Fantasy The Great Mage Hunt of Delaran (Currently Open)

[ShadowHounder]

BakaTheIdiot

Gideon was not prepared for the mercenary to take a dagger to his throat. He stood there quietly and listened to Ashitaka's demands and threat. He merely sighed. "Your first mistake was assuming that I am defenseless like this..." Gideon quickly drew his right arm back, the very ground beneath Ashitaka suddenly moving... almost as if it was being taken out from under his feet. Gideon placed on foot forward, sending his fist straight at the wounded mercenary with the intend of sending the man straight into the concrete flooring. His fist striking with much more force then a punch from a man of his build could ever achieve.

 

[BakaTheIdiot]

Ashitaka - Medical Barracks

If Ashitaka could summarize what happened next, his first sentence would be "It all happened so fast."

Immediately feeling the tremors, the swordsman attempted to brace his chest, but it was too late. He felt the impact - and a few cracks, none of them good - and immediately hurtled backwards. He was stopped only by the wall of the barracks. He slumped to the ground, coughing and wheezing.

"Bastard..." He muttered under his breath. "Lying, traitorous bastard..."

Looking at his hand, he realized he had coughed a few drops of blood. It must have been quite the punch, because the old swordsman could barely get to his feet. "That was uncalled for. Could've killed me." A grin came to his face. "Tell me something: does he know?"

ShadowHounder

 

[ShadowHounder]

BakaTheIdiot

"No..." Gideon remarked as the guilt formed in his chest. "I've... wanted to for a long time now. But I can't bring myself to do it." Gideon placed his hands on the tablet next to him. "I care so deeply for them... they are my friends... my family. Issac would crumble at the fact and the King... I fear what would happen to his sanity if he knew. So I decided that it was best that the don't know... that it might come to pass that they may never know. I live to serve my King and protect my people... even if it means lying so that I can continue to plead for reason. This is the burden I bare..." Gideon turned his head to the wounded mercenary. "What is the burden you bare?"

 

[BakaTheIdiot]

Ashitaka - Medical Barracks

The old swordsman almost laughed at this man's pain. Almost. Instead, his grin vanished.

Oh no. He's exactly like me.

He braced himself against a wall.

"Nobody knows my family exists. I work day and night, sending everything I have to them. I rarely sleep, I rarely eat at all, and I work alone. The last time I trusted anybody, I lost an eye." He sighed. "I don't do this work because I want to - there's nowhere else I can go. My sisters - all three of them - are mages. At least, they want to be. They have a power - not entirely unlike yours - that could lead them to death. As such, I hid them from existence, as well as myself. Realistically, nobody knows I exist."

He approached the general with a wince in his step.

"I didn't want this. I didn't want any of this. I wanted to live a normal life. I wanted to settle down, live the rest of my life in quiet, but instead, the M.E.U - men like Isaac - ruined me. Forced men like me into hiding. Now, here I am, a badly aged man, with nothing in his life but a blade and endless solitude. That is hell. I mean nothing to no one, and no one means anything to me. With this one job, this one job I am no longer able to do, I could have made enough to really end it all - to buy a cabin deep in the mountains, far away from all of life's troubles, far away from all of you."

Again, he took another step.

"Do what you will, Gideon, but know this: we are damned men, both of us. Men like Isaac - nay, men like the King - they have no room for us. They will find out, and when they do..." He sighed. "Gods help us all. It would be another massacre. Another Khoga waiting to happen."

ShadowHounder

 

[ShadowHounder]

BakaTheIdiot

"Do you know of the refuge known as Magus?" Gideon asked the mercenary. "It's a town outside of the Colossi Tower. I've been told it's about to become a war zone, but if it still stands after today... I'm certain they would be more then willing to take you and your sisters in. I can't guarantee that things will get better... but I'm sure you can at least live the last part of your life in peace there." Gideon moved to help the warrior continue to stand. "If you trust me, I know of someone would can heal you. She's a woman of... questionable sanity, but she has helped me on several occasions. I'm sure she can help you too... I'll even pay the fairs for you."

