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+---- Thread: [IRP] The Dead One Calls (/thread-1058.html)
RE: The Dead One Calls - Zanryu - 02-24-2017
After her brief pause, Ellie sat upright with a sigh. She needed food before she could even think about anything else, that much was certain. She bound her chest tight with her wrap and looked over her scrapes once more before she slung her bow over her shoulder and set out of her room; better safe than sorry. With a final glance into her room and a momentary gaze out her window, she was Eli once more.
As she stepped out into the hallway, she crossed paths with Shad's mother, Maisie. Ellie thought for a moment before she stepped in her way.
"I'm sorry to bother, miss, but I need a favor," Ellie started, her voice was stern but shaky. She needed to get that message to Leroy as soon as possible, especially if they were going to reclaim the castle. Who was to say they had the numbers, who was to say they could take back a castle they didn't know inside nor out?
"Eli, right? I'm not sure I'm in a position to grant favors, but go ahead."
"I need to get a letter to someone. An officer - one of Bern's riders. I don't know how to get it where it needs to go, but you know the area."
"I know where there's a settlement, but... it's just a small detachment. Maybe they'll help? Could you bring them to help!?"
"I don't know... but that's the plan. Could we go to your room for a moment?"
The two rushed to Maisie's room, where they scrambled to find some parchment and a quill with just enough ink to be useful. Ellie chose her words carefully, the letter had to be enticing to draw a rider from his post. Her heart sank at the thought of how Leroy would react to the letter, she worried he would be to angry to come; perhaps he would be too angry to listen to reason when he arrived? There was no guarantee.
"Burg Castle, Leroy. Anthony Vael begs for mercy. Come alone, ransom 10,000.
Ten thousand pieces of gold seemed almost ridiculous enough to seem real, Ellie thought; she hoped. She folded the parchment and handed it to Maisie with a deep sigh.
"This has to reach Leroy Vael as fast as possible."
Ellie and Maisie left the inn together before they went their separate ways - Maisie to find a courier, Ellie to find Paige. She couldn't quite recall where she had seen the tanner before, but she took in every twist and turn she came to on her way to somewhere - she wanted to be ready in case the fight came to town.
RE: The Dead One Calls - Toogee - 02-25-2017
"I see," Paige replied, making a note of the regular supply run. She wouldn't blame the tanner for not thinking ill of it, but the librarian knew there likely wouldn't be another visit from the apprentices. Still, she needed answers about the current situation. Shad would be determined to march on the castle; they needed to know what they were walking into. As Cecily approached and stood next to her, Paige had more confidence in prying further on the status of the castle.
"And this man, Laurent," Paige asked. "Would he be able to get us in contact with the castle? Our party has traveled quite a way to visit an old friend from the castle. You wouldn't happen to have heard of a man named Marcus? Captain Marcus Carvax of Arretium?"
As she said the words, Paige was reminded of when she first met Marcus back in the tea shop in Pherae. She had meant to look up the Arretium family history, but sadly, events had prevented from doing extracurricular research. She hoped his name meant something in this village. She wanted to know if they knew what became of Marcus.
RE: The Dead One Calls - WyvernSlayer - 02-25-2017
Satsume exited the inn with a jump in his step - not so much because of his concern for the rest of the group, but rather to hasten his return to Cecily's side. All of the recent happenings since their arrival in town had made the weight of his duties much heavier. She'd lost a vassal under similar circumstances - unbeknownst to him at the time, she had entered Bern with a guardian who had been with her since her youth, and when she left, Satsume was his replacement. Dad did say that I think of others more than myself and my family, he thought. This is the first time I've felt he was right.
He looked around, trying to pick up a glimpse of anyone he recognized. He caught a flash of purple disappearing into what was probably a smith's shop. Must be Shad, Satsume decided. He headed for the shop. The lack of any traffic in the street was much more suspicious to him now. A village of this size shouldn't be so quiet. Satsume mentally verified the location and readiness of all of his weapons as he walked.
Just then, a man of considerable size approached from a side street, heading for the same destination as Satsume. It was the first person he had seen walking about since they arrived. Maybe he knows something about what's going on here, Satsume thought. But as the sound of his clanking armor grew closer to the shop, the man peeked around his shoulder and locked eyes with Satsume. Satsume didn't even have time to utter a response before the man hastily turned on his heel and began walking away from the shop.
