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[Crimson Lego]

At first pulling ahead of the carriage housing Jordan, General Shadow, and the individual from the Battle of Olimandias (he was now thinking that the stranger had been an officer in the ranks of Forsaken Fortress), Leo had pulled back to give himself time to think about what the group would do when they finally caught up to Synile. The dozens of bodies the carriage was trucking over was an indication of the man’s danger, and although the dwarf was relatively convinced they could catch up to him, the trouble of perhaps dragging him back to Calatia to stand trial or killing him would still be a problem. Leo then shook his head to clear his thoughts. I need a change of subject.

He found it in the carriage of people ahead of him.

For one thing, Leo was still uncertain why Jordan was partnering up with Shadow, even if the latter claimed to have fled the Empire for his unit’s welfare; to his knowledge, most officers in Koridai swore allegiance to the Goddess and sometimes fought to the death in the name of Chikara Nadir. He’s definitely an interesting case, if his change of heart is to be believed. Still, Leo was somewhat comforted by the fact that Shadow was a former resident of the Lost Woods, so there was that. Maybe the memory of his former home being burned down by the one he was serving had been too much to bear as well. Would have been for me.

Noting that the carriage was slowing down, Leo pulled his goat to a moderate trot and readied his rifle; he could hear Shadow asking a direction question to somebody who was either just passing by or holding them up. Moving out of sight and around, the dwarf glanced around the side of the carriage and saw a familiar person (well, in this case, advanced robot was the more grammatically correct term) on a familiar looking animal. Hard to miss either one of them, even here.

“Hey there, Turtlelot,” said Leo with a slight tone of relief. “Good to see you again.”

[JRPomazon]

The carriage came to a stop at the first sign of a clearing amid the scores of fallen soldiers and monsters. Eivor looked out from the cover of the carriage and took a look at the horrible sights surrounding the party. She was obviously disturbed, covering her mouth as her eyes were glued on what her mind perceived as a lie. Jordan noticed her reaction.

"This wasn't him." He said, his tone very certain and commanding. He figured that she might presume that Synile did this given the recent circumstances and it needed to be clear what the score was. Eivor looked over as Jordan shifted himself out of a slouched position and took a look outside. He seemed visually distressed as well, it was worse than even he realized.

"These bodies have been here for a long time, the stench alone can tell you that much. None of it's fresh." he said, covering his mouth and noise with the cloak he wore around himself.

"What did this?" She asked.

"There are two sides to every battle I suppose." Jordan said, looking around him and curious as to why Shadow and Leo had stopped in the middle of graveyard.

"While we were fighting the incarnations of Lazu and Juvenal in the Labyrinth, the empire and kingdom where having it out here. I only heard about it a few days before we left Snowpeak but from what I was told things went crazy here. Almost Cataclysm-like."

The air was stale around them. The air was perfumed with the scent of putrid rotting flesh. They needed to leave as soon as possible.

But then there was a sound coming from the right of the carriage. Jordan looked around, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. But it still felt wrong and every thought in his head was focused on leaving this place as soon as possible. He turned to the carriage driver.

"Shadow, I don't know what the deal is but we have to get going . . ."

As his voice trailed off, he heard the sound again. Loud. Booming. He turned around towards where the Calatian mountain range and noticed a shift in the gruesome shapes. Then it began to look a little more familiar. A massive beast that had once been cursed by the power of Lazu during the Cataclysm, dying here in this melee of grotesques and lost souls . . . rising again as something else entirely.

And how it howled, so loud and powerful and yet like a shriek that reverberated in your very bones as your blood went cold. It may have been something like a behemoth or even a dragon but whatever it's original form had been had long since been worn away by the chaotic energies of Lazu and the deformation of it's rotting flesh.

"SHADOW. WE NEED TO GO. NOW." He said.

OoC: OK, think giant rotting undead monster that's the size or a building.

Edited by JRPomazon, 19 June 2012 - 12:13 PM.

[Sir Turtlelot]

The carriage had pulled up to the metal man. Both it and its driver had the crest of the empire on them. A fight with the imperials is not what I need at the moment. Turtlelot thought to himself as he looked back towards the people who had been following him. I need to get them back to Snowpeak as soon as possible.

Before he was able to answer the driver's question, Leo rode up on a large mountain goat. “Hey there, Turtlelot, good to see you again.” Confused as to why Leo was traveling with an imperial, or what appeared to be an imperial, Turtlelot only managed to say "Leo...? What exactly is going on?"

Before any of the men were able to say another word, screams could be heard from the travelers of Turtlelot's group, along with the monstrous sounds of a large undead creature, heading straight for them all. A familiar voice exclaimed from inside the carriage, "SHADOW. WE NEED TO GO. NOW."

The creature was large enough to catch either group with ease, neither the horses of the carriage, nor the group of nomads could outrun it. Turtlelot quickly unsheathed Diel's sword, as the dragon lurched forward to tear the carriage off the ground, and shot a small bolt of energy into it's mouth. It wasn't much, since there was so little time to tap into the sword's power, but it was just enough to stop the creature from destroying the carriage.

The monster let out another deafening roar, and turned it glare to it's attacker, the wielder of the holy sword. Turtlelot began to tap into the sword's power as the behemoth started to charge him. He couldn't let this monster roam freely, or at the very least, he had to hold it off long enough for the others to escape.

[SL the Pyro]

The ex-General found he was fighting the urge to smack Jordan upside the head much more than he remembered having to a couple of years ago. He was stubborn enough to ignore his wounds to some extent, so what was stopping him from getting off his rear end and looking out the front of the carriage to see what the delay was?

Fortunate for the Whirlwind Spear that the massive, rotting monster had stolen the Blazing General's attention before he gave into the desire to punch him. That... what the hell was that thing? Well... it wasn't friendly judging from the war cry. He quickly surveyed the surroundings, immediately noticing the other live people in the area... well, this wasn't good. There was no need for more people to die in this wasteland.

"SHADOW. WE NEED TO GO. NOW."

...And that got his attention back on Jordan. Suitably fed up, Shadow snapped back at him, "Well, you're not totally disabled, are you? Take the reigns and get going! I'm going to help this... this... whatever Leo called him!"

He then hopped out of the carriage in time to see the armour-clad man's attack, which had sufficiently distracted the undead monster from their precious transportation. He had the right idea - lure it away from those not involved. But he also felt the force of that sword unleashed... he felt his blood boil slightly. And not in the metaphorical sense. This was... familiar. It was like... even being near this weapon aggravated his latent... problem. This had only ever happened once before, in the presence of Chikara, when simply being near her chaotic power bothered him. But he could tell this sword was on the opposite end of light-dark scale... what was that weapon? Who was its wielder?

Well, this was actually interesting. Maybe if he were lucky, he'd get to see this awesome power in action. If he didn't kill the beast right away on his own, that is; he needed something to let out his recent frustrations on.

It rushed headlong at the red-armoured man, evidently not at all pleased at having volatile light magic shot into its mouth. That was going to be the least of its worries in a moment.

"About time I got some action... I've been getting so antsy sitting in the carriage driving all over the continent."