 

[BakaTheIdiot]

Ashitaka - Medical Barracks (duh)

"You mean Xina? Yes, we've met." He groaned, massaging his likely-broken ribs. "And as much as I would like to believe that... I don't. You need to come to terms with the fact that the King cannot - or will not - change. He will continue this bloody crusade until his dying breath. Even if - EVEN IF - I did take refuge in magus..." He shook his head. "There is more blood on my hands than most people I know. Mage blood too. I have no place there."

He began to make a move towards the exit, before stopping.

"One way or another, there will be no peace until the king is either dethroned, or killed. You know that as well as I do."

ShadowHounder

 

[ShadowHounder]

BakaTheIdiot

"Xina? Heavens no... she couldn't mend a wound like that even if she wanted to... though there's no doubt she would want to..." Gideon chuckled lightly. "I'm sure the woman I'm referring to would be happy to meet you... for better or for worse." Gideon followed the man for a moment, sighing at his remark. "You don't see yourself as redeemable do you? I think you are a good man who is just trying to protect your family... that alone is enough to be able to seek redemption for the lives you have taken. As for the King... should it pass that he has truly gone mad..." Gideon paused at the thought of such a tragedy. "Then I will take it upon myself to end his suffering... and put my faith in Princess Elisa. She knows that this is wrong... I can tell that she is conflicted about matters." The General looked back at the mercenary and let out another long sigh. "You should have a little more faith in yourself..."

-----------------
Within the dark ally... a old house sat in solitude. The walls were barely being held together and rats scattered through the holes the covered them. A slight humming could be heard from within, echoing throughout the buildings that surrounded it. From inside, a light was almost non-existence, various clear threads visible from the beams that shined through the damage. In the center of all of the threads, a young woman knelt upon the ground, gentling petting the corpse of a man. After only a few moments, she looked back down at the unfortunately soul. "How sad... you could've been just a nice person... and you threw it all away for some shiny pieces of metal. A shame really... but M'Lady will make sure to give you a new home... in the Web of Secrets."

 

[BakaTheIdiot]

Ashitaka - Exiting Medical Barracks

Not responding, the swordsman once again made for the exit... only to nearly fall, bracing himself in the doorway, groaning in pain. It took him a moment to gather himself, wiping the blood from his lip. "For future reference... maybe don't lead with that." He half stumbled through the exit, his breathing a bit shallow. Perhaps his injury was worse than he had previously believed. Still, he managed to get about four steps from the barracks before collapsing to his knees.

He was bordering between conscious and unconscious.

ShadowHounder

 

[ShadowHounder]

BakaTheIdiot

Gideon let out his third sigh from this conversation as he picked up the half-conscious swordsman. "I don't have time to file another death report today... You'll just have to not die for the being." With Ashitaka in his hands... or rather slung over his shoulder... Gideon made his way to say hello to an "old friend."

------------
The woman hung the new corpse upon the webs behind her... as an offering to her Queen. She heard the slight sound of one of her threads being pulled... something she recognized as a person trying to get her attention. "I wonder who it could be this time..." The priestess pondered with a deviant smile. She approached the front door to find Gideon standing behind the many threads with Ashitaka still dangling off of his shoulder. "GIDDY!" She exclaimed as she jumped forward to hug the old soldier. "I'm sooooooo happy to see you again, Giddy!"

Gideon let out a nervous chuckle. "I'm glad to see you are doing alright. How have... things been around the house since I last stopped by?"

"I had a new intruder stop by." The maiden remarked cheerfully. "He was a funny fellow, talked about how he was working for some guy named Ivan that was trying to steal my house... He didn't last long though. Some men just don't have stamina like you do, Giddy~"

I hope this bastard isn't conscious enough to hear that... Gideon thought, knowing how quickly that could be taken out of context. "Well, it's nice to see that you haven't had to leave yet, Lilia."

A devilish grin touched Lilia's face as she noticed Ashitaka. "Did you bring me a new friend...?"

"I doubt he would be okay with the things that you would do to him... Besides, he's already badly injured. You would need to heal him before anything could be done." Gideon explained to the priestess.