"Huh." Very strange, indeed... Satsume debated pursuing the man, but there was no telling what kind of trouble he would find himself in if he strayed too far from the main street alone. He made a note of the direction the man was headed as he opened the door to the smith's shop.
Shad was at the counter, speaking with the smithy. His ornate blade lay on one of the tables behind the shopkeeper. Shad looked toward Satsume as his armor signaled his presence.
"Hey," said Satsume. He looked past Shad towards the... interesting assortment of metalworks on the smith's anvil in the back. "Do you have a second?" He cocked his head, to indicate that he intended the conversation to be private. He turned his back to the counter and leaned in closer to Shad.
"Lady Cecily believes that there's more going on here than it appears. We might have more to worry about than just the castle." As he spoke, his eyes drifted towards the side window of the shop. The man from earlier was still viewable; he appeared to be looking towards them, but it was too far away to be certain. Satsume's eyes came back to Shad.
"There's someone outside. He looked like he was about to come in here, but when he saw me he turned around and walked back towards the castle. What do you think it means?"
RE: The Dead One Calls - Swift_Assassin - 03-08-2017
Shad was a bit surprised to see Satsume show up. The sound of armor was a dead giveaway, as no one else wears armor in the party. He needed a distraction from some of the wild thoughts in his head, so he gladly approached the knight. Hopefully some small talk will allow the time to pass between now and his little discreet recon with Eli later on. "Sure, what's up?"
Instead of the small talk he so desperately wished for, it was more speculating about bad things. This was the last topic he wanted right now. Shad's head hung low, trying not to think about it. Then he followed Satsumes eyes out the window. He certainly looked big. At least, to him. Pretty strong looking too. Probably strong enough to carry those chains back. Shad shook his head. Satsume is just imagining things. Perhaps he could tell Satsume was Lycian. "Perhaps it's just me combating my own paranoia here, but perhaps he's a refugee. Maybe he could tell you're Lycian and isn't sure where your loyalties lie." He said turning back towards the knight.
Then he glared again at the chains. "Speaking of paranoia, I saw those chains there and immediately thought they were bound for the castle." He sighed. He then recalled the situation with Maisie at the inn. "Wait. Now that I think about it. Maisie had been living here, or adjacent to here, for months now. She's been spending the last four days at the inn, warning of bandits attacking the castle. Why would the inn keep suddenly believe she went back to the castle? Why was the inn completely free of boarders when Maisie was booked up through the week?"
He suddenly slapped himself, trying to snap himself out of it. "Sorry, a bit out of control there. I tend to drown myself in loads of speculative thought. Case in point, Lennox had a comment about Lycian hunters chasing his sword and I jumped to the conclusion that Lycia wants conflict with Bern so they could take their legendary weapons. Heh. I have some terrible ideas, don't I?" He head a cough and looked back towards the smithy who was walking back with his sword. "Done already?" He questioned, beginning to search his self for gold.
"Do you plan on putting this back on at some point?" He asked, placing both the old hilt and the sword on the counter. Shad inferred he meant the walking stick hilt and shook his head. "Then consider it a trade. I'll hold on to this as your payment. The job itself wasn't that hard, so this should suffice."
"Uh. Sure." He replied, turning to Satsume. He shrugged, thinking it weird. He turned back towards the window and back to the smith. "Were you expecting someone before I came in?"
"I don't really have any planned clients for today. Usually they just turn up to check on their orders of their own volition. It's a small village, so usually the locals aren't very demanding unless their livelihood depends on my craft."
"I see."
"Yeah." He replied before scratching the back of his head. He looked over to Satsume and gave him a look over. "Would you like anything worked on?"
RE: The Dead One Calls - Lavi - 03-12-2017
The old man shook his head at Paige's question. "I might have heard the name one or twice, but I can't say I know the man. But I'd you are going to look for Laurent, his office is at the town square. The administration building is hard to miss."
Before Paige could inquire further, Cecily interjected. "We also came because we heard that there is to be a festival soon. Did we mistime our visit?"
"Depends on how you think of it, I suppose. The festival was to be next week, but it has been postponed. You will want to ask Laurent about the details," the man answered.
Cecily returned the tanner's gesture with a smile and thanks before turning Paige around so that they could talk privately.
