't even notice Isolde until she was standing right beside them and for one heart-stopping moment he wondered how much she had heard.
It was Kadri to the rescue. Keenan shot her a bewildered look and opened his mouth to protest, but he thought better of that and shut it promptly, nodding along in dumb silence.
Destrian appeared too and Keenan answered him once he had regained at least an iota of composure: "We met a new...ally. I thought he was trying to stab Kadri." Keenan saw no reason to hide the truth from his friend...he supposed that was what they were, in a way.
"If I may," He began when they were turning to go. "The lady can take the room that was meant for me. Entirely. If there's a common room, I'm sure there is a place before the fire. Blue will likely sleep there anyway. I don't mind."
He stepped to Kadri and took the coins carefully from her hand. "I'll pay you back." He whispered softly, and offered her a hopeful smile. Kadri was right. It was certainly worth a try.

Baconhands Dominaiscna Athanas

He waited until they were out of sight before circling back to the vendor and inquiring about the item Isolde had been looking at. The man produced it and Keenan counted the coins in his hand. He decided he was going to have to pick up small jobs where he could to help regain the money. The instrument was beautiful. Keenan ran his fingers along the smooth reed wood, trying to imagine what it would sound like. He paid the man and tucked the flute into a leather bag, hiding it under his coat before jogging to catch up with the others.

 

[Dominaiscna]

As Isolde approached the group, she heard Destrian's voice behind her. She took in a sharp breath at his snide comment, but aside from a slight increase in tension in her form, she showed no other reaction to his words. And, as if on cue, Keenan with a rather stunned expression on his face came into view and the lineaged's attention was almost pulled away from the newcomer. Her feet unconsciously carried her towards him as her gaze locked onto his face, concern evident in her eyes as she studied the new wound. However, when his eyes met hers, she immediately turned away.
Just then, the newcomer spoke up and Isolde quickly realized she was referring to her. A quick look from Kadri had her raising her eyebrows slightly in confusion but her expression evened over as the lineaged of Arbuzs spun her tale of them being adoptive siblings. In turn, she offered Aistra a polite albeit slightly awkward and tense smile, dipping her head slightly in greeting yet saying nothing.

By then, Destrian had rejoined the group and Isolde notably tensed when he spoke up. Fortunately, he was addressing Kadri about the stranger and Keenan about what happened to his face and Isolde was grateful that he was not pushing for their previous line of conversation. At Keenan's response to Destrian's question, she let out a soft sigh of relief. However her expression soon became more calm and focused and the slight raise of her eyebrow betrayed her confusion. He had mentioned a 'him'... so this was obviously not referring to the strange woman who had joined them... yet this male ally was nowhere to be seen. It raised several questions that she withheld from asking, knowing that they were not in the best place for such discussions.

There was also the issues with accommodation that they had yet to deal with. By the looks of things, their group had gained 2 allies so not everyone would be getting their own rooms and while it would be rather awkward sharing rooms and beds, Isolde was discomforted by the idea that Keenan - or anyone of them for that matter - should be sleeping in the common room or by the hearth when there is enough space to go around for everyone.

Frowning slightly, Isolde followed along with their group as they made their was to their accommodation... yet she did not miss Keenan slipping away from the group and disappearing out of sight.


Athanas Baconhands SilverFlight

 

[Baconhands]

