Fantasy The Five Kingdoms - The Fall of Sarthenfall - Ic

[Ms. Sparrow]

Azalea Eve Windfore

The trip to Ezeris would take approximently three days, Azalea been told, if they kept up their quick pace. Hardly did the group ever stop, even if one person had to take care of their needs, they were expected to take care of them and quickly catch up. It was a constant non-stop movement that lacked fun, and after the funeral, conversation for the most part.

Somehow the stories of adventure Azalea had always heard were either greatly overexaggerated, or her company just lacked all knowledge of amusement whatsoever.

They’d stayed off the main roads and took to more narrow paths to avoid any unwanted attention, which was likely if they were noticed. They had a bounty for their heads if they were captured, and it was not something anybody was willing to risk.

Of course, taking the smaller, less active, work down roads were paths resulted in...complications.

The giant, enclosed box of steel and iron that held the creature was loud and not designed for the varying sizes of woodland paths they traveled on, it’s wheels constantly jamming with twigs and slamming into rocks, and even when it did not it was noticeable, even submerged in the thick, pine woods. This had only brought up the long, and continuing argument of abandoning the prison cart in the woods and forcing the prisoner to walk and take the risk of her being held by chains alone, or to continue being slowed on their path. Nether it seemed, had been gracious, the sky remaining clear and the air harsh and crisp, allowing them to travel unaffected by harsh weather and snow. It had been completely dark by the time they were finally, allowed to make camp, finding a small clearing of green grass in the forest, the rest pf the remaining days snow beginning to melt already, the smell of fresh pine needles and ice thick in the air around them. Bedrolls lay spread out around the crackling fire in the center of the clearing, the cluster of horses on the outskirts, grazing happily, the prison cart just beside them, it's horses unleashed so it could graze. Smoke floated up to the clear dark sky, which presented an array of shining, twinkling starts that gazed down on them from the small space the clearing left for them.

Idle chatter was distant to Azalea, whom was still donned in her newly made leather armor, her knees tucked to her chest as she sat on the bedroll beside the campfire, savoring the feel of the near heat on her face as she stared down at the leather-bound book she'd, well, she and Raymond technically stole, her bright gaze tracing the symbolic language she'd not once seen in her life before, her brows furrowing as she honed in on the first page of the small book, trying to make sense of the text that sprawled out on the yellowed pages before her:

Azalea jolted, dropping the journal unto her lap, her hand instantly moving to the dagger strapped to her hip startled as a loud bang ensued throughout the encampmen, coming from the direction of the horses, her head snapped in the direction of the source as the horses reared up and stomped loudly, trying to move as far as possible from the prison cart as they could when roped up to a tree. Azalea jumped to her feet when the slam ensued again, coming from the inside of the prison cart, against it's door. Tensing as she reached for the bow handle strapped around her back. Was that thing trying to get out? Would they be able to take her down if it did?


"I need to pee," the woman's voice said coldly and calm, her voice carrying from the small square, barded window at the top of the tightly secured door, "I function just the same as any, mortal woman." She said, her voice a slight growl, sounding the slightest irritated.

"Pfffffft," Azalea snorted, breaking the sudden tension, though it was no lie she was intimated, her tongue usually had a retort dangling on the edge, always have something smart or sarcastic to say, no matter the timing. "Didn't you... eat someone?" Azalea called back, bold enough to retort something when the creature was locked up, "I don't know what you've seen, but we don't generally eat people to function." Azalea remarked dryly, her hand stilled on the handle of her bow.

"Would you like to know what've I've seen?" The creature crooned back coolly, Azalea brows dropping at the question, internally shuddering. This woman had been crafted from the darkest parts of hell.

No, Azalea thought, she really didn't want to know.

The creature let out a throaty, cold cackle which held not joy or happiness but a cruel amusement at her lack of response. Azalea glanced over at the rest of the group, arching her brows at them. "We're not gonna bloody let her out are we?" she lowered her voice to a hushed breath, "I'm not getting eaten alive by a half-woman-half shark." she hissed, her eyes darting back to the prison cart briefly.

"I don't eat people," The creature replied amusedly from the cart, her tone cool, startling Azalea as she glanced back at the cart. How the hell did she hear her? What the rotting hell did she have, enhanced senses or some shite? Though...at least she didn't eat people, Azalea internally sighed as she turned back to the group with a slight smirk.

“Well that’s—“

"I drink them," The creature added coldly after a long pause, some form of hidden amusement in her dark tone. Azalea scowled, a spiral of chills running up her spine, practically hearing the grin in the woman's voice that carried effortlessly through the prison cart. Azalea plopped back down on the bedroll, allowing the fire to warm the extra chill the woman had brought into the air, deciding she'd leave the task to let someone else take care of the creature's needs as she picked up the ineligible leather bound book once more.


--
Timeskip: Later that day
Time: 10:03 PM
Location: The Northern Pineforest

Bakuyoshi Blackrose7 Xanto explosiveKitten NinjaGirlGamer
​

 

[Xanto]

Raymond Callahan and Baxter Callahan and Clyde Callahan​

Bang. The sound of slamming against the prisoner's metal box boomed throughout the clearing, causing Clyde to jump up and grab his uncle's arm. "Hey, relax," Raymond held his nephew's arm prior to throwing a serious glance at the container. The guy had yet to see who the mysterious suspect was since Clyde usually stuck by him. It didn't help that Bax refused to let his son near the violent being either. "Why don't you talk with Princess Aurelie? I'm sure your company would put her at ease," Ray suggested receiving a nod in response from Clyde.

Meanwhile, Baxter was busy studying his map and plotting out the group's next checkpoint as he walked over to the metal container. The banging needed to end. Otherwise, the sound's reverberation would attract attention. "What do you need?" The rebel leader questioned the prisoner, sending a glance to Ray who entered the scene in a timely manner. The prisoner's response was direct, only covering Ray's face in confusion. Of course she functions as any mortal woman . . unless they caught a woman shade? Ray thought to himself before moving a hand through his hair.

Initially, he thought Shades were just black masses. That luxury ended when the Shade Lords came into the picture though. Who knew what other Shade creatures were out there? The younger Callahan brother furrowed his brows at the thought. "Good to know," The siblings simultaneously mentioned after her statement.

Not long after, banter between Azalea and the prisoner ensued. There was some mention of drinking blood and hybrid human-shark being in the whole whirl of things, prompting Ray to wonder in silence.

The brothers eventually made eye contact with one another knowing they wouldn't be able to provide assistance with that particular . . function. "Angie, Ivanna, and Priscilla, your group B objectives start now," The rebel leader nodded toward the edge of the clearing ordering a few guards to roll the box off to the side so the rest of the members wouldn't see the prisoner, "Help her."

Curiosity had to wait. Ray wasn't about to meet the prisoner for the first time during a pee break. Thus, his hazel gaze shifted around the area for something else to do. That was when his eyes paused at Azalea holding the book he swiped up for her. She'd been silent for most if not the whole part of the trip. What better time than to have a discussion when things were tame for once?

Raymond walked over to the princess, noticing the unfamiliar writing over her shoulder. "Are you pretending to read that jibberish so no one talks to you?" He asked bending down to take a seat next to Azalea by the fire. "Cause if so then," His hand pointed over his shoulder signalling his own way out, "I can just turn around."

Ms. Sparrow explosiveKitten NinjaGirlGamer Bakuyoshi

 

[Ms. Sparrow]

Azalea Eve Windfore

Azalea puzzled over the fade-inked symbols that were scrawled elegantly over the yellowed pages of the book, her brows furrowed in concentration. If she could just find, something, anything. Some answers to...something. Maybe she could figure something out before her time was up.

Like why Nathanial had it.

She despised the bloody prick. She’d wasn’t gonna lie, she’d fantasized about killing him, once or twice. Azalea wondered if that made her a bad person. Sometimes the thought of killing someone horrified her as much as it thrilled her, which only terrified her more.

She zoned out, her mind drifting elsewhere. She wondered if she was becoming a monster more and more, and wondered if the others realized she’d been sinking into dark places she’d didnt know how to crawl out of alone. She wondered if they blamed if. She wondered, if she was dangling over the edge of that pit of darkness, if they would step on her finger and let her fall, or if someone would pull her out of it. She wondered if anyone ever could accomplish such a task.

“Are you pretending to read that jibberish so no one talks to you?”

Azalea jolted slightly, glancing up at Raymond, her brows slightly arched in suprise as his voice interrupted her dark thoughts. She took him in, from his kind hazel eyes to his to his slightly tousled hair and tan complexion, taking quiet notes. He looked relatively fair off compared to some of the other party members.

She felt a pang of guilt, remembering his expression the previous night. The mission he’d gone out to look just for her. The pain she’d caused him.

Azalea hoped she’d never have to see it again. Some part of her was terrified that when she died, he’d feel it again.

She blinked, realizing she hadn’t answered him, lost in all her horridly depressing thoughts.

Azalea quirked a wry grin at him, gesturing to the spot he was about to sit in and tossing the journal closely behind her, landing on the bedroll with a soft poof.

“Actually, I was hoping to look busy so your brother didn’t catch it in his mind to lecture me about last night,” Azalea said half-jokingly, angling her face towards him, her body turned towards the flames, the flame reflecting in her gaze making the yellow in her eyes seem to almost glow, a jaunt tilt to the side of her lips, “though he’s quite occupied.” she added before letting herself fall backwards so that she gazed up at the stars above her, her hands folded over her stomach.

“So, Ezeris,” She said with a slight smirk, “What’s it really like?” She glanced briefly down from the stars and at Raymond, a spark of curiosity and wildness reflecting in her otherwise amused yellow-green gaze, “I only hear ghastly things, but there must be something beautiful about it.” She glanced back up at the stars, the twinkling lights reflecting in the dark sky.