"Would you like to accompany me to the bathhouse? It would fair well to make ourselves presentable first," she suggested, in a low tone as to avoid letting others eavesdrop.
The noble gave Paige fairly stern look to signify the seriousness of her suggestion. Although it is understandable to want to get important, potentially life-or-death matters out of the way first, there are still basic needs to satisfy. Like personal hygiene.
As the two spoke in private, Cecily saw another of their party approach. What was his name? Ewan? Eli? The youngster spoke little throughout the trip, so it was difficult to recall who he was. She raised a hand to usher the youngster close, treating him as she would a child. It is not safe for him to be wandering around on his own. Not only because of his youth, but also the dangers around them. Admittedly, she broke the rule of the latter herself, but Cecily had no intention of voicing such thoughts.
"Stay nearby," she told him sternly.
RE: The Dead One Calls - Toogee - 03-18-2017
"Yes, of course," Paige said to Cecily before turning back to the tanner. "Thank you for your help, sir."
With that, Paige followed Cecily into town to get cleaned up. She admitted that she was looking forward to getting out of the wilderness. The librarian wasn't quite sure if it was safe to stay in town however. The tanner seemed nice enough, but he didn't seem to know anything about what was happening in the castle, much less about what happened to Marcus.
They soon ran into Eli, who Cecily encouraged to stay with them. This could get awkward: Paige was the only one that knew Eli (Ellie) was a she, not a he. It was a secret that would be quickly revealed in a bath house.
"But not too close. We're headed to the bath house," Paige reminded Cecily. It also served as a warning for Eli to prepare accordingly.
"What do you all think of this place?" she asked as they walked away from the tanner's shop. "It's much quieter than any village in Pherae. But I feel it shouldn't be, what with a festival on its way. There has to be a connection with what is happening with Shad's family."
RE: The Dead One Calls - Zanryu - 03-19-2017
While Ellie searched for her companions, she happened upon Paige and Cecily as they left the tanner's shop. The ladies joined Ellie, with Cecily suggesting she remain close in the same way she would a child. Ellie smirked but said nothing, choosing instead to follow and listen; to what she wasn't sure, but what was said next was not what she expected.
"But not too close. We're headed to the bath house,"
Damn.
Ellie looked at Cecily, pondering... she was no stranger to hiding who she was, that much was clear. Perhaps she could be trusted with another secret...
"What do you all think of this place? It's much quieter than any village in Pherae. But I feel it shouldn't be, what with a festival on its way. There has to be a connection with what is happening with Shad's family."
"You're right. Even growing up in the slums, Bern has always been busy," Ellie replied. She thought back momentarily to her youth before she spoke again. "If we're going to the bathhouse, do you think we could sit down for a meal first? There are some things we need to talk about."
She dropped her juvenile tone and forgot about Eli for a moment. The secret was going to come out if Leroy arrived regardless, would be best to skip an awkward scene at the bathhouse; at least, that's what she figured.
RE: The Dead One Calls - WyvernSlayer - 03-19-2017
Satsume listened to Shad’s barrage of questions, and was preparing a reply when he interrupted himself. “Sorry,” he said. “A bit out of control there. I tend to drown myself in loads of speculative thought.”
And others in your "speak-as-I-think" nonsense, Satsume thought. He folded his arms and looked outside the window again. The man outside was nowhere to be seen. It made him nervous.
“Would you like anything worked on?” asked a voice from the back of the shop.
It took Satsume a second to realize that the smith’s question was directed at him. “Oh. No, thank you,” he replied, bowing his head slightly. His armor had held up exceedingly well since the last time he’d had a chance to work on it at his father’s shop, and although there were some small nicks and wear marks on his collapsing spear, he wouldn’t dare trust its maintenance to anyone other than himself or his father. Shad and Satsume took their leave of the smithy and stepped out into the street.
Satsume’s head instinctively turned in the direction where he last saw the man from earlier, but he saw no one. He turned to Shad again. “Look,” he said. “It’s not just Cecily; I’m starting to get a very bad feeling about this, myself.” He could feel his pace quicken as he walked back towards the inn. “I think we need to gather up the rest of us and stick together, come up with some sort of plan.”
Satsume already had one brewing in his head, of course. But thinking it through reminded him of Orica. He shook his head in an effort to jostle the idea from his mind.
