rokubiraijuu

Hearing the way Kyou's tone changes, Ke feels like she's been pierced in the heart by one of her own arrows. Her own smile drops, and a pained look crosses her face for a moment as she looks down at the street. "Much like I, then." She's glad when Kyou moves on, though, and takes an interest in the fact that she's been to cities before. Satomi interjects before she can remark on it, though, and Ke takes no offense from her words — they're true enough, after all. "Ruinsfolk leaven hardly; much the time, we seen no need," she replies. As she talks, she recalls, upon seeing Satomi plastering up posters, that she ought to be doing the same, and sets about finding some places to pin them up as well, never straying more than a few steps from the others. "Can been hard find, too," she adds with a small smile. Considering how vast the Ruins are, and how few live there, it's no surprise that one could wander it for weeks, maybe even months, and never see anything but bears and foxes. After putting up another flier, she returns to her conversation with Kyou, looking at her curiously. "Sellen why knowledge of the Great Ones?"

Hearing, for the first time in long months, someone speak something she could understand as easily as breathing brings a brilliant light to her eyes, and she immediately gives Kyou a glowing, if still modest, smile. "Your'n of the ruins!" she exclaims, forgetting quite completely about everything else around her. She hugs some of the flyers to her chest in excitement, accidentally crinkling them a bit. "Id'n thought possibly so, but wanted not maken assumptions." She looks quickly over the other's clothing. "Would be'en rude if not so." She leaves Janus a bit in the dust as she hastens her step to follow along with the others, keeping abreast of Kyou. "Of where aren you?"

Surprised to hear her name, she starts slightly before turning around to see one of the other women of the caravan looking at her. You can... come... too if you want. She tries to commit the word order to memory, and the strange lack of endings on some of them. She's nowhere near confident enough in her abilities to replicate the way people here talk, but maybe if she can at least learn it a little, in her head, then she'll be a little better off. "Youve'n saved me," she says with a grateful smile, already feeling like a load is off her shoulders. Her demeanor has brightened too with glad surprise that some others here would think to include her. They seem more manageable than Anna and her siblings, as Ke understands them to be, at least. "Janus, comen with? Neither us need talken now."

Today, the tome at her side would be her only line of defense. She felt almost naked, being without her bow, but she was still in the process of making her new one. Standing off to the side, she listens to the instructions carefully, with an intent concentration. Even despite her best efforts, however, some of it still ends up garbled and missing her comprehension. When Anna dismisses them all cheerily, Ke resists the urge to sigh. This is what's commonplace for her now, after all, and she's already begun to acclimate to the language barrier. One would think they weren't even speaking the same tongue sometimes; the way people here strung their words together and pronounced them — sometimes it took her a few seconds before she could even figure one out, and by then it was too late to catch up. Fortunately, this time, it wasn't too hard to figure out from context alone. The posters had to be put up around town. An unsure look on her face, she picks up a stack of them, looking over the extravagant colors and gaudy phrases. And then looking up and out across the paved streets, frowning at the thick bustle of morning foot traffic. Prior to a few months ago, she'd never seen even a fraction of this many people in one place. Doing her best to shake off the trepidation, she turns to look at Janus, who seems as uneasy as she feels. "Together aren a bad idea... but I must talken?" She looks sheepish, blushing as how she's sure her manner would be perceived, as it already has been. "Sure not if that be well... soon as I openen my mouth, we would be stared. And may taken not even that long." She hasn't yet gotten around to changing her wardrobe much yet, as the idea of purchasing clothing is still odd, and she has no concept of adequate pricing, how to shop, or what she would be expected to wear in a culture like this. Part of her almost wishes she had been assigned the part of the guard, like some of the other characters who are ponying around nearby. Then she might have been spared a potentially embarrassing trip through the streets.

