126 replies to this topic

[Crimson Lego]

As he waited for the strange metal man to take up Selena’s rather generous offer, Leo decided to take the time to do some serious thinking at the dinner table and take a good look at the companions nearby.

Crossing his arms and leaning back slightly in his chair, the general gazed around at the assembled Calatians and guests dining in. Considering that there were only 2 or 3 others at the table besides Selena, he thought it wouldn’t take much time. Be nice if I could actually talk to them…but we’re in a middle of war. Not great for casual conversation. Turning to the newcomer first, the dwarf wondered exactly how he had become like that. Nobody is born inorganic; did he go under some kind of surgery before coming to this region? Shrugging it off, he decided to ignore it and just hope that the ‘man’ would decide to stay in Calatia and help in the war against the Empire.

Glancing over at Jordan of the Whirlwind Spear, Leo tried to think of where he could have been for the past 2 years. Horace Jenkins already said that they were camping out on Windfall Island with an old man; most likely Tiresias. On the way to this room, the dwarf had heard Selena say something about the seer to Jordan. If he and his friends wanted to put up a fight against Chikara, why didn’t they just join Calatia? We have enough people to put up a strong enough resistance. Selena’s got a lot of knowledge about the Goddess as well, which gives us a big advantage. Nevertheless, Leo knew that the former pirate had his own reasons, and he wasn’t going to try to persuade Jordan on his own. I sure hope Lena’s got a good idea.

Finally, the general turned his eyes to Synile. He’s definitely a strong one, observed Leo. Considering the former Loddie could wield a blade his own size; that much was obvious. However, he also seemed to have a friendly personality, seeing as he was able to have a casual conversation with just about anyone. However, the dwarf also wondered why Synile also talked to himself at times, and seemed to say other random statements as well completely unrelated to a situation. Still, he was probably somebody good to have in a fight against anybody.

Pouring out another glass of mead, Leo sat back and drank slowly, looking between everybody at the table.

ooc: Feels odd having my character observe others; I never used to do that in role playing.

[Sir Turtlelot]

Turtlelot listened closely to Selena, taking in everything she had to say.

"Most interesting... So, this "goddess" of Koridai is trying to conquer and enslave your people you say, and she is an embodiment of the god of chaos? And the whole point to this war is to destroy the goddess, and bring freedom to the land?"

Turtlelot paused and stared intently at Selena.

"That is a very noble cause. I would be honored to serve for such a cause."

"Now..." Turtlelot said, as he looked down. "As for my past. It is rather complicated, so I will try and make this as simple as I can."

Turtlelot looked back up at Selena. "My name is Sir Timotheus Turtlelot. I used to be human, like the rest of you, but that was nearly a millennium ago. I am from a realm parallel to your own, a place where mortals do not dwell. You could call it the afterlife, if it makes it easier to understand. I was sent here to help with some sort of crisis, and from what you have just told me, it's obvious now what that is. You see, you were the first people I encountered after awaking in a cave somewhere in the mountains, hence why I did not know what was going on. As for this suit, it is nothing more than a body that my spirit controls, similar to how you control your own bodies."

[Selena]

Noble. Selena's skin crawled at the very mention of the word. Selena was a fearsome warlord that had spent centuries dismembering innocent people and noble heroes out of the simple desires to pillage and be feared. 'Noble' was a grievous insult amongst the Labyrinth warriors - right up there with 'honorable' and 'gallant.' There were many benefits to the role she was being forced to play. There were more decent people on the planet than there were cutthroat knaves. Acting as if she were the world's savior was good for recruitment, even if the kind and merciful lot weren't as good at fighting as the degenerates were. At least on average. Men like Turtlelot and Jordan - even Leo - were powerful exceptions that she would be stupid not to use against Chikara. They would make worthy opponents some day.

She liked Turtlelot, and the reason she liked him was because after years of dealing with cloaked, enigmatic superbeings, Turtlelot was refreshingly frank. Even if his story sounded a tad out there, he had been honest. That was better than an attempt to manipulate Selena into doing something obviously for their gain. Like Keel had done as the last avatar of Lazu. She knew something bad was going to happen by working with him, but he'd been such a nuisance that she'd given in simply to shut him up. A bad idea, in retrospect. Shutting Chik up was a whole lot harder.

"That... is complicated," Selena agreed. "I won't turn down powerful help, though, and it seems like fate decided to bring you into the battle at precisely the right moment. I welcome you to the crew, but I also warn you that we're going straight into the deep end."

Selena took a bite of meat and swallowed it down, still hungry after a hard day's work. After she had finished, she leaned forward and rested her elbows on the table, fingers intertwined.

"The war has begun. The declaration of war was Koridai's attack on the Chasm of Wyrms - one of our major supply routes. The border assault was likely an attempt to take out some of our leading officers. Everyone knows that, despite her cute appearance, Rhiannon is a highly skilled strategist and warrior. I'm going to have the other leaders of Calatia fortify our provinces and rally the troops. It will take some time for either the Calatian or Koridian war machines to kick into full gear. The reason I'm leaving the others in charge of that process is because I'll be heading off to a new continent on a private mission. I'll need volunteers to come with me."

She shifted her gaze from one warrior to the next as she continued, trying to judge their reactions.

"Chikara is still a goddess. Even if we crush her armies, she can still potentially raise them from the dead or wipe everything out using the full powers of Lazu. We aren't going to win the war unless we find a way to either remove her powers or keep them locked away. Fortunately, we have a lead on such a weapon or technique. I'll be leaving for Korento, to the south of Verden, to investigate. It seems our dear friend General Crimson encountered a 'witch' on his diplomatic mission to Virrat, promising the gift of a god-killing weapon of some sort. I don't think Chikara is aware of its existence, so we must seize this opportunity now, when the war is just beginning. Sounds like a trap, so I won't lie about the risk, but we have to go if the bait is genuine. I've fought my way out of suicide missions before."

Selena leaned back in her seat and looked at Jordan.

"Jordan, I understand you've got no love for either dorm, but our goals are ultimately the same and Calatia needs all the help it can get. I propose a business deal. You and your hidden troop of super heroes can maintain your sovereignty. I will never 'order' you to go on a mission, but I'll make available to you all the information I have and let you decide whether you want to participate. If you feel morally uncomfortable with any of my decisions in the field, you are free to break the contract and depart. You have immense talents as a warrior and you know Steel far better than I do. You'd be a valuable asset, and I'd pay you well for your services. Despite the fact that we're not as 'civilized' as our neighbors to the east, we've got mines full of gold and other resources at our disposal. If a day comes where you decide you want to do battle with me, that's fine. I like good fights. Let's just do it after the threat of pint-sized armageddon is removed."

Her gaze shifted to Leo.

"And how 'bout this witch, General Crimson? What did you make of her? Did she seem legitimate?"