Upon reaching the inn, Satsume went to Cecily’s room. The bed where he had last seen her was empty. Suspecting that she had gone to explore the town with one of the others, he returned to the reception desk. The innkeeper yawned and put on a tired half-smile.
“Yes sir?”
“I was with a young woman, about yea tall,” said Satsume, holding his hand up to indicate Cecily’s height. “Dark hair. Did you see her recently?”
“Yes, she left a few minutes ago.”
“Was anyone with her?” asked Satsume, trying to mask the trace of panic that had crept into his voice.
“I don’t believe so, no. She left here and headed in that direction, down the road.” The innkeeper pointed in the direction of the tanner, where the group had been earlier.
“Thanks.” Satsume waved Shad along with him and hurried outside. This better not be one of your “split up and blame Satsume for not reading your mind” things again, he thought. He was relieved upon sighting her walking up the road with Paige and Ellie. Or Eli. Or whatever his/her name was. He waved to them as he and Shad approached.
“You know, I think it’s time we had a talk about this whole noblewoman-bodyguard relationship,” Satsume said, trying to sound playful. “Where are you headed?”
RE: The Dead One Calls - Swift_Assassin - 03-21-2017
"Enjoy the rest of your day," Shad said as he left with Satsume. No need to be rude after all. Even if Shad had been speculating the worse, the man had done work for his men in the past. Shad began following Satsume out of the smithy, leaving the man by himself.
The smith looked down at the counter and took a deep breath. He followed with a long sigh, before heading to a store-room in the back. He opened what appeared to be a cupboard, which was in fact a weapon rack. He placed the hilt near an empty space on the rack. "Don't think about it. Don't...don't think about it." He said to himself as he closed the door and went back to his work.
Satsume seemed like he was on edge too. His talk of making a plan was nice and all...but Shad had a plan. A bad plan, but a plan. In fact, he still had a plan, but only Eli was privy to it. As much as Shad trusted the others, he trusted that they'd care too much about his well being and keep him from doing this plan. Not that Eli wouldn't do the same, but Eli had the skill set for this scouting plan. A librarian, a mage, a healer, and a noblewoman lacked the skills while Satsume's armor is a bit too loud for their silent approach. "You've all heard my idea. My head hasn't really cooled enough for a reasonable plan," He paused, before looking up at the tower of the castle higher up the mountain, partially obscured by trees. "And I don't see that happening as long as I can see the castle."
When the returned to the inn, Satsume went looking for Cecily. Shad found Taika seated nearby, so he sat with her. She had a sizable drink with her. She was struggling to keep her head up. She perked up upon realizing Shad was there. "Oh, Shad. Welcome back."
"Strong stuff?"
Taika laughed, as she drank some more. "Not really. I think the last couple of days is just hitting me all at once. I started feeling really tired after I started drinking this." She commented as she took another sip. "The inn keep made it for me. We got into a discussion about family, and well. It kinda depressed me, considering my partner's recent passing." She looked down into her drink, about half full, then began downing the rest of it in one go.
"Hey, don't go doing that. That can't be good for you."
She slammed the glass onto the table and leaned back in her chair. "Nothing about the last few days have been good for me. At least let me have this...for now..." She replied before seemingly nodding off. Shad couldn't believe that Taika was this exhausted. She should have been in a better state than any of them. She did no fighting, after all. Shad eyed the inn keep, cautious about his generosity. Shad left Taika where she was. They shouldn't be gone for that long.
Satsume reappeared and spoke with the inn keep. Shad followed him out. He seemed to be grumbling a bit. "Is this what I put Marcus through? I'm so sorry." Shad said under his breath as a bit of a joke. Which as it lingered in his memory, brought back the graphic sight of Marcus to the forefront of his mind. His mood rapidly soured due to poor timing of his own joke. Thankfully they met up with the other relatively quickly. He looked around and saw Maisie walk back into the inn. Where did she go? A question for later no doubt. "Probably the inn. They were headed towards us, after all. What else could they really have here?" He looked around briefly, thinking on that last point, before asking, "Where did you go?"
RE: The Dead One Calls - Lavi - 03-25-2017
"Oh, perhaps we should discuss our relationship right now! Paige has done a wonderful job protecting me from the tanner, after all," Cecily replied as she wrapped her arm around Paige and stepped close to the librarian in feigned intimacy.