When the party reached their accommodation, a well positioned two-story building that seemed to be much grander in architecture than its surrounding colleagues, the sun was in the process of setting. The streets were in the process of depopulating, though several were still on their ways to taverns by the looks of things. Kadri whipped up the key, unlocked the door and pushed it open. There wasn't so much as a creak as the oddly decorated door (an object covered in blue and white runes) swung open, revealing a plain but somehow pleasant hallway. Stairs leading to the next floor were on the left, while the corridor continued in front of them as well as branching off to the right. Kadri, curious, decided to look at the rooms downstairs.
She decided first to check the room at the end of the hall, and then come back to the room branching off to the right; there was no door to the room at the end. The lineaged didn't need to step inside to know it was a kitchen. It was fully equipped; two ovens, a stove, a sink, an ornate table with six chairs, all the kitchen utensils you would need, and a basket of fruit that resided on top of a counter. A door on the other side of the kitchen led outside to a garden, as a window -facing eastwards - above the sink revealed.
She circled back and opened the door now on her left. As soon as it opened, she heard the sound of a fire place coming to life. The room she stepped into was surprisingly large, Kadri suspected it took up most of the ground floor. There was a fire place with a gentle flame kindling within. Despite the young age of the fire, it still provided a homely comfort and warmth that Kadri hadn't felt for a long time. A total of five chairs arranged themselves in a u-shape around the hearth, two of which were large enough for somebody to lay comfortably across them. There were several small stands, each within easy reach of at least one of the chairs.
She sat down on one of the chairs and soon enough her boots were off and she was lounging across it snugly, using her cloak as a blanket, such was the comfort provided by the cushions and pillows that constituted the most important part of the seat.
"I'll... go and get Elena in a bit..." she yawned with a grin, "Or... one of you could do it. I'm afraid... I might be unfortunately stuck here... for the foreseeable future."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aistra made her way upstairs. From the landing there were four rooms. She checked each one and her suspicions were confirmed. Four bedrooms. Each with the same layout and the same features. One king-sized bed, each with linens and duvets of a fabric she was certain was reserved only for the nobility. Each had windows, either overlooking the street or the garden, which was surprisingly sizable in length but not width. All of the rooms had mirrors, as well as a clean, metal bowl filled with crystal clear water. All of the rooms were carpeted, apparently freshly cleaned, and each had a scent of pine woods. The noble caught herself smiling. There was a bath for each room. One last sweep of all of the rooms revealed that each had a pouch on the bed.
Odd, she thought. The noble went into one of the rooms, sat down on the soft bed with an involuntary sigh, and rifled through the bag. It was filled with small vials of perfume, gin shots, and biscuits. Aistra took out a biscuit, sniffed it once, and then consumed it in a matter of seconds. What sort of magic could make such divine goods?
After a moment, she got up, closed the door to her room, filled the bath with water, as apparently the bowls were magically refilling, and heated it to boiling using her own magic. She deserved this after that boat journey.
SilverFlight Dominaiscna Athanas

 

[SilverFlight]

Keenan was impressed. The building looked very elegant, and stood apart from its more reserved neighbours. Keenan had caught up with the group just outside and he followed them in. The interior looked even better than the facade and Keenan took it in appreciatively, slightly regretting the fact that he had surrendered his bed for the floor. He saw one of the beds through the open doror Kadri had come back through and he couldn't stop himself from making a face. It looked so comfortable. Keenan hadn't slept in a feather bed since...well, since he'd left his home to live in the royal barracks. He had missed his own bed every day since. Heaving a sigh he turned nobly away and went to sit with Kadri in the common room.
When she mentioned getting Elena Keenan smiled.
"Blue, go bring Elena."
The dog snuffed and turned obediently, jumping up to press the door's latch and letting herself out into the street.

"Some dog."
A head poked out from one of the rooms. Graham stepped out, holding one of the tiny bottles of gin, devoid of its contents.
"This is no' bad at all. I finished someone's gin I hope they don' mind." He came into the common room and helped himself to a chair.
"So, here we all are then. I saw tha' flame-haired lass go upstairs, don' you think traveling with someone so well-known might be a bit conspicuous?" He was speaking to Kadri.
"I'm jus' sayin', not tha' it's any business of mine how you run your team." He put up his hands in a surrendering gesture.

"It looks like the kitchen's stocked." Keenan said suddenly, not really wanting to spend more time with the assassin. "I'll go start a meal."
He got up and made his way through the doorway. There was everything he needed to light the stove (though he also guessed there was likely some magical mechanism to light it, the application of the spell was beyond him) and soon the fire was crackling warmly.
Keenan then brought out a pot and filled it with water from a sink with a magical pump and set it on the stove to boil, then went about selecting vegetables and finding a nice piece of venison too.

Baconhands Dominaiscna Athanas

 

[Baconhands]

Kadri rolled her eyes at the sound of Graham's voice; of course he had gotten here first and had happened to find a way in. She didn't move to greet him, she was happy to let Keenan deal with him. He promptly didn't, instead he clumsily excused himself and went to the kitchen. The lineaged was loath to move, however, and an uncomfortable silence settled for a brief moment as Graham took a chair. Not wanting him to have the initiative, though, Kadri was the one to break the silence, and she sat up slightly to address the newcomer.
"I... want to apologize for earlier. It was... well... I won't give myself an excuse. What I said wasn't right and I hope that we can work well together in the upcoming future." Kadri was speaking slowly, thinking carefully about what to say before she said it. In reality, she wanted to tell him what she was actually thinking; the order he worked for didn't have a good reputation and their agents were only really used in desperate situations or by tyrannical rulers. However, she didn't want to worsen the situation - she was sure he didn't have a good opinion of her, and that needed to change for now at the very least.
"So," she continued, much more unprofessionally, "has the situation really gotten that bad that the regency had to send you after me? Because I think they'll be mighty disappointed that whatever situation the country is in, I doubt I'll be able to fix it."
SilverFlight

 

[Dominaiscna]

Once they entered into the house, Isolde set about quietly exploring the rooms and appreciating all that had been prepared for them. The entire building that Kadri had rented out, from the exterior to the interior, was tasteful and elegant; more so than its neighbors.
She took her time walking from room to room, starting from the second floor where she correctly assumed all the bedrooms were situated.
One of the four doors in the hallway was closed and she figured that perhaps the newcomer whom she had yet to properly talk to, had settled down in that said room.
After a quick peak into the closest open bedroom door and gazing around the living quarts, Isolde made her way down the stairs, noticing movement in the kitchen area as she descended. However, quiet voices floating out from the door on the right drew her attention. She recognized one of the voices to be Kadri's... yet the other one, she had not heard before.