[JRPomazon]

A witch? God-killing weapon? Why is he hearing all of this now for the first time? Jordan took some time to think about Selena's offer and then came to his conclusion.

"Fossil, I'll give you people a hand. We can discuss methods of payment later, I don't think now is a appropriate time to talk turkey."

He looked over to the roast turkey on his right, on the plate of another viking warrior.

"Hey, you going to eat that?"

* * *

Down in the dungeon of Snowpeak, Horace remained quiet as he froze in his cell. He stared off into space, his thoughts trying to wander anywhere but to the cold. A loud crash was heard, one of the guards was tossed aside like a rag doll across the dungeon while another crash echoed in the room. Horace immediately looked out of his cell to see what was happening. Foot steps echoed louder and louder, whatever had caused the trouble was getting closer. If he wasn't as exhausted from the cold, the fear would be more visible on his face. Then from the corner of the barred opening was a man in a gray cloak holding a large ball and chain.

"Well now, if it isn't Horace? How was your vacation buddy?"

"Maes! Why are you here? Have you come to rescue me? Did Jordan send for you?"

"Well, I can't say EITHER of those things are true."

"Huh, I don't understand."

"Well Horace ol' pal, you're a no-good deserter. And for all we know, your a rotten lil' snitch too. You could have said anything about us, or Windfall to the Alliance and that is a no-no."

"I haven't said anything about you people to anyone! Is that why you're here? You taking me back to Windfall?"

"Take you back? HA! That's a good one, I love your sense of humor. No, I'm afraid you'll be sticking around here buddy. The seer saw everything between you and Jordan just a while ago and that's why I'm here."

Maes swung the ball and chain into the bars of the cells, smashing them on impact and creating an opening. He then took a couple steps in. Horace began to struggle in his chains, feverishly attempting to escape.

"Wait, Maes! Don't do this! Jordan changed my mind, I'll come back and we can save Verden!"

"You know, that mouth of yours is kinda annoying. I think I'll smash it shut so we don't have to worry about that problem anymore."

With that, the massive steel ball was launched, hitting Horace directly in the chest, crushing his ribcage and everything behind it. He was dead moments later.

"Well, my aim was off. Better work on that later."

Without another thought in his head, he headed off, leaving Calatia behind. No need for extended visits and no need for sight seeing, the job was done. That's just the kind of man Maes was.

Edited by JRPomazon, 10 April 2010 - 02:50 PM.

[Rhiannon]

Rhiannon has stayed in the shadows for a little while after the others left. Still fuming at the nerve that mad had to out her. Kindness is never rewarded like it should be. She was just about to come out of the hallway when a man brushed past her. He was big, tall and she could almost feel the power coming from him. Rhiannon was not usually this scared of an intruder, but she knew she couldn’t take him alone.

They spoke for a moment or two. The whole ordeal seemed to go by very quick. Before she knew it the man they were holding in the cell was hunched over making no sound. Rhiannon didn’t breathe; she didn’t move a muscle until the man ran past her once more. When he was out of sight she ran tipping over the tray she had brought down. The hot was sizzled as it hit the cold floor.

The breath she had been holding in came out in a small scream when she saw the body. She ran up to him, he was definitely dead. Rhiannon started to tear up, yet she had no idea why. She didn’t know the man; he had even fought against her. She had never seen someone so brutally murdered. Sure we killed in battle, but it went by all so fast. This had seemed to go on forever. No one deserved to die like that.

She mouth was dry from shock. She could only manage a hoarse murmur to the dead man, “I’m so sorry.” Rhia ran through the water, it splashed on the nearby walls and her watery footprints followed behind.

She burst into the dining hall. “Selena!” She slightly screamed causing everyone to stare at her. Rhiannon was weeping now, she tried to pull herself together in front of Selena and the men. The last thing she needed was to be further judged by them. No matter how hard she tried, they kept falling.

“He’s dead.” She spoke in such a small whisper; it would be a wonder if Selena heard it at all.

[Crimson Lego]

Wait, that witch? The crazy one from Voodoo Isle that the Koridaian standing 30 yards from him had identified before all hell broke loose in Vatenbaer? In the past few weeks since the diplomatic mission to the continent of Komitaa, Leo had completely pushed that strange event out of his head. At least I can remember it; it was actually pretty odd. To have somebody from Voodoo Isle, undoubtedly in the northern part of Verden, to just turn up in the middle of a nearly unexplored continent far to the southeast was definitely not a coincidence.

Taking another sip from his glass of mead, the general turned and spoke to both Jordan and Selena. “I have no reason to believe it was an imperial hoax,” he began slowly. “If it was, I seriously doubt that the Koridaian who politely identified her for me would have done so. Besides, she had a strange sense of aura around her, and was talking pretty seriously as well.” Finishing up his drink, and refilling the glass, Leo continued on. “However, there was one thing I noticed: she said that she sensed a desire in me to defeat somebody named ‘Ahrem’. I have no idea who that is,” Glancing around at the people, the dwarf finished up with his conclusion. “However, if it’s another name for Chikara or Lazu, then I believe we should head to this new Korento continent as soon as possible before Koridai launches any major attacks.”

Pulling up a plate of chocolate cake towards him for dessert, Leo brought the fork half to his mouth before he heard somebody scream, “Selena!” Nearly jumping out of his chair in fright, he whirled around and saw that it was Rhiannon. Why’s she crying, thought the dwarf in confusion, noticing several tears going down her face. As the Princess walked up to Selena and whispered something nearly inaudible, Leo gripped the handle of his knife, hoping that it was nothing serious.

[Selena]

Selena froze with her mead cup still pressed to her lips. "...Who's dead?"

She would really have to lecture her apprentice on the improper use of pronouns, since... oh! He! The prisoner was dead. That was it. Sly little minx, that Rhia, slipping poison into the food she was 'mercifully' trying to bring him. The use of poison was classy, but something of a waste when it was easy enough to just go in there and stab him. Oh, well. No matter! Selena had been begging her to toughen up over the years, and she finally had. No sense in being picky about methods. And look! She was crying tears of joy after completing her kill! Oh, what a glorious da--

Wait.

No, those definitely weren't tears of joy. Those were tear-tears. Bad tears. Tears that made Lena uncomfortable. Why did people have to leak like that? It was so... creepy! Okay, so Rhiannon was upset. The prisoner was dead. Rhiannon hadn't done it. That meant someone else had. No Calatian guard was stupid enough to defy any of Lena's orders, because that a fate potentially worse than a regular death on the battlefield. This did not sound right. Another one of Steel's spies for her men to hunt down? Trying to silence her source of Alliance information before she could discover camp locations or any links to Chikara herself? It wasn't right. This day was just never going to end.

"Who did it? What happened?"

