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Post by shadowknight on Oct 3, 2017 15:30:14 GMT
Galen
Galen cursed under his breath. He had hopped that she would know something, anything about where Graff took his cargo. Now he was out of leads, out of patience, and out of time. Now he would have half the city looking for him and his new, high profile, acquaintance.
"Look," he started, glancing behind him to make sure no guards had found them. "I have a contact in the palace district that owes me a favor. He can keep us safe until we figure out our next move."
"You'll never make it," a small voice said from seemingly no where causing the two of them to jump slightly as a tiny figure crawled out of a drain whole a few feet away.
"You're one of Rat's little mice aren't you?" Galen asked as he eyed the new arrival. It was a small girl roughly five or six by her height. Rags clung loosely to her thin frame and filth covered her from her bare feet to her ragged, matted hair. "What is your name?"
"A mouse has no name Raven," the girl said with a dull tone."Your running out of time. The widow told the newt that metal-men hired a snake. The mice have spotted the snake entering the market and fled. This one stayed to help the Raven and the Witch flee the viper's grasp."
Mouse turned and scampered farther down to a pile of garbage and rot. Pulling several large hunks of wood aside she reviled a drain hole that had been smashed open some time ago, the whole just big enough for Galen to squeeze through if he crawled.
"The metal-men are everywhere between you and the lady. Follow the mouse tunnels and you'll reach her unseen."
"What about you?" Galen asked, not wanting to endanger the child anymore than he already was."are you coming?"
"No, this one will stay behind to cover your trail before retaining to the damp and dark"
Galen shook his head and approached the hole. A hot, sticky, air caressing his face as he peared inside. "What an increadable smell you've discovered mouse." He said with a sickened chuckle as he turned to Luna and gestured at the hole, "Noble ladies first."
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Post by Dragonseluna on Oct 3, 2017 16:15:07 GMT
Luna
She nodded her head as the man spoke, listening to his every word. She had a good feeling she was in great hands. However she covered her mouth and made a small gasp as the small voice spoke. She continued nodding her head, barely understanding a word the girl said. By the sound of Raven's response she knew it wasn't good. The Palace was too far for them to reach without being spotted.
When Mouse began to pick apart wood and trash to reveal an old drain hole, Luna could tell exactly where this was going. 'I guess I'll be getting a new cloak and shoe's with my remaining money.' She thought to herself.
She began to make her way over to the hole, scoffing at Raven's remark and then stopped dead in her tracks. She turned on a dime and made a curtsy toward Mouse. "I am in your debt Mouse, as am I in yours Raven." She would politely nod her head to the two. Taking a look down the hole, she already didn't like the smell. As she dropped down she placed her palms to face the ground saying Ezeerf as she landed on a frozen surface instead of the muck underneath.
She had a small thought that her ice might not be able to hold Raven, and then proceeded to say up the hole, "So am I the Witch? It's not what I would've picked."
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Post by shadowknight on Oct 3, 2017 16:40:28 GMT
Galen
Galen followed Luna through the hole and landed on a sheet of ice that cracked under his weight but managed to hold. He took one last look at the opening as his companion spoke, watching the light fade to darkness as mouse repacked the pile.
"Can't blame her. Everyone has heard tales of mages at one point or another.....most don't paint you lot in the best light. Speaking of which." Galen stomped hard causing the ice to shater. The two of them dropping into knee deep muck. He couldn't se her face but knew she was probably cursing him.
"No magic from this point on. If mouse is correct and the guards brought brought in who I think they have," his mind flashed back to the man he passed while leaving Silverson's, that man had a particular reputation and Galen knew they needed to get moving. "He'll be coming for you specifically. The less magic you use, the harder you'll be to track."
Galen pushed past her, the tunnel was tight and not meant for foot traffic. Still Galen had used these tunnels before and knew how to navigate them even with the way ahead in total darkness.
"Stick close behind me, this place is a labyrinth of criss crossing tunnels. If you get lost you'll never find the way out." He said, taking the lead "keep an ear out for anything moving. We aren't the only ones down hear and not all who are are friendly." With that he was off, Luna close behind.
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Post by Zeritia on Oct 3, 2017 17:49:44 GMT
Ben
His eyes peered all along the dark alleyway, until his skin chilled slightly more specifically his right hand side. His smiling visage turned towards the right and there appeared to be a heap of garbage that was packed in rather tightly. He sauntered over towards the pile and raised his unarmored hand over the heap. At first he thought he looked ridiculous holding his hand over a pile of garbage...until he felt a small jolt of coldness raise to meet his hand. At this point he kicked hard at the pile of garbage until it finally split apart. He saw what he was looking for 'A sewer grate huh? Heh clever girl.' He contemplated lifting the hatch but decided against it. After all it was a maze down there, he just needed to wait for them to come back up.