“Even dark things hold beauty.” She stated, sounding the slightest wistful. She wanted to know about the world she’d missed in her life, and would miss. She wanted to hear the beauty and see the darkness between the lines with every piece of Faroliis she’d missed out on.


Xanto ​

 

[explosiveKitten]

Angie had some this whole trip just trying to rush along the healing process of her shoulder. She could finally lift her sword again, but it was still taking time for it stop hurting. She needed her full range of motion. And the constant stinging and biting and pinching pain in her shoulder.

Not to mention... Ezeris. GODS. DAMNED. EZERIS. They were going to EZERIS. She didn’t need or want anything to do with the place, and yet here she wasn’t! Off to Ye Olde HOMELAND. GODS DAMNIT. UGHHH. If Cale- Cali- hadn’t been going, she would have said no! But of course, this suddenly courageous Cali just HAD to convince her to go! So here she was!

She looked up from getting the fire going in time to catch the tail end of Azalea’s conversation with the prisoner. Which Angie had many, MANY misgivings about, but who ever listened to her, huh? No one. Except maybe Aurelie. But she listened to everyone.

“... why would we let it out? Just give it a bucket and tell it to squat.” She said, gesturing around at the things they had piled in the cart. Surely, they had a bucket or something for the thing to piss in.

She was about to actually get up and go look for a bucket when something Baxter said hit her in the chest like a ton of bricks.
“Angie, Ivanna, and Priscilla, your group B objectives start now.”

“... Angie?” She repeated, with emphasis, keeping her face cool but for the lifted eyebrows as she glared at Baxter. “Wow, I haven’t heard that girlish nickname since I was a kid being bullied back at home. Thanks for that, sounds great.”

“Also, I’m not so sure that I should be going anywhere near a half naked lady-thing-whatever-that-is, given the ah, anatomical differences?? Maybe??” She added pointedly, “I still say we just throw a bucket in there and be done with it.”

Xanto

 

[Xanto]

Raymond Callahan​

Raymond slightly tilted his head toward Azalea and raised a brow as he waited a few moments for a response. It seemed that a few deep thoughts trailed in her mind even once she looked at him. He understood Azalea though. The past few days have been more than a handful for the entire group. So it was in Ray's interest to take his and anyone else's mind off of Shades for once.

Eventually, the princess blinked back to reality gesturing for the Ezerisian to sit. In which case, Ray sat himself down next to Azalea and smiled when she mentioned avoiding Baxter. It was a task he was particularly fond of participating in, but only when it came to avoiding lectures.

At the mention of his brother's current work load, Ray looked over his shoulder to see Bax talking with Angelo. That rebel leader usually had his hands filled. Besides, Azalea wasn't the only one getting lectured for the previous night's events.

The soft sound against the bedroll caught Ray's attention prompting him to turn back to Azalea . . or at least where she was. His hazel gaze shifted downward to see the usually responsive redhead lying down and star gazing with her eyes slightly glowing from the fire in front of them. It was his first time seeing a relaxed Azalea who didn't have any intentions of spiking adrenaline rushes. For once, she seemed calm.

Raymond looked into the fire, leaning back on his hand at Azalea's question about Ezeris. She also said something about dark things holding beauty. His eyes returned to the princess as a smirk formed on his face, "There will be something beautiful about it." He briefly paused before lying down next to Azalea, "It's a place filled with unlawfulness and chaos." This of course was the information that scratched the surface. No matter how easy it was to dig further into the kingdom's dark activities, Ray decided to stick on the lighter side of things. She did ask about its beauty anyway.

"Amazing ocean views seem to be the only beautiful thing about Ezeris," His gaze shifted upward at the stars, "But what the outsiders don't see is the camaraderie and loyalty in each gang. All anyone ever sees are the crimes, but they forget the reasons behind them." Ray thought philosophy and ethics were always debatable, which was why he despised the boring studies. Just trying to understand the other person's perspective was all it took to make a law controversial. Raymond folded his arms behind his head before glancing at the princess, "Now not everyone has the best intentions, but for more than a good handful . . it's the only way to survive."

A couple of blinks was all it took for the thief to realize that he was getting into intentions rather than Ezeris's "beauty." "There's a monthly gang brawl in the south sector," He mentioned as his eyes met the sky once again, "Not sure if ya find those beautiful." It was a joke, but obviously something to look out for. They wouldn't want to get involved in crossfire any time soon. Raymond unconsciously shifted to a serious expression when a few of his own memories flashed in his mind, " . . Ezeris is only beautiful if your loved ones are there, or else all you see is a war you gotta fight on your own."

It was all a lesson really. Ezeris was an eye for a heart kind of society. Thriving solo there was tough and Ray knew it. In fact, somehow he did it.

Ms. Sparrow

Baxter Callahan​

Baxter paused in his tracks when he heard Angie sound her own name out. His blue gaze immediately darted to the woman almost apologetically looking at her as she glared at him. If it made sense, the rebel leader forgot about Angie's secret being a secret. It wasn't his intention to expose her or slip. "Apologies," Baxter bowed his head toward Angie in response to her statement on being bullied.

"Look for a bucket," He ordered one of the few guards around the area before moving a hand tiredly down his face. There were too many secrets this group in particular kept from one another. Bax knew for a fact that he didn't even know all of them. It was natural for most people to be secretive of at least one thing in their life.

"Angelo," He headed toward the woman and spoke in a low voice after waiting for the guard to walk away, "It was not my intention." His face stayed expressionless, but his eyes scanned the area like he was caught. Luckily for them, it didn't seem like many people were paying attention to him anyway.

explosiveKitten

 

[NinjaGirlGamer]

While most of the crew was traveling in the front, Ivanna usually stayed back. Taking in each of the sights, surveying her surroundings. She kept a close watch on the metal box, containing the woman-like creature. Sunset was approaching and the night grew ever dark, this made the company decide to make camp.

Ivanna was close by, with her back up against the tree while cutting away the wood on a branch with her dagger. Holding the broken branch while sharpening it’s edges. A sudden BOOM, was heard to which she instantly turned her head towards the the sudden noise. Getting up from her spot not before grabbing her sword , and heading towards the mini prison the creature was given.

The creature said she needed to do her “humanly business” to which Baxter called for Angie, Priscilla and Ivanna to start their objectives. Ivanna was silent in response but didn’t like the idea of “watching someone take a piss.” She walks over to the campfire for a moment to warm herself up. Staring at the flames, she is reminded of the funeral pyre and.....the castle....



ivanna



IVANNA!



Lost in thought only for a moment, realizing she’s bringing up past memories again. Ivanna tried to shake out the thoughts, by looking up at the stars instead. She overhears Azalea and Raymond talk about Ezeris. Hmph, the wonders of that place, she thought sarcastically in her head. Ivanna was crouching by the fire not too far from Azalea and Raymond, taking out the sharp branch she was working on and continuing to work the edges on the end of the stick.

Ms. Sparrow Xanto explosiveKitten

 

[Ms. Sparrow]

Azalea Eve Windfore​

“There will be something beautiful about it.”

She wasn't quite sure if it was a compliment to her or some hopeful future he predicted for Ezeris, though his smirk, she thought, hinted to the latter, she told herself it was the second option rather than believe it was a compliment to herself, it didn't however, stop feeling of warmth that blossomed in her cheeks, nor the smirk that spread over her lips as he plopped down beside her, making sure to never remove her eyes from the starry sky.

She listened quietly as he told her about the ocean views of Ezeris, trying to visualize the rhythm of blue waves slapping against the shores and imaging the salty sea air the waves would smell like. She turned her gaze from the sky and watched him intently, her interest peaking as he told her about the love and loyalty that gangs commonly shared. She examined the details of his face and the way his hazel eyes changed as he spoke of Ezeris's gangs and how most people all had reasons to do what they needed to do, mirroring her thoughts she'd spoken aloud to Priscilla earlier that day. Azalea wondered what it'd be like to love and hate your homeland at the same time. Azalea wondered how he dealt with the fact that most of Ezeris's people were more than willing to help a man like Soris hunt his friends down.

Azalea met his hazel-eyed glance with a certain softness in her own, a mixture of curiosity and understanding shining in her yellow-green eyes. She understood that it was very likely Raymond had been one of the many people he mentioned, just a man whom had struggled to survive his whole life in the home he'd never had a hand in choosing.

Azalea looked away back up to the stars as he did, she chuckled as he joked about a monthly gang fight, picturing some sort of make-shift underground arena in her head and grinned wickedly up at the stars, "sounds fun," she said wryly, a mischievous glint gleaming in her bright, fox-like gaze. For some reason, the thought of knocking a bunch of people on their arses appealed to her greatly. Azalea glanced at Raymond in time to see his expression shift to that of seriousness, as if relieving hard memories or as if the memories of Ezeris were too much to bear, Azalea's own expression dropping to that of concern as he finished his thoughts. Azalea was silent for a moment, examining his facial features. The way he'd made it sound was as if he didn't find Ezeris beautiful at all, so perhaps, despite having Baxter and Clyde, and whomever else he'd once had, had done it all on his own.

Azalea glanced back up at the stars, "Well, "she said after a moment, "at least you don't have to fight this war on your own aye?" she joked, trying to lighten the sudden heavy atmosphere, placing an arm behind her head, glancing at the fire briefly as she noted Ivanna's presence by the flame, firelight shining unto her raven, black hair, her gaze intent on a stick she was working on sharpening into a fine point, and wondered whatever for.

She glanced back up at the stars, "Violet used to say when she became Queen," Azalea said, sounding amused, her eyes lit up as she relived old memories, "that she'd boff off into Ezeris's palace herself and make the royalties fix their kingdom," she laughed, "she said she wouldn't need soldiers to help her get there, she just needed an army of angry sisters to scare the royals into submission." Azalea smirked, "she was always a sucker for those kind of dreams, Delilah and I used to tease her for it, but she'd just waggle her finger and tell us she'd be the one laughing once she took over, not us."