[JRPomazon]

Jordan stopped eating and quickly rose from the table, knocking dishes over in the process and rushing past Rhiannon. She was the one who stuck around a little longer in the dungeon, that's what she was talking about, right? No, it didn't matter, he had to see for himself. So he ran. He remembered how to get there, those stupid guards from before helped him that much. Why did this happen? How could this happen? All the way to Horace's cell, dodging people and making sharp turns. The cold didn't bother him anymore. Then, he pasted the ajar dungeon door and saw the guards lying on the ground.

No.

He rushed to the cell with the bars burst open. There he was, his body bloodied and bruised with his face twisted in an expression pain. He held onto the bars and let his body go a little limp. He took a few steps in, examining the body. He was dead, anyone could have told you that. He got to his knees, tilted Horace's head back and closed his eyes.

"I should have got you out of here sooner."

He got up, keeping his composure like a dam holding back rapids. He wanted answers.

Edited by JRPomazon, 11 April 2010 - 12:54 AM.

[Crimson Lego]

By the way Selena responded to Rhiannon and the way Jordan had run off, undoubtedly to the prison cells below, Leo knew exactly which person in Snowpeak Ruins had been killed: Lieutenant Horace Jenkins. What nobody knew was why, who or what; Rhiannon might have seen the last two, but she was probably too hysterical right now to provide a clear description. The bastard had it coming to him anyways, thought the dwarf, getting off his own chair and walking calmly out towards the front of the castle. Horace probably would have been killed by his friends had Jordan gotten him out of the Vikings’ grip. Of course, if it was one of the cloaked people like Lucas, they probably would have gotten the information of Horace’s capture from the Seer, and undoubtedly seen Jordan’s attempt to free the traitor. It might have been the Alliance as well; didn’t want him talking to much. From experience, Leo knew that any organization smart enough could have spies, even high enough as captains or colonels. There might have been an Alliance agent nearby who heard of the lieutenant’s capture; he might have done the actual hit himself. We’re soon going to find out…if he even left this place. With so many people inside the castle, all you needed was a fur cloak, a helmet, a round shield, and somebody blue to blend in; the possibilities were endless.

Pushing open the front doors, the general was glad to see that the Calatians on guard patrol were not slacking off just because Selena was back and all was well. Hefting his axe with both hands, Leo scanned the area for any suspicious footsteps; unfortunately, there were so many of the real ones that it was nearly impossible to identify where the killer had possibly gone. Again, if he even left, he reminded himself. Besides, any hunter or patrolman could have done it. I’ll ask a guard.

Walking up to a man nearly a foot taller than him holding a dangerously large battleaxe as well, Leo pulled down at his sleeve to get the man’s attention. “Did you see anyone suspicious leave or enter Snowpeak?” he asked.

Screwing up his eyes in thought, the guard eventually shook his head. “I see a lot of stuff, sir. Prisoners, other guards, and so on. Plus, I just started my shift for today. Is there anybody you’re looking for in particular, General?”

Ugh, this is going to be harder than I thought, grimaced the dwarf as he tried not to roll his eyes in incredulity. “Let me rephrase: have you seen any new recruits lately? Anybody that you’ve never met or talked to before come around this area or up from the basement?”

Thinking again, the guard nodded in reply. “Yeah, there were a few tall guys with pikes, 3 others with pretty long scimitars, one with a wacky staff made of gold, and one with a ball and chain. I spoke to the swordsmen; they said they were going hunting. The ones with pikes went to the Mead Hall. I never got a chance to talk to the Viking with the ball and chain; I would have assumed he was going on patrol. The mage went back inside somewhere after practicing some magic.”

Sure. With something that heavy too, he’s really going to beat down some Koridaians easily. Nodding in thanks to the guard, the dwarf quickly sprinted down towards the cells and walked quickly down the stairs. So far, Leo deduced it was either the mage or the one with the ball and chain. Leaving the scene of the crime untraced would be smart, but hiding in a place where there’s a lot of mountains is even smarter. For all he cared, the dwarf could spend weeks searching the nearby region for the killer and never find him. Of course, maybe it was a cloaked man, and he’s heading back to Windfall. With his contacts there, Jordan can probably find out which one of them left the island at the time of the murder. Personally, Leo didn’t give a shit about solving mysteries in the midst of this war, but having it happen at the capital made it rather…important. We left that guy only half an hour ago; how could he have died so quickly?

Quickly entering the battered cell after grabbing 2 of his Snakeheads on the way down, the general was unsurprised to find Jordan already there. The door of the cell looked like it had been smashed through with something. Horace Jenkins was still hanging down from the wall, his killer not even bothering to remove the restraints. Placing his axe on the table, Leo knelt down and checked the unconscious guard’s pulse. Fine; he’ll wake up soon if we get him to someplace warm. Ordering his men to bring the guard up, the dwarf crossed his arms and watched Jordan for a moment or two. The dwarf couldn’t help feeling sorry for Horace; after all, he also wanted to wipe out the Goddess, albeit Calatia as well. Joining the Alliance, the organization which started this whole thing, probably wasn’t the smartest choice, he thought grimly. Horace’s goals were ‘noble’, as Sir Turtlelot upstairs put it, but his path was definitely not a smart one.

After a reasonable amount of time, Leo finally decided to give Jordan the information he had recovered; maybe he could catch the culprit who killed the lieutenant. After all, he had access to the seer. “One of the guards out front saw a mage with a golden staff head back into Snowpeak sometime ago; another man with a ball and chain left the capital. Do you know anybody on Windfall Island or in the Alliance with those descriptions?”

[Sir Deimos]

"Dinner and a show!?" Synile lounged back in the chair at the dinner table casually. Rhiannon's outburst seemed to unnerve everyone. So that naked guy down in the cells died? Rhiannon was upset about something. Both Jordan and Leo seemed to think it was a matter worth investigating, judging by the way they sprung up from their chairs.

"He's dead, what will rushing solve? Anyone dumb enough to murder someone in Calatia's capital must be a genius."

"You're an idiot."

"Don't call me an idiot!" ... That damn voice was very good at making Synile speak out loud. "Hopefully this means there will be someone to kill. Anyway, Lena, before we were so rudely interrupted, let me be your first volunteer. I love exploration and excuses to expand the arsenal, as for now, it seems everyone wants to play sleuth." Synile lazily gets up from his chair and casually walks downward to the dungeon. Leo was talking to Jordan. The guy was still chained to the wall, and everything was largely unchanged. The only exception being the large hole that now replaced the captive's ribcage. Jordan seemed like he was about to burst containing his anger.

"Hahaha. Test the spear one's limits. I rather like him. Hopefully he doesn't disappoint."

"Looks like your friend is missing his... well... chest. That's a vital piece of human anatomy, the chest. Anyway, I thought you came with us to... save him..? That's a funny way of doing it, don'tcha think? Or maybe you wanted your friend here dead. That would give you an excuse to hate Calatia even more." Synile began to grin wolfishly. "To think, the last words your old friend heard were that you were getting him out of here. Well, he sure isn't with us anymore." Synile slowly starts pacing about the room, purposely putting his back to Jordan.