"Heh garbage, dunno what I expected really." His smile widened as he walked out of the alleyway mindful of the small patter of feet he heard while he was walking away. He approached a pair of guards that emerged from their own alleyway looking frustrated. He put on a large smile and clapped both on the shoulders speaking joyfully. "Alright lads it appears at the moment we lost them, but they won't get away so easily. You two are some of the best after all!" With that he brought them in close to his own face. His smile still ever present "Go back to the barracks, and get the hounds. Our targets escaped into the sewers, spread the word to keep an eye on the 'Shitters' we'll catch them while they're getting out." With that he laughed softly and clapped them both on the shoulders once more before wandering away.
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Post by Dragonseluna on Oct 3, 2017 19:05:01 GMT
Luna
As she witnessed Raven smash her beautiful ice platform she panicked, quickly grabbing Majestic, "Wait, wait, wait!" She yelled, raising it above her head the moment she fell. She landed butt first into the grime with Majestic still high above her head. As she stood up, she was practically covered in the stuff and Majestic was clean as a whistle.
She gave a long glare at Raven as he lectured her about not using magic. She stuck up her nose and sighed. "A normal bath for me then." She muttered quietly. She took a few minutes of walking in silence to heart, until she finally sheepishly poked Raven on the shoulder. "So, you never did tell me your name." Although drenched in this horrible slime she still had to be as polite and courteous as she could be. She held Majestic to her chest as if cradling a baby as she wanted for an answer.
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Post by Knukails on Oct 3, 2017 19:08:38 GMT
Vokun
The Prince chuckled. "Not at all, actually Wassa i was hoping your could perform more of a advisor & rear support role". He minded his words carefully. "Your much more like a rolling storm than strikes of lightning". "Not to mention your wealth of knowledge in the art of war & experience in action as a battle master would be an invaluable asset". The prince dropped his smile. "Your too valuable to Lebrinth for me to take you & too experienced for me to let the fat bastards in court use you". He turns slightly towards the elf. "Ive heard of the wars of attrition the Shadow king has performed against your kind". He turns back to Wassa. "As i am aware of his assaults on your home". "We will not be able to accomplish anything in the conventional manner of war". "However with this company of mixed individuals there stands a change to perform high risk/high reward quests without risking the national defense of any one place". "& If it is successful maybe, perhaps, then the nations will be more inclined to fight together rather than be slaughtered in their stubbornness".
---
Vokun groaned in his sleep. He ate more than he has ever had before. The soldiers that came to the mess hall made a spectacle of his voracious hunger. Cheering & paying out of pocket for meals to watch the boy slaughter the plates brought to him. They challenged him to eat till the kitchen cut him off. He nearly lost his stomach but with the encouragement he managed to whimper through the final plate. He passed out not long after & the cheerful soldiers took him up to the Princes quarters & left him asleep on a couch. Now he was in deep restful sleep body well on its way to recovery.
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Post by shadowknight on Oct 3, 2017 21:17:05 GMT
Galen
He walked a few more paces choosing his words carefully for there were few who knew his actual name. Most of his contacts knew him as 'The Raven of Westreach' which was shortened to Raven in conversation. Only a handful knew his name and they had to earn that knowledge. Still, Luna had trusted him with her identity....
"My name is Galen. Galen Farrel." He stopped for a moment to recall the path they needed. He motioned for Luna to follow him towards the left passage before continuing. "I'm sellsword who has a bad habit of getting in way over his head." He paused again, running his hand along the wall until he found what he was looking for. With a gentle push on a loos brick a portion of the wall slid aside, opening a passage that, while still dark, was dry.
"What did you mean?" He asked as he motioned her inside, "earlier when you said you thought I knew something, that I had information. What do you think I know?"
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Post by Dragonseluna on Oct 3, 2017 21:44:10 GMT
Luna
She gave him a big smile as he told her his name. "Galen. That's a wonderful name. It suits you." She slightly giggled at her own words as if she were a child. She continued to follow Galen through the pathways of the sewers silently. As she watched Galen open the secret passageway she took a quick note of her surroundings before finally stepping in. She was so glad to not be walking through that ick any longer. As she heard his question she shrunk her head to her shoulders. Why did she think he had information important to her?