"He's already broken?" Lilia said in a pouting tone as the threads moved out of way. "Bring him here. If I can fix him then I can play with him~"

"I'm sorry... I didn't see many other options." Gideon muttered to Ashitaka as he walked further into the decrepit house.

 

[BakaTheIdiot]

Ashitaka - Decrepit House(?)

The swordsman immediately recognized the feeling of being lifted from his position - somehow - and being carried. His sword swung loosely from it's scabbard, his satchel hanging limp over his arm. His vision was blurred, but he thought he could make out the figure of a... Spider? A spider. Nay, a woman. A spider-woman? Impossible. Surely he was hallucinating. Still, he clung to consciousness, although barely. He kept hearing the word "play." Play never meant anything good, but he didn't have much of a choice. Perhaps he could simply close his eyes and...

...within seconds, the warrior, bruised and beaten, fainted.

ShadowHounder

 

[Jackaboi]

Issac and Elisa

Having heard what Gildal wanted to say, Issac sat back and pondered over his words. It was impossible to tell what was going through the Grandmaster's mind was he going to accept these terms? After a good few moments of thinking Issac crossed his arms before speaking in response to Gildal's request. "So... It seems I really have wasted my time coming here..." Elisa was completely dumbstruck upon hearing his words. "Grandmaster!? What are you saying???" "Exactly what you think I said. You think I'm going to put a war on hold just because the enemy asked nicely? That's not how things work..." "B-but sir! These Black Mages are seriously dangerous! Not only to them but us too!" "Then we'll deal with them just like we've dealt with all other mages. With our own strength." Elisa was left speechless. She wanted to say so much more but yet she couldn't find the words to speak with. Issac soon turned to Gildal before coninuing. "And I get the feeling you knew this was going to be my answer no matter what you said. Just because your scout helped drive off a Black Mage doesn't mean that we're friends. Which means there is more to your request isn't there? Tell me... What reason would I have to do anything you have asked of me?”

ShadowHounder Kiyoko Tomoe​

 

[ShadowHounder]

BakaTheIdiot

A wave of healing magic enveloped Ashitaka's body, Lilia placing his head on her legs and she knelt over him. "So Giddy... Can I keep him?" The young maiden spoke, as if the mercenary was a pet.

"No Lilia... He needs to leave soon. I'm sure someone else can take his spot in due time." Gideon explained to the maiden.

A gleeful smile spread across her face. "Could you stay a little long then? I wanna see more of Giddy's fantasies~"

Gideon groaned in irritation. "I'm sorry, but I can't today... I have important matters to attend to as of right now. B-but I can promise to stop by again tomorrow if you really want me to."

"Sure Giddy... just make sure that brat Issac doesn't snoop around. We wouldn't want him finding you in a compromising position now would we..." The Priestess remarked in a seductive tone.

Why do I keep getting myself in these messes?

 

[ShadowHounder]

Jackaboi

"I was afraid this would happen..." Gremble muttered under his breath as he stood. "General, we should get going be he deci-"

The look on Gildal's face as he stared at the pocket watch in his shaking hand. No. It couldn't be. Gildal took care of it while he was out... didn't he? Gremble's own face froze into one of pure shock. "G-general..." The young mage only barely managed to speak.

"She's gone..." Gildal said, trying his best not burst into tears. "I thought it would be enough to keep her there until we got back... but I was wrong. I should've known this would happen. I should've known all of this was pointless. I should've known better then to ever believe that your pathetic kingdom could ever see reason." The mage leader stood up from his chair, a deathly stare in his eyes as he looked at Issac. "So... now you know who the leader of a small refuge in the middle of nowhere is... just a simple broken soul who doesn't even care about his own damn life. I'm only a leader because they demand that I do so. And when the battle begins and you come home to find that your kingdom was burned to the ground by the very forces I warned you about; remember that their blood is on your hands. Tell me, Issac, are you happy now?" The savior simply stood there, waiting for the Grandmaster's rage to strike him down where he stood.

