08-18-2016, 05:54 AM
Shad was so distracted by what happened with Alice, he didn't even notice that Paige had succumb to the galdr until Cecily pried him away. He turned away from the pair to keep a watch out. He saw Satsume fighting, which made sense. He seemed the most prepared for the whole thing. A funny thought occurred to him regarding his luck with Lycian nobility. Orica's voice could raise the dead in battle, whereas Cecily's can lure them all to sleep. At least Cecily's won't cause a massive headache. At least, Shad hoped. He didn't even notice it at first, but with Cecily's singing halted, that weight he had felt had passed. But as Shad looked around, he noticed Alice, struggling to fight an soldier with an axe. Shad didn't recall seeing the soldier awake before. Perhaps they snapped out of the galdr faster than the others. If fact, he was forcing her back. Guess it makes sense. She had the advantage from surprise and the galdr, but she's worse in a straight up fight. "I'll be back. I shouldn't be long."
He took a few steps in her direction before an image flashed in his mind. A short red head against a man with an axe. He shook that from his head when he noticed that Alice blocked a swing and was sent flying, landing on her back. Shad's feet moved before he was aware. In his right hand was his Schiavona, in his left was it's sheath. The soldier went for an odd swing, swinging left-to-right diagonally downwards. Shad had rolled to Alice's right and caught the axe against the combined wall of his sword and sheath, sword pointing upwards, sheath touching the ground. He turned his head back and saw Alice and another image appeared again. The soldier retracted his axe and backed off briefly. Tears welled up in Alice's eyes for some reason. "We need to talk." Was his only comment, before turning back towards the soldier. As he stood up, he felt a tug on his pant leg. He turned back to see Alice holding one of her daggers by the blade, offering the handle to Shad. He fastened the sheath to his belt and grabbed the dagger with his off hand.
He slowly approached the soldier, contemplating how to proceed. He knew he couldn't match him in strength. If the soldier decided to recklessly swing again after he was blocked, he would have won out eventually. He had to something a bit underhanded. He moved in to attack, but the soldier blocked his swings with the broadside of his ax. He looked down at his feet. He looked around and saw a patch of dirt. He had an idea. The soldier began his counterattack, but Shad managed to keep away, dodging his swings until the soldier was close enough for the plan to work. He quickly traversed the dirt, pivoted on his left foot and as the soldier approached the dirt, he threw the dagger into the ground, confusing the soldier. Shad then pulled the Schiavona up to his face and focused on the spot. Harnessing the magic of the sword, he used a wind spell on the dirt, specifically dirt the dagger knocked loose, and blew it into the eyes of the soldier. Shad tried approaching, but the soldier covered his eye with one hand and began swinging wildly with the other. Shad took a few steps back and to the left before a brief run. He jumped and dove feet first towards the soldier. Which hurt. A lot. He was low enough to dodge the wild flailing, but aimed it properly enough to take out his right foot from under him, causing him to fall. Shad tried to roll away, but the the soldier dropped his ax and cut into his right shoulder. He still had some strength in his arm, so he got up to a kneeling position and drove his sword into the mans back.
Thankfully for Shad, the axe wasn't embedded and fell out when he got up, but it still hurt all the same. He got back up to his two feet and approached Alice. He knelt down next to her. He opened his mouth, but she stopped him. "I'm sorry. I've been nothing but a scourge to your life." Shad was a bit confused by that. Cass told him the spy was doing stuff to help. What does she mean? "I'm why you have that scar on your right side. It almost happened again, too. You're always tossing your self into harms way defend others." Shad recalled his hallucination from the before. The little red haired girl. The axe wound. Giving away his original signet ring. He even called Eli Alice, as if he subconsciously linked Alice and the little redhead. Was that moment what started his affinity towards redheads? Who knew for sure? "Derailing that meteor spell, trying to distract the church to help Paige, charging that keeper while filled with crossbow bolts. You saved a town that didn't trust you. You made your presence known to try to save Paige. You did it to save someone who just met. You saved a little girl of five and all you got from it was that girl spying on you. And even now, when you knew that girl was spying on her, you still save her. You damn idiot." She says, trying not to cry. She just admitted it. Admitted to spying on him. She knew he was a mage from after they first met. How closely had Alice been following him. She got back up on her own two feet. "It was fun. But my cover's blown. I'm sure you guys can take care of things here. I need to report back to my brother, perhaps do a little damage control for what I've done." She sheathed her dagger and ran to grab the other. She then ran back towards Shad, grabbed his collar, and pulled him down for a kiss. Or at least, that's what it looked like. "Cass told me about needing some information from the Ostian library. If I'm not executed, imprisoned, or on another assignment, I'll try to help you get in. But until you're bold enough for it, try toning down the recklessness. Paige too." She then pecked him on the cheek and ran off.