Her smirk softened a bit, dark memories flitting through her mind briefly before she shoved them back and placed cheerier ones before them, "Violet was almost the bane of our fathers existence," she glanced at Raymond briefly, a devilish grin plastered on her face, "Almost as much as I." Her gaze twinkled with roguish delight as she recalled some of childhood heists that had all ended with a heavy lecture and a steely glare from her father.

Somehow even those became her favorite memories as well.



Xanto

Mentioned: NinjaGirlGamer

​

 

[Blackrose7]

Annabel was the furthest away from the group, for she didn't want to go back to Ezeris. ‘Please don't make me go back to Ezeris. I don't want to know what they did to my house.' thought Annabel. She knows that the house that she used to live in will be in a terrible state, since her fake parents are dead and she ran away from the danger. Not to mention that her childhood bullies would try to steal from her, because they didn't like that Annabel gets to have a peaceful life.
As everybody else was setting up the camp for the night, Annabel heard not only Baxter saying Angie for some reason. But Azalea and Raymond's conversation about Ezeris's beauty as well. ‘Angie? Is it his name Angelo, so why did Baxter say Angie?’ thought Annabel. ‘Also, who would enjoy Ezeris's beauty when the Ezerisians are more focused on survival.’
Annabel didn’t ask Baxter about why he called Angelo, Angie, but she continued to hear about the Ezeris's beauty conversation. She started to laugh when Azalea talked about what Violet would do to get the Ezeris royals to submit. “That dream is funny, but it wouldn't have worked in real life,” said Annabel. “Although, I am curious about what she might have done about the Ezeris’s problem.”
Ms. Sparrow Xanto

 

[NinjaGirlGamer]

Little pieces of wood were cut off as Ivanna was chipping away the dull parts of the stick then once it was done, she examined the fine point while the fire was brewing in the background. Azalea asked about the beauty of Ezeris, to which made Ivanna scoff. What’s so beautiful about a place full of chaos and misery? constant gang wars, and wondering whether or not you’re sleeping safely at night.

Looking around the campfire, it wasn’t often to have other people nearby where she sat to warm herself at night against the chilling dark atmosphere. Usually when someone came in proximity of her camp, it was either a bandit or an intruder always looking for trouble. This causes Ivanna to rarely sleep and always be on alert for anything moving in the shadows.

Speaking of being alert, she realized she had been needed for her little “objective” when a soldier was still looking around for a bucket. “Why can’t the monster just piss in the grass,” one soldier muttered in the distance. “I don’t want that thing coming out of there, it’s safer for all of us if that thing stays in the cage...just find the damn bucket.”

Ivanna slowly rose from her spot and went over to where Baxter and Angelo were. The soldiers were still looking for a bucket for the creature in the cage. As she approached the pair while Baxter was talking with Angelo. “I don’t suppose that majority of the plan consists of piss watching while the rest steal a ship,” Ivanna bitterly commented to Baxter.

Ms. Sparrow Xanto explosiveKitten

 

[Xanto]

Raymond Callahan​

Raymond smirked at Azalea's words as his gaze honed in to a single star as much as it could. It didn't take long for her to mention Violet. Thanks to Azalea's previous stories from the rebel camp, it felt like Ray was somewhat acquainted with her sister before the Shades broke loose.

The guy tilted his head in the princess's direction and gradually smiled, noticing her eyes light up. He knew how much Violet and the rest of the Windfore gang meant to Azalea. Prior to their meeting, Ray only heard about the middle kingdom's grand count of children. It was only until recently when he learned about how crazy a castle could get with a bunch of Azalea variations running around. On that note, his gaze shifted to the sky trying to wipe the odd visualization away.

"Ha," A subtle laugh escaped at the thought of Azalea and her siblings marching up to Ezeris's royals and wrecking havoc. Retelling memories gave off a light feeling that they all needed after the past few days' events. It was a feeling Ray personally hadn't felt in a while.

There was a little silence in which he looked back at her. "I could imagine that," He seconded Azalea's comment of her being the bane of her father's existence. It was just a wild guess that she kept her parents' hands filled.

Annabel's sudden laughter stole Ray's attention though. She was getting all logical about dreams. In response, Ray slightly smiled to acknowledge his fellow Ezerisian before looking at the stars for a few moments in silence. Dreams and logic never seemed to go hand-in-hand. Yet, he was usually determined to make it work.

The guy lowered his voice knowing him and Azalea still had a bit of an audience around them. It was a group that could easily pry open an optimistic discussion and logically dissect it, resulting in a mundane conversation. For once in a long while, Ray just wanted to let his mind roam free. " . . ya know, it's still not bad to dream those kind of dreams," He gradually scanned the area around them. The guy was practical, but he knew that dreams held a lot of power. Technically, anything in the world was possible. There were just some challenges and obstacles that hindered whatever it was people wanted to reach.

"If the world had no limits . . if Shades didn't exist," Raymond's eyes landed back on Azalea, "What would you do?" He tilted his head slightly more toward her, "What would your dreams be?"

Ms. Sparrow Blackrose7

Baxter Callahan​

Baxter's cold blue eyes shifted from Angie to Ivanna, "You, Angelo, and Priscilla will be watching the container with a few of our soldiers. The prisoner's need to perform bodily functions is not in my control."

"Sir," A guard shyly presented a bucket to Baxter. The rebel leader looked over his shoulder at the bucket before glancing at the soldier's face. It seemed that none of the guards really had the guts to give the prisoner her bucket. Instead of persistently pushing the order to his men, Bax glanced at Angie once more prior to making his way over toward the metal box.

There were a few rocks piled onto one another off to the side where the container was positioned. As a result, Baxter carefully stepped onto a few of them so that he was about five feet from the ground. His hands strongly worked the buckles that kept the cage together, and lifted the top portion of the container.

It wasn't surprising that most if not all the soldiers on duty were terrified of getting within range of this particular prisoner. So, Bax saw it as an opportunity to lead by example. He wouldn't let other soldiers do tasks if he wouldn't do them himself.

Clunk. The bucket sounded against the metal ground. Baxter stood on a rock, looking down at the prisoner after carefully dropping the bucket so it didn't hit her, "Get used to it. The ship won't have bushes."

explosiveKitten NinjaGirlGamer Ms. Sparrow

 

[Ms. Sparrow]

Spoiler: Yet ANOTHER song to set the campire-emotional mood imao

Azalea Eve Windfore

Azalea glanced at Ivanna, a slight narrow to her eyes, hearing a scoff erupt from the quiet womans direction. She had the urge to give the woman a piece of her mind but held her tongue, deciding she wanted at least one quiet evening.

Annabel’s laugh drew her attention once she finished recalling Violet’s dream, Annabel’s curiosity drawing her attention.

Azalea sat up slightly, propping herself up on an elbow. “Violet knew Ezeris’s funds were low with the families...endeavors.” She grimaced slightly at this, her eyes moving from Annabel to the flame, “She wanted to negotiate a deal with Aubinge, if they lended some of their funds to Ezeris, Violet would help fix their pirate problem,” Azalea frowned a bit more, “But the King said if she did that, she’d have to deal with the Assassins Guild as well.”

The Assassins Guild was well known, both through Ezeris and throughout all of Sarthenfall. If they were in league with Ezeris’s royal family, or if the rulers just choose to ignore the presence of the very popular Guild was unknown, sending lots of speculation surrounding the mysterious guild and royal family, some rumors speculating the Assassins Guild in fact bribed the royal family to ignore their methods.

Azalea allowed herself to flop back to the ground with an exhausted sigh as she gazed at the sky, diplomatic matters far from her expertise. Something she’d have to learn to handle on their trip from Sarthenfall to Delchistrier. Honestly, she had no idea how Violet managed it.

She turned her head to Raymond, her eyes piqued with curiosity as his voice lowered as he told her it wasn’t a bad thing to dream such big dreams. Her eyes cast down, away from his gaze towards the flame at her feet. Wasn’t it? Didn’t those sorts of dreams wreak hope? Did hope not bring disappointment? How many dreams did her sisters have? How many thought of them as they took their final breath?

“Not bad,” she said quietly in response, studying the flames, “dangerous.” She corrected him. Because it was. It was dangerous to dream. To dream, meant to hope, and she could not afford to hope for what could have been.

Azalea turned her body so that she lay on her side, sliding an arm under her head so she faced Raymond as he began to speak, her eyes landing back on his as he asked her a question she’d never considered.

“Live.” Azalea said dryly, the words coming out of her mouth before she could stop them, accidentally blurting her thoughts she glanced back towards the flame with grimace, some mixture between amusement and bitterness, “Sorry,” She said with a false, forced grin, “Bloody awful sense of humor.”

Azalea lowered her voice to match his, so that the more logical ones of the groups would not pull apart her dreams and thoughts that would never come true.

“I’d travel,” she said quietly, meeting his gaze, “I’d get drunk in taverns and sing ghastly songs with strangers I don’t even know the names of,” she chuckled a little, imaging her wild fancies, “I’d dance on the highest rooftops of Aubinge and Ezeris and look across both seas of sand and water.” She grinned a bit, a wild gleam in her gaze, “I’d go to Delchistrier only to wreak havoc and piss off the King until he dragged me back to Sarthenfall himself,”

She rolled into her back, looking at the stars and imaging her wild, adventurous life, “I’d fall asleep in the middle of nowhere with only the sounds of the wilderness to fall asleep to, I’d meet strangers and tell them of the most bloody grand adventures they’d never be able to pick their jaws up off the floor,” Azalea grinned cockily and looked at him, “I’d kick some ransoms arses ass in Ezeris and make a name for myself so everybody would think twice before crossing me,” her eyes shone brightly, “I’d crash the grandest parties in Aubinge and make a spectacle of it.”