"Hmmm... Well, when I move into a room in this castle... I think I'll store my liquor here. It's not too cold... Just enough to give the whiskey a slight chill. The stuff is drinkable at room temperature, but I find it to be a bit more enjoyable with a chill. Although there is such a thing as too cold. Although that applies to many things. Food and liquids can be too cold. Room temperature. That can be too cold. Relationships between friends, one can be too cold to other human beings. Or, another example, the corpse of a friend can be too cold. Like, not what it should be, not 98.6 degrees, Fahrenheit."

The voices in Synile's head begin to laugh, meanwhile his hand rests on the hilt to the katana at his hip, ready to see if any nerves were struck, all the while unable to control a huge and mirthful grin.

[JRPomazon]

OoC: Going to play with your characters a bit guys, hope you don't mind.

Jordan got up and turned to Leo and Synile, his eyes far more piercing than the numbing cold that ran up and down the viking stronghold. The air around them began to grow stale, almost as though it were gaining some sort of mass. Becoming harder to breathe. Then it was as if all the air in the room had just disappeared, the two Calatians beginning to cough and gag as it felt like the very wind was being drawn from their bodies. Jordan walked past them, Synile dropped to his knees as the pressure was becoming to much for his bodies to handle.

"Don't try me." He said, not even gracing either of them with a single glance.

As he headed past the gate and away from the cells, the air in the room seemed to come back followed with a several coughing fits. He was royally pissed off, especially after what Leo said. Gold Staff and a ball and chain? Something was happening at Windfall that he didn't know about, something Tiresias planned behind his back. He'd get to asking the old man another time, after this mess was settled. He passed the meed hall entrance, Selena trying to calm Rhiannon to understand the situation. After a couple of wrong turns and re corrections, he arrived to the front gate and greeted the guard with a simple "Open the door."

The guard decided to abide, not interested in making enemies with Jordan. He wasn't the most friendly face to behold and frankly, the viking was scared.

The massive door was opened and Jordan promptly walked out.

"I'll be back later, tell that to your leader."

As the massive door closed, he only took a few steps outside the ice covered ruin, looking down at the endless scene of white. He needed one of two things right now, time to cool down or someone to beat senseless.

Edited by JRPomazon, 12 April 2010 - 01:25 AM.

[Crimson Lego]

Right about to pass out into unconsciousness when the air came sweeping back into the cell, Leo quickly inhaled in as much air as possible, falling onto 1 knee in the process. Taking more than a few deep breaths and resting for a few minutes, he got up slowly to his feet and gazed out at the dead lieutenant. Freaking killer nearly knocked us out as well, thought the general grimly. Jordan was definitely in a rage; he’d never seen him like that in a rage before.

And Synile as well, thought Leo, looking down at the former Loddie. He had obviously gone to great lengths to provoke a person whose friend had just been killed and controlled the power of air. Taunting him about not keeping the promise to Horace was another biggie, grimaced the dwarf as he picked up his fallen battleaxe. For some reason, getting the traitor out of the Calatian prisons was rather important, and the lieutenant seemed to believe it as well. Now that he was dead, courtesy of the man with the ball and chain or the golden staff, Horace’s body was hanging from the wall, its ribs smashed apart. Magic or powerful force could have done this easily; all we can do now is wait for Jordan to catch this man. Hefting his axe, Leo was about to cut off the restraints holding the corpse when he realized something. There could be evidence on his body; we can’t risk contaminating it. Reluctantly, the general lowered the weapon and glanced back at the doorway.

A moment later, anger tore through him, and he reacted well to it. Tossing the weapon aside, Leo whirled around, grabbed Synile by the shirt, hauled him to his feet, and slammed him against the wall. “What in the fuck were you thinking back there?” he snarled. “What kind of response were you hoping to get from him anyways? We could have been killed!”

[Sir Deimos]

What a trick! Remind us to provoke him outside next time. Synile's breathing slowly returns to normal, and just as suddenly gets slammed up against the wall of the jail.

"What in the fuck were you thinking back there?"

Synile's immediate reaction was to laugh in the dwarf's face. Leo didn't take this with as light a heart as Synile. In fact, the laughter inspired the dwarf to torque up his grip even harder.

"What kind of response were you hoping to get from him anyways? We could have been killed!"

Synile laughs even harder. Not a maniacal laughter, mind you, but genuine laughter, as if that whole incident was the funniest joke in the world. However, his mood and attitude changed on a dime, and went from jovial to dead serious. The smirk leaves his face, and he stares the dwarf dead in the eyes, with a somber face.

"He's your friend and I already know him better than you do? He wasn't going to kill anyone. He still has values, and sticks to them. You've never experienced the joy... People are a dime a dozen. Everyone clings to pathetic ideals that they abandon at the slightest sign of trouble. That man... That man fascinates me. I've broken his type before. There is no greater pleasure in the world than seeing their eyes. Once proud warriors, with haughty ideals, broken. Pushed passed their means. They accept behaviors they never would have dreamed themselves capable of committing."

The grin returns to Synile's face. "To see the light in their eyes replaced with acceptance... It is truly the best. To see one such as him accept his place, as an animal upon this earth, it fills me with joy. This one seems different. So I'll test his flexibility. He truly did not disappoint. I like this man, and I alone want the joy of taking his beliefs, and then the satisfaction of taking his head."

The dangerous glint in Synile's eye seems more apparent than ever. The smile slowly returns to his face, and his joyful laughter begins once more.

Edited by Synile, 12 April 2010 - 08:45 PM.

[Crimson Lego]

Listening closely to what Synile was saying to him, Leo gripped the man’s throat even tighter and leaned in closer. “I don’t give a shit what you’re saying right now,” he whispered. “But I promise you this, Synile: it’ll get you in trouble very soon if you know what I mean.” With that, the dwarf released his hold on Synile’s throat, picked up his axe, and headed out of the cell.

Son of a bitch, thought Leo as he treaded up the stairs to the main floors. He had honestly thought that Synile was, genuinely, a rather nice person, even those he was from the Labyrinth. All the provoking back there with insulting Jordan and showing off his unethical personality had changed the dwarf’s mind completely. I can’t do much about it, though. Since he’s from the Labyrinth, he’s probably higher up in the hierarchy in Selena’s mind than I am. Of course, making a simple about Synile to her or Wisp or Showsni or even Rhiannon could provide some simple discipline and prevent him from getting into any more trouble. I should have knocked him out, grimaced Leo as he entered his room, placed his axe away in the sash, and retrieved his rifle. Checking the chamber inside, he was satisfied to see that it was loaded; closing and locking the door, the general nodded in greeting to 2 other passing Calatians.