The Blazing General put his trademark brand of magic to work, throwing his arms out wide and spawning his favourite sigils of red light in the air around him. His raised those arms up, moving the sigils into the same space, combining them into one larger one. He wasn't just preparing a powerful attack though, oh no: he had a target in mind. A hole in your mouth didn't necessarily prevent you from eating - at least not for something of this size - but a lost eye certainly did. He pointed at the creature's left eye as it charged, and on cue the sigil transformed into a large ball of flame that launched with great speed at the target. With all the force of a grenade, it hit the eye dead on and exploded, and the creature roared in protest and agony as it was suddenly rendered half-sightless. In its frenzy it wound up running right past the red-armoured man, skidding to a loud, ground-crunching stop as it realized it had missed its target.

He chuckled to himself; being so large meant the zombie-dragon-thing needed its eyes to see smaller prey, and taking one out was a large handicap; it was learning this the hard way as it frantically swung its head around in an attempt to find its foes both old and new. Was it wrong of him to enjoy making this massive, intimidating enemies look stupid?

He decided to let the armor-man make the next move. Time to see what that sword that matched the power of Lazu was capable of.

Edited by SL the Pyro, 15 February 2012 - 01:45 AM.

[Crimson Lego]

Turning and opening his mouth to ask Jordan why he was feeling so uneasy about Turtlelot (had he forgotten who the android was already?), Leo heard a loud shuffle behind him and whirled around. Well…that’s rather uneasy, he thought, watching the massive zombie-like dragon attack Turtlelot; the latter dealt with it quickly, firing what seemed to be a line of energy into the beast’s mouth. Nice shot. Readying his rifle, Leo watched as Shadow took out what seemed to be one of the dragon’s eyes, causing it to stumble around and attempt to regain balance. Taking the chance, he fired several shots at the monster, nailing it directly in the head and upper torso.

Unfortunately, the physical makeup of the body seemed to neutralize the force of the bullets almost completely. The dragon also appeared to still have good hearing skills, as it turned immediately towards Leo and charged him. Tossing the gun aside, the dwarf readied his main axe and snapped the reins on his goat. Managing to weave through the beast’s legs, Leo swung the White Eye Kao hard against the dragon’s underbelly, its red blades cutting through what was left of the meaty flesh.

Pulling up the reins of his goat, Leo turned and watched with satisfaction as the beast licked its wounds and tried to regain its balance once again. Your move, Turtlelot.

[JRPomazon]

The abomination of putrid flesh quickly addressed it's new wounds as it stumbled from the searing pain of having its eye vaporized in flames, each step shaking the earth beneath it with loud thunderous quakes. Jordan got out of the carriage, finding Leo, Shadow and Turtlelot fending the giant fiend off. Wait, Turtlelot? When did he get here? Shrugging off the matter, the spearman watched from a distance as he held onto the carriage for support.

The dragon stabilized itself, no longer thrashing about as it regained it's bearings. It moved it's head back and puffed out its chest as it began to inhale. The warriors readied themselves, preparing to embrace whatever attack the beast was preparing. Its head lunged forward, exhaling a thick black smog from it's mouth and other parts of it's flesh that had been cut open and exposed by rot and blade cuts. Jordan's eyes grew wide with fear.

"That's Miasma! Clear out of the way now!"

He turned back to the carriage and feverishly attempted to grab any spear he could find. Eivor tossed him one of his standard spears, understanding the urgency that was at hand as the thick smog rolled over the wasteland quickly towards the other three. One breath of Miasma could cause severe damage to any living thing, but to be consumed within it was a death sentence. Jordan quickly swung his spear with a mighty stroke, creating a counter gust to blow the dreadful gas away from Turtlelot and the others as it almost made the three he was trying to save topple over by the sheer force of the gale. The miasma was halted as it was stuck and fanned away by the opposing winds, slowly fading as it was blown back at the abomination. With loud and foreboding steps, the beast emerged from the thinning smog unaffected, it's eye set on the warriors.

Jordan stumbled to the ground, his body not quite ready for a full-fledged battle like this. The others turned around to find him on his knee, holding his spear to support himself back up.

"Shit. That was too close." Jordan muttered softly.

Edited by JRPomazon, 17 February 2012 - 09:51 PM.

[SL the Pyro]

Miasma? Shit. Shadow had already suffered a near-fatal illness once, and it wasn't an experience he was eager to repeat. Fortunate that Jordan was there at that time, using his wind manipulation to blow the smog away... he was right, that was too close. Dragons or anything of the sort usually blew fire or ice or whatever, but toxic miasma? Such a thing usually leaked out from the body. He'd never seen it used as a breath weapon... though to be fair, he'd never seen a zombie dragon before.

Though it was slightly worrysome that their temporary saviour was now struggling to stay on his feet. He was still weak. This had to end quickly, if not for that they were pressed for time, then so they wouldn't have another life-threatening problem today. Bloody hell, this just wasn't their day, was it?

The ex-General formed a plan in his mind. He was considering simply rushing in and lopping the monster's head off, but that plan was out the window now that he knew about the miasma; simply beheading it might cause it to spew everywhere, like a gas leak. Removing all of its limbs was also an option, though a less-favourable one; it would take much more trouble and time than it was worth, and they needed this to end fast. How does one neutralize the undead without straight decapitation...?

The answer hit him quickly: the brain.

"Okay, I'm not hinging my bets on Jordan being able to do that again. We need to end this, and end this now." Shadow addressed his five-minute companions. "We have to destroy its brain. Living or not, the body still needs a brain to operate... we just have to do it without beheading it and letting that miasma spew everywhere." He just hoped it was as simple as it sounded...

Edited by SL the Pyro, 18 February 2012 - 01:40 PM.

[Sir Turtlelot]

Turtlelot watched as the black smog the dragon blew at them, was blown off in another direction. Looking over he saw yet another familiar face, Jordan. The metal man could have used the sword's magic to create a barrier for himself and the others, but doing so would have trapped them in the smog, and allowed the dragon to attack them at will. Thankfully, that was not the case.

After hearing what Shadow had to say, Turtlelot said "The undead are weak to light and fire, attacking it from all sides will keep it distracted, and make it less likely to focus on one of us, or us as a group." Turtlelot dashed between the dragon's monstrous legs, avoiding being stomped on and crushed. The beast turned its rotting head just to see Turtlelot cleave off the end of its tail with his holy blade. The beast roared in pain, then turned around and tried to devour the android by slamming it's wide opened mouth where Turtlelot was standing. The metal man leaped out of the way before the dragon's head hit the ground, and slashed its other eye after it ran its maw through the ground. The beast swung its head to the side, then slammed it into Turtlelot, sending the android and the holy sword off in different directions.

Turtlelot raised to his feet to see one of the others had gained the monster's attention. Thankfully so, too. He did not see the sword of Diel anywhere, and now was not the time to look for it. He did, however, see his halberd that he laid down earlier. The metal man sprinted as fast as he could to it, and picked it up off the ground. The android dashed back towards the dragon, leaping up as high as he could, and impaled the beast on the back of one of its hind legs.