In the living room sat Kadri with a man she did not know... and for a moment, Isolde wondered how much she had missed during her little exploration of the marketplace. It seemed that they had suddenly gained two new travelling companions.
However, she paused in her step in the doorway as several words from their conversation reached her ears. It seemed that the two knew each other... or were somehow connected. Regardless, Isolde did not want to intrude in whatever serious business they were discussing and decided to busy herself with something else to give them privacy.

Turning to her left, she quietly walked into the kitchen and immediately froze, breathe catching in her throat as her eyes fell on Keenan.
His back was to her though he may very well have heard her come in.
Nervously, she swallowed as she hovered in the doorway, one hand rested on the door frame. It was at that moment that she realized how little she had talked to or interacted with him in the past few days... if at all. Somehow, time had passed in a blur and she wondered where it had gone... and what filled those cold moments of utter nothing as seconds ticked past.
She found that she didn't know.

"...um, Keenan?" she spoke in a gentle voice, taking a hesitant step into the kitchen. "Do you need any help?"

SilverFlight Athanas Baconhands

 

[SilverFlight]

An apology was not what Graham had been expecting. It threw him. He stood for a moment, mouth parted slightly before he closed it again, his usual, smug smile gone.
"Forge' about it." He said finally, rubbing the back of his head. "An' stop it wi' tha' sincerity. I don' like feelin' things."
Her next question put his smile back.
"I know you're new to the gig an' all, bu' you're kindof a big deal. They'd really like te have you back, you know, keep the enemies in line, resume the facade of total control."
As she commented on her own abilities it was Graham's turn to be serious. "You give yourself too little credit." He regarded her with something in his eyes. "And I'm no just sayin' that because some old spirit took a shine to you. I know, you've got greatness in you..."
He paused then, realizing what he sounded like. "You know, it's just buried...very deep."
Baconhands

Keenan had just reached for something under a rack of cooper pots when Isolde's voice sounded behind him. He straightened immediately, sending his head into the pots and the pots, in turn, clattering to the floor about him. He made a grab for several, missed them all and winced as they fell too, their tops roiling to a steady halt at his feet.
He regarded her with an apologetic smile. "Hello Isolde."
Slowly he began to pick up the mess, not being able to keep from smiling. He was happy she was here.
"Um...well, I suppose it looks like I do." He began to replace the pots on their rack. "How are you at preparing celery?"
Keenan pointed to several sticks, still caked in earth, and the sink with the magic pump just beside.
The warmth of the stove began to seep into the room and shortly after the pot began to boil. Keenan added stock to the water and a few good pinches of salt.
"Are you all right?" The question had been burning him from the inside. Keenan tried not to let the worry show on his face. It didn't work.
"Ever since we left the garden you've been...a little different. Not that there's anything wrong with different! It's fine. I'm happy if you're happy but...just...are you happy?"
Dominaiscna

 

[Baconhands]

A smile lept to Kadri's face; apparently this conversation had begun with one of the rare occasions on this journey where she had said the correct thing in a way that finally hadn't offended somebody! Maybe this greatness that was buried deep within her was beginning to show, she mused to herself and her expression changed to reflect her amusement.
"I'm sure that was difficult to say, given all I've said and done," the lineaged grinned, though her expression soon changed to show her inner mentality; that of half joking, half serious. Soon enough, the joking half was gone. "I can't go back. Not permanently. Not with all the other artefacts out there. I know what you said, about me returning after I'd recovered from this affliction but it's not going to happen."
She looked into the burning fire, watching the flames and the tinder dance as the sound of wood crackling filled the void. Then Kadri looked Graham in the eyes steely, "I will return to Volk permanently. Once the lich is defeated, the artefacts are secured, and I am not a danger to any of those around me."
SilverFlight

 

[Athanas]