Heading straight for the dining room, Leo was unsurprised to see that most of the vikings inside the mess hall were still looking rather tense; in the distance, he could see that Selena was still trying to get more information out of Rhiannon. That might help in the capturing of this bastard, he thought. Better not distract her. Shouldering the rifle, the dwarf walked up to the table and waited for the 2 of the rulers to finish their own conversation before he added his own info in.

[Sir Turtlelot]

From the point of when Rhia busted into the Mead Hall up until the current moment, Turtlelot had no idea what the hell was going on. All that he could gather is that someone was killed. It caused Jordan to rush out of the Mead Hall with General Crimson and Synile to follow after him.

This did however answer one question that had been in Turtlelot's mind, where Rhia was. He wanted to comfort Rhia since she was obviously very upset, however, due to his lack of knowledge of the situation, he decided it would be best to let Selena handle the situation.

Turtlelot remained seated until he saw General Crimson return to the Mead Hall. The general walked over to Selena and appeared to be waiting for the two to finish speaking. Turtlelot rose from his seat and quickly pulled the general to the side.

"General, would you be so kind as to explain what the hell is going on?"

[Rhiannon]

"Who did it? What happened?"

It took a little while for Rhiannon to calm down. The scene was ghastly and she couldn’t get it out of her mind. She kept pounding the sides head hoping it would go away. Finally, she stopped sobbing and looked up at Selena with glistening eyes.

“I don’t know. I was collecting my thoughts and then he brushed by me so fast. I was so lucky he didn’t see me.” Rhia let out a frightened sob at this thought. She couldn’t believe her luck. Yet her fear suddenly turned to disappointment. Why hadn’t she done something? Surely she could have tripped him or something so easily. Rhia hung her head in shame and gave the rest of the description as best as she could.

“He was wearing a dark coloured cloak, and holding a ball and chain. He was quite big, looked very muscular. He chatted to the prisoner as if they were old friends. The prisoner replied with a name…” Rhia trailed off trying to think of it. “I can’t recall.. he mentioned a Jordan and then the big man grew quiet and I couldn’t hear the rest. The prisoner called out, asking if the man was taking him back to Windfall. And then everything happened so quickly. He smashed open the bars with one hit! The prisoner struggled and I could hear his chains rattling loudly… Oh! He called him Maes and said something about saving Verden.”

Small tears slowly rolled down her cheek as she recalled the horrible sound of the ball hitting the prisoner’s chest. The least she could feel good about, was that it was quick for him. She sunk to the floor. She needed to feel the ground beneath her to keep stable.

Rhiannon didn’t usually use her nicknames for Selena in front of anyone, but she couldn’t help looking up at her and asking, “What do we do, Bean?”

[Selena]

Selena wasn't especially bothered by the situation after countless years of more overt bloodshed in her previously happy home, but everyone other than Synile (same environment) was working themselves into a fuss. Well, couldn't be heartless to Rhia. She was too cute, and if Selena were cold then she'd have Rhia angry at her all week. Not a good idea when Selena had every intention of forcing Rhiannon to come with her on the expedition to Korento. Selena patted Rhiannon's head as soothingly as she could for someone who wasn't distressed about murder. She discreetly took another bite of meat and swallowed it down before speaking.

"There, there. I'm sure it was quick for him. It was lucky that he survived the battlefield at all. He was in no shape to wage a war. Better that he get assassinated quickly than get run-through by a more experienced warrior," Selena tried to comfort, though it came out more morbid than any of her companions would have probably liked. "In any case, it sounds like Jordan's happy ragtag group of heroes has a renegade. There's one in every group."

Sometimes that person was Selena, but what did that matter?

"What's happened, new friend, is that a prisoner of ours was just killed by warrior who seems to know Jordan. Jordan would be the one with the spears, if you haven't been formally introduced," she said to Turtlelot. "As for the rest of you, calm down. We have warriors specifically trained to hunt down these types of people. Usually they're assigned to hunt down Steel's many spies, but they can also track down the rare murderer up here. The place is covered in snow. There will either be footprints or evidence of footprints having been covered up."

She stood up from the table, downed the rest of her mead, and gave Rhia one more encouraging hug.

"I'll be back. I'm going to talk to Jordan about it. He couldn't have gotten far, and I don't want him causing any angry hurricanes on my mountain."

Selena exited the Snowpeak Ruins and saw the main gate open a far ways down the path. No patrols were scheduled to leave the capital, so that had to be him. Using her spear as a walking stick, she followed the path of travel and nodded at anyone who greeted her along the way. She snapped her fingers near a security station and informed the officer on duty about the recent murder. Trackers and hunters would be assigned to the task immediately. That was a start. She continued on her way, reaching the gate after a few minutes of brisk walking. The guard opened the gates for her without question, and she went a few steps down the main trail until her eyes caught Jordan just off the beaten path. Right.

"Rhiannon said that the prisoner and the murder suspect seemed to know each other. They mentioned Windfall Island. She caught a name - Maes. He seemed to be prattling on about saving Verden before he did the job and ran. One of your soldiers run amok, or any enemy from the Cursed Lands trying to hunt you down? Either way, I've got some trackers on the job to see if we can't find him in the area."

[JRPomazon]

"Don't bother, they're long gone by now." He said, turning around to speak with Selena, who had surprisingly enough came out to catch him.

"Although, your more than welcome to try. We've been to these lands before and left without a soul noticing. Teleportation magic is convenient like that, picked up how to do it after a trip to one of the older dorms in the cursed lands."

Which would also mean Gospel had to take him here and back. Was he in on this too? It seemed rather out of character for him.

"Look carefully, the tracks end right here. This was the last piece of your kingdom they tread on before returning back to the cursed lands."

He looked back to the frozen tracks, slowly fading away in the snow and ice.

"So, what's up Fossil?"

Edited by JRPomazon, 14 April 2010 - 08:59 PM.

[Crimson Lego]

It was confirmed, then: the man with the ball and chain was guilty of Horace’s murder. From Rhiannon’s description, he also seemed to be one of the gray cloaked men as well, just like Jordan and Lucas. Breathing a sigh of relief as he realized there wouldn’t be a full investigation, Leo knew that trying to bring the man to justice would be foolish. He could be anywhere by now, even in the Alliance’s main camp. With thousands of soldiers stationed around the region, there were endless possibilities on where to hide. If these guys are smart enough to pull something like this off and to survive in the Cursed Lands on their own, then they could probably hide out in the mountains for at least a week on their own. The dwarf was no stranger to survival skills in a hostile environment; he had done it as part of his training years ago. Woods are different from mountains, but it’s all still the same foundation of expertise.

Gripping the rifle tightly with both hands as he gazed around at the cafeteria, Leo wondered if the man known as ‘Maes’ could have had an accomplice to help him kill the lieutenant. It’s kind of hard to sneak into a capital like Snowpeak on your own; he had to have help of some sort. For a brief moment, the general wondered if Tiresias could possibly be part of this plot. The guard did say he saw a mage of some sort; that would fit his description. A moment later, he dispelled that idea; the seer was definitely not that kind of person. Could he have been a distraction of some sort? A blind man wouldn’t be much of a danger to somebody.