[SL the Pyro]

Weak to light and fire... by some odd twist of fate, it was something the ragtag group of warriors was fortunate enough to have at their disposal. Huh, perhaps things weren't as bad as they seemed toda. Though it made him wonder what Ken was doing in the back of the carriage still... did he fall asleep or something? Bah, maybe he should seek company Leo and the armour-man next time; at least they were mindful of what was happening around them, something Jordan and Ken seemed to be lacking in lately.

Whatever, it was something to think about later. Back to the matter at hand...

Turtlelot had went in first, carving off a piece of the zombie dragon's tail and removing the use of its remaining eye. All it could do now was literally flail around blindly... though it proved to be oddly effective as it sent the red-armoured man flying. And made him drop his sword. That wasn't good. Shadow saw it land clear on the other side of the monster, and the five-minute ally had good reason not to try and navigate the rampaging beast to get it back. All the same though, he didn't let it get in another hit; he launched a barrage of fireballs, smaller ones this time, like a gatling gun to divert the dragon's attention. It worked: with no eyesight, it could only settle for charging, flailing and trampling in whatever direction it felt pain from. A terrible tactic against someone like Shadow, whose speed overshadowed only by his pyromania; he leapt well out of the way.

Armour-man had taken this opportunity to jam his sidearm into the dragon's hind legs, again drawing its attention. The Blazing General didn't waste the chance presented to him and - finally - drew his sword, needing something that would pierce the dragon's skull and get into the brain. Fire alone wouldn't do the trick here. He activated the magic enchantments of his boots and surged forward, catching the head perfectly as it tried to take another bite out of his comrade, stopping the attack... but not quite getting past the skull, he could tell. The only thing stronger than a dragon's hide - though an undead dragon didn't count - was the bone it encased, after all, something he would have to put up with; its movements were too erratic to get a reliable stab through its eye sockets. He pulled his weapon out and jumped back to avoid the agonized flail that resulted in what had to be a terrible headache. This beast was not having a good day.

"I almost made it. Another good strike to that spot should break through."

Edited by SL the Pyro, 18 February 2012 - 11:59 PM.

[Ken the Wandering Soul]

After spending so much time as a wild, bloodthirsty creature in the wilds, when he finally regained some semblance of his humanity, Ken knew he did not want to go back to being that way.

Which is why Ken had hung back near the carriage, kneeling over the larger of his swords One hand over the chains binding the blade into it's scabbard, the other bieng held up to his face. His lips were moving, his throat barely managing to speak the words of prayer he needed. For Eivor, who was still at the carriage with him, it was strange to see the man finally speaking so much.

“In this hour of battle, I swear that I fight for those I protect. Not for glory, not for wealth, but to see that the lives of my charges remain. Please, weapon of my ancestors, for the sake of those I protect, allow me to call upon your strength.”

The chains, chains locked by the requirement of such a promise, began to slacken their grip on the weapon. The blade that Ken had locked his power into. An insurance against his worser natures taking over and indulging in bloodlust.

“I swear, on my immortal soul, that I shall protect my charges from whatever evil would threaten them.”

The chains finally disapeared, as though into nothingness. They would be ready to return though...

Ken drew the heavy blade, feeling some of his strength return to him. Standing up, gripping the large swrod with both hands, Ken moved swiftly forward, feeling the power of the guardian that he had reserved for this sort of situation. He could feel his soul becoming one with the blade, the blade seeming to become covered in a blue, flame-like haze.

Ken managed to catch some of what just happened, seeing Shadow attempt to strike at the beast's head.

"I almost made it. Another good strike to that spot should break through."

Ken understood what needed to be done. Charging forward, he let a loose a wild battlecry and leaped forward and swung his blade in an attempt at his own strike.

[Crimson Lego]

Readying his axe as the beast moved back into the battle even after being hit with its miasma gas (perhaps that didn’t really affect the dead), Leo listened to Shadow and Turtlelot’s suggestions, and then watched the two of them make their attack on the dragon. Turtlelot was able to cut off the dragon’s tale and then strike deeply into its back leg. Shadow then made his move and thrust his blade into the dragon’s head, but not deep enough to bring it down completely; the lieutenant of the Forsaken Fortress then moved forward for his turn. And now it’s mine, thought the dwarf with satisfaction. He hadn’t had a challenge as hard as this since the Cataclysm and happier days, and was eager for the opportunity.

Fortunately, Ken was able to land his attack directly upon where Shadow had pierced the dragon’s head; his swing was hard enough to start spewing what blood remained when the beast was living in all directions. Here we go. Kicking the side of his goat, Leo gripped both of his axes tightly and leapt off just at the right moment. Latching onto the dragon’s neck with his weapons, he pulled himself up, trying not to get dislodged off with all the swinging and moving around. Raising the Noreshang, Leo drove the ancient weapon deep into the wound. It seemed he strike gold as even more blood splashed out, some of it getting in his face. The dragon roared in even greater pain and writhed around twice as much.

Falling off, Leo quickly clambered back onto his feet, both axes at the ready and waiting for the beast’s next move, if it was strong enough to make one.

[Sir Deimos]

The closer Synile came to the Arbiter's Ground the more sparse the fields became. Having just ridden his stolen horse to death, Synile was forced to walk to the nearest village. Signs were few and far between, but the road was easy to spot with those that have eyes to see it. Synile walked at a steady pace towards the black smoke in the distance. Synile had been carving his way through the country side, but this is the first time he had seen damage caused by someone else. There was no mistaking it. It was no mere campfire. The signs were in the smoke. The Curse was vanquished, but raiders still patrolled the former lands.

Arriving at the village shows a grim scene. Bodies were strewn about, many with disfiguring wounds, and others missing limbs altogether. One particular man had been strung up by his neck in the town square. It was hard to tell what wounds were his from the raiders and what the crows had simply eaten. Several houses smoldered, and still burned. Synile's frustration clearly shown on his face. These were victims HE wanted to maim and brutalize. Suddenly Synile's ears picked up a faint sound on the wind. The town well. Synile rushed towards the noise and peered into the well. The water level was startlingly high for being so close to the desert. Treading water within the well was a small boy. His arms weren't long enough to be able to pull himself out.

Suddenly, pain filled Synile's head. He winced at the sight. Faintly, he could recall visions of his own past. The memories came flooding over him, and filled his vision. He was back hundreds of years ago. It was the last night he would ever see his family alive. The full moon hung low in the sky, burning a bright blue into his retinas. The wood of the boat was beneath his feet. He watched as what seemed like an impossible number of pirates stormed the boat. Synile looked to his mother on his left. In Synile's mind she was always as tall and beautiful as the last night he would see her alive. Her features were slender, and her skin like a hybrid of silk and ivory. Her long black hair hung neatly around her shoulders, and she stared deeply into Synile's eyes. Her eyes were a beautiful blue, the color of lapis.

"Don't be afraid. You know how to swim! Everything will be alright." Suddenly Synile was falling backwards. The tears welled up within his mother's eyes. Synile reached out to grab for her. Suddenly, a sword pierces her torso from behind. Her eyes went wide just as Synile's body hit the water.

"NO!" Synile was back in reality. "STOP SHOWING ME THIS."

Stop showing you your past?

"YOU AREN'T IN CONTROL ANYMORE. I'm no longer a helpless little boy, torn from his mother."