Not really knowing what he was supposed to be adding to the conversation, Destrian stuck to the rear of the group as they moved towards their new lodgings. Experience had taught him to be alert at all times, and therefore he immediately noticed Keenan's absence. He turned, only to see him disappear back into the market, heading in the direction of the stall that Isolde was previously browsing. It didn't take a genius to figure out what he planned to do there. He grit his teeth. Of course. The price on such an instrument was bound to be at least equal to that of a week's stay at an Inn.
What seriously annoyed him though was that he was more than willing to do the same, but ultimately chose to save the money. After all, nobody knew what expenses would need to be covered on this quest
"But Hey, why give a flying fuck about actually increasing our odds of success when you can be the oh so charming little knight? I swear to all the aspects, if we run out of funds during this expedition, I am going to punch him right in his perfect teeth"

He groaned and flailed his arms about the air, making sure the rest had already gone inside first, of course. Sometimes, Keenan just infuriated him to no end. Couldn't he just have one flaw? Just one? Nope, there he was, the brave, the virtuous, the charming! Destrian was nearing the point of frothing at the mouth, his chest beginning to flare up. He took a deep breath and tried to stand still.
"Keenan is a good lad. He's been there for all of us when we needed him. He's fought, even though he has no magic to assist him. He has shown respect and compassion, even to you"
"He's just being the typical highborn asshat. He pretends to be your friend now, because Kadri needs your help, and because he knows you can keep his sorry ass alive. the moment that changes, he'll show his true colors.
"That's just paranoia, now"

While he wasn't entirely calm yet, he entered the house. He had to admit, Kadri had made an excellent choice. The entire place radiated of a certain feeling of home, something which he hadn't felt in several years. There still was a problem with the limited number of rooms, but honestly Destrian didn't made where he slept too much. Stepping into the Kitchen, he grabbed an Apple and began eating it, walking back to the living room. As Keenan entered, Destrian merely pointed at his backpack and gave him a very disapproving scowl, but opted to not say a word about it.

The assassin he had spotted earlier reappeared from one of the side rooms. How he had managed to enter without any of them noticing, Destrian had no idea, however he thought of it as a positive sign, proof of the Assassin's skill. At the same time, Isolde moved into the Kitchen, as if on cue. Destrian sighed audibly.

"Some men are born, and it's as if though fate spits on them. And some are born, and everything always goes their way, even if they have done nothing to deserve it" he mumbled to himself, before turning his attention to Graham.

"So, you here to join up? That's good, all hands are appreciated. You have a name? I'm Destrian. My job is to save everybody else when our poorly thought-out plans go awry." He chuckled at his joke."If you don't mind me asking, what do you bring to the table?

SilverFlight Dominaiscna Baconhands

 

[Baconhands]

“You realize that if you go back and get crowned you could send the entire army out there to do wha'ever it is you wanted? Thousands or armoured thickheads practically wettin' themselves to jump in front of a sword for you.” He listened to her determination, and saw the look in her eyes as she spoke of the lich, the artifacts and her condition and he groaned dramatically. “I just knew you'd be trouble. Jus' my luck it was me who found you first.”
He sighed. “Allrigh' then. I'm with you.”

Graham noticed Destrian's reaction as Isolde left and it didn't take him long to put the pieces together, he didn't bother hiding a grin. “Oh aye! To be sure.” Graham agreed with Destrian's lament wholeheartedly. “Fate doesn't give a witch's tit abou' anyone or anything. Some folk it seems get all the luck. But the worst kind? Those are the people that whine and moan abou' wha' they don' get an' let the hatred rot them from the inside.” He looked at Destrian pointedly. “You can't change your luck, you can only change what it makes of you.”





Kadri took a sideways glance in Destrian's direction before her attention entirely focussed on Graham, a semi-genuine smile on her face; she was happy to have somebody else on board, but was somewhat sceptical of his motivation. A sigh escaped her as she thought briefly about what Destrian's skulking might mean. She was sure she would have to sort out some form of drama later, but she figured this wasn't the time to resolve it. The lineaged started speaking slowly, "An army yes, and a large fleet to boot. I would rather not cause an incident that could plunge the the Nineteen Islands into a war, however. Hence why... subtletly, and a small group of talented individuals is needed for this particular task." She paused, happy to sit back and observe Graham and Destrian for a few moments.