Now pacing quickly around the cafeteria while fingering the trigger of the rifle, Leo glanced up at the other end of the room and was relieved to see the 6 members of the Baker Team eating quietly. They’re finishing up anyways; maybe they could give me a hand. Heading over to the table, the dwarf climbed onto a stool and spoke softly. “You guys wanna give me a hand with something?”

“Yes, sir,” replied Simkins. “What is it?”

“You remember that Alliance officer we caught 5 hours ago?” began Leo. “Well, it turns out he’s one of those gray cloak people running around like crazy; sort of like what Lucas was. Anyways, he was killed about 20 minutes ago by this guy with a ball and chain, who has probably left Snowpeak by now.” Pausing, partially for it all to sink in, the general continued. “I spoke to one of the guards outside; he claimed he saw another man with a golden staff. I need you guys to scour the castle for him.”

Already getting to their feet, the Baker Team drew their blades and headed for the doors. “Oh, one more thing!” called Leo. “Hurry up with this as well; we’re heading for Korento, another continent to the south of us. The witch that we saw in Vatenbaer might be waiting for us with a weapon that can kill the Goddess.”

“What, the one from Voodoo Isle?” laughed Mellish. “I thought that whole thing was a joke!”

Smiling in response, the dwarf shook his head. “It’s serious, Mellish. Now get going.” Chuckling as he walked back to the table he had been sitting at earlier and got back onto his chair. Good thing the princess has calmed down; I seriously doubt Selena have would let her come to Korento if she was still acting hysterical. Setting the rifle aside, Leo leaned back and put his hands behind his head. “So…you’ll be coming with us to Korento, right?” he asked, addressing the metal man. “By the way, you can call me Leo if you want. All this General Crimson stuff can get boring inside the capital.”

[Sir Turtlelot]

“So…you’ll be coming with us to Korento, right? By the way, you can call me Leo if you want. All this General Crimson stuff can get boring inside the capital.” Leo said to Turtlelot.

Turtlelot had just arrived in the kingdom earlier this night, but he saw no point in getting settled in with all of the things that could be done.

"I may as well." Turtlelot replied. "Afterall, it's not as if I have anything better to be doing. I do have one request though. Are there any maps or historical documents that I could study on the voyage there?" Turtlelot knew that he would need to become more familiar with their land and history, if he wished to assist them as much as possible. Knowledge was a very powerful tool.

Turtlelot looked back at the dwarf. "Oh yeah, and Leo. Make sure nobody eats my bison while we're gone." Turtlelot said humorously.

[Crimson Lego]

Chuckling, Leo quickly nodded in reply to the metal man as he got off his chair, picking up the rifle in the process and slinging it across his chest. “Don’t worry, I’ll assign to one of the stables near my restaurant. Be right back, I’m gonna get you a book from the library.”

Leaving the cafeteria as quickly as possible, the dwarf thought about his conversation with Turtlelot. He seems like a nice guy; but is he a guy at all? His story seems rather frightening to me. Personally, Leo tried to stay on the scientific side of life, blocking out as much religious influence as possible. Though he accepted the existence of Diel, Lazu, and other deities because of witnesses and books, he tried not to follow in their beliefs. People can go insane, he thought, recalling the events of the Eagle’s Talons. Those knights from the Hall of Heroes had become devoted servants to Lazu, albeit of the priestess’s well. Dying would have been a better choice for them; only Ferdinand Einz was able to break free, and he had trouble with it. Stupid horns. Sighing as he remembered the valiant warrior’s sacrifice and his eventual death after the banishment of Lazu from the Talons, the dwarf took a left turn into the doorway and entered the library.

Moving off into the history section, he began searching for a guide on Verden. Shouldn’t be too hard to find; a bunch of Loddies might have written one up last year. Being one of the oldest domains that existed, the warriors of the Labyrinth probably had a more accurate history of the continent’s history. Pulling out a rather heavy encyclopedia, Leo flipped the cover open and blew the dust off. Guide to Verden; hmm. Closing it up, he flashed his identification to the librarian as he headed out.

Skimming the contents of the first chapter as he walked quickly back to the cafeteria, the general was amazed to see how much information could be found in the book. [These guys definitely did their research; maybe I should take a look at this on the way there as well. Closing it up again as he entered the mess hall, he made straight for the private table.

Placing the book in front of him, Leo gave Turtlelot a thumbs-up. “There should be enough in there for you to learn about Verden.”

[Selena]

"I just came to make sure you were causing any rage-induced hurricanes on my mountaintop. Nearly getting crushed by Khuffie's palace in Olimandias makes one a bit cautious."

Selena looked down to examine the tracks, and was disappointed to see that they did end with no signs of simply covering them back up with a wide branch or other tool. Teleportation magic. Great. As if Chik using portals wasn't bad enough, now she had a group of renegade warriors from the Psycho Lands using a similar skill to visit and raid the two new dorms. They learned it from one of the old civilizations? That had the Chamber of Sages written all over it, though how he could have learned something from one of those old wussy mages was a mystery. The only member of the Chamber that Selena knew of was Rhiannon, and she only existed because Selena had resurrected her from the dead. Portals. They were for showoffs and people too lazy to walk. Or maybe Selena was just jealous.

"I take it that this Maes person was only here to take care of a loose end rather than harm any of my people. Not to say I won't be locking my bedroom door at night. I do that anyway - sleep naked," Selena said. "In any case, it sounds like there's some dissent going on in your group of heroes. A sign that you're descended from a Hall knight if there ever was one. No offe-- well, a little."

"What's the situation with your not-so-happy group of warriors?"

[JRPomazon]

Oh, she was being funny. How cute.

"You're probably right about that bit with loose ends but I can tell you that they won't be moving around too much in places you need to worry about."

A kill order made with telling him, what the hell was Tiresias thinking? He never made a move like this without some sort of democratic decision. Did that mean the others at Windfall knew about this? No, there was no way the majority would rule in favor of this. Besides, everyone thought he was dead until just recently and the only ones who knew that were himself and the seer. Ugh, just thinking about this was enough to piss him off. The cold helped him calm down after seeing Horace like that. If not, he might have had to take his aggression out on something.

"I'm going with you to see that witch. If she knows how to kill the "goddess" then I want to see it for myself."

[Sir Deimos]

Synile rubbed at his neck a bit. The skin was red, and the area felt weird, but he had always had a good threshold for pain. The cold air of the dungeon definitely helped with that, immediately soothing his red hot skin. Leo was mad about something.