And with that, Synile reached in the well and pulled the boy out. Smiled. And severed his head.

[JRPomazon]

From the devastation caused by Ken's strike, the monster was severely wounded and could no longer pursue the party with the same tenacity as it did before. It's rotting flesh was falling off of it's body from where the blade cleaves and cuts had struck, unable to remain bound to the main body. Its cries no longer seemed as deafening or frightful as before but it's mind had long since been lost to it and continued to slowly march forward, despite it's very form becoming undone. The warriors braced themselves for the abomination as it came closer to them with loud and terrible stomps. Jordan got to his feet and watched as the four in front of him prepared themselves.

Then the beast's face broke apart into two, the combined force of their blows on it's head created a fissure in the monster's rotting skull causing it to split apart. With nothing more to keep it bound to this world, the abomination finally fell to the ground to embrace a second death with a ceremonious crash. Small clouds of vaporous miasma came seeping out of the open wounds all over the previously animated carcass, it's flesh melting away off the bones of the body. The warriors lowered their weapons and took a collective sigh of relief.

* * *

The sky above the Arbiter's Grounds was nothing but clear. There had been some disdain about the idea of having clouds cover the sky and so the goddess took it upon herself early that morning to remove any and all obstacles from horizon to zenith. Nothing more than the flick of her hand and her full concentration and the matter was settled. And of course, the imperial people were very much pleased by this and continued their lives as usual. It was startling how quickly it was that they had adapted from anarchy to a totalitarian rule back to the way things were in only a matter of days. They had been so pacified by the mere presence of the goddess and yet without her they seemed like an unruly horde of vandals waiting in the depths to cause panic.

Lucien had no overseen this truth, again watching the city from the Arbiters Spire's heights like a king from the comforts of shadows adjacent to the morning light. He left his spot to join in the company of the new goddess, walking into the halls of the spire and headed towards a garden area that she had grown fond of during her time as a nurse. Rather than be showered in the luxuries of her predecessor, she insisted on less imposing settings when it could be managed.

On his way, a man in the crimson uniform of the inquisition stood by himself between two supporting columns by the outside edge of the hall looking out to the city skyline. Lucien slowed his pace but did not look over to the individual.

"Well?" Lucien asked.

"A silence has fallen. Rest assured m'lord." The inquisitor replied.

"And the list?" the arch-inquisitor continued, his eyes leering over to his conversation partner.

"We could not obtain it. However, there was a name. Egann. He seemed to be looking for him." the inquisitor said.

"Find him."

With nothing more to add or say, Lucien left the company of the inquisitor and he of Lucien. The arch-inquisitor walked away a little faster than before. After going through the trouble of pulling all the strings, removing all obstacles and being so close to fully obtaining the position he had long sought after he couldn't bear to allow anything that could threaten his ambitions remain unchecked.

When he arrived at the garden, he found Gwen sitting on a stone bench looking up to yet another cloudless sky.

"Did you find him?" She asked bluntly, not bothering to look back at the arch-inquisitor.

"Him, your ladyship?" Lucien replied.

"Gervais. Did you ever manage to find him last night?"

Lucien paused, thinking of what words to use.

"I did not. I am hoping to speak with him sometime today."

Lucien then continued to talk about arbitrary things, happens and goings on within the walls of the capital. But Gwen only half-listened to the inquisitor. Her senses, her inutition and her newly acquired clairvoyance as the goddess told her that Lucien was hiding something. The matter of the list must have been something important if it had his name on it but she remained uncertain about it's importance or Lucien's full intentions. Until she was certain, she would push her suspicions aside.

* * *

Neither Jordan nor any of the others dared to go close to the dragon's remains as the dark smog of miasma rose to the sky. Their was nothing left in the wasteland to command their attention and the longer they remained her the better their chances of falling ill to some airbourne sickness among the rotting corpses and carcasses. However, Jordan remained fixated on the dragon . . . or whatever the hell it was they had to kill. Undead monsters had very particular or very peculiar means of spawning or coming to life. A concentrated amount of energy was the only thing that would take a living thing that decayed and give it life. The only means of this happening on it's own would be the residual power of Lazu that manifested itself as the curse that Chikara placed on the land during her ascension to the chaos god's avatar. But since they had resealed a majority if not all of Lazu's power, that was impossible.

But it was the only explanation.

He went to Shadow, who was talking with Turtlelot and Leo near the carriage.

"Shadow, would you mind . . . uh . . . what is it now . . . sensing, right? You mind sensing if anything is coming from the monster's body?" He asked.

[SL the Pyro]

"I can try."

It was strange for Jordan to ask such a thing. Although, it only served to increase Shadow's curiousity: a creature of this size would require a large amount of energy to become the living dead. What could cause such a thing since Chikara had fallen? It might pay them to know. He fixed his gaze on the beast that had been returned to its rest...

...

...

"...Huh. That's odd..."

He definitely felt a residual aura fading from the monster's corpse. But... he didn't recognize it. It was honestly surprising. This being a cursed area, it would make sense that it would have Chikara's or perhaps even Juvenal's energies tied to it. But... he couldn't sense much of that at all. Just residual stuff at best, things he could barely pick up on at all.

"This being a former cursed land, it would make sense for Chikara's energy to have tainted this creature, or maybe even that one jewel-mouthed jackass from the mountains that hated her... but there's just teeny, tiny scraps of their power. Not nearly enough to resurrect a creature of this size." he explained to Jordan. "This was a product of the dark arts, I can tell that much just from looking at it. But as for who or how... I'm afraid I'm at a loss."

He sheathed his sword and started back to the carriage.

"At any rate, it's a mystery we'll have to solve later. We're losing precious time."

Edited by SL the Pyro, 02 March 2012 - 12:41 PM.

[Sir Turtlelot]

Turtlelot climbed down, off the beast's rear leg. After scanning the area for a moment, he spotted his lost weapon. After walking a short distance, the metal man reclaimed his holy blade and sheathed it at his side. The other warriors began to regroup around the carriage, but Turtlelot walked up the base of the hill he had been standing at moments before the others arrived. Winston was graizing a patch of grass, but the others were gone. Good, he followed instructions... the android thought to himself, remembering what he had told his apprentice once they began to pick up survivors.

"If something is to happen to me, I want you to take these people straight back to Snowpeak, and relay my instructions onto Bob. I'll you give you the signal if I make it out okay, but you are to keep heading to Snowpeak."

Turtlelot gripped the holy sword's handle and sent a small bit of energy off elsewhere. After climbing back up on his mount, the metal man rejoined the others at the carriage.

"You never answered my question." He said to the group. "Where are you heading?"

[Crimson Lego]

Breathing a sigh of relief now that the dragon was finally dead for good (double jeopardy there?), Leo replaced his axes on their respective belt holders and retrieved his fallen rifle. Ejecting the empty cartridge, he pushed a new one in and slung the weapon across his chest. Wonder how dangerous this thing must have been when it was alive, thought the dwarf with a shudder. Staying clear of the miasma, he listened to Shadow comment on the dragon’s aura. The mention of Lazu’s name drew Leo back to the battle within the Cursed Lands with the avatars of evil and Chikara Nadir.