Destrian eyed Graham suspiciously for a few seconds. His words annoyed him: He had heard them a thousand times, and they never failed to make him angry. A friend had suggested that this might be the case because they were true. Destrian had chosen not to answer "Ah, I see. We have ourselves a philosopher! Well, you might be right in that assessment. But perhaps some people are not very content with the unfair treatment they're getting. Of course, you could say that life is unfair, and that they should get over it. But is it truly alright to let such unfairness exist?" He sat down, pulled one of the stands closer, and began rummaging through his pack: "You see, it doesn't really matter what you actually are. All that matters is what people think you are, and that's the sad truth. You could be the nicest fucking person in the world, willing to literally put down your life for the safety of others.... And people will still avoid you like the plague, because.... No one ever really seems to know why, you know?" He chuckled, bringing a deck of cards out of his pack, fastened with a bit of rope. "So sometimes, some people say: "I do not like this unfairness. I think I won't just sit and say welp, guess that's my life now. Maybe sometimes, people say "what if your life was unfair, for a change? Would you be willing to practice what you preach? Just sit there and accept it?" He stared into Graham's eyes at that last sentence, making the meaning of his words very clear. These exact words were one of Varestad's favorite sermons. He wasn't really sure whether or not he truly believed them anymore. Still, they would make an excellent counterargument to the mouthy little assassin. He set the deck down on the stand, looking at both Graham and Kadri. " Well, If you don't have anything better to do... Care for a round or two? Philosophical Discussion is more enjoyable with a game to go along with it."




“So you decided to put yourself a' risk?” Graham added, raising an eyebrow in disbelief. "Guess you missed the royal orientation, you do have a small village of assassins too." Graham tried not to snort. “'Talented.'” He repeated, glancing at Destrian and then the open door that lead to the kitchen. “Righ', that's the word.” Destrian countered with his own statement and Graham cast his gaze up to the ceiling. “Trust me lad, you're goin' te very unhappy if you keep on that line of thought.” Graham put his arms behind his head and leaned back, pulling the chair's front legs off the floor. “Oh aye, I can certainly see the saintly aura glowin' abou' you.” He was smiling casually. “You make a lot of assumptions for a saint, but I don' owe you my life story jus' because you had a shite time of it.” At the mention of cards Graham's smile turned into something sly. “Ooooh you don't want to do tha' boy.” Baconhands Athanas



Kadri eyed Destrian and Graham cautiously and slowly sank more into the chair, resting herself comfortably under her cloak, "You two go ahead. I don't believe I would be able to handle intense intellectual challenges right now; I'm certain the both of you would want good competition." She rested her head back, staring up at the quaintly plain ceiling. "A bit of backstory would be nice, though Graham. Ever sign up for the army or the navy?" Kadri asked, genuine curiosity in her voice. A silence rested for a beat, before she spoke again, "I don't really know that much about you either Destrian." She mused, continuing to stare upwards, "Hells, we haven't been able to learn about any of us much have we? I would call in Keenan and Isolde but I don't want to interrupt their bonding session."
"I think that should be rectified on Seltasfair. We should all have a nice dinner, a roast I think. I can cook. We'll sit around a table, tell stories. It'll be... like home. But... with a bunch of strange people whom I'm not related to." A chuckle escaped her, "Whom. Geeze I already sound like the nobility." @Silverflyte @Athanas(edited)



Destrian looked at Graham, a sad smile on his lips "Oh, Don't you worry about that. I'm already rather unhappy, so one more bad line of thought won't really affect me. And, for the record, I never said I was talking about me. Nor did I ever ask for your life story. It looks like you're the one that's making all the assumptions here, lad, not me." He leaned back onto the armchair, and began doling out starting hands for both himself and Graham, showing off by using only two fingers, demonstrating speed and precision that betrayed he had spend a considerable time playing such games. "Oh, it won't be as easy as you think! You've ever heard the saying "He who loses at the game of chance, wins at the game of Love?" Well... Let's just say you might as well come to terms with your defeat now." He chuckled audibly, his features softening.
His brow furrowed slightly as Kadri spoke. She wanted him to share his past, which usually didn't end well. He thought for several seconds about anything he might be able to tell her that would not seem weird or upsetting. He failed miserably. "Well.... What would you like to know, Kadri? Got any specific questions?" As she continued, he made a disapproving click with his tongue at the mention of Keenan and Isolde. "Yeah, let's not interrupt them. I'm sure they're saying all sorts of interesting things." "That being said" he added after a moment's delay "I think I would certainly enjoy that. Assuming, of course, they bothered to teach you how to cook, being a damn noble and all." He smiled at her at that last sentence, his good mood returning, and he played his first card.
@Silverflyte Baconhands



Graham gave Kadri a sideways glance. "Never even considered it. I don' think they'd like my attitude. An' tha's all your gettin' outta me. You're not queen yet." He smiled at Kadri's musings. The dinner sounded nice. Graham reflected that he didn't really know what it would be like, but he enjoyed the idea of finding out. "The good thing abou' friends is tha' generally you pick them. With family there's always one you manage te hate. Doesn't make for great parties."
Graham grinned when he listened to Destrian. "I'm no' the one pretendin' te be a saint." He replied, ignoring most of what the man said. Destrian's antics seemed only to draw a bored expression from the assassin as he picked up his cards,. "Well I'll lose right quick if you don't tell me wha' we're playin. Or maybe tha' was your plan." Graham surprised even himself when he came to Kadri's rescue. "She's no' a noble." He said sternly. "The next ruler of Volk could be anyone. It's what the Ever Watching decides." His eyes flicked to the young woman across from him, "And it chose her." Baconhands Athanas