Azalea smiled, briefly imagining the rebellious, reckless, carefree and wild life. “I’d shake the world a little, in a good way.”

Not in the way she had, were the words she left unspoken.

Azalea looked back to the stars that gazed back at her, bright eyes gleaming, “I’d rattle the stars, but at the end of the day, have a home to return to.” Azalea went quiet, unconscious of the wild smile that had appeared on her face.

Azalea rolled onto her side, propping her chin up with her hand. “What about you, ‘o curious Raymond’ would would you do?” She asked with a slight teasing tone, her voice still lowered as she leaned towards him slightly, a jaunty smirk on her face, arching an eyebrow as she waited for a reply.

~~

Nox

A small stream of light streamed into the otherwise black box she’d been shut into. Despite this, the manacles had been fastened securely unto her wrists, as of that could stop her. Nox impatiently paced in her cell, a good solid two steps for her to reach any of the walls she’d been enclosed in, though it made up for it in height.

Why she’d been sent out to kill a waste of space like Baxter was a mystery to her. The Creator was wasting his time on his games with the rebellion. Why he didn’t just wipe them out a few days earlier was lost on her, it seemed he’d been intent on constantly wiping out the morale of the rebellion until they either gave up or surrendered entirely. Or perhaps it was his obsession with the Windfore girl that diluted his senses. Perhaps she made him sane. Or perhaps she would drive him more mad.

Nox peaked out the small bared window that was big enough to let her hand through it. One hand. Her impatience was growing, how long did it take these fools to find a bucket?

Nox watched a soldier timidly hand Baxter a bucket, her enhanced hearing catching every word exchanged between the group, including the Windfore girl and the boy that smelled of the same blood as Baxter. Nox clicked her tongue in distaste at both sights, watching Baxter take the bucket and begin to approach the cell.

Her golden eyes met ice-blue ones as, after a few moments of him prying open the locks on the door, her view met with a firm, stern stare and the stars shining vividly above him, her view glanced from him to the bucket that clanged soundly at her feet, her expression unreadable even as a tinge of annoyance rippled through her. She wouldn’t have sat idly by if the bucket weren’t useful for later. The wire handle of the bucket would prove useful for the cell locks when they reached Ezeris. Otherwise, she would’ve killed someone just to make a point she wasn’t to be ordered around. Nox was in control, just how she liked it.

She gave him a predatory smile as he mentioned the ship, making it apparent she had no intentions of getting on the ship, her eyes glowing with cold amusement.

Her lithe form adorned in black leather rippled as she pulled the red hood of her cloak down, revealing her full appearance, her moon-white hair running sleekly down to just above her waist, with slightly pointed ears peaking out, dark-gold eyes glowing in the darkness around her as she stared at him coldly.

Nox clicked her tongue in what may have been a scolding or an expression of annoyance, verbally ignoring his comment. “You lead an army of cowards, if you allow disobedience like that than it’s no wonder your rebellions falling apart.” she stated harshly, referring to his means of delivering his bucket, rather than his soldiers doing as they instructed.

Her pointed sharp, metallic teeth however, had quiete noticeably retracted, showing her mouth of perfectly normal, human pearly white teeth, though her canines had a sharper point to them.

She turned her back to him, her striking red cloak swishing behind her, “Now, get out.” She commanded, her authority clear in her voice. In many senses, it may have been a challenge of his authority, or perhaps she simply wanted him gone. Or both.

Xanto Blackrose7 NinjaGirlGamer​

 

[Xanto]

Raymond Callahan​

Raymond raised a brow at Azalea's remark. It sounded like dancing almost everywhere was on the top of her list. That and doing almost everything he did before the Shades broke out. His hazel eyes studied her features in a new light now that she turned her body to face his. During one of their sparring matches back at the camp, Azalea bragged about her dancing skills for the first time. Believe it or not that same princess almost shied away at the fact that Raymond saw her spinning by a lake.

The guy kept his eyes on Azalea, chuckling a bit when she mentioned beating some people up in Ezeris to prove her toughness. Her version of living almost sounded like the way he went about life three months ago . . but without all the crimes. Would things change? He silently thought to himself catching Azalea's gleaming eyes looking back at the stars.

The princess sported an authentic smile that made him forget about their discussion for a quick second. He snapped out of whatever trance he was temporarily in though when Azalea shortly turned to face him once again with a question.

Raymond shrugged in response before casually shifting his gaze away from her. He always asked these questions, but never really had answers of his own. Even if he did, they were usually kept hidden.

"Change the world," He shyly moved a hand through his hair thinking how ridiculous it might sound to a royal person. His confidence was often demonstrated, but he kept a lot of his own thoughts to himself despite the exterior. " . . In my own unorthodox way," He nearly mumbled, not really knowing exactly how he would do it. A bit of silence lingered for a bit trying as he furrowed his brows trying to find a better answer. Meanwhile, his gaze slowly moved from star to star like he could find the answers within them.

"I've traveled the world and racked the minds of many, but with no limitations . . . I'd try making everyone happy," Raymond mentioned still not working up the courage to glance at Azalea again. He wasn't sure if it made sense or not, "I'd catch up with lost friends, meet all the people of the land, and eventually bring them together." To him, living was about learning, growing, and understanding the people around him. The earth itself was just a nice setting to the story.

He smirked as another thought arose, "Maybe even become a rich noble to change the rules of nobility and make it my own." How would he get rich? Who knew? Practicality didn't really matter in this discussion anyway. "Ya know, so I can give things to people thrice more than I've st- . . seen stolen," Raymond stopped his eyes from widening at the close slip up. Fortunately, the stutter seemed to cover it up somewhat normally. "But I'd give the best to my family and treat them like royalty. Spoil them. Bring them to a better place," He paused again almost hesitating to continue with his eyes still away from Azalea.

Anyone could have guessed that was the end of his hypothetical reality. Even Ray himself didn't fully think about his next words before blurting them out. "Have a complete family," The thief rubbed the back of his neck at the random idea that seemed to skip passing through his brain. Well technically, he didn't really experience having a whole family. Just look at Bax and Clyde. Audrey's absence was taking a toll on both of them even if they didn't show it or want to admit it. Something was different about having a whole family. Not one half in Trodaire and the other in Ezeris as the Callahans have done before. "That's what life is right?" Raymond finally allowed his eyes to meet Azalea's, " . . You do your best rattling the stars then, you pass it on and pray your descendants shake the heavens."

Ms. Sparrow

Baxter Callahan​

Baxter furrowed his brows when he noticed the prisoner smile in response to his ship comment. It didn't help when her hood fell and his eyes chanced upon her strangely beautiful golden ones.

Soon enough the prisoner started trash talking the rebellion's progress. In the midst of her attitude though, Bax noticed her retracted teeth. That woman had the aptitude to kill them all on the spot now. Yet, she didn't do it.

Why? The rebel leader silently thought just when the prisoner turned her back. Baxter's curiosity rarely got the best of him though, so it didn't take him a second thought to start stepping back to ground level.

"Most of them didn't dream of becoming soldiers and the rebellion has already made it farther than I could have ever imagined," He stated while dusting off his shoulder, "There are different leaders . . I'm not the kind to force a loyal follower into doing things against their will."

With that, he turned and walked toward the fire wood area.

Ms. Sparrow

 

[explosiveKitten]

“... bah, think nothing of it. It was an accident.”

She mumbled, sitting down next to the fire and pulling out her fire starting kit as she set about to the task of getting the campfire going. Having gathered kindling, logs, some spare paper for tinder, she started striking her flint and steel together to get it going.

Once it was safely started, Angie leaned back and sat down, grabbing her cape and pulling it over her shoulder, kind of hugging it to her chest almost like a blanket.

Eventually, Alex finally made his appearance and sat on a log next to the fire. He had been spending a lot of time staring at the box the “prisoner” was being held in, curious beyond belief as to who or what was being held in there. Of course, he never approached it. He had got absolutely insane levels of danger vibes from that box.

“... hey.” He called out, trying to get everyone’s attention. “I um... I know everyone is kind of stressed right now, so I wanted to see if I could help lighten the mood... you know,” He seemed to pull a guitar out of nowhere and set it in his lap. “Maybe play a song or two?”

“You know how to play that thing?” Angie asked, looking skeptical.
“I... I think so.” Alex replied, running his hand through his hair nervously as he started to fiddle with the instrument.
“Where did you even get that?” She followed up.
“... that... doesn’t matter, can I just play, please?” He pouted, looking around.

“... you know what, sure, go for it.” Angie said, waving a hand at Alex as the guy flashed a big smile and started to strum the strings, picking up a tune pretty quickly.

 

[Blackrose7]

Annabel’s eyes were wide open when Azalea said that Violet wanted Aubinge to lend some of their funds to Ezeris. “That is a horrible idea, because the Ezeris’s royals would spend that money on themselves. I don't know about them being in league with the Assassins’ Guild, but I guess that they were for only one reason. In order for them to not try to assassinate them.” said Annabel.
She heard none of the rumors about the Assassins’ Guild from the castle, but she heard the other maids guessing about that. Some of them thought the Assassins’ Guild was an ally to the royal family while others thought that they were ignoring them for some reason. Annabel was with the Assassins’ Guild being the Ezeris’s royals ally group. For she finds it very strange that none of the assassins from that guild have tried to kill them.
After saying that, Annabel just continue to listen to the rest of their conversation. However, she then did a mischievous grin at the Ezeris’s part of Azalea’s dreams. “I bet you can do those things in Ezeris, Azalea, and who knows. Maybe some people will stop with whatever they are doing just to see you dance on the highest rooftops of Ezeris.” said Annabel.
Despite Ezeris having a criminal problem, people will be curious when someone does something out of the ordinary. Especially if it is a positive thing, since Ezeris is a very gloomy place.