 

[Jackaboi]

Issac and Elisa

Silence enveloped the room. Elisa could already tell they were in a very bad position. Once the grandmaster has made up his mind on something it's nearly impossible to talk him out of it. Even more so when mages are involved. Was this the right decision? Elisa couldn't help but feel everything that's happened so far has amounted to nothing but continuing this bloody cycle war. Almost as if they were playing into someones hands the whole time. Still she had to do something, she couldn't just sit there in silence. "Grandmaster... Sorry to butt in but I really think you should reconsider. We don't have to work with them. But we could at least call off the siege... At least for a little while until things have calmed dow..." Elisa stopped mid sentence, seeing Gildal's expression has taken an extremely dramatic turn as opposed to just mere moments before. But yet this was a look she's seen before on him, back in that cursed hallway in Magus. But what was different this time, was his anger. Gildal started to rant at Issac. A rant that he didn't take too kindly to the grandmaster. He sat still throughout the whole thing. By the end his expression had changed slightly. Instead of anger and distrust, Issac's expression had turned to that of murderous rage. He stood up then leaned right towards Gildal until their faces were mere inches apart and spoke through his clenched teeth. "I have dedicated my life to protecting the city of the man who saved me from certain death. If you care about Delaran so much why don't you just stand still and let me cut you down right here and now... Then I can get home faster." Elisa backed away a little, clearly seeing talk has gotten out of hand. Slowly moving towards Gremble she spoke quietly in his direction. "This whole thing is about to go down in flames... If we don't do something they're going to kill each other... At this rate the war is never going to end!"

ShadowHounder Kiyoko Tomoe​

 

[BakaTheIdiot]

Ashitaka - Dilapidated House

Slowly but surely, Ashitaka regained consciousness. His eyes were still closed, but he could hear shuffling of feet. He groaned, trying to open his eyes, but he was exhausted. Still, with a great deal of effort, he managed to fully wake up, and was greeted by the two following things:

Firstly, his chest was no longer in pieces, though the dent in his armor remained - he'd fix that later.

Second, he came almost face to face with a woman with a spider half. Perhaps he wasn't hallucinating.

ShadowHounder

 

[ShadowHounder]

BakaTheIdiot

"GIDDY! HE'S AWAKE!" Lilia called out as Ashitaka's eyes opened from below her. The old mercenary's head was placed between her thighs... only not touching bare skin thanks to the dress she was wearing. "Giddy told me I can't play with you tonight... but I'm sure we will have a lot of fun if you ever want to come back~"

A moment later, Gideon walked back into the room. "Thank the heavens... Are you able to stand?" The General asked the swordsman briefly... trying his best to ignore Lilia's devilish smile.

 

[BakaTheIdiot]

Ashitaka - Dilapidated House

The old swordsman propped himself up and got to his feet with surprising ease. His chest didn't hurt, and he was unsteady at first, but quickly found his footing and stretched.

"I'm fine... I think." He said. "Still, was your blow really necessary? You could've asked nicely."

He then turned to the spider woman.

"I suppose I should thank you too. You may have very well saved my life. I owe you a debt." He extended his hand as a friendly gesture. "Your name is...?"

 

[ShadowHounder]

Jackaboi

Gildal stood there in relative silence. The only other words that left his mouth before hand being. "Hurry up and do it then..." He waited for Issac to strike him down... maybe even wanted him to. One thing was certain... he was not moving until Issac took action, for better or for worse. Gremble did not move from his relative position. He only briefly looked at the princess when she remarked about stopping them.

"That would do nothing to help this situation..." The young mage explained to Elisa. "Do cut them off now would simply make matters worse. I can not say much for your Grandmaster... but I know Gildal. He will not move from that spot until Issac is the one to decide his fate. It's how he is... having so little faith in himself that he puts his own life in others hands. There is never a moment where he isn't thinking about the people he's saved other the years... or the people he's lost." Gremble looked down at the ground of the tent while readjusting his glasses. "I guess you can say I envy him for that very reason."

 

[ShadowHounder]

BakaTheIdiot

"I'm Lilia, deary~" The priestess informed Ashitaka. "Giddy told me to heal you... and I can say no to such a strong and enduring man like ol' Giddy. I just wish you didn't have to go... there's just so much I want to know about you. The web hides many secrets, I'm sure with enough digging I could find yours in no time~" Lilia placed herself in a state of mental fantasying... likely of the risky kind.