In an explosive trade of magic, Naomi and the scholar exchange blows, each hitting their mark. Cheat Sheet:

"How fierce...!" he exclaims with a smile, tail swishing. And then, in a quieter voice: "par for the course for you humans, though...~" The bolt flies, crippling the axeman as it hits. With a scowl, he counters with a swing of his hand axe, but the weapon merely scratches Rhian's armor. Cheat Sheet:

Johanna holds and vulns Argos. Verden to T26 and Heal Dulcibella. [ ENEMY PHASE ] Scholar 4 to P27 and attacks Ceridwen. The scholar throws a spell at Ceridwen to start, which she manages to counter with a toss of her javelin, injuring him in turn. Angered by the blow, the mage conjures up a thick miasma of dark magic, which expands and envelops the Knight completely. Fighter 3 to O26 and attacks Kerr. From down the hall, a spinning hand axe whirls through the air, heavily denting Kerr's armor. Tactician 2 to P25 and attack Kerr. A blast of thunder magic quickly follows up, downing him. Tactician 2 presses the assault on Scholar 4. Scholar 4 to Q25 and attacks Argos. Invigorated by his ally's attack, the scholar moves again to continue the carnage, bringing a still-winded Argos back down in one strike. Antoinette fires at Michi. [ ALLY PHASE ] Watching the chaos unfold, the young man winces, rubbing his head as he regards the group with an unsure frown. "These are the same guys who beat us a little while ago...?" Move to U27. Turn 15 Michi takes 3 damage from poison. Cheat Sheet:

Sweat begins to dot his brow as he faces off against the next incoming wave, but despite the signs of exertion, there is no fatigue in his expression. Rearranging his grip on his lance, he casts a quick glance back to the corridor on his left. If the Gulans thought they had outsmarted them, they would be in for a surprise. "Enemy flanking from the left side! There's a passageway to the throne room from there!" he calls to the others, twisting out of the way of a monk's light spell. "Dragon, can you take..." Gods, in a moment like this, he can't hope to remember their new members' names, much less their code names, "—someone, and defend Her Majesty!"

"Sorry—" she replies, chagrined. She'd hoped nobody had heard that. Still, though. 'Sides'? In a world like this? She sighs quietly.

Move to N15 and attack Archer C with Steel Javelin, Canto to M15.

"Wait, did that guy just recite slam poetry?" It was a comment in the form of a rhetorical question, spoken more to herself than anyone else as she pulls Iba up into the air to head north over the water. "... That's pretty legit." M4.

Michi's aim proves true, and the second horseman is downed shortly after the first. Cheat Sheet:

Kerr engages the horseman who had downed Argos, dealing a solid blow and deftly avoiding his counterattack. He smiles at Naomi's enthusiasm, though it's an unreadable kind of smile, one that doesn't seem either entirely benign or sinister despite the pleasantness of his tone. "I might not be around too long... But I couldn't say no to someone as cute as you~" (...) Cheat Sheet:

"Here the path begin. Matter it not state of mind, or shape of heart... not if others thinken me strong or weak. I will prevailen."

The hard, almost stormy countenance makes Ferdiad seem like a different man. As the first wave engages him, he grips his lance tight, fending off the bulk of their attacks, diverting their attentions away from his allies. As swords and flames strike at him, his armor, even the pain is negligible in the face of the stakes. Around him, Virtuous retaliates, downing several. They will not fall. "Come at me, men of Gul! Every blow of yours will be answered tenfold!" Attack Mage B, Canto to N11.

Rhian's bolt pierces the cavalier as he retreats unfortunately not exploding him. Cheat Sheet:

Verden to V25, Heal Dulcibella. [ ENEMY PHASE ] Up near the throne room... "Damn it, how did they get past the courtyard?" "Those dogs are useless! Ugh... now we'll have to report this to the General." "Well, since you brought it up, you can do it!" "Wh-What?" "Someone has to! And I, uh, need to help defend! Go on!" Without waiting for a rebuttal, the soldier runs off around the hall, leaving his compatriot standing and looking progressively more crestfallen before turning and gathering his wits to enter the throne hall. He barely walks in before nearly being blown off his feet by the sound of screeching. "Worthless, worthless, worthless!!!! All of you! What do you mean those imbecilic Knights have sent out more troops? You, bag of worms!" Milich spins around, jabbing a finger in the direction of the hapless new arrival. "You better have good news, wretch!" "... The... The Allied Guard, sir, they're... they're advancing, sir." "They're WHAT?" For a few seconds, Milich looks like he's going to explode, the same shade as his outrageous hat. But then he suddenly decompresses, exhaling slowly and fanning himself with a hand delicately. "No, no. Milich, you are gracious and kind. You will forgive these ingrates; they don't know any better. Ah, the burdens of the strong and intelligent..." He looks back at the messenger. "Well, you know what to do, don't you?" The soldier stares at him with anxious confusion. "... Don't you?" More silence. "... FIRE ANTOINETTE YOU HEAPING PILE OF REFUSE!!" The man scurries off as fast as his legs can carry him, before Milich is even done screaming. Antoinette fires at Argos! Cav 3 to R25, attacks Argos, Canto to P25. The first horseman rides up and strikes, exchanging blows with Argos, who stands his ground. Cav 4 to R25, attacks Argos, Canto to Q25. Riding up to take his partner's place, the horseman downs Argos with one blow. "Argos! Damn..." She'd told him it would be reckless. The enemy was waiting for just the right chance for someone to jump in, thinking they could handle it. But her worry is tinged with alarm, too, as she looks around, trying to find the source of the strange bolt that had come out of nowhere. "Everyone, be cautious! They're firing from cover!" Tactician 2 to M25. Scholar 3 to L26. Fighter 2 to M27. [ ALLY PHASE ] "Another one bites the dust..." He shakes his head sorrowfully. "What's going on up there, anyway?" Standing on his tiptoes, he tries to peer over or around the clustered Guard to see what exactly the commotion had been that'd brought Argos to the ground. Hold. Turn 14. Cheat Sheet:

K25, Worm Swordsman A.

P13, shoot Monk 5 with Iron Bow, Canto to P10.

The moment he hears the word 'invaders', Ferdiad snaps immediately to attention. The nervousness of his situation, though still present, falls to the wayside like a discarded item, eclipsed by the sudden shock of being jarred back into the present. In the span of a split-second, he instinctively scans the area for its entrances and exits, remembers that he knows this castle like the back of his own hand, and opens his mouth to call out orders to imagined subordinates— "A—" —And then immediately shuts it again. That's not his place anymore. That's right. His gaze flicks to Albert in urgent assessment: does he know how to guard Castle Ceda? Does he know its weak points, its places of best fortification, where to exercise extra caution and where to hold the enemy? With Gul at their doorstep... he turns when Stella speaks, eyes falling to the bow in her hands. She... Sloth... Heart hammering — now with the adrenaline of battle, this time to defend what is most important — he unhoists his spear from Bradwr's saddle and turns, moving swiftly over to Kane and speaking to him so no one else can hear. The resolve from earlier has returned to his voice, wiping away any trace of vulnerability. "Phoenix. I must be honest with you. You and Virtuous are irreplaceable to me, but this castle — Her Majesty — is my home. If it should come down to it, my first priority will be to defend Her Majesty with my life. Please understand." Without waiting for an answer, he pulls himself onto Bradwr's back, voice echoing with rousing fire. "Virtuous, form rank! Allies both new and old, let us show these invaders our united strength!" M9, Equip Steel Jav.