Annabel looked at Raymond when it was his turn, but felt that something was off when he wasn’t looking at Azalea properly. “...Is that so, Raymond? Because the way your eyes are looking around the place makes it seem like you aren’t sure about that. Then again, some of the things you have said are already happening.” said Annabel. “You are changing the world by doing this. We are probably going to travel the world, and who knows. You might be able to do the other things that you have said along the way.”
She knew about Raymond’s slip up as well, and that part did annoy her. However, she wasn’t going to bring it up as that information was between them only. ‘Geez Raymond. You are making it pretty obvious that you don’t know what to do if the world was like that.’ thought Annabel. ‘But then again, even I wouldn’t know what to do in a situation like that.’
Annabel never actually thought about it, since she was happy with her life before the Shades had ruined it.
It wasn’t a hundred percent perfect, but she was happy when she gave some hope to the Ezerisians.
Heck even gossiping about what the royal family was doing to the other maids, and helping her mom around the castle made her hate Ezeris less than most of the other Ezerisians.
That had to end eventually, and now Annabel doesn't want to look at Ezeris.
Xanto Ms. Sparrow

 

[Ms. Sparrow]

Azalea Eve Windfore

~~
A jolt of anger zapped through her, her fists silently clenching as she heard Annabel state that Violet’s plan had been a horrible one, her voice carrying from behind Azalea, but had chosen to ignore it for the time being, attempting to maintain a good mood with Raymond...for now.

She’d never said it was a good plan. But at least Violet wanted to try to help, Azalea thought irritably, glad her back had been turned to Annabel so her slightly narrowed gaze was covered up from view but from Raymond.

Her features relaxed once more eventually, as they talked some more, unconsciously tunning out everyone else as they discussed what could’ve have been.

And then she asked him what he would’ve wanted to do.

There was a great pause as he glanced shyly away from her, as if his confidence was now faltering, and she knew then she had hit a sensitive spot.

Her insides twisted inside her as her eyes trailed the details of his face, silently listening to his dream and observing the way his hazel eyes refused to make eye contact with her own.

He described dreams of selflessness. He wanted to make the Faroliis a better place for the better. Gads, he wanted to make everyone happy it seemed. He wanted to understand it seemed, every person he could, and if he could, then help them in some way.

She observed the way the stars reflected in his gaze, in awe.

Azalea suddenly found herself looking at what she believed to be the purest man she’d ever known in her whole life, an unfamiliar warmth rising from the core of her heart to her head. What was this feeling? Awe? Admiration? A certain likeness to his personality?

Her brows furrowed briefly, not quite sure about how she felt about it all. She found herself at a sudden loss for words as he fell into silence before blurting our another dream.

A complete family.

Azalea felt her heart break a little inside as he released the sudden words, swallowing a bit. Was that how he felt? She turned her head in the direction Baxter was, standing over by the prison cart, did Raymond long for a family he never had?

Or one he had lost?

Azalea looked back at Raymond, a stab of guilt sending another ache though her, her expression unreadable. Suddenly she wished she hadn’t asked at all.

Azalea’s eyes studied his, her brows slightly furrowing as he met her gaze again, some understanding shining in her unnaturally soft gaze as he mentioned rattling the stars, causing her lips to upturn in a slight smile at this, and mentioning passing it on to her descendants.

Azalea was quiet for an moment before opening her mouth to speak—

And found herself interuppted by Annabel’s voice behind her

Azalea jolted, remembering the world around her, her attention so narrowly focused on Raymond she’d forgotten herself in all of it.

She angled her body back a little to glance behind her at Annabel, whom had ever so carelessly and bluntly confronted him of his emotions, sending another spark of agaiation running through her, fighting a war within herself not to lash out at the woman.

Azalea angled her head at her, her face hidden from view from Raymond, her slightly narrowed, fox-like eyes glowing yellow as the firelight reflected off them, “You have an awfully good sense of hearing,” Azalea said to Annabel with a slight growl, raising her eyebrows up and down suggestively to try and communicate to Annabel to get the hint of Raymond’s rather...delicate emotions.

She didn’t wait to see if Annabel had or not, turning back around to her side, her chin still propped on her hand as she looked at Raymond with a slightly twisted, uncomfortable expression, her insides tying up uncomfortably as her pride wrestled with the remains of her compassion.

“I think,” she said slowly, trying to wrestle with her words as she fought to form the compliment she desperately sought to, “That your doing a jolly job of making the world a better place...and making people happy.“ She said glancing away and mumbling the the last part, feeling her cheeks heat, her pride choking out whatever else she could’ve given him.

She looked back at him and suddenly wanted him to get everything he’d just listed and more. She wanted it for all of them.

She couldn’t do it.

Azalea, would not.
Azalea smirked a little, a sudden certaines gleaming recklessly in her bright gaze and looked back at him, “I think your on a right start, this life, or the non-Shade, non-rotten shite one.” She said wryly, before a sudden instrument caught her attention, causing her to glance down at her feet, across the fire, where Alex was wielding a sudden guitar, causing her to arch a brow to herself.

Where was he keeping that the entire time?

It hadn’t taken long for him to ease into a rather cheery tone, invoking a strange giddiness in her, her feet aching to dance, longing to feel the kiss of the night air against her cheeks and the tighten and release of a dance, but held back, despite the way her foot unconsciously tapped to the tune Alex strung, she knew it had been her love of dancing that had gotten them all here in the first place.

She of all people, had no right to enjoy herself at all.​

Xanto Blackrose7 explosiveKitten​

 

[Bakuyoshi]

Cali had been seperate from the main group. She was not one for the light hearted mood of the camp. Instead she had brought some tools and was working on her Crossbow prototype. "Ok I think I have myself a winner this time. Had to tinker with the launching mechanism but this new one should work. Come on me lets give this thing a spin." The tinkerer muttered to herself as she picked up the odd looking Crossbow. It was the average size and build but on it's top there was an odd container that was being kept strapt on but a series of leather straps. And slowly she took aim at a lone tree taking a deep breath.

A quick pull of the trigger let a crossbow loose as usual but then she pulled the trigger again as another one fired out. And with each test she started leaving less pause. With a new bolt coming out faster and more rapidly with each pull. And after the 7th one pulling the trigger only resulted in a clicking sound. It was done, she had made a successful prototype and it even kept the accuracy of a normal Crossbow.

"We'll call this one the repeater. Mmm no wait maybe something else? The fanner? No, that just does not sound right. Bah fuck it who says we need a name. It has a purpose and I just have to make more... whenever I get some more materials."

(Open for interaction)

 

[NinjaGirlGamer]

Ivanna was watching Nox’s movements carefully as Baxter moved closer to the cage , she looked to see if the creature was going to attempt to attack Baxter. But she didn’t, this made Ivanna very suspicious about her. Is she trying to wait for the right opportunity? Part of her thinks the creature is all leading them all to a trap, where a horde of shades is just waiting at the end of the road. For a killer like her, she could of easily broke out and killed everyone.

However it was clear she was holding back, Ivanna’s sharp blue eyes narrowed in Nox’s direction. Baxter passed her and Ivanna turned her head watching the rebellion leader going towards the campfire. It always amazed her how leaders like Baxter can deal with situations on thin ice. Far too often she has seen leaders fall or cower away from problems too broken to fix. Not Baxter, and Ivanna could sense that.

It wasn’t long before a guitar tune snapped her out of her thoughts. Looking to see one of the most innocent looking man playing the guitar, trying to bring some light to the darkness. The whole scene was pure, portraying The Calm before the Storm. Ivanna was a bit of a pessimist, she always knew a storm was coming. The world doesn’t allow life to be too calming. The struggle of man is what drives the world forward. So she simply doesn’t participate in festivities, instead she prepares, Day after day, for that storm to come.

An arrow catches her eye, then another and another. She looked on to see who was firing arrows, and to discover it was Cali. Ivanna walks towards Cali, who was making some sort of contraption that made arrows shoot out faster than any bow she used. She strokes her chin, interested in the device Cali was making. “Impressive” Ivanna examined the weapon with her eyes, “Accuracy is on point, and the fire rate is better than any bow I’ve seen.” Ivanna thought about needing a new weapon other than her sword and dagger. Something for stealth, but also at a far range.

Bakuyoshi

(Nearby) Ms. Sparrow Xanto explosiveKitten Blackrose7

 

[Bakuyoshi]

"No the speed would not improve with better materials. Maybe something along the lines of a new pulley system could assist in a faster fire r- OH BLOODY HELL IVANNA!"

Cali was too into her own thoughts when the black knight herself approached her and uttered the words that scared the princess to kingdom come, the contraption being dropped as a loud clattering sound could be heard and the clip on the Crossbow unlodged itself.
"Oh gods not again! It took me a good hour to get that thing secured! Uh don't worry about it j-just ah have to re adjust the lodgings, no cause t-to g-get upset."

Cali stuttered trying to get the now broken contraption back together. Her own movements stiff and careful to make sure she did not accidentally hit the beast of a woman in front of her. "Thank the gods I am now making notes on any new progress. Otherwise this would be a lost cause. Oh gods I'm being rude again! How i-is the music? I'd say that Alex is a natural with that guitar... Yep, that is a good guitar."

NinjaGirlGamer

 

[Xanto]

Raymond Callahan​

Annabel's voice seemed to snap Raymond and Azalea back to reality. He merely glanced at the eavesdropper with a blank face, an expression that was often worn by Baxter. Annabel pointed out how his eyes were glancing around, but Ray knew she didn't understand it was because he was shy. Regardless, the guy refused to spend time defending himself against someone who didn't seem to make the effort to understand. He voluntarily took in the rest of Annabel's words in one ear and let it out the other, tuning out whatever it was she said afterward even if it wasn't as invasive as what was just said. It was people like her that caused him to be shy in moments like these. Hence, why his voice was low in the first place. He managed to look unaffected on the outside despite it all though.