As she winked at Satsume to let him know she wasn't being serious, Cecily did not fail to note Satsume's brazen admittance of their relationship in a suspicious town. It is better to brush it off for now than to create suspicion if any eavesdroppers were around.
"It will be more difficult for you to perform your duties here on, since we were going to take a bath," she added without skipping a beat.
"My apologies, but what was your name again?" Cecily looked to Eli, letting him voice a response before continuing. "He was wondering if we could get something to eat as well. It is nearly the dinner hour, is it not? I would prefer to eat after feeling refreshed and free from the scent of days long travel, but it cannot be helped if one's stomach speaks louder. We can split up to accomplish both on our own time and regroup at the inn at sunset. Perhaps our visit with the town administrator will have to wait until tomorrow."
RE: The Dead One Calls - Toogee - 04-01-2017
Paige smiled as Cecily teased Satsume. It was fun watching the personality of a serious Satsume clash with Cecily. She wondered how those two got together in the first place. Delving into their personal matters would have to wait: They still had Shad's family to worry about.
"I would have to agree with Cecily," Paige replied. "I would prefer to clean up before eating. Plus, these bathhouses are usually quite social. Perhaps we can learn more about what is going on around town."
"We can talk afterwards," Paige said, though she particularly addressed Eli/Ellie. She knew what Eli wanted to talk about, but with the strange things that were going on around town, it just wasn't a good time.
RE: The Dead One Calls - RJDio - 04-02-2017
Julius frowned, as he was often prone to, this was an odd bunch who had come into town. He had only just noticed them today but He aimed to keep an eye on them. People with that much weaponry who weren't soldiers were usually up to no good, hell even the soldiers were up to no good as far as he was concerned. Julius continued to observe the group, his hand now resting on the hilt of his sword. He had only just arrived in this town while on a journey to try and join up with the Bernese forces.
RE: The Dead One Calls - Zanryu - 04-18-2017
As the trio headed towards the bathhouse, Satsume found his way to them with an air of concern about him. As he approached, he spoke in jest before inquiring about their plans. Cecily took it upon herself to respond for the group, before turning to Ellie.
"My apologies, but what was your name again?"
"It's alright, ma'am. It's Eli!"
"He was wondering if we could get something to eat as well. It is nearly the dinner hour, is it not? I would prefer to eat after feeling refreshed and free from the scent of days long travel, but it cannot be helped if one's stomach speaks louder. We can split up to accomplish both on our own time and regroup at the inn at sunset. Perhaps our visit with the town administrator will have to wait until tomorrow."
Paige agreed to the notion, to which Ellie had no objection. She turned to face Satsume before speaking.
"That works for me! While I think of it, Shad wanted to talk - how does a meal with friends sound while we wait for the ladies?" Ellie suggested, shooting a quick glance in Paige's direction. As things were, it seemed that she may be staying grimy for the evening, unfortunately. But she had gone long enough without a meal, that much she knew - if she hadn't already known, her stomach made a point to inform her at every opportunity to break the silence.
RE: The Dead One Calls - WyvernSlayer - 05-10-2017
Satsume folded his arms. “In that case, milady – I’ll leave you in Paige’s capable hands.”
“While I think about it,” added Ellie, “Shad wanted to talk – how does a meal with friends sound while we wait for the ladies?”
So maybe that’s a guy, I guess? Satsume struggled internally with the youngster’s voice and appearance, but he didn’t dare say anything to confirm his thoughts. Instead, he merely nodded in approval. “Sounds good. I’m getting a bit hungry, myself,” he said finally. He and the young archer took their leave of the other two and started in search of the tavern.
As they walked, Satsume’s eye caught some movement off to the side, between a couple of buildings. He turned his head as he walked past and very briefly made eye contact with a black-haired man with a scraggly beard. The man’s gaze was one of scrutiny, but not fear. Satsume’s gut told him he wasn’t an enemy, but he grew suspicious all the same.
Satsume led Eli and Shad to the tavern and opened the door, marveling at all of the empty tables. Apart from the bartender, off to the side cleaning a glass while meeting the party with a slightly confused stare.
“Hi,” said Satsume. “Mind if we grab a table?”
“Not at all,” replied the bartender. “Although we’re a bit short-staffed at the moment. Just me and the cook in the back right now.”