"That didn't make much sense. What did I do?" Synile slowly traced his steps back into the dining hall. The people that Synile could put a name to were still there. Except Selena anyhow. Synile lazily walked back to the table and finished his cup of mead. Leo and the armor were talking about something, and clutching a large book. Rhiannon was still on the floor. Her face was wet with tears. Synile brings himself down to her level and looks Rhiannon in the eyes.

"There there. I wanted to kill him too, but crying won't bring back the opportunity... We've all been there. Have some mead, and if you want, we'll go down to the local bar and start some fights." That comment seemed to make her more distraught. "Hm... Women... I really don't get most of you..." Before she could rebuttal, Synile gets back up onto his feet and wanders deeper into the castle.

"I suppose now is as good a time as any. I'll track down that...castle... majigger... about a room."

"How are we supposed to find someone when you can't even remember titles?"

"Titles aren't important. Titles just let people know how much of your ass they're supposed to kiss. I let my sword skills show people how much of my ass is for kissing."

Now Synile was deliberately walking in circles.

... I think we're being followed... It definitely did seem like it. Most of the time it was paranoia, but that doesn't mean no one is following. A lone guard stands at the end of the hallway, holding what most people would refer to as an intimidating ax. The man wasn't moving. Just standing there... still as a stone. Was he real? That could be a statue. This statue seemed to be breathing. Well, at the very least the chest cavity was moving. What if it was an automated statue, set up just to throw the suspicious people off the trail?

He can't be real.

"He has to be real."

He doesn't have to be anything...

"I'm telling you, that looks alive to me."

Bullshit.

"I'll prove it. Hit him with a throwing knife. If it's a statue nothing will happen."

I think it just blinked... Can statues do that?

"THROW THE DAMNED KNIFE!"

Without further thought, Synile slides his right hand onto the throwing knife tucked just under his left armpit, and throws it into the guard at the far end of the hallway. It connects with the man's thigh, and the unexpected pain from the knife wound caused the guard to scream, drop his weapon, and nearly fall to the floor. Synile seized the opportunity to charge the man, tackling him to the ground. Synile grabs another one of the throwing knifes, and holds this one to the soldier's throat.

"Alright, talk. You've been following me for far too long."

"Sir, I don't know what you mean. My shift recently started, I've been in this spot for twenty minutes!" The man was panicking. Clearly a new recruit.

"I see... You look so scared of a little metal, you must be new. Or that's what you want me to think!" Synile pushes the blade with more force, and the soldiers neck begins to bleed.

"I'm not telling any lie sir, I-I-I-I swear it! Oh please don't kill me." The voices were split on the decision. Some wanted to see blood. His face... It's too young... Synile resheathed his knife, and in a rough motion pulled the one from the thigh of the guard.

"Walk yourself down to the aid station." The soldier left his weapon on the ground, and in a mix of terror, panic, and shock, scrambled down the hallway and out of sight, leaving a small trail of blood in his wake. "He should be fine... Don't be so quick to act next time... God damned Synile, he looked 20, if... No master spy is 20..."

[Crimson Lego]

As he stood around waiting for Turtlelot to start reading, Leo felt a presence behind him and turned around; it was Synile. Great, what does he want now? Watching suspiciously as the former Loddie knelt down at the weeping Rhiannon and spoke some words of comfort, the dwarf wondered if he had been too harsh with the warrior. Maybe all that time in the Labyrinth made him a little crazy; voices in his head as well. As he was about to deliver an apology about his earlier rage, Synile and left. That was fast, thought Leo, watching as the man headed out of the cafeteria. Getting back up on his chair, he quickly poured himself more mead and began drinking in relaxation for a minute or two. It seemed that he would be able to get some quiet time before he, Selena, Turtlelot, Jordan, Synile, possibly Rhiannon, and some other Vikings would head for Korento to follow up on the witch’s tipoff.

That was when he heard the scream.

Literally throwing the glass down, cursing under his breath and sprinting for the door, Leo made ready his bolt-action rifle and made a left turn down the first hall; quickly running in random directions and hoping he would find the victim, he came to a halt in shock. What the hell? From what he could see, the dwarf watched as a bloodied guard got up quickly to his feet and limped out of sight down another hallway. Did Synile see anybody running away?, he thought, hoping for the best. Perhaps it was the man with the golden staff, who are had tried again to eliminate anybody that witnessed Horace’s murder; for once, Leo felt high hopes that the real culprit would finally be brought to justice.

That was, until he saw the throwing knife in Synile’s hand. It had blood on it.

Frozen in shock, the general’s hands whitened as the hold on his rifle stiffened almost immediately as he made the connection between the weapon in Synile’s hand, the blood on it, and the fleeing soldier. There’s a lot of blood down his hall; did he do something as else as well? Snapping out of his thoughts as the sounds of running footsteps came down from behind him, Leo immediately raised his weapon and aimed at Synile. “What did you do to that guard?” he demanded.

[Sir Deimos]

The voices were starting to be overwhelming. It went from a mild chatter to a roar, as if a noisy cafeteria full of patrons happened to be conversing inside his head.

"What did you do to that guard?" It was Leo's voice. None of the others sounded like Leo. Synile dropped the knife and embraced his own skull with both hands.

"He was following me! It was a mistake. Not every accident is accidental. Suspicious ones with axes, monitoring my every move. He'll be fine. Should be dead. The thigh will heal, the accusation may not. Twenty somethings spy too. Just cause he was scared and looked young doesn't mean he was innocent!" Synile, with a shaking hand, grabbed for the flask he always kept on him, and took a large swig of whiskey. After a couple of gulps he re-capped the bottle and tucked it back away. Now his gaze turned towards Leo. The pupils in Synile's eyes were so small they almost seemed to have disappeared. "And the traitorous one emerges, pointing the rifle in any which way. The one that trusts least abandons first." Synile places his right hand on the hilt of the nodachi on his back and glares at Leo with eyes full of twisted rage. The whiskey was slowly beginning to muffle the voices, now hundreds strong. Each one clamoring out for Leo's blood. "If I wanted you dead, you'd have known by now, but it seems your true colors have began to emerge. I've meant you no harm, and even apologized for actions that weren't my own. How small minded of you. You let my reputation get the best of you. The fact that you point that gun at me tells me that you're aware of how I came to know Selena."

Synile fluidly unsheathes the nodachi on his back with a single hand and points the blade at Leo.

"I've been playing things in a very bump and go manner, but this time it is you who is to apologize." Synile's eyes keep their malice, but a grin begins to show on his face. "If you get onto your knees and beg I may spare your life. Point a weapon at me again though, comrade, and I may take the hands it is attached to. Now, I don't have all day. Beg!"

[Selena]

Tch, he wasn't going to spill information about his group. Figured. It had been worth a shot. All that really mattered was that he was still willing to cooperate, which meant that she had a better chance at squaring off against Steel again (or, at least, for the first time properly). She knew very little about his abilities other than he was quicker than the average man and had some limited magic abilities. What he'd gained since swearing loyalty to Chikara was another matter, and even Jordan could be in the dark about those skills, but it was better than nothing. And it never hurt to have a hurricane-generator on your side.