His eyes saw Azalea turn and comment on Annabel's hearing, but he could only hear the numbed thoughts in his head finishing its effort to push Annabel's words away. Raymond noticed Azalea's uncomfortable expression when she turned back to him.

He raised a brow at her compliment. It was a comment that he couldn't agree with since she mentioned him making the world a better place and making people happy. True he was basically saving the world with the rest of them, but the self-critical man couldn't forget about his criminal past. Ray's eyes glanced down just as Azalea glanced away. To him, he didn't deserve those words that she worked so hard to mumble. This guy knew Azalea was filled with pride. It was rare to hear any compliment from her.

Don't get him wrong, Raymond was great at forgiving and forgetting. He just couldn't do it with himself.

They both looked back at each other at the same time with similar expressions on their faces. She smirked like he deserved it, while he smirked back and shook his head glancing at the ground, "I can do better." Then, Azalea brought up how she thought he was on the right start. Yet, his start was far from right. His start was from the crime capital itself with a bunch of troublemakers training him in their ways. It wasn't all smooth sailing either. Raymond smiled a bit at Azalea's obvious effort to continue her out-of-character string of compliments as he humbly shook her compliments off like they were jokingly accepted. However, inside he was getting torn.

The sound of a guitar suddenly stole his attention as he looked at Alex across the fire. A happy song rang out, conflicting the reflective thoughts that soon flooded Raymond's head. Azalea's foot tapping didn't go unnoticed though.

"Bax, dance with this one will you?" He smiled as if a flurry of thoughts weren't running through his mind. Pulling on a dark mask during heists wasn't the only mask he learned to use. If anything, he learned how to hide as well as hold his own thoughts and emotions back.

Raymond's suddenly sullen eyes quickly shifted toward the ground as he stood up. All it took for him was a simple blink to alter his gaze. "He taught my sister how to dance like a princess," Ray mentioned looking at Azalea with professionally numbed eyes and an authentic smirk that contradicted the windows to his soul. Within a few moments, he nodded before turning away and casually walked off to the side of the clearing. His body smoothly leaned against a tree at the clearing's edge with his arms folded ready to nod at Azalea in case she tried casting a glance back.

. . Until he slid into the mass of trees.

Actually, he walked a bit farther out until there was a mini clearing. Raymond silently scanned the area before sitting by a tree trunk and leaning his back against it. There was no sadness . . he just needed to sort out a few thoughts.

It didn't take long for his focus to shift up to the stars and eye the rest of his moonlit surroundings. The light glow of fire against the leaves from the group's direction was still visible. The sound of nature's leaves moving against the breeze was subtle. And the faint sound of happiness was less than half a mile away.

Ms. Sparrow Blackrose7

 

[Ms. Sparrow]

Azalea Eve Windfore

Azalea's smirk didn't meet the understanding in her eyes when his sudden, almost empty gaze met hers, instantly wiping her of any warmth she'd been feeling before so much that even her foot stop dancing to Alex's cheery tune. He pushed a smile, telling Bax to dance with her but the tune, just as quickly as she'd felt in her heart had flickered away, wondering where she had gone wrong with the things she'd said to him. Once, a long time ago, she would've never had recognized the pain in his eyes or the false smile that was evident on his face.

But she had been wearing it for so long, perhaps it was easy to spot for people like them. The broken ones.

Azalea sat up and glanced back at Raymond, her smirk gone and brows slightly furrowed as he got up and walked away from the campire, dissapering into the edge of the dark trees. She glanced down at the object she'd pulled out of her pocket, the wooden-carved stag she'd been given. Her one reminder of home.

Somehow, she'd managed to piss on everything she touched.

Azalea let herself fall back unto the bedroll, her head flopping back on the pillow as her eyes met the stars before they flitted closed, her hand still clutching the stag as she dozed to the sound of Alex's cheery song, the song slower and slower as she melted in darkness.

Wondering when she'd lost the tune to her silent heart.

~~

Azalea watched from the outskirts of the camp, from the shadows of the camp, the campfire illuminating only the two people who faced each other, lying back on a bedroll, smiles on their faces with eyes reflecting of wishful dreams, the surroundings around them completely dark, as if they were the only two people in the world as they talked quietly, their words lost on Azalea. She blinked and realized she was staring at herself and Raymond that were lying so close to one another, dreaming of things that wouldn't come. But...hadn't she already lived through this? She thought as she remembered the night she'd been living through only what felt like so recently. Was this a dream?

"Ah, what a pleasant memory." A smooth voice said from the shadows around her, giving her an immediate answer. Soris stepped from seemingly out of nowhere circling the couple that didn't notice him at all, as if he wasn't there, stopping behind Raymond and looking across the roaring flame and at Azalea, whom stood there, her expression torn and confused.

"Consider me jealous, my lady." He said, his gaze glancing down at Raymond. Azalea lips parted, sickened as she watched Raymond's form dissipate into black sand, swept away by and invisible wind. Gone. Dream-Azalea didn't seem to notice, she kept quietly talking as if Raymond hadn't just been turned into nothing.

A dream she told herself. It was a dream.

"Tell me, Miss Azalea, do you believe your own fantasy? This..." he gave a wave of his hand, "false lie of friendship?" He questioned as he stalked towards her, the scene behind him fading, leaving them only in a void of darkness, Azalea glanced away as he stood in front of her, guilt seeping it's way back into her heart. He grabbed her chin, gently, and turned her head to look up at, his black gaze boring into hers. "You don't think they could actually...love you do they?" He gave a cruel laugh at her silence, "My lady, they would sooner drive a knife In your back."

Azalea jerked her head away from his grip, recoiling slightly, "They wouldn't do that." she snapped, her fingers digging painfully into her palm

Soris gave her a thin, cold smile, a scene forming in the darkness behind him as it slowly formed into existence in front of her as Soris slowly circled behind her, the scene forming into Dream-Azalea sitting by the campfire alone, Soris placed his hands on her shoulder and leaned in, "To them, my lady," he murmured in her ear, making her wince as Dream-Azalea watched Raymond walk away from her into the darkness, Dream-Azalea's expression written in sadness as Raymond walked and disappeared into the void surrounding them, "you will always be the one that took everything from them."

The words stung, slapping against her heart.

"You and me are alike in so many ways, Miss Azalea," he murmured, his hands sliding down her arms, making her shiver,

"We're nothing alike," Azalea choked out, a slightly angry tremble in her voice, "And they know I made a mistake." she said, doubt in her voice.

"A mistake?" Soris hissed in her ear, letting out a dark, smooth laugh, "A mistake that resulted in the deaths of everyone you loved? That they loved?" his laugh ran chills down her spine, "Nobody will love you after this," his lips brushed her ear and she flinched, her body frozen, "Just like before, you have disappointed again."

A new scene formed in the darkness around them, showing a finely lit dining room, the quartz walls lit with a bright dangling chandelier that hung above a large glass dining table, adorned with all sorts of meats, boiled potatoes, and various kinds of vegetables and desserts. The atmosphere in the room however, was silent as Azalea's entire family ate in silence, her mother and father sitting at the ends of each table, the only sound in the room was the sound of silverware clinking against plates, all eight girls guiltily staring at their plates.

The Queen suddenly slammed her fork down and looked angrily across the table at a young Azalea that was pushing food across her plate, "Honestly Azalea, how could you have been so reckless today?" The Queen snapped angrily.

Violet paused in her eating as Azalea frowned at her plate and looked at the Queen, "Mother honestly it wasn't--"

The Queen held up her hand, silencing her, "That's enough Violet. I appreciate you trying to take the responsibility from your sisters shoulders but what she did was her on her actions alone." she said sternly.

"What you did," the King jumped in, looking at Azalea with his typical cold, firm gaze, "nearly cost us a very valuable alliance, young lady." he scolded as he plucked a piece of chicken from his face, his movements stiff.

"Involving your sisters in her crimes," the Queen chided, angrily stabbing at her boiled potatoes, "you foolish, foolish girl." she said with brely restrained anger, shaking her head in anger as Azalea's hand began to tremble around her wine glass, her lips pressed thinly together as Karliah began to quietly weep across from her, struggling to say something.

Azalea slammed her wine-glass down on the table so hard it shattered in her hands, causing everyone to jump, her siblings looking at her with wide, scared eyes as she stood up, her chair scraping against the floor, "you don't understand!" Azalea yelled at her parents, her anger spilling over, "he was--"

The King stood up and slammed his fist on the table, "THAT IS ENOUGH!" he yelled, scaring all the girls, including Azalea so much she sat back in her seat, her hands red and dripping with blood, cut by the shattered glass, "We're tired of your excuses," the King snapped angrily as he lowered himself back into his chair, sighting her bloodied hands before looking to the frozen servants in the corner of the room, "fetch some towels, she got wine on her sisters." he said, shooting Azalea a firm glare and ignoring her badly cut palms.

The Queen sighed wearily as she picked at her plate, "Gods, I wish you could be more like your sister." she muttered disappointedly, not glancing up from her plate, even as angry tears welled in Azalea's eyes as she stared down at her lap.

The scene faded away, leaving Azalea feeling the bitter sting of old memories, swallowing down her emotions as Soris's hand's moved their way up to her shoulders, "Your own parents despised you my lady, your friend's are only waiting to drive a knife through your heart, perhaps" he breathed, "they do so while you sleep."

"Stop it." she said angrily, trying to shrug out of his grip."They aren't like that, they aren't--" she shoved her way free of his grip, stumbling forward and spinning back around to a still smiling Soris, "murderers." she finished angrily, glaring at him to make her point.

"Like you?' he taunted her, stepping forward as a scene began to form behind him.