Kadri tilted her head down, looking at both of the men. She let Graham correct Destrian about her status, even though she suspected that Destrian had intended the statement as a joke. A knowing smile was chucked in his direction. Her eyes returned to scanning the ceiling, "The Ever Watching presides over all Volkish people, and clearly chose me for my fantastic skills as a cook, professional fish catcher, and stellar leader." The grin was very much audible, "The Ever Watching knows how to make a good decision when it wants to." She paused and let a few rounds of the game play out, "Specific questions... specific questions. Well, Destrian I can't pinpoint the origin of your accent so... where were you born? And you, Graham. Your accent is most definitely from one of Volk's sister Kingdoms in the Empire but, for a queen, I suppose I am not very well travelled. So, I ask the same for you." @Silverflyte Athanas



Destrian nodded in understanding as Kadri's status was explained to him. Gordain had explained to him how Volk's system worked before anyways, so he was somewhat familiar with the procedure. "I see. But then again.... You clearly didn't care in the slightest about politics until the spirit chose you. How can you possibly rule a Kingdom? I mean no offense! It merely sounds a tad weird to me." He paused for a moment, then smiled: "Then again, I don't think I've ever met a good cook who wasn't also a great administrator!" he added, trying to lighten the mood again.
At Graham's response, Destrian merely frowned and shook his head: "I see arguing with you is about as effective as a shieldwall in a Swamp. Very well, you win. No more sainthood. And the game is Crazy Eight. Thought an experienced player such as yourself would be able to recognize the starting hands and the setup. Guess I was wrong" He grinned with a hint of Irony at Graham. At Kadri's question about his past, Destrian took pause, examining his options. Kadri had most likely lived in Volk all her life, therefore she wouldn't have heard about his family, or the events that happened.
Comforted by this thought, he said:"Me? You might find this hard to believe, but I'm actually from a family of nobles, in the Kingdom of Fire. Heh. If things had been just a little bit different, now I'd be all proud and mighty! But alas... Here I am, following around the Queen of Volk, in a quest to gather things that don't exist, while something that's also not supposed to exist chases after us. Life is funny, sometimes..." He seemed to have lost Graham, and Kadri too. Baconhands @Silverflyte



“I Though' I said I wasn't playin' this wee questions game?” Graham eyed Kadri with pursed lips. “I grew up in Volk, wee fishin' town, but my da was from North Eyra. No' much te tell.” Graham barked a laugh at Destrian's commentary on the Volk political system. “Its a right bit more than 'weird'.” He was smiling broadly. “But it's always produced half-decent rulers so I supposed it never changed.” At being chided for not recognizing the hand Graham raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. He considered Destrian and his words, and how he said them. After promptly losing the first few rounds Graham held up his hands. “Oh no, looks like you win again. I'm clearly no match.” Baconhands Athanas



Kadri considered the answers carefully; she wasn't ignorant of international goings on. The lineaged had heard rumours about what had happened in the Kingdom of Fire: fisherman spoke about it in hushed whispers, and traders often refused to answer when asked what happened to the other lineaged. It was chilling to say the least to even think about it. A sullen look came to her face as she watched the two men play. She heard the door open, there was a bark announcing the arrival. "Aye, that's right, the lady of the house is here! AND, might I say, what a fine house it is!" Elena's voice echoed through the building.
Kadri didn't move as Elena wandered into the room. The captain looked straight at the queen-to-be, "Now I don't wish to embarrass you in front of your court, but you haven't paid me yet. Much as I have enjoyed the journey and will continue to do so but cash is cash and there's a casino in town that I'm planning on visiting. SO some now, the rest later." Kadri sat up and held out a bag of coins, "It's... well, that should-"
"Cover the expenditure nicely!" Elena finished with a grin. She looked at Destrian and Graham, "You lads joining me?" @Silverflyte Athanas

 

[Baconhands]

There was a gentle rocking, but it was enough to prevent Kadri from falling asleep. The seas were gentle, and the waves lapped gently against the hull. Despite the last few days of relative peace, the lineaged had been disturbed by nightmares varying in their severity. But they would always be linked to the events of Seltasfair. A sigh escaped her as she stood, wrapped a cloak around her shoulder, and stepped out onto the deck.
They were on the sea, heading east, towards the lands of the Commonwealth, specifically Silverun. It was a moonless light - only the lights on the ship illuminated their passage. Not even the stars dared to reflect off the sea.
Kadri lent on the side of the ship, a long low breath escaping her as she stared out at the endless expanse of darkness before her. An itch grew on her forearm. She didn't need to look to know that another one of her scales had become as black as the night sky. A shiver ran down her spine - it was cool, yes, but not cold enough for her to shiver so violently. The memories played back in her mind.