“That’s fine,” Satsume replied, gesturing towards a table near the bar to invite his friends to sit. “Somehow I don’t think you’re over capacity.” He nodded his thanks and pulled out a chair.
As the group sat down, Satsume leaned over to Shad. “Did you see that guy in the street a second ago?” he asked. “Different one than what I saw near the armory. Do you think we’re being scouted?”
RE: The Dead One Calls - Swift_Assassin - 05-15-2017
Shad wasn't too thrilled with Eli bringing up wanting to talk to Satsume, but perhaps he was the only person who he could talk to that would understand what his plan is. Shad liked to bounce ideas off of more experienced people. With Wolfram indisposed and Marcus...well. Shad felt a tinge of pain in his chest as he thought that through. He hoped that after he elaborates his plan to Satsume that he can still stay focused. He relented and began to follow.
Satsume and Eli were ahead of him and he looked around. The silence in this town with the knowledge of the occupation of his castle/safehouse is slowly getting to him. There absolutely has to be more to this than meets the eye. He caught a glimpse of someone watching them, but it was only in his periphery. He stopped to get a better look when Maisie came up behind him. "Shad, Taika's out cold, so I'm going to help her to bed. Tell Eli I did that thing he asked me to do."
"Uh, okay. I'll let him know. We're going to get a bite to eat. Not that I'm hungry." She waved and headed back towards the inn. Shad wondered what Maisie meant, but rushed after Satsume and Eli.
The tavern was empty, which Shad somewhat expected. Everything else appeared that way. They sat down and Satsume asked Shad if he saw someone. "I didn't get a good look, but I believe I did. Honestly, I think someone's been watching us since we got into town." Shad replied, before taking a deep breath. "You recall asking me about if I had any plans. I lied." Shad looked around and saw none of the staff in view, so he continued. "My plan only involves Eli and I. What it entails is that the two of us would scout out an alternate route to the castle, some time after dark. That main route is going to have someone watching it and I can't imagine being in fighting shape after passing the bodies of my men. As for why just Eli and I, well. Eli's a hunter and I'm unencumbered by armor. We'd be silent and also fast enough to flee if we get spotted. Paige was a civilian prior to this and I'm not sure what combat training Cecily has. Taika refuses to fight and Maisie is a healer. Your armor would probably cause too much noise and it would probably be better for you to protect the girls in case we get caught."
Shad looked down after that last comment. Having vocalized his idea, his heart sank a bit knowing that it wasn't going to be Marcus or Wolfram answering him. He didn't even know what Satsume would think about it. He just assumed it was terrible because all his ideas have been terrible. "It's a terrible idea, isn't it?"
RE: The Dead One Calls - Lavi - 05-16-2017
"Then it's settled!" Cecily smiled, giving Paige's arm a tight squeeze. "Til we meet again."
The noblewoman gave a curtsey, holding Paige's hand as one would a proper escort, before wrapping her arm back around the librarian's own. They parted ways without incident, taking separate streets to their destinations.
The two women encountered some of the locals along the way to the bathhouse, though they seemed uninterested in speaking with them outside of simple greetings and other pleasantries.
The bathhouse itself was nothing special to look at. It is a single floor building, with areas separating men and women. There are also only a handful of others also taking advantage of the bathhouse's services.
The receptionist, a middle-aged woman, greeted them as they entered.
"Baths for two, I presume?" she politely asked.
"Yes, that will be all," Cecily answered.
It did not escape her notice that the receptionist seemed to be bothered by something, but it is really not her business. Without any local knowledge, anything could be the cause.
After the two presented payment, the receptionist escorted them to the women's dressing room, where they were supplied towels and other necessities for their bath. Cecily was accustomed to undressing in the presence of others, as she normally had female retainers assist her with bathing, though she did not see the need to act brazenly when Paige was definitely not one of her subordinates.
"By the bye, did Satsume tell you why the two of us went searching for you in the first place?" she asked Paige as she loosened the strings that secured her clothes.
RE: The Dead One Calls - Toogee - 05-17-2017
Paige barely got a chance to wave goodbye to the others before Cecily dragged her away to the bathhouse. It took a few moments for Paige to match the royal's pace, but eventually she walked by her side. The librarian wondered if Cecily was like this with Satsume.
Paige wasn't sure what to expect when she arrived. The bathhouse was a little more open than she would have preferred. Of course, she preferred bathing in private, so some concession had to be made. She wasn't in a rush to begin undressing, however.