Azalea felt immediate fear and repulsion, "No," she choked turning away and slamming into the chest of Soris. Not this memory. Anything but that. Soris tightly gripped her shoulder and spun her around, holding her fast in her position as the scene unfolded, revealing the all siblings cowering with fear in the back of their bedroom in the palace. Violet and Kaidan conversed, tears in both their eyes, their words muffled.

Azalea writhed in Soris's grip, "Please," she choked.

Kaidan clutched a knife as he spoke with Violet, shaking his head as Violet nodded. Slowly, he raised his arm, positioning it to stab Violet, who did nothing to stop it. Suddenly, Dream-Azalea charged forward, knife in hand, her arm raised before plunging it into Kaidans stomach. Both Violet and Azalea screamed simultaneously .

Azalea sunk to her knees as the scene faded, tears leaking from her eyes as darkness enveloped her once more, her entire body shaking as she choked on a strangled cry, haunted by the memory of her first murder.

Soris stalked around her, his black cape rippling as he kneeled in front of her, "Don't you see," he murmered softly, his black eyes studying her with triumph and curiosity, as if she was a wounded animal, he reached out, his gloved thumb stroking the scars on her face, "the only one who will love you,"

"is me."

~~
Azalea woke with a jolt, her casual clothing drench in sweat as she gasped, her breaths heavy as she abruptly sat up, looking around. The fire had burned out into barely glowing embers, the night long since over, but the night sky was just beginning to lighten on the horizon. The camp was silent save for the sound of Aria training against a sturdy tree, her sword soundly thwacking against its trunk, her back turned to the seemingly asleep group. Azalea scrambled from her sleeping roll, and had made it into the outskirts of the trees before vomiting all of her yesterdays food into the bushes for yet another morning, hurling until she had nothing left in her stomach.

Azalea gave a shuddering breath as she cast a glance back at the sleeping group, terrified that more than anything, Soris was right.
~~
The next, what turned out to be four days, due to the inconvenience of the prison cart slowing them, passed by gratefully without error, which had both been surprising and suspicious. Slowly the thick pine forest began to open up to yellow fields, sparsely populated with trees and now leaving them much more open to being spotted. Eventually, as the sight of the capital came into view from a far distance, they took to the main roads, knowing it'd look more suspicious not to at that point.

The horses slowed to a gallop as the neared the massive stone gates of Ezeris, the yellowed-rock wall showing signs of massive erosion, the sea breeze slowing taking away bits of the wall as the years wore on, yet it seemed nobody cared enough to repair it.

Azalea peered up, her eyes widening at the sight of the beautiful, massive Ezeris palace that towered over the city, even through the massive downpour that rained down upon them, the palace was a beacon in the city, and she took from that, that it was likely the only beacon in the city. All around the beautiful palace, she could see the closely packed city was in shambles, the buildings all dully colored and grim, cast even darker by the downpour that dumped upon it. Azalea glanced away, feeling suddenly spoiled, which made her feel all the more guilty. Calore should've done more to help.

Azalea's eyes widened as she saw the ocean for the first time, its wild, reckless blue waves crashing against the cliffside, not far off, she caught a glimpse of the docks, massive boats bumping smoothly against the slimy docks. She knew they'd see more once they actually entered the city, naturally. But the smell of salt on the air was the most wonderful thing she'd ever smelled.

Water dripped from her brown leather hood, wearing something entirely new...well, more like a hamidown. A dress was no longer the option for the mission and the role she needed to partake in, if anything, it would only draw the less-fortunate attention. The best thing to do in Ezeris, was look tough enough so that nobody would bother you. If you looked weak, rich, or innocent, you'd be sure to draw unpleasant company. Naturally, she couldn't wear the extravagant armor that had been made for her either.

James had lended her some conveniently, dark brown leather armor that had been made for a female, when she questioned him about having the extra suit of armor in the first place, he'd dismissed it, making her wonder if he had his own secrets. The armor was surprisingly fitting, perhaps even too tight, despite the fact that she was already quite petite, and was losing an unhealthy amount of weight as the days wore on. The leather armor however, was suited perfectly for a mission that required stealth, tight-fitting and adorned with various spots to hide hidden blades and lockpicks and other things that would become useful later on.

The group had also adorned their own disguises, her own including the armor, and the light makeup that covered both her scars and freckles.

Azalea hopped down from her horse lightly. Now, they would travel on foot but... she looked at the prison cart. She wasn't sure how they wanted to sneak that in through the gates without drawing attention, while they may go unnoticed, the prison cart certainly wouldn't.

"Well," Azalea called over the downpour, "this looks fun." she said with a false wicked grin as she stared at the massive gates.

Right. Stealing a ship. How hard could that be? she thought sarcastically, adusting the bow slung around her back before crossing her arms, hiding her tension with a jaunty tilt of her lips. This mission had to go right.

She didn't want to think of what could happen if they were caught.

~~
Xanto explosiveKitten Bakuyoshi NinjaGirlGamer Blackrose7
​

 

[Xanto]

Raymond Callahan and Baxter Callahan​

Raymond and Baxter have been discussing the plan over the past four days it took for them to get to Ezeris. They did it to the point where they almost started bickering. Naturally, Bax thrived off of strategy. Ray was usually one for improvisation within reason though.

With enough time, the Callahan brothers eventually decided on a solid plan with two backup strategies. With Ray's persuasion, he was able to gain leadership over Team A on the mandatory condition that he sends a signal to cue Team B and C's movement toward the docks. The looseness of Raymond's part of the plan was unsettling to Baxter, but Bax chose to leave it to Ray since his brother was basically a professional Ezerisian thief.

Just the previous night, the group sat down to discuss the plan. Team A (Raymond, Azalea, and Annabel) would enter the gates and casually head straight for the docks. According to Ray, Team A's real plan could only be created once they got to the dock. He didn't really know how things were set up now that the Shades' creator dominated the area. Regardless, the thief informed the rest that Team A's overall strategy involved creating the plan and sending Annabel to retrieve Teams b and c while Ray and Azalea got onto the ship. After all as an Ezerisian, Annabel should know the area well enough to find the other two teams.

Team B (Baxter, Aria, Ivanna, and Priscilla) would stay on the outskirts of Ezeris and watch over Nox. Fortunately, somewhere along the dock area's farthest edge were a bunch of metal and wood crates for shipments. The brothers thought that it would be more difficult to let the prisoner out and keep her under control, than to say that they kept a crazy lady in a metal box for attempted rehabilitation. If she tried breaking out, Team B had a few other guards with them for assistance.

Team C (Angelo, Clyde, Cale, Aurelie, and Alex) would plainly try to survive and not draw attention. It was advised that they stay in a mildly populated area close to the docks. Perhaps the seaside market would be a great point.

Raymond adjusted the hood over his head before responding to Azalea, "Welcome to my world." Once the gates opened, Team A was the first to enter by order. The master thief positioned himself in between Azalea and Annabel as they casually cut through the main marketplace to get to the docks as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, Baxter entered with Team B a few moments later, shoving the metal crate into the village and immediately turning right to stay on the kingdom's edge. Their group would travel the edge until the docks came into sight and a crate pile was nearby. Once Annabel reached them, then they would simply reach the docks by continuing on the edge.

Team C was instructed to take a left following the kingdom's opposite edge before cutting through the housing areas rather than the marketplace to avoid suspicion. They would eventually stop somewhere close to the docks, but not quite there too attract too much attention.

Ms. Sparrow explosiveKitten Bakuyoshi NinjaGirlGamer Blackrose7

 

[Ms. Sparrow]

Azalea Eve Windfore and Nox

Despite her lithe, petite frame and short stature, Azalea sauntered into the crime-filled city of Ezeris wearing a cocky smirk that asserted she was full of herself, the rest of her features shadowed by her hood. The two gate guards eyed the three suspiciously, as they would anyone willing to walk into the heart of the east, in response, Azalea turned her head to the one nearest to her, giving him a smirk that was something of a mixture of slyness and cockiness, making him blink in surprise as they passed, expecting nothing but the opposite the small-framed girl had given him.

Azalea glanced around, taking in her surroundings. Water trickled down the cobble-streets of the slop-side city as the rain relentlessly dumped upon it like Nether himself had taken a bucket of water and decided to dump it upon the east, the looming gray skies overhead doing little to lighten the city's downtrodden mood. The city gradually moved upwards, filled with closely packed smaller homes that seemed to expand as it moved upward, the quality of homes improving the farther the streets stretched upwards, towards the castle, and it dawned at her that the closer the buildings got to the castle, the finer they seemed to be. There was, it seemed, a striking difference in class here, with the lowest-people living, literally, at the bottom of the city, and the nobles at the top, near the castle with shop owners, merchants, and others that managed to make a better off living somewhere in the middle. Ezeris had been designed to divide, no, had been transformed. She had read once, that Ezeris was not always so, but that greed had gotten the best of many men, and this city was full of it. She imagined it must've been beautiful, once so long ago.

Still, there was charm to it she couldn't quite explain. Down in some unseen alleyway and through the pounding of the rain she could hear the far pitched, angry insults of men exchanged between one another, thick with so much Ezerian slang it nearly made even her blush. A giggle drew her attention as a couple of love-struck adolescents ran past them, their hands clasped, faces bright with wide, mischievous, silly smiles that promised of forbidden romance consisting of secret kisses in the dark and scandalous activities. There was the faint whisper of a lively jig that was almost carried off by the salt sea wind that whipped at their faces, likely from some cramped tavern where most of the lower-class and homeless were cramped into. Because despite all their miss givings, despite all the crime and blood and greed that had seeped its way into the city, the people managed to make due and find the joy in the little things, no matter how small.

The scents, the sounds, the danger of it all was something Azalea had always craved. There was a freedom to Ezeris, a wildness in it's air that made her not loathe nor disgust it.