Remounting his goat, Leo then turned to answer Turtlelot’s question. “If you happened to notice a bunch of burning villages on your way here,” he said grimly, “It was all Synile. Apparently, he’s heading to Koridai, which means we should probably stop him before he kills anymore innocent people.” A few imperial battalions wouldn’t be too bad, though.

[JRPomazon]

Jordan turned to Turtlelot.

"We were on our way into the empire. The lady, Synile, myself and one other had our own reasons for crossing the border to the empire. However, things have gotten complicated since the last time we spoke at Snowpeak. . . "

Jordan explained the situation to Turtlelot as best as he could. Running into Ken down the mountain, Synile's sudden madness overcoming his senses, the trails and their costs on the road down the mountain and the discover of Synile's homicidal rampage throughout the area. He left out the specifics as to their individual reasons and the matter with Cain Kazen not to keep secrets but to keep the explanations brief. After all, the situation was growing more urgent with each passing moment and the abomination they managed to kill had consumed a considerable amount of time by being a obstacle. And the longer they stayed in this plague stained wasteland, the more likely it meant they would grow ill. Sickness was not an option for anyone present.

"Synile said he was going to Koridai. He'd go to where there were the most people. With that, I can only assume that his ultimate destination is the imperial capital itself."

Jordan turned back to the carriage, which appeared ready to head off as soon as they were ready.

"I'm grateful for your help back there Turtlelot. That old sword of Diel still packs a mean punch. But whatever reanimated that monster, whatever phenomenon it might have been makes this place dangerous to idle around."

Edited by JRPomazon, 13 March 2012 - 10:38 PM.

[Sir Turtlelot]

Turtlelot listened as Leo and Jordan explained the situation. Though he knew what had happened was not his fault, the iron man couldn't help but feel responsible for Synile's recent murderous destruction. Afterall, Turtlelot was the one who had carried him out of the collasping Labyrinth and left him unattended a few weeks before. "I understand." The android replied grimly to the pair.

The others appeared ready to leave, and Jordan replied. "I'm grateful for your help back there Turtlelot. That old sword of Diel still packs a mean punch. But whatever reanimated that monster, whatever phenomenon it might have been makes this place dangerous to idle around."

"Then I'm coming with you." Turtlelot announced. "We must make haste if we're going to put an end to Synile's murderous rampage."

[SL the Pyro]

Shadow stopped in his tracks.

That old sword of Diel still packs a mean punch.

What did Jordan just say...?

That old sword of Diel

No... it couldn't be...

sword of Diel

That tin man had... that...!? That sword... that sword he'd been looking for for three years... that sword he was supposed to use to kill Selena and Chikara...

He has it...!?

...

The ex-general had to take a moment to reboot his brain. His faltering went unnoticed by the others, fortunately, as they were preoccupied either with climbing into the carriage or speaking to this "Turtlelot" character.

Once he was capable of rational, controlled thought again, he climbed into the carriage acting as if nothing was wrong. Really though, his mind was going a mile a minute with the wealth of information Jordan's single sentence had just provided him with:

-The Sword of Diel was real.
-Leo Crimson knew the wielder, and the wielder was in a Calatian-controlled area. Both implied that he worked for Calatia.
-This battlefield was the last place Chikara was seen.
-Jordan also knew about Turtlelot and the Sword of Diel, which meant he was likely there when the battle happened.

Shadow wasn't sure whether to feel depressed or excited; the former because the weapon he'd been searching for for years was light-based, which meant he himself could never use it even if for its intended purpose. And the latter because he finally had a good lead on what really happened in the final battle between Calatia and Koridai. It was hard to choose a mood... so he decided to remain neutrally indifferent as usual.

"Then I'm coming with you. We must make haste if we're going to put an end to Synile's murderous rampage."

And the tin man was coming with them. That made things all the better: both of the people he wanted to speak to most would be within arm's reach... but that could wait until after Synile was dealt with, and this man would be a great help in that, he was sure. Things were looking a lot less bleak then they were a few hours ago. "Then climb aboard... Turtlelot, was it? Yeah, climb aboard, Turtlelot. That dragon-zombie-monster thing set us back, so we're going to have to beeline straight for the Arbiter's Grounds." He flashed a confident grin. "Synile had no mount or speed-enhancing abilities last I checked, so beating him there can't be too hard, right?"

Edited by SL the Pyro, 14 March 2012 - 12:02 AM.

[Ken the Wandering Soul]

With that single, decisive blow, Ken had achieved what was needed of him. After finally landing rorm the leap, he looked behind to see the others finish the fight. All for the best, he did not need to be tempted into commiting any more violence than he needed.

With the undead beast finally slain, felt his sword suddenly drop in his grip, as though it had become hundreds of times heavier in his hands. It's scabbard seemed to desolve from around Ken's back, flowing down to reform around the blade. The chains that had disapeared before reappeared, firmly locking in the blade. With the sword finally back into a more “peaceful” position, Ken could feel the weight lifting from it. He picked up the sheathed sword, strapping it back over his back, returning to the carriage.

Hearing the others speak, Ken really felt no reason to say anything. This Synile was killing people, they had to stop him. They had to protect the people. All he could think to do was to nod in agreement at the sentiment.

Walking back to the carriage, Ken replaced the hefty blade atop it. Eivor, having witnissed him go to such great lengths to unsheath the weapon only to deal one strike, could not help but wonder about the significance of it.

“Why do keep your sword chained up like that?” she finally asked as he climbed back into the carriage.

Ken turned to her, gazing at her again with tired eyes.

“I forgot how to be human,” he reminded her, his voice growling from underneath the mask.

[Egann]

"An inquisitor was asking about me?" Egann said. "Inkies don't come down here."

"Normally they don't," the shopkeeper sighed as he continued to line up leather pads and lesser adventurer's gear on the shelves, taking care to hide how he was swapping tags to raise price a hair. "Not unless you did something pretty bad, anyways. Rumor is the inky wound up dead somewhere down the street and around the corner."

Well that's never a good sign.

"Did he say what he was asking about?" Egann asked, grasping at straws for why someone would be looking for him. "Did he leave a name or anything?"

"Even if he did, ain't nobody see past the uniform. He muttered something about the ongoing investigation into the Arbiter Spire Bombing and a few suspicious items, but wasn't definite about anything. Inkies are never definite, 'ya know. Always a nebulous cloud of stuff no one can see through."

"They don't exactly need anything specific to throw people around. What makes you think I'm any different."

"They usually do have something solid if they come down here, even if they never mention it."

Can't fault that reasoning.

"Beautiful. The last thing I want to do was snoop around Arbiter's Spire to find out what thing I didn't do I'm being fingered for. How much for that grappling hook, fifty fathoms of rope, and that come-along?"

"Any old blacksmith can make the grappling iron out of spare horseshoes. Ten rupees. The rope and the block and tackle are a different matter."

Figures.



Mission log: 18:43 hours. After having obtained a chef's disguise and carting around a plate of "specially ordered dinner food," (the rope and tackle, greased with cooking oil which smells suspiciously like a fried pastry through the dish) I have successfully arrived at the roof of Arbiter's Spire. What will follow will either be a magnificent feat of upper body strength on my part...or a very long fall followed by a big splash. And probably guards all over the moat.