"Adventures to foreign and potentially hostile lands are always good for getting your mind off things," Selena said. She bent down and grabbed a handful of snow. She threw it right at the back of his head, dusting his hair white. "Cheer up! Can't bring back the dead, so you've got to live for 'em."

Well, you usually couldn't bring back the dead. Usually. Speaking of that wound in her abdomen, it was still sore as hell. If there was no hope of catching Maes, then she just wanted to call it a day and go take a long rest with a nice assistant or groupie. Selena turned away from Jordan and began to march back towards the gates, either leaving him to follow or keep brooding as he saw fit. He hadn't destroyed the mountain using wind magic. That was what she'd set out to prevent. Job done. The walk back was lighter. Still very calming. There was a dog carrying a hurt kid on its back, but... she was too tired to really care. Good dog?

She walked up the steps of the Snowpeak Ruins, intent on finishing up any odd jobs and then taking a power nap. A deep breath of clean air, and then....

"What did you do to that guard?!"

Some more heated words and sounds of struggle.

"If you get onto your knees and beg I may spare your life. Point a weapon at me again though, comrade, and I may take the hands it is attached to. Now, I don't have all day. Beg!"

Oh, for the love of...

Selena followed the sound of the argument and stuck her head around the corner with an irritated expression. "Kids, stop fighting this instant or I'll stab both of you and send you to your rooms without any more food for the night! Damn it!"

And with that said, she continued on the way to her bedchambers. Once inside, she stripped off her armor and climbed underneath the fur blankets of her large bed. If anyone else had problems during the rest of the day, they weren't going to be hers. All she cared about was resting up for the adventures to come.




ooc: I'll probably start up the quest thread here in a while, but if you guys want to fight or do anything else, go ahead.

[JRPomazon]

It was too cold to sit out here forever, his numb feet were evidence enough for that. So, he slowly walked back to Snowpeak thinking about what Selena said. She did raise an interesting point about living for the dead, was that just sweet talk or was that something she believed herself? Can't trust everything she says but there wasn't anything wrong with pondering philosophy. Horace deserved to be held each night by his bride, living a life of subtlety and peace. He got to rot in a frozen jail and get his chest bashed to pieces. Funny thing, this thing called life.

He went to his pouch as he traversed through the snow, plucking out a lovely amulet with a red gemstone. He remembered receiving it several years prior after settling a long matter between his family and a rather disturbed wraith, the memento of his ancestors. He hadn't bothered to look at it for some time, too busy fighting hordes of maniacs and the damned for too long. He remembered to recover it when he left from Sornaiid that last time two years ago, when he went back for-

It'll be a pain to let the memories come back like that.

Jordan placed it back in his pouch and continued on his way to the Viking stronghold in the mountain, a secluded place where it seemed strange that anyone would (or could) live up there. The closest thing to the Labyrinth Selena lost?

* * *

"Kids, stop fighting this instant or I'll stab both of you and send you to your rooms without any more food for the night! Damn it!"

Parental tone? That's strange. I wonder what made her get that mindset?

Jordan watched Selena leave the scene, Synile and Leo chatting about something. And Synile was shaking his foot and pointing a sword at Leo. Also strange, was this some sort of Viking game of theirs? Jordan walked up the ex-Loddie and grabbed one of his two spears from his back, swinging it down to smash Synile's face. Synile quickly raised his sword to block, the metal clanging echoed throughout the large hallways of the stronghold.

"You got a problem friend?" Jordan asked, seriously contemplating on whether or not he wanted to beat this guy senseless.

[Ken the Wandering Soul]

When the wolf had successfully delivered the children to a place where Issur could be treated, he wasted no time in sticking around. The child would recover, and he had his friend beside him. No sense in exciting the kid into a fighting mood again by being there when he woke up.

The wolf wandered for a short bit before picking up a familiar scent. It was--what was his name? The spear and green armor... Jordan! That was his name! The wolf shortly debated following Jordan until he remembered Jordan talk about someone else. Steel. That name meant something to the wolf, but he did not know exactly what, except for the possibly that he remembered from his small encounter with Jordan.

Jordan knew of Steel. Jordan said Steel may know of Her. Following Jordan may then help lead to finding Her.

- ( * ) -

The wolf had trekked his way through the Snowpeak ruins, following the signs of Jordan--he had obviously walked around here reciently. The wolf had been going along briskly until he heard a loud clang, and went stiff. He moved slowly around the corner to the next room where he saw Jordan with his spear locked with another man's blade.

The wolf stood still, tense, unsure of what exactly to do.

[Crimson Lego]

Unable to believe what he was hearing, Leo himself began laughing out in incredulity at the demands Synile just made. “Beg?” he said. “After insulting Jordan and nearly killing one of our own Calatians, you expect me to get on my knees? Ha!” Pushing the long sword away and handing the rifle off to one of the Snakeheads standing beside him, the dwarf began stretching out his legs around in an acrobatic fashion and pulled out his own weapon out of the sash slung across his back. Finally; I get some actual fighting with this thing that doesn’t involve Koridaians. Taking a step backwards and swinging the battleaxe around for a few practice swings, Leo slammed the weapon into the floor, creating a rather large crack in the marble.

Pulling it out of the floor, he gripped the weapon tightly with 2 hands, looking at Synile’s hands and trying to calculate how the man would fight, how he would stab, slash, etc. “Remember this, though: I could just as skilled as you. I’m a general, remember? It took a lot of hard work to get up here.” Yeah, like getting only 700 guys out of Olimandias, he reminded himself grimly. That job hadn’t been hard work or courage; it was just following Steel’s orders at the time and nearly got him killed.

Now wielding his battleaxe with only 1 hand, the dwarf pointed it at Synile, nearly able to touch the end of the man’s sword with his own weapon. “Personally, I don’t like fighting much, but I assure you, Synile, my skill in combat is just as great as yours. We could carry this on for hours as well, destroying half of Snowpeak in the process.” Pausing, Leo spoke again in a much softer tone. “But…I do not believe in fighting friends and comrades. When I spoke to you an hour ago near my Cuisine, I believed that you were a kind and gentle fellow, not this madman that I see running around and hurting others with words or knives. Though you may have been a part of the Labyrinth, I seriously Lazu’s influence is forcing you to do these things. However, if you’re not going to back down, neither will I.” For a moment, the dwarf would have immediately attacked had Selena not gave them a rather childish order to stop. Instead, he decided to try and figure out another way to win or to get Synile to lower his weapon

Pausing to take a breath, Leo was rather surprised to see Jordan appear as if out of nowhere and take a swing at Synile, whom was quick to block it. Shouldering his axe, the general smiled in victory. “Now, you’re outnumbered as well, thanks to Jordan.”