Shad just stood there, dumbfounded. He turned towards the direction Alice ran off in. "How is this 'we need to talk' if I don't get a word in edge wise?" he said to himself. He looked around, still confused by everything. I must have succumb to the galdr, right? He slapped himself in the face, just to see if he was actually awake right now, despite the pain in his back and the cut in his arm being a clear enough indicator. He ran back towards Cecily and Paige, but saw Satsume with a familiar looking man. What. No. He knelt down next to Paige. "I think Ambrose is back." He said looking in his direction.
He took a few steps in her direction before an image flashed in his mind. A short red head against a man with an axe. He shook that from his head when he noticed that Alice blocked a swing and was sent flying, landing on her back. Shad's feet moved before he was aware. In his right hand was his Schiavona, in his left was it's sheath. The soldier went for an odd swing, swinging left-to-right diagonally downwards. Shad had rolled to Alice's right and caught the axe against the combined wall of his sword and sheath, sword pointing upwards, sheath touching the ground. He turned his head back and saw Alice and another image appeared again. The soldier retracted his axe and backed off briefly. Tears welled up in Alice's eyes for some reason. "We need to talk." Was his only comment, before turning back towards the soldier. As he stood up, he felt a tug on his pant leg. He turned back to see Alice holding one of her daggers by the blade, offering the handle to Shad. He fastened the sheath to his belt and grabbed the dagger with his off hand.
He slowly approached the soldier, contemplating how to proceed. He knew he couldn't match him in strength. If the soldier decided to recklessly swing again after he was blocked, he would have won out eventually. He had to something a bit underhanded. He moved in to attack, but the soldier blocked his swings with the broadside of his ax. He looked down at his feet. He looked around and saw a patch of dirt. He had an idea. The soldier began his counterattack, but Shad managed to keep away, dodging his swings until the soldier was close enough for the plan to work. He quickly traversed the dirt, pivoted on his left foot and as the soldier approached the dirt, he threw the dagger into the ground, confusing the soldier. Shad then pulled the Schiavona up to his face and focused on the spot. Harnessing the magic of the sword, he used a wind spell on the dirt, specifically dirt the dagger knocked loose, and blew it into the eyes of the soldier. Shad tried approaching, but the soldier covered his eye with one hand and began swinging wildly with the other. Shad took a few steps back and to the left before a brief run. He jumped and dove feet first towards the soldier. Which hurt. A lot. He was low enough to dodge the wild flailing, but aimed it properly enough to take out his right foot from under him, causing him to fall. Shad tried to roll away, but the the soldier dropped his ax and cut into his right shoulder. He still had some strength in his arm, so he got up to a kneeling position and drove his sword into the mans back.
Thankfully for Shad, the axe wasn't embedded and fell out when he got up, but it still hurt all the same. He got back up to his two feet and approached Alice. He knelt down next to her. He opened his mouth, but she stopped him. "I'm sorry. I've been nothing but a scourge to your life." Shad was a bit confused by that. Cass told him the spy was doing stuff to help. What does she mean? "I'm why you have that scar on your right side. It almost happened again, too. You're always tossing your self into harms way defend others." Shad recalled his hallucination from the before. The little red haired girl. The axe wound. Giving away his original signet ring. He even called Eli Alice, as if he subconsciously linked Alice and the little redhead. Was that moment what started his affinity towards redheads? Who knew for sure? "Derailing that meteor spell, trying to distract the church to help Paige, charging that keeper while filled with crossbow bolts. You saved a town that didn't trust you. You made your presence known to try to save Paige. You did it to save someone who just met. You saved a little girl of five and all you got from it was that girl spying on you. And even now, when you knew that girl was spying on her, you still save her. You damn idiot." She says, trying not to cry. She just admitted it. Admitted to spying on him. She knew he was a mage from after they first met. How closely had Alice been following him. She got back up on her own two feet. "It was fun. But my cover's blown. I'm sure you guys can take care of things here. I need to report back to my brother, perhaps do a little damage control for what I've done." She sheathed her dagger and ran to grab the other. She then ran back towards Shad, grabbed his collar, and pulled him down for a kiss. Or at least, that's what it looked like. "Cass told me about needing some information from the Ostian library. If I'm not executed, imprisoned, or on another assignment, I'll try to help you get in. But until you're bold enough for it, try toning down the recklessness. Paige too." She then pecked him on the cheek and ran off.
Shad just stood there, dumbfounded. He turned towards the direction Alice ran off in. "How is this 'we need to talk' if I don't get a word in edge wise?" he said to himself. He looked around, still confused by everything. I must have succumb to the galdr, right? He slapped himself in the face, just to see if he was actually awake right now, despite the pain in his back and the cut in his arm being a clear enough indicator. He ran back towards Cecily and Paige, but saw Satsume with a familiar looking man. What. No. He knelt down next to Paige. "I think Ambrose is back." He said looking in his direction.