I should probably loose the chef's hat.

Egann knotted off the rope and threaded the block and tackle, making sure to descend the side away from the sun so that anyone looking at him would be blinded by the light. And thus began the descent. First window was locked with an iron bar. Second was open, but Egann's soul started to bleed like only a tax return form could manage the instant he looked at the papers on his desk. Third window was a familiar-faced young lady having dinner with a man in an inquisitor's cloak, but clearly--by the fine weave--quite highly ranking. The window was open. Best not disturb.

He was halfway down to the fourth window when the name "Shadow" floated out of the window. Getting back up was hard, even with the block and tackle.

"Shadow left some of his friends here in Arbiter's Grounds?" Egann swore he knew this woman's voice, but he was bad with names and faces, and worse with voices.

"Friends, hardly," the man gruffly replied. "Men like Shadow have no friends. Merely professional ties. I suspect that a second bombing plot is underway, headed by this miscreant, 'Egann.' It's only a matter of time before we find him and dispose of the situation."

"...How?"

"By making an example of him, of course. And to find the people he's working with," the man replied quite casually. "Don't look at me like that. The safety of the Arbiter's Grounds is of utmost importance and these terrorists are known safety threats who have had insiders within the Inquisition itself. It has to be handled now. Swiftly and harshly. Before matters get worse. I presume I can count on your cooperation to approve of how this must be dealt with."

"No."

"I thought it'd stick in your throat. So I brought a little insurance." The man snapped his finger and a small child in rags appeared. "This little orphan was wandering Arbiter's Grounds streets yesterday. Every time you don't cooperate, I break one of her fingers."

At this point, Egann looked squarely at the author. Really? REALLY?! Torturing a child is the best you could come up with to establish this guy as evil? If there were an award for "least creative bad guy," you'd win it.

Shut it. I'm trying. I'M TRYING. Making good bad guys has never been my strong suit.

How about you start by trying to make a good bad guy and not get cheap laughs like this crumby fourth wall joke? All you're succeeding at is getting on my nerves. And while I'm venting, I should probably point out that spying on Arbiter's Spire because some inquisitor was asking for me is probably the craziest leap of logic I've ever heard of.

Will you stop complaining about my writing so we can keep going, already?!

When Egann's attention returned to the present, he accidentally slipped and the blocks for the pulley clattered loudly against the window. When the inquisitor poked his head out the window, Egann managed an innocent look. "Uh. Hi."

" 'BYE!" The inquisitor produced a knife from under his shirt sleeve and slashed the rope Egann was hanging from. One Big Splash and fifteen minutes later, Egann was sitting in another cell, his underwear sticking to his bottom.

Note to self: don't piss off the author.

Edited by Egann, 18 March 2012 - 10:06 AM.

[JRPomazon]

OoC: Going to take some creative descriptive liberties here, please correct me if I am wrong in any way

The sky was growing overcast and the scene around them had not grown anymore charming and delightful since they had arrived. With their affairs in order, Leo and Turtlelot on their respected mounts and Shadow sitting up front of the carriage with the reigns on the two horses in hand. Jordan climbed up to the back, shoving crates aside to accommodate for himself as he sat in the confided and somewhat cramped back of the carriage. The cloth cover that was stretched overhead blotted out whatever light was attempting to come through but it ultimately did not block the stench of rotting bodies. Facing Ken and Eivor once again, Jordan relaxed as much as he could and attempted to rest.

A quick whipping sound could be heard from the front, Shadow calling the horses to action as the carriage shifted back slightly and jolted forward when they began moving. Similar sounds and shouts could be heard on all sides as Turtlelot and Leo began to keep up with their pace. They would cross over the putrid wastelands for a time, the sensation of decay slowly being aired out by a fresher breeze of air with every foot they managed to travel from the midst of the previous battle. No one said anything.

The following days past with little consequence. They spoke briefly about their adventures and experiences to pass the time around campfires and dinners while their traveling hours were spent mostly in silence. The frontier had little offer them, even less so since Synile took it upon himself to kill any living thing that crossed his blood stained path. Despite their pace, they could not seem to catch up to him. The only blessing on this hunt was that whatever supplies Synile's victims had left behind were left untouched most times and collected with no gold or rupees spent.

Weary and worn during their traveling, they failed to realize the momentous event that was about to happen right under their feet as the carriage wheels spun on dry earth and dust, crushing pale dead grass and other lost vegetation. As the bodies had vanished from the scenery, the closer and closer they traveled until they reached a particularly large stone that stuck out from the ground.

*Thump*
*Thump*

The rock was kicked and knocked under the wheels of the carriage and left alone as they passed by. All anyone felt was a sudden bump in the road. That was to be their only sign, until they would look at a map later on that day, that they had crossed into the land of the Goddess.

From the quiet garden that grew in the heights of the Arbiter's Spire, the calm goddess opened her eyes as if she had been shook awake from a peaceful sleep. As her new power coursed through her body and mind she was quickly learning all of her new abilities as if she were only remembering them. As the goddess, she could sense the presence of every living creature within the confines of her domain, much like her predecessor Chikara Nadir. And although her altered mind was managing the complex demands of her abilities, she felt her heart skip a beat and her control slip ever so slightly as she began to feel the sensation of something familiar in a land of strangers. She sat up from her stone bench and walked back through the loggia hallways, her crimson dress' velvet form shimmering in the light. Eventually she found a spot suitable to gaze from towards the west.

She looked on with a sense of melancholy and confusion as Jordan became another sensation that she felt connected to by a string.

* * *

Within the lowest levels of the spire were the detaining cells often used by the inquisition for heretics they attempted to break into confession, be it a confession out of fear or guilt. Egann Gauvin had spent the better part of his days here since his capture, interrogated and beaten by templars and inquisitors alike for the information he possessed. Lucien's senses had not abandoned him to the throngs of madness and conspiracy at this time. He knew that if there were any other loose ends that it could result into another assault on the capital or an uprising. Insuring the people that the goddess was all powerful and all protecting from the woes of the world was a critical element to his success and if a single stone was turned from its place a seed of doubt could once again grow to consume the city.

Solomon's methods to curing this malady was the Purge, Lucien would not be so foolish to believe that wholesale manslaughter in the name of justice and faith could alleviate the nation. So he kept Egann in a dark cell and had him beaten and bludgeoned every so often in order to break him, following it up with questions about his involvement in Shadow's attack on the city and his knowledge of the heretic conspiracy. Egann merely insulted his interrogators and received his beatings accordingly. However, this time Lucien decided to take a stroll the cell himself, to see Egann personally and to perhaps better convince him of the situation he was in.

With four templar knights at his side, he entered the torch lit hallways and eventually arrived at the door that Egann resided behind. The former Vanguard soldier was chained by his neck to the wall behind him, his arms bound behind his back and his knees bent on the floor. His face was covered in dried blood and sweat. This was set this way so that Lucien would not have to deal with him trying to attack him during their little talk. The gray inquisitor entered the cell as the guards opened the door to the room, looking down at Egann from the very moment he crossed the threshold. The arch-inquisitor looked behind him and waved his hand, the guards behind him closed the door to offer them privacy as they spoke.