She could tell him that she's been looking idly for a cure to her father's mysterious illness, for a way to rid her family of the blame they unwillingly took that turned them into criminals overnight, maybe even where her brothers were. She trusted the man... but she didn't know if she could blindly trust him. She thought about it for a few long moments before realizing he expected an answer. "Oh! I, uh, I..... wanted to know if you... if you knew a way into the Palace. There's someone I must speak to on my family's behalf." She finally got the words out, but it wasn't the whole truth and she knew that.
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Post by Lady Ruliya on Oct 3, 2017 22:57:47 GMT
Zaphia
Her skin bristled as the old lady repeated her greeting. Normally this would be disrespectful as the greeting had been offered to the Prince directly, but she remembered she was amongst Humans and they all tended to think they were important. She was surprised too to hear that the Prince had heard about the Shadow-Kings campaign within the Queendom of Brey'Vhala. She studied the exchange between the humans warily.
"You would have me work under the command of you... humans?" She asked him, tilting her head slightly to the side, "I am more... accustomed to working and hunting alone. If I have need of a party, I generally gather my Elven sisters."
She saw the look of slight disappointment forming on his face, she quickly added, "That is not to say you couldn't hire me for this war party of yours."
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Post by draco on Oct 3, 2017 23:25:37 GMT
The wind brought in a beautiful song, the breath of gods blowing through messy amber hair and giving relief from a long days travel. Most would call her crazy for thinking the wind could sing, but Liliana would close her eyes and just listen closely and the minor shifts in tone would reveal themselves to her like playful children in a game of hide and seek. Each step she took was deliberate to a beat as she tried to copy the sweet music nature had to offer with her broken voice. Humming the soft tune to herself as her fingers idly plucked the strings of her favorite lute, brewing up a new song and a story to go along with it. A crooked smile crossed her lips as she finally opened her eyes and in front of her the City of Lebrith stood proud and tall. She felt confidant about this one, but quickly thoughts of playing to the local prince and entertaining the masses was chased away by thoughts of her next song!
"Something Something God of Winds exhaling..." she muttered in nearly a whisper to herself, plucking gently at strings as the music came to her. It always felt so natural for a story to just come to her on the spot. Some were based in fact, but the best part was that they weren't tied to being true! Quickly, quickly she must come up with a conflict to be resolved for this song! Perhaps angry with the sea or in a love that could never be! So many possibilities!
Through the gates she wandered through, lost in thought but still keeping her usual pace to keep a beat going with every tap. A few people gave her a strange look, and she knew that she looked a bit strange. Foreign looking girl with sun-kissed skin waltzing through the city square looking like she owned the place jauntily playing a tune nobody knew, a patch over most of the left-hand side of her face and a very tall hat. While strange, there was nothing truly fascinating about her but that was the point! She wasn't fascinating right now of course! but she would be, and she would be very quickly as she would definitely make a name for herself!
She could feel it, today in this very city of Lebrith she would find the adventure she was hoping for. Something grand, exquisite, amazing! Well, it didn't have to be any of those things... but she would be the one to recount the tales of hero's and preform them all over this realm! Perhaps not hero's... But no matter!
Liliana Capri broke her beat and jogged up to the center of the town square with a hop, skip, and a jump, taking her hand and raising it dramatically before bringing it down in a powerful strum of her Lute that echoed a slightly out of tone note that brought the attention of a few passerby's who thought they might catch a show. A confidant smile tugged at the edges of the woman's lips and a flash of determination briefly twinkled in her dark green eye. This would be it. She had a good feeling about today! Let the god of luck smile upon her today as she...
Her thought was interrupted as she saw that the guards were especially active today, running about with weapons drawn and looking like they were in a hurry to get somewhere and even a man with an exceptionally long spear passed through. Liliana skipped a beat, counted by three blinks as she watched them pass by in a jangle of chain and armor and disappear...
...
The people around her seemed really confused while she stood there in a strange pose. Quickly Liliana took the tall hat off of her head and made a great, extravagant bow that she had practiced many a times in case she would ever meet someone of royal blood.
"I greatly apologize for the ruckus I have caused, my good fellows!" She exclaimed, peering up at them from her deep bow with an awkward smile, "Perhaps another day you may hear of the wonderful tunes of Liliana Capri: the Duchess of Music! But today is not that day!" and with a quick flourish the small woman spun past the small crowd that had formed around her watching this spectacle and as suddenly as she was there she was gone, disappearing amongst the crowd. Only one question was left among the people of the crowd that had them talking for a few hours afterwards, who was Liliana...?
Grasping the neck of her lute in one hand allowing her other to hold onto her hat so it wouldn't fly off, she dashed after the guards and the spear with her small cape fluttering behind her. Armored and armed guards would never be so on alert unless something big was happening, and if something big was going to happen, well, Liliana Capri definitely had to be there! If nothing but to watch so that she may make a tale of their bravery or one of tragedy! She couldn't stop smiling at the chance she may be getting, oh lady luck please guide her that this might be the big one she had been hoping for!