"Uh, actually, he made no mention of you," Paige recalled. "He heard I was in trouble and went searching for me. Yes, he wanted to know what I found out in the library, but I got the feeling he was more concerned for me than anything. Um, why were you looking for me?"
RE: The Dead One Calls - WyvernSlayer - 05-26-2017
Satsume rested his elbows on the table and folded his hands under his chin, frowning as Shad laid out his plan. As he did so, the bartender made a pass by the table.
"Get you anything?"
"I'll have a pint of the house brew," Satsume said, before addressing Shad.
"...It's a terrible idea, isn't it?"
"Well..." Satsume itched at his cheek. "It's a sound enough plan, in theory. My one concern is that you're a little too close to this whole thing." He fixed his gaze on Shad. "This involves a lot of people close to you. I just don't want you to pick a bad time to- thanks."
Satsume reached into a pouch on his belt to grab a couple of coins for the bartender as he set a frothy mug of dark beer on the table. Once he was out of earshot again, Satsume spoke again, lowering his voice.
"...don't pick a bad time to be a hero." He picked up the mug and drew a long swig, making a face at the beer's earthy aftertaste. Ugh, stout. Figures. "Scouting the castle is a fine plan, but stick to it. Don't throw your life away." Then, as an afterthought, he added, "...That's what people like me are for."
Satsume didn't have a problem not being involved with all the sneaking around - his armor was pretty noisy. But he figured that any group of vagrants that were strong or numerous enough to vacate the day-to-day of an entire town would require more than just Shad's fancy sword to bring down.
Satsume took another swig from his stein. "So after we gauge their strength, what's next?"
RE: The Dead One Calls - Lavi - 06-06-2017
Cecily stopped combing through the knots in her hair with her fingers.
"Not a word?" she thought out loud. A talk will be needed later.
Having fully undressed, Cecily wrapped a towel around herself for modesty and sat down next to Paige. There is no telling whether an eavesdropper is nearby and Cecily has no intention of revealing too much to people within this town.
"We heard that something happened in Pherae and traveled there to investigate. Satsume surmised that you may know why a contingent of the holy guard has been stationed at the Royal library," she whispered. "Was that your doing?"
RE: The Dead One Calls - Swift_Assassin - 06-12-2017
When the question for an order came, Shad just shook his head. He didn't know how Maria was being treated right now. In his mind, it wasn't fair if he was enjoying food and drink while Maria is captive. His stomach probably couldn't keep it down anyway. He still tasted the content of his stomach from earlier. It wasn't strong, but it was there. A constant reminder. He didn't even know how he looked after that.
Satsume warned about picking a bad time to be a hero. Shad laughed at that. "I've picked worse." Shad muttered under his breath. A few instances flashed in the forefront of his mind. Most notable was the first time, the one he forgot. When he was nearly cut in half saving a five-year old Alice from a mad ax-man in the Ostia market at the age of ten. That one he only survived because Lennox carried him to a Maisie's daughter immediately. But he didn't want to mention that one. He did start speaking though, "There was that time, at that village in Pharae. After you and Orica went to fight Glass. I helped evacuate the school house after that meteor fell on it. Last one out too. Helped Paige save Neil's books. The fool didn't even take all of them. I still have his fire tome with me. But that's not what I'm talking about. It was suggesting to Kalin that she take me alongside the next Meteor Glass cast and derail it with a barrage of magic. I told her it was a terrible idea. And she acted like it was the best idea in the world. I ended up bedridden from magic exhaustion. I only just got back to my feet when I ran back into Paige."
Shad realized he was rambling on a bit. "Sorry, rambling. Anyway. I'd figure that provided they don't attack us first, I'd ask Maisie to try to lure their attention to the main road. Then we can sneak in from this alternate route and catch them out of position. Maisie was a good runner when I lived with her, I hope the last couple of years hasn't slowed her too much. We may be able to even sneak Maria and the others out without them being too aware of what's going on. There should only be like six people left in the castle since all the soldiers were..."
Shad groaned, flashes of Marcus came to mind. "Distraction...distraction...Oh. Eli, Maisie wanted me to tell you she took care of that thing you wanted her to do. What was that, by the way?" Shad asked, trying to block out the painful thoughts with a new topic.