"Egann Gauvin, Sergeant in the 109th Infantry Scouts of the VI Vanguard unit. I'm surprised to see that your kind still call the empire home after Drake's abandonment of the empire. Or maybe that is why you decided to attack your own nation with the traitor General, Shadow."

Egann said nothing, not even bothering to look up to see Lucien.

* * *

The carriage eventually found it's way to the main trade routes of the empire, sharing the road with bustling wagons on their ways to towns and cities across the empire. Though they seemed conspicuous with a metal man riding a buffalo and a dwarf riding a goat at their side, no one paid too much attention to the carriage driven by an imperial traitor. The road eventually changed from dirt to finished stone and the group eventually made the abrupt transition to plains to civilization. A small establishment that seemed like the spitting image of someplace you might of found in the Alliance, wooden and stone homes and buildings bringing life to the middle of nowhere. The whole scene was baffling, to have nothing but open plains around you on all sides only to shift into greener grass and lively town living.

The carriage stopped by the first inn they could find in town, hoping to at least take some time to stretch their legs and move a little before they're bodies cramped up completely. However, new issues arose when Jordan spotted a wanted poster set on a small billboard around the corner, featuring caricatures of Shadow and his men with some handsome pricetag underneath each of them. He had known that traveling through the empire was going to be difficult with a Calatian general and a fugitive but it seemed that viking cloaks and hoods weren't going to pull off concealing them. Besides, the weather had grown so much warmer that it seemed ridiculous to even have as many layers as they did on Snowpeak.

Eivor had taken the map out, checking to see where they were in regards to their starting point in Calatia. She quickly found the proper dot on the parchment that explained where they were.

"We've been going straight ever since we left the wastelands. We are still a few days away from the Arbiter's Ground though so we're not done moving yet." She said, folding the map away.

"We've been able to find signs of Synile here and there, but I'm getting worried. Although we are heading straight to the Arbiter's Grounds we haven't seen any of Synile's . . . trail at all recently."

"This is the first place we've come across that looks like it hasn't been scorched and destroyed in the past few days. We might be ahead of Synile." Jordan said.

"That, or we've lost him. But if that's the case then at least we have a chance to restock on items for the road. This is the first moment of peace we've had since Calatia."

Jordan looked over to Shadow, who was covering his face with a hood. For all they knew, he might hold some celebrity status for blowing up chunks of the imperial capital.

"At any rate, we need to blend in. We can't be sure we're going to be able to pass through here without some sort of trouble."

Edited by JRPomazon, 25 March 2012 - 12:54 AM.

[Crimson Lego]

Having taken one of the wanted posters to look at, Leo glanced at the picture sketched on the front and at what he could see of Shadow’s face. Even with the latter’s hood on, the dwarf could guess that the sketch would look very similar to the real if an imperial patrol ordered him to take his hood off. With this size a reward, they’re probably searching every single traveler right now anyways. Rolling it up and putting the poster under his belt, Leo then examined his own attire. He was somewhat sure that the majority of Koridai didn’t have a sure physical description of what he looked like, but a dwarf in the midst of humans in the Arbiter’s Grounds would probably stand out somehow.

Fortunately though, none of his clothing had Calatian insignias or logos that would indicate he was a member of the Renegade Kingdom. The best he could hope for was that there would be a few other dwarves wandering around the Grounds. As for blending in, as Jordan put it…

“I don’t suppose there are any close military bases or outputs around?” said Leo to Shadow. “Or regular patrols that we could easily beat and armour we could take? Dressing up like Koridaian soldiers might put the searchers off a bit and have them look right past us.”

[SL the Pyro]

"That's doable." Shadow replied to Leo in agreement, while adjusting his hat under his hood. Bothersome add-on... he hoped to be ditching this cloak sometime in the near future. "There's a security checkpoint a mile or so off the outskirts of the town if I remember correctly."

He took a moment to think, then flashed him a grin.

"Hell, we could probably just hijack the entire checkpoint and they'd be none the wiser. Koridai's been woefully unorganized since Chikara disappeared; anything that isn't the Arbiter's Grounds will have shoddy protection at best."

Edited by SL the Pyro, 25 March 2012 - 11:18 PM.

[JRPomazon]

Jordan felt the need to interject on the matter of hostile takeovers.

"As fun as it would be to play dress up and cause all sorts of bedlam and chaos, the only way we're going to catch up with Synile and reach the Arbiter's Grounds without having to worry about remaining INTACT and BREATHING." Jordan said, hoping to bring a sense of civility to the group. He looked over to Turtlelot.

"Well, intact anyway."

"We take clothes that can help us adapt to our new environment, the thick layers we had up in the mountains aren't going to be of much use in this sun. And preferably, clothes that don't have any military significance. We get spotted by real soldiers, they'll ask questions."

Jordan took a look around them. The inn in front of them, a shop to the right of that inn, the main road filled with people traveling in and out, another establishment across the street with no definite signs to it's identification. With all the traffic coming through, it was obvious that this was some sort of merchant town. If that was the case, there would be a bazaar filled with shops and goods. Jordan snapped his fingers, forming a plan.

"Let's do a bit of shopping." he said, following the crowds into the heart of the town with Shadow and Leo in tow.

"Eivor, Ken, Turtlelot, stay here for a bit. We'll be back soon."

The three of them quickly entered the sea of people, townsfolk to merchants to vagrants and guard soliders, all merging and meshed into the scene heading in all directions. It was a strange amount of traffic for a town this size, Jordan pondered whether it was the cause of some sort of festival or event. He looked back ever so often, making sure the cloaked Shadow and the Dwarf were keeping up with his pace. Eventually, they reached the center of town, a large plaza area with a fountain in the center and several people dancing and celebrating around it with music and drumming. As Jordan suspected, something was happening in this town.

Nearby the excitement was a series of shops and stands that might have be a part of baazar. Jordan quietly praised his good fortune as he looked through the stands for any sort of suitable attire. Eventually, they found one but did not approach him right away. Jordan crossed his arms, thinking of what to do next. He snapped his fingers again, a new idea came to mind. Without another thought, he rushed to the counter of the stand, looking as though he had seen death.

"SIR!" He cried to the shopkeep. The older gentleman stepped back, startled and surprised as his white beard shook with him along with his potbelly underneath the tunic.

"How fortunate you're still here! There has been a terrible accident!"

"A-an accident?" the shopkeep responded

"Your wife sir! Your wife has had a terrible fall!"

"M-My wife!" He exclaimed.

"She was being moved to the healer's when I sent to find you!" Jordan explained, gesturing wildly to ensure his performance be believable.

"Yes! Of course! But my shop-"

"I'll close the shop damn it now GOOOOOOO!"

The old man ran off on a fool's errand, leaving the three travelers to the entire store.

"OK, let's make this quick. Don't take too much time picking out the right outfit, just take something that will work." Jordan said quietly as the three of them took a look around in the booth.

Edited by JRPomazon, 26 March 2012 - 12:57 AM.