The MEU General could only sigh at the words that she spoke. "I encountered her the same way many others have... by being sent here to investigate this place she calls her home. There had been multiple reports of people disappear in this area... with only a few of them coming back having been driven to madness. I still can't believe that still young woman is what I came across... or that I would somehow be one of only two people that she didn't break."

"Men don't have endurance... Not like my Giddy! Or my little broken flame~" her response only furthered Gideon's internal struggle involving her.

"As I was saying... I've been keeping her safe from Issac's knowledge for a few years now." He continued on. "I know that many would call it being attached to an assailant... but I feel like she has some redeeming qualities... not many but some." Gideon glared at the woman while she hugged his arm tightly. "I have, a few times, taken certain resilient prisoners to her should they have time sensitive that needed to be presented to the Grandmaster before someone could bring harm to the city."

 

[BakaTheIdiot]

Ashitaka - Lilia's Hut

The old swordsman looked at Gideon, then at Lilia. "Lilia... a fine name. Unique where I'm from." He was merely trying to be polite, as this wasn't the first time he had dealt with someone who had... questionable ideas. Still, he kept a straight face, not wanting to disturb the "peace" that already existed.

I can see why. I mean, good gods, what could happen to that guy... even I get chills thinking about it. He thought to himself. He then turned for the door.

"Well, I'm off. After all, I've told you everything I know, as far as you're concerned, and I still have to escort somebody out of Deleran. Now, if you'll excuse me." With that, the warrior made for the door.

ShadowHounder

 

[Jackaboi]

Issac and Elisa

Issac's grip on the hilt of his blade tightened when Gildal spoke. Practically daring the Grandmaster to take a swing. He almost did too. He briefly shifted his gaze to Elisa and Gremble who were intently watching what his reaction would be. Issac gritted his teeth and rose his blade high in the air before it came crashing down on the table, breaking it in half. The sword itself was so close to hitting Gildal he could've felt the force of the blow as it passed by him. "While I could kill you right here... I won't. I refuse to bring dishonour upon ourselves by shedding blood in what's supposed to be a peaceful negotiation." Issac pulled the sword out of the ground and sheathed it before continuing on. "However... I have taken note of your bravery this day. Tis little wonder you've rallied your mages in such a manner. Now that I know who my enemy is and what they're capable of... I have got what I wanted. But... I'm afraid I cannot abide by the terms you have set out. For the M.E.U to work with the mages in an alliance would cause an uproar by the people that would be impossible to calm down. It's simply contradictory to our very purpose. Not to mention how the King would react." Issac looked to Elisa once again, remembering her suggestion from earlier. He could definitely see Gideon's influence over her. The thought brought a slight smirk to Issac's face. His old friend taught her well. "Although... As our fair princess has suggested. What we can do is call off the siege for a little while. Long enough for both sides to take care of this Black Magic infestation that has taken rise." Elisa was taken back by Issac's sudden change of mind. The grandmaster didn't exactly say it out loud but Elisa just knew Gildal earned his respect. "I can't believe he did it..." Elisa spoke quietly, just audible enough that Gremble would be able to hear her. Issac returned to his stern look again and stared down Gildal. "Are these terms to your liking? Or is there something else you want to tell me? Because if there is now is the time to do it. Because the moment we leave this room... I will not hesitate to kill you."

ShadowHounder Kiyoko Tomoe​

 

[Kiyoko Tomoe]

As Varus approached the meeting tent of the two sides of the war, he took note of a very faint magical presence in the distance, though chose to ignore it. Approaching the side of the tent, he listened in for a little, getting an understanding of the current situation with the meeting he'd caused. Once he had heard enough, he started walking toward the tent entrance.

Waving his hand briefly, a very faint trace of magical energy came from him. "Play along for me, okay?" He said as he tossed a dagger up in front of Lily. In the instant that the dagger had blocked her view, the red-haired boy had vanished, and was replaced by a blonde-haired man. The dagger once more fell in front of her view, landing on the ground, this time the red-haired individual there once more, walking into the tent.