The party sitting down for dinner on Seltasfair, the warm atmosphere, the vibrancy in the air. Some gifts were being exchanged - she had purchased something for everyone, taking time to consider what they might appreciate the most.
The dinner ended, the screams began. A horde of rotting husks, maybe several thousand of them, had descended on Arbuzshaven.
She remembered briefly fighting, then being told to reach a ship. Elena obliged. And once the party was on board she didn't stop for any one else.
Kadri didn't stop her either; she simply watched as the residents of Arbuzshaven fought valiantly to defend what they could but even the guards could not stand against such numbers.
Elena made for the water; before so much as a protest could be made, the party were half a mile from the land, pursued only by the vicious laughter of the lich.

The lineaged was sure Elena's actions were well founded, but Kadri was also aware of the carrying capacity of the ship. Why didn't she do anything? Why hadn't she stopped her? Fought harder? Jumped off the ship and forced Elena to stay? Such questions had torn her apart the four days they were on the sea, so much so she had tried to seclude herself from the others as much as she could, taking frequent trips with Aezi to Volk so as to think over what she could have done.
A sigh escaped her, long and heavy. Guidance. She wanted guidance. Much like Isolde had gotten. Much more than that. Unlike her, Kadri thought, she needed it. And yet Isolde got the guidance she needed, an artefact, and Keenan all to help her. All Kadri got was criticism.

SilverFlight Athanas Dominaiscna

 

[Dominaiscna]

Isolde lay awake, eyes following the play of a few spots of moonlight on the wooden floor. For hours she had tried to go to sleep yet her mind kept replaying the events of the day. Images of the destruction of Arbuzshaven by the undead overlayed with memories of the fall of her home village and she could not shake off the one thought that had been haunting her ever since : countless of people died that day... and it was her fault. The Guardians had warned that the Lich was after the artefact... and like a blood hound, she had followed Isolde’s trail right to the unsuspecting town of Arbuszhaven.
Slowly, she flicked her thumb over the cold surface of the ring, eyes squeezing shut.

What had she done?

Suddenly Isolde found it hard to breathe. The darkness that she found solace in had become too suffocating and she made to escape the enclosed space. After securing the skirt of her night gown, she made her way onto the deck. The caress of the wind on her face as she stepped out drew a sigh from her lips and she found herself relaxing, some of the tension melting from her shoulders. Though her mind was still filled with dark thoughts, the night air and open space helped somewhat ease her discomfort.

However, something quickly pulled her thoughts away from the trouble memories. Not far from her, she spied a dark figure silhouetted against the night sky, seemingly bent over the side of the ship. On silent feet, Isolde approached until she was able to make out from what she could see of his appearance that he was one of the newcomers, someone who knew Kadri.

“Graham...?” Isolde spoke softly, remembering his name from when they were introduced during the ChristmS dinner, before - “...are you quite alright?” She stopped next to him, eyes studying him carefully but she was a little hesitant to reach out to him.

SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Graham did not like the fact that his charge had a magic horse. He was even less impressed with the fact that she felt the need to take it away from the ship--and his presence--on a whim while there was a half-mad necromancer out for her blood. Not that Kadri seemed to mind what Graham thought in the slightest. This put him in a foul mood, which was worsened ten-fold by the fact that they were on the bloody ship in the first place. The wind was high and the waves had been tipping little vessel to and fro for all the four days since they'd escaped.
Graham couldn't remember the last time he'd actually kept a meal down and he hated every waking moment.
It took him a few seconds to realize his name had been on someone's lips. A woman. With great effort Gray lifted his head from over the side. His face was almost visibly green.
"Who's askin'?" He replied flatly, having no patience for the frivolous today, but she only asked after his well-being and suddenly he felt badly about his snippy tone.
"Oh fine love. I jus' wan' to slowly drown myself in the frigid yet welcoming embrace of the sea..." He gestured to the gray waves churning beneath them. Suddenly he felt like a conversation might actually distract him from his seasickness.
"But dramatic suicidal fantasies aside, I've noticed you lot broodin' abou' the place like Tamsus monks. You, Kadri, even tha' knight of yours is less obnoxiously upright than usual."
He let the statement hang in the air between them before adding: "Wha' happened back there got you rattled, an' I know that look you've all been carryin' around. It'll do no good thinkin' abou' what you could've done. That just distracts you from wha' you can do now."
He made the effort to stand, turning his back against the rail to cross his arms and look at her. "So? Why don' you tell me, wha' can you do now?"
It was a fairly transparent move to goad her into action, to push her out of the mental rut her guilt had put her in.
Dominaiscna (mentioned Baconhands )