The ride to Ceda Castle doesn't see Ferdiad's mood lift much. In fact, after acknowledging Kane's offer of support with a nod, unreadable behind his mask, he had fallen all but silent as a statue for the remainder of the conversation and the caravan ride. Anxieties boiled, tempestuous and nauseating, beneath the surface. Nearly every scenario possible crossed his mind — if Bradwr would give him away, if at any moment Stella would see straight through his meager disguise and start a scene in the carriage, if the moment he stepped out of the wagon in the castle town there would be a mob of furious Cedans waiting with torches and iron. It was at least partially paranoia, he knew, and the chances — at least of the latter — were slim, but he couldn't help the fear looming like a summer storm on the horizon, regardless. For once, the mask on his face feels truly like the only barrier between him and certain catastrophe, and it may as well be paper. He wrangled restlessly with himself, swinging back and forth between a sure conviction that there was a clock above his head counting down to the moment everything would go wrong and that his presence would ruin Virtuous and Ceda irrevocably, and trying feebly to reassure himself that it would work out just fine: a toothpick against a dragon. If he'd hoped that it was simply the claustrophobia of the carriage, unfortunately the fear only worsens the moment he steps out of the wagon. He's grateful to be standing at the back of the group so no one else can see the way his lip quivers at the crunch of familiar soil under his boots, the angle of the sun behind the south tower, the long patch of lichen crawling up the stone wall beside the gate — all landmarks he would greet with pride each morning. Albert dismisses the guards from their post, guards standing in the same place Ferdiad once stood before he was the one managing and arranging their positions as Albert is now, and he can't bring himself to look for too long. Everything he sees is sweetness, and for that sweetness it also burns. He is an ugly blemish that walks in behind Virtuous to the great hall wherein he knows the dusty footprints in the corner where the handmaidens like to cluster and gossip, where precisely the edges of the long carpet have just begun to lose their color, and have they fixed that one handrail where it loosened at the fourth stair step? He is an imposter in second skin, a sheep hiding among wolves, waiting for them to realize he is prey.

Argos' frenzied charge catches the winded mage off guard, and with his wounds, he isn't able to duck in time. A head rolls, the fountain of blood spraying Argos in the face. The body follows soon after, slumping in a heap. "Argos!" She's unable to stop the young man from rushing in, and releases a tense breath upon seeing that he's all right, for now. "That was incredibly reckless." Take Vuln from Argos and use one on him. Cheat Sheet:

Whoever trained Milich's scholars probably needs a raise, because this one, despite being on his last legs, manages to evade Johanna's strike and counterattack skillfully. [ ENEMY PHASE ] Scholar 3 to S26 and attack Rhian. He seems to know he's not going to last much longer, but is determined to bring someone down with him. He launches his desperate assault at Rhian at point-blank range, incapacitating her. Cavalier 3 to N26. Cavalier 4 to N27. Tactician 2 to K25. Scholar 4 to I26. Fighter 3 to J27. [ ALLY PHASE ] "Ah... what a shame..." The young man's features darken with somewhat exaggerated sadness, or perhaps disappointment, as he watches Rhian strike the stone floor. "Like a pretty flower fading away." Moves to W26. Turn 13 Argos recovers 5 HP. Cheat Sheet:

Well, that happened fast. Juliett finds herself in the town center, staring down the Queen's forces across the fountain, and it's all just very abrupt. Wait, they're going to— Here?— Now? Shit. What happened to looking for Lancelot? Pulling herself into the saddle, she rubs her temple, peering up through the fringe of her bangs at the enemy, listening to the Queen's call to arms and then Nicolos'. It sounds like both sides think they're in the right; both sides think they're acting for the greatest good of the country, and both sides think they're more worthy than the other. Looks like she'll have to keep a close eye on this conflict. "Okay, sure, why the hell not," she mutters with a sigh under her breath. N9.

Not expecting the sudden hug, Ferdiad staggers slightly, then looks down with alarm at Mim clinging tightly to him. "... I..." Then he looks back up at Kane somewhat hopelessly, taking in his words and thinking about them. "This is not about my selfishness, either of you, nor anything to do with my views of myself. This is simply the truth of my situation... Her Majesty may not object, but the people of Ceda will. They will refuse to hear anything you have to say or offer, just upon hearing my name. Are you willing to jeopardize Virtuous', and Ceda's, chances of changing the world — our greatest goal — for the sake of one man?" He casts his gaze down at the floor and heaves a heavy sigh. "All the same... I..." His voice grows very quiet, almost trembling, and he sounds like he might cry with the next murmured words: "... It's my home..." He pauses for a long time and swallows hard, shoulders tense. Behind the mask, he closes his eyes, seeming to be fighting back some powerful emotion, and only opens them again a few long seconds later. "And you are all my allies. I cannot let you go in alone." All at once, it seems as if all the strength has been drained out of him. He looks suddenly extremely exhausted, and presses the heel of one hand to his forehead. "... I'm at a loss." He relents, with the helpless capitulation of someone who has lost the will to debate further. "I will... go along with you. There is nowhere else for me to go."