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Post by Knukails on Oct 4, 2017 2:03:12 GMT
Vokun
"Excellent, well talk wages then". The prince said with a stately smile. "Now i believe you were heading someplace & i wouldn't want to steal more of your time". He gave a gesture & the guards opened the gates. "Please return soon so that we may haggle out your arrangement".
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Post by shadowknight on Oct 4, 2017 4:33:50 GMT
Galen
Galen was unconvinced that that was the whole story but decided not to pry for now.
"Well, If the Lady is home than we should have no problem getting you inside.....probably."
His mind was so preoccupied with trying to figure out which one of his palace contacts he would need that he nearly failed to notice the noises ahead of them. Galen turned sideways and flung his arm backwards so hard he nearly knocked the wind out of Luna as he caught her in the chest, flattening both of them against against the wall as a volly of what sounded like arrows passed so close to them that the edge left a thin red line across Galen's cheak. A low ,almost human, shrieking sound echoed from the direction of the arrows.
"Goblins." Galen hissed under his breath just loud enough for Luna to hear him. "Damn, this path was clear last time I used it." He leaned in closer to make sure she could hear him. "Normaly goblins have good night vision but this group is different. The ones in the city sewers are blind as mole but have sharp hearing. From this point not a sound, if one of them gets to close kill it quietly so it doesn't alert the others. I don't particularly feel like wading through the entire clan."
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Post by MugiwaraBlair on Oct 4, 2017 17:30:07 GMT
Wassa
A small contingent of guards came into the courtyard and their commander walked up to the conversation.
"Pardon me my lord, Dame Wassa, may I have a word ? We have a bit of a situation down town"
"Fine". She signaled the commander and started making her way towards the contingent near the gate. "We can discuss specifics later prince Garrett"
"Out with it, I have better things to than dealing with street troubles"
"The Sylvaire that House Zekera is looking for was spotted around the marketplace, several guardsmen and a captain are after her. By the last update they lost her in the rat alleys, gone like a ghost"
"We don't need to do anything then"
"Beg your pardon ma'am, I'm not I unders-
"She's a fugitive noble, if she's in the capital city of another kingdom it's to see the royal family. Never act if you don't need to"
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Post by Dragonseluna on Oct 4, 2017 18:42:28 GMT
Luna
As the arrows flew by and she was thrust upon the wall her heart practically stopped. If he held his arm over her chest long enough he wouldn't be able to hear her heartbeat, which after realizing this Luna made sure to push his arm off her. She didn't say a word as instructed, but she was beginning to believe this man didn't have an actual playbook when it came to his job or anything in general. She'd heard of mercenaries before but she wasn't sure why most were considered bottom of the barrel. She sighed as she realized she had her hand on the stone wall, slowly freezing it. She swallowed hard and made several hand motions that she could take these goblins easily with magic along with even more hand and facial motions that he wouldn't let her use magic and she was being polite by considering their situation and obeying the man.
In reality all Luna wanted now was the simple pleasure of using magic to wash her clothes of the muck that was on her cloak and dripping from her hair. She wasn't pleased at the very least. 'Breathe, Luna, breathe' she quietly thought to herself. 'As long as he doesn't realize how 'much' magic you can do, you're fine. He said he can get you to the palace, so let's see how far this partnership will actually last before you put a hole in it.' She was trying to convince herself to follow the man's orders, but she was fairly certain the city guard weren't looking for them anymore.
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Post by shadowknight on Oct 4, 2017 19:36:50 GMT
Galen
Galen moved forward slowlu, making sure he made no sounds that would attract the enemies notice. As he reached the end of the corridor he realized there must have been light seeping into the chamber from an unknown source. He could see three silhouettes against the blackness. Hunched humanoid bodies that snarled like wild beasts. Two of the appeared to be armed with what must have been clubs, the third held a bow that seemed to be cobbled together from unknown materials. Past them were two branching paths and a ladder that led up and out of view. He could almost feel the coolness radiating off of his companion. 'At least I know she's still following, he thought as he considered their options. The goblins could have camped down either tunnel which meant they had a fifty fifty chance of running into the main group. Galen didn't like those odds. Looks like we'll take our chances going up. He turned and tapped Luna on the shoulder to get her attention then pointed at the ladder, pressing his finger to his lips to make sure she knew to stay quiet. He smiled as she nodded and the two of them began to make their way to the ladder, the goblins milling about in seemingly random patterns as they searched for their missing meal.
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