"Is it rotten of me to enjoy this place more than Calore?" Azalea blurted bluntly, her steps falling just a step behind Raymond to allow him to lead the way, she thought about her words for a movement and gave Raymond and Annabel each a pointed look, "Scratch that," she said, smirking a little, "I don't want to know."

Azalea glanced around as they kept an even pace for what she assumed was the direction of the docks, squinting through the thick curtain of rain, "Soooo," she trailed cheerily, "I don't suppose our friends are just going to willingly loan us a ship are they?" Azalea asked rhetorically, a slight joke to her sarcasm as stepped into pace by Ray,their voices nearly drowned out by the downpour, "Mind telling me who we're robbing?" she asked wryly, a jaunty tilt to her red lips as she looked from Raymond and forward, catching a glimpse of the blue sea ahead.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

The sound of rain pattering against metal woke Nox from her light sleep, dark-gold eyes snapping open, glowing in the darkness of the cell around her, save for the small window that led in the faintest hint of daylight that streamed through it's metal bars. Her head snapped up at the sound of the groan of metal, as if something heavy was being pushed open. Her nostrils flared the slightest as she breathed in the scent of fresh, sea air, a welcoming scent to her. They'd arrived in Ezeris. She couldn't quite say what it was about the smell of the ocean, but it was almost familiar to her somehow.

Nox pushed herself unto her knees before standing, her chains clattering and her red-cloak rippling straight behind her as she arched her back, trying to work out the kinks in her back and get the blood flowing in her ancient bones again. The sound of wheels bumping against cobble and hooves against stone was nearly muted entirely by the obnoxiously loud noise of water pounding against metal. Her time, it seemed, had come to an end in this box. Now that the group was separated, the time to strike was perfect. Too long almost, it had been since she enjoyed the screams of the dying and the taste of warm blood. Baxter had to die. Nox pulled the her red hood over her head, her metallic teeth sliding into place over her normal ones. She grinned to herself in the darkness.

Before she wrapped the chains around her wrist and yanked, the manacles snapping in half before she plucked them off her wrists, claws gleaming in the dark as the chains fell to the floor with a muffled thunk.



Xanto Blackrose7 NinjaGirlGamer Bakuyoshi

 

[explosiveKitten]

Everyone else is off doing important jobs for this effort, and what do I get? Guard duty.

She thought bitterly as she stood in an alleyway, not too far from the docks, where she was told to stay until she was retrieved. She was still incredibly antsy to be in this city... Again. How long had it been? Seven, eight years? It was all such a blur before, but now suddenly the familiar air was bringing it all back to her. The rain, the faint sound of music in the distance. Children playing and running around without a care in the world, for now. How she used to run. How she used to play.

The rain was pelting down, so she had moved everyone to a secluded alleyway where there was a modicum of a roof over their heads, but was still pouring, the water slicking off her armor with little resistance, but it would take an age to dry off later to stop any rusting.

She refused to get wrapped up in the memories of this place. It wouldn’t help them. She wouldn’t get caught up. She wouldn’t.

Still, that misty eyed look fell over her face as she stared off into the distance, her arms crossed over her chest as she surveyed her charges. Alex was perched on a nearby barrel, idly kicking his legs and humming a tune, while Aurelie stood nearby, wringing her hands and looking nervous as usual. Lord knows what Cali was doing, and Clyde... He was nearby. She could hear him.

“... well, I certainly don’t see any point in sitting here doing nothing, so... Cali, c’mere.” She gestured the young woman closer, apparently having come up with a new task for them to entertain themselves with whilst they waited.

Bakuyoshi Xanto

 

[Bakuyoshi]

"I swear this whole plan stinks. I mean it's not the first dumb plan they made. I mean why on earth would a shade be so willing to be captured? If any of those other odd shades were anything to go by. I swear this whole bringing her with us deal was dumb. Just send her to some place to be burnt alive."

The princess was mumbling to herself before Angelo walked up asking to show her something. Maybe it was some shelter from the rain, gods she could use that. Even her cloak had been soaked through and her clothes weren't far off either. "Look if I can vent about the dumbness of this plan and it's somewhere dry, you can take me to the most shady place here and I would still go." her own voice was clearly annoyed and sick of mostly everything, but with Angelo that was being subdued to try and not offend her.

"But some rain, even in Lorelthia if we got rain, it was only this bad on occasion. Starting to miss the nonstop mist and light rain right now."

explosiveKitten

 

[Xanto]

Raymond Callahan​

Raymond kept his eyes straight, glued only to his intended direction as he stepped through the familiar heavy rainfall in silence. That was until Azalea mentioned actually being somewhat pleased by Ezeris. The guy looked over his shoulder and smirked at Azalea, " . . Watch out. One bump and your leather just might get stolen." Maybe the princess was living off the high of traveling to a new place. If she stayed any longer, she just might start cursing at every person her eyes landed on.

"Francesco Alberti," Raymond turned his focus forward again, "The Albertis own many of these houses and force high rent payments. Francesco kicks families out even if they are off by a coin." The hard truth was that even a slight raise in rent prompted more than a handful of citizens to look for any means possible to acquire the necessary finances. "Many are willing to steal for a roof over their head on rainy days like this anyway . . so it wouldn't be hard for him to find other tenants," He removed his hands from his pockets before casually adjusting the cuff around his wrist. Ezeris was corrupt mainly since the cycle was endless. Relentless landlords like Francesco would never learn their lesson unless their properties were boycotted. "Many people loathe him for kicking them to the streets, which is exactly the reason why we are going after his ship," The thief concluded before turning a corner, "Determining the suspect would be hazy."

Group A was just about in the slim middle class region of Ezeris that barely existed. After a few more steps, they would tilt right for a diagonal cut to the docks. They just had to see the-

Raymond suddenly paused in his tracks with his head slightly bowed in darkness as he looked at the blacksmith shop in ruins past the heavy raindrops that fell. No one even made the effort to clean the rubble up. His eyes shifted from left to right meticulously studying each feature that remained until a few men drunkenly walked over it. All seemed to be well in their world when they chuckled their drunk minds off.

In fact, one of them ended up stumbling over a burnt wooden plank that remained. "What is this merda doing here still?!" The bearded fellow screamed as his buddies helped him up.

Raymond furrowed his brows at the disrespect the stranger yelled toward his father and sister's grave. "Ehi," A scarred man patted his friend's back, "Speak like that and gli alleati will hear you." "SO WHAT?! Does it look like I care?" The bearded man flung his middle finger up and loudly laughed, "They are long gone, Adolfo. Left us to become wanted criminals AROUND THE LAND since being bankrupt in Ezeris wasn't good enough for them."

All the while, Raymond kept his silence as his fists balled up. News traveled fast, but that didn't mean it was all true. Who were those three drunkards anyway? Ray could take them on any day! Regardless of the violent thoughts that surged through his mind, the thief forced himself to wait for the three drunk men to leave. They were hindering their short cut toward the docks. If Ray knew anything about drunkards, they were basically human alarms. It was best not to pass by them without any thought.

"Some say it's a silent protest against the Shades. . . . The Shades think the rubble reminds us of what can happen, but it mainly reminds us of the balance the family was able to keep," The third friend with a short, green mohawk spoke up. If Ray could guess, it seemed like he was just done smoking something. "MENZOGNA! Before the elder one impregnated a noble and everything went south anyway," The bearded mister objected before grabbing his friend by the collar, "You talk harmony, but they created tools for killing." It almost seemed like mohawk and beard were about to throw it down, until beard roughly released the other guy.

"Tutti voi andate via," Raymond mumbled watching the bearded man strongly kick the wooden plank prior to the three men stumbling off. Without any hesitation, the Callahan walked over to the pile of burnt materials intending to cut right through it. Ray ended up pausing though as he took a glance over it all.

No. A blink snapped him back to reality before a whirlwind of flashbacks and emotions could take over his mentality. Now wasn't the time to get caught up. After taking a step in his intended direction, Raymond abruptly paused again. It felt like something was pulling him . . telling him to look again. His scan over the burnt property was quick until he found what seemed to be keeping him from moving. A small, engraved metal box with burn marks all over it was hidden just below the wooden plank the drunk man kicked.

"Carry on," Raymond nodded toward the ocean waiting for Annabel and Azalea to look in that direction before "magically" swiping up the box as he turned. After a few more steps, the group was at a good point where they could see the docks from a distance. The ships were in the same place for the most part. Now he just had to quickly figure out a tactic.

His hazel gaze darted around the area in silence, catching sight of all the people, obstructions, Alberti guards, ships, and extra resources around them. Within a few more moments, Ray smirked like the drunkard scenario didn't just happen.

. . . He had a plan.

"Annabel, tell Bax to grab the sailing row boat positioned second from the right at the dock and sail southeast parallel to the shore till the edge ends. Afterwards, retrieve group C and accompany them along their assigned route to Bax's ship," Raymond diverted his gaze from the ocean to the other Ezerisian, "Every able person is to help Bax row out of sight from the docks. Azalea and I will bring the ship to you."

Ms. Sparrow Blackrose7

Baxter Callahan​

Baxter was pushing the metal container to the shipping yard when he heard the prisoner's chains drop. Without warning, he quickly sprinted and pushed the prisoner's box toward group B's assigned location. "If she gets out, fight," Baxter huffed using all his might to rush the container into the area with all the other metal crates. It didn't matter if they screamed, or if others heard them fight since brawls happened all the time in Ezeris. All that mattered was that no one else saw what was going on between who.

"Surround her!" Baxter commanded his group members as the guards encircled the container first. Meanwhile, the rebel leader looked around and grabbed a metal container. It didn't help that the rain decreased his grip around the object he was trying to shift. Bax's pure intention was to readjust the crates to block the scene from any wandering eyes. The rest of the group just had to watch over the prisoner.

With another push, Bax managed to get the crate where he wanted to be prior to running off to the second one.

Ms. Sparrow Bakuyoshi NinjaGirlGamer