"You know, this would've been so much easier if my children weren't complete idiots," Ren said as he entered the tent, a faint vile aura surrounding him. It wasn't identifiable as that of Black Magic, though it was still just as foul. "My poor children, dying to simply rescue a girl that wasn't even in Delaran." He looked toward Gildal and Gremble, giving a wholesome smile. "I must thank you two for taking such good care of Lily for me. Such a shame that the Bravfar family got caught up in the mess though, that dear brother of mine thought the only way to even so much as get her out of the Manor was to kill himself and everyone else there, though he apparently intended to kill Lily as well, or at the very least frame her."

Looking over at Elisa and Issac now, Ren's look turned to one of disgust and hatred. "You two though... Such foul beings. All I wanted those years ago was to keep warm at night, yet you had to go and try killing me. Your tyrannical reign sickens me. It's because of you and that filthy king that the fire spread three years ago, not me. I was trying to simply live my life, but you don't want that for us mages. No matter what you may say, whatever promises of peace you may make, I'll never believe them after all of that."

Silently, Ren slipped a dagger into his hand, prepping for any sort of attack to come his way. He was fully aware that at present time, there weren't just two that might attack him. Chances are all four of them would. "I tried, for at least half that evening, to do nothing but flee. You wouldn't let me even so much as flee the city, all because one little soldier accused me of having used magic to create a campfire." Ren stated, his aura starting to truly show, black magic seeping from his body. "I honestly should've killed you back in the tower, Issac. Then there'd be one less oppressive fool denying us mages of our right to live just like anyone else."

Jackaboi ShadowHounder

 

[ShadowHounder]

Jackaboi Kiyoko Tomoe

Gildal looked at the pocket watch... the device having been recalibrated once the enchantment left it. "Actually... we might not make it back to Magus before dusk. So maybe we could arrange temporary imprisonment for tonight that would be ni-"

The mage leader was cut off by Ren walking into the tent. He watched the man cautiously as he talked about Lily and the... Bravfar family. "Hold on... I was under the impression that Lily left Delaran before anyone could question her..."

Gremble swallowed the lump in his throat before he responded. "That wasn't the case General. Though no one was able to question her directly... she had killed everyone within the Bravfar manor prior to fleeing the city. Knowing her... it likely wasn't a pretty sight."

The savior cracked his neck as rage consumed his face. "I'm going to kill that bitch when I find her..."

Lily simply giggled deviantly in the background as she listened to the conversation. "This is starting to get interesting..." She muttered to the snake on her shoulder. "I can't wait to see the look on his face when I show up who the hivemind really is around here..."

 

[ShadowHounder]

BakaTheIdiot

Gideon tossed Ashitaka a mildly sized coin pouch. "That should pay for any expenses for a few days. If anyone asks, you got that from a job given to you by a stranger." The General looked back at Lilia before sighing. "I'm going to head to Colossi and see if I can send this information to Issac... If I leave now I might be able to get there as the fighting ends."

Lilia put on a pouting face. "Do you have to see that stubborn fart? He's always so mean... doesn't he know how much time it takes to fix all of those doors he kicks?"

That simple question was enough to get a long chuckle out of the old soldier. "If he did... I doubt he would care. He's never liked anything that stood in his way. I can't promise that I'll be back tomorrow, but I will be sure to check up on you when I get back."

"Thank Giddy~" Lilia clapped her hands cheerfully. "I'll be sure to have things ready for when you do."

 

[BakaTheIdiot]

Ashitaka - Central Deleran

With the bag of funds tucked away into his satchel, the old swordsman began formulating a plan: this... what was her name, Lily? - had been captured, and unless he could get her out of captivity, the job was a bust. Thankfully, he now had the added funding of Gideon on his side. There remained one problem: he didn't have the first clue as to where Lily was. By now, she could be anywhere; he weighed his options, at least, the few that he had.

Or...

In fact...

He felt his shirt pocket. The key still remained. Maybe he didn't have to do anything at all. Maybe he could just get paid.

And he hadn't been paid in a long time.

A small smile came to his face. He had a plan.

One he hadn't done in a long time.

ShadowHounder (or anybody else really. Idc)