The boat didn't bother Keenan. He had spent several weeks on the ocean working as a deckhand in Volk to make a little money after he'd been exiled from his home. When the dead swarmed the little port town he had fought back, but there were hundreds of them. They had to flee or risk being torn to pieces, and the artifacts Kadri and now Isolde carried falling into the hands of the lich. Keenan's blood boiled when he thought of that monster. So much death and she dealt it without care or caution. If he had his knights. If he still had the king's trust...but he didn't. He had nothing and he could only watch as innocent men and women were slaughtered.
He knew the events four days ago had worried at the others too, some more than others. Kadri seemed one of the most hard hit and his heart went out to her. He understood her feelings in this at least.
He was a little surprised when his feet carried him above deck and Kadri was already there, looking out over the rolling seascape. He was vaguely aware of more shapes on deck but he stopped beside Kadri.
"It's maddening, isn't it? Feeling that powerless."
Baconhands

 

[Baconhands]

"Maddening is a complete understatement," came Kadri's swift reply. She took a sideways glance at Keenan, her eyes ablaze with conflict and anger, though her tone was much more passive. A long breath escaped her as she looked back out to see. "You know, I didn't know any of their names, didn't share a word with them. And yet I can vividly remember every face I should have saved."
A pause, the sea filled in for the lack of words.
"You're going to tell me not to dwell on such things, aren't you?" She asked, a hint of venom coming to her voice. "Simply put, I can't. Those screams and shouts haunt my dreams, and it doesn't help that I know where we're going next, given that we're going for Olikah's artefact."
Closing her eyes, she willed herself to an uneasy calm, "Everything has struck so quickly, Keenan. The artefacts, the succession, the horde, these damned scales - all of them are hammers hitting a nail into my brain." She glanced at him again, but her eyes, while still stormy, were also lost, "Any advice from probably the wisest of the group?"
SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Keenan almost took a step back, unprepared for the flare of anger that rose to greet him.
"I...wasn't going to say that." He admitted slowly. "I know, you won't ever forget the faces of the people that lost their lives. There are more still that you'll never know. They'll continue to haunt you and I can't do anything to stop it." He was speaking from experience, and that fact soaked into the tone in his voice. "....what I was going to say was...you should also think of the ones we will save, by doing what we're doing. The lich is going to kill more people, but we can and will put an end to it."
He listened to her with a quiet understanding. It was a lot, more than most could bear and yet she wore the burdens with surprising mastery, or at least the semblance of it.
When she asked for advice he grinned at the title she had prepared for him. "You mean from the ex-knight who got himself kicked out of his own country?"
It was the first time he had said it aloud to anyone in the group, but he thought about her question carefully.
"Take one thing at a time. Focus only on what you can do, try not to dwell on things that for now, are out of your reach. The spirits in the ice garden told us Olikah could help you, we also have the chance to get another artifact while we're there."
There was a long pause as Keenan considered her. "And..." he added, slowly reaching up. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and squeezed it, a gesture meant to comfort and reassure. "Try to remember that you're not doing this alone. I'll stand by you until this is done." He paused for a moment before leaning a little closer. There was a playful smile on his face. "...No matter how much of a beast you behave like."
Baconhands

 

[Baconhands]

An eyebrow was raised when Keenan briefly mentioned that he had been exiled form his own country. Opting not to pry further, at least initially, the lineaged considered the former knight's words. Focus on the positive was the summary; they would be saving many lives by denying the lich these artefacts. But a question came to her head; what then would they do with them? Certainly a question for a later time, but the idea came to mind.
She felt the hand on her shoulder; the motion was comforting and ultimately she was warmed by his words. Her shoulders relaxed and she turned to look him wholly in the eyes. A smirk came to her face at his last remark, and she pushed him away, "Comes with the lineage; Arbuzs is supposed to be quick to violence - don't tempt me to be like him, I'll show you how a real beast can behave."
Realisation dawned on her what she had just said and a blush immediately came to her cheeks. Kadri turned to look out at sea as quickly as she could to hide the fact.
"What... what did you think of the rings I got everyone for Seltasfair?"
She had managed to hand out her gifts before the horde arrived. She commissioned local artisans to create them, gold bands that each bore a gem stone relating to the aspect of the bearer - in Keenan's case, it was an emerald. Each had runes carved into them again personalised; Keenan's stood for Loyalty. Being a lineaged of Nixhem, the rings were also enchanted to fit the finger of the bearer.
Kadri glanced at him awkwardly, but also curiously, wanting to know his thoughts.
SilverFlight
Dominaiscna Athanas (Seltasfair gifts!)