[Sir Turtlelot]

Turtlelot gave a small chuckle to Jordan's comment. It was always nice to have even a small bit of humor on journeys such as these. Fortunately for Turtlelot, he had packed a few spare black cloaks in one of Winston's bags, so he was able to trade out his Calatian cape and still keep his metallic body concealed from commoners. No need for unwanted attention.

Unfortunately, that's what the trio seemed to be in for, as the metal man noticed a small patrol of Koridian guards watching them. If the others do not return soon, we may be in for some trouble. Turtlelot thought to himself, as he carefully kept his eye on the guards and waited for Jordan, Leo, and Shadow to return.

[Crimson Lego]

Nicely done, Jordan, thought Leo with a grin. Moving quickly, he walked straight into the shop, first making sure that there were no other customers around before looking through the clothing available. Moving the various attires back and forth on the racks, the dwarf glanced down at what he wore and tried to look for something that would fit. After a few moments of contemplation, Leo selected dark grey leggings and a crimson belt; his own belt could be easily replaced in the carriage and the leggings were thin enough for the desert climate. Next was a crimson tunic to replace his thicker jacket; his green cloak could probably stay and wouldn’t attract any attention. He had seen stranger colours in the lands of the Empire before.

Quickly changing with the little privacy he had, Leo came out with his new attire put on and his original clothing in a bag he’d snagged from somewhere; another bag was slung across his other shoulder. “Some stuff for the other guys,” he explained. Allowing Shadow and Jordan to look around on their own, Leo began to make his way back to the carriage where the others were waiting. Not bad, he thought, glancing at himself in a nearby mirror. In his opinion, no imperial officer would have reason to suspect him as an agent of Calatia. The rest of his clothing wasn’t as thick as what Leo would normally wear on a mountain hike, so the weather felt rather good at the moment.

Almost back to the carriage, Leo stopped walking and unsuspectingly changed his walking direction at the sight of Koridaian soldiers muttering and looking at the carriage group. Shit, that was fast. Moving out of sight, the dwarf watched from where the patrol couldn’t see him. Of course, even if they weren’t looking for Shadow and his men, the sight of a horse-drawn carriage, a goat, and some massive creature was still enough to attract attention. Not very armed, Leo observed; none of them had guns, and only a couple had swords while the rest carried heavy clubs. Unfortunately, engaging them outright would also be a bad idea; reinforcements wouldn’t arrive too quickly, but a frightened civilian or two would get away to the Arbiter’s Grounds pretty fast. Waiting for Jordan and Shadow to return wasn’t an option either; the latter would be easily recognized by the Koridaian soldiers in a fight.

Then he had an idea; hopefully, it wasn’t too ridiculous.




Tossing the bags in a nearby bush, Leo sprinted up towards the soldiers, who were startled to see a dwarf running directly at them. “Please…stop!” he mock gasped, even as the weapons went up towards him. “Don’t hurt me!”

“What do you want, shorty?” asked the officer rudely. “I don’t have any leg stilts, if those are what you’re looking for to get into Lord Steel’s Praetorian.” The soldiers laughed at the sight of a dwarf panting and almost groveling on the ground

If he wasn’t on a mission to stop endless massacres, Leo might have slaughtered the officer and the entire group just for that slang, but right now, he would have to deal with it. “Shadow the traitor…I saw him…way down west.”

That got their attention; the smirks disappeared and the laughter stopped. “Where?” the officer demanded eagerly. “We will bring that turncoat general to justice!”

Now having ‘regained’ his breath, Leo scrambled to come up with a good excuse on that spot. “I don’t know, but he and about 20 other guys made way on horses and such. I recognized a few as belonging to a prized collection of Lord Solomon’s and the Inquisition!”

The soldiers were now literally drooling as they waited for their leader to give the order. Not very smart, are they? The officer, as expected, was quick to react, all suspicion on the rest of the expedition forgotten. “Let’s go!” he shouted, already running westwards; his loud words carried over to the outskirts of the village, causing a few civilians to look up in confusion. As the last of the patrol soldiers ran off after his comrades, Leo casually strolled over to the bush, reclaimed the bags, and made his way towards the carriage.

Tossing both into the carriage, Leo grinned at the others. “That went well, didn’t it?”

ooc: Sorry if that seemed too easy, I couldn’t think of anything else.

[SL the Pyro]

Shadow was notably less enthusiastic about Jordan's drama act than Leo, even facepalming at it. "Did that seriously work..." was his deadpan response, followed by him whispering to Jordan why he should not have done that: "If he didn't have a wife, you would've blown our cover with that stunt."

Still... retardedly luck-based as the diversion was, it worked, and the ex-general didn't waste the moment. He picked a heavy, black coat complete with hood and some equally black cargo pants, both loaded with pockets and both big enough to nicely hide what he was really wearing underneath. One feature about Shadow that most of Koridai's military knew about him was his special tunic that served as his own personal hammerspace; he didn't need all of these extra pockets to store his arsenal, and the clothing made him look much bulkier than he really was. Hopefully that would be enough to avoid suspicion. He also took a blue beanie to cover his telltale hair, putting his usual hat away in the aforementioned tunic.

Handy piece of clothing, this tunic... he never did find out where it came from. Memories of his youth were frustratingly sketchy; all he knew was that he'd had this tunic for as long as he could remember...

But enough reminiscing. He checked his appearance in the mirror, and the reflection staring back at him looked almost nothing like his actual self. Considering his personal choice of clothing was how most of Koridai identified him, this would definitely suffice. Jordan appeared to be finished with his disguise as well, so he followed him back to the carriage.

[JRPomazon]

OoC: Don't worry, that was pretty alright Leo. I'm just gonna presume you went on ahead without me or S_L . . .

"If an older gentleman with an actual store in the middle of a baazar of stands and booths like this didn't have a wife, I'd eat your hat." Jordan replied, shuffling through clothing like cards in a deck. He didn't enjoy the idea of tricking a poor old man out of his store in order to rob him, but given the circumstances he didn't have a lot of options to be a paragon of virtue. He didn't want to to change his clothes since they were a gift from Astrid back on Snowpeak, but given their tattered state from his various battles down the mountain he wasn't sure how long they'd hold out. He grabbed a new pair of merchant pants. He kept the green viking tunic, despite it's weight and it's condition.

After they left, he closed the shop up for business and headed back to the carriage to the others. Leo had gone on ahead it seemed, leaving Shadow and himself by their lonesome. Probably less conspicuous this way. The two of them walked through the bazaar again, not bothering to gander at the confusion around them as they returned to the fountain in the main square. Jordan's curiosity did not wane since his first visit here and was still interested in learning what was going on.

"Hold on a second Sha- err . . . buddy . . ." Jordan said, not sure what to call his pleasant yet convicted friend.

He found a man standing a few feet in front of him, perhaps he had some clue.

"Excuse me," he asked, catching the attention of a young man no older than he was.

"What's all this going on here?"

The stranger looked at him, cocking his head to the side.

"You from out of town?" He asked.

Jordan nodded.

"Yeah, you could say that."

"Well certainly you've heard news from the Arbiter's Grounds." the man asked again.

"I've been away traveling for a spell and haven't seen much of people." Jordan replied, hoping not to sound too suspicious.

"Then you're in for a kicker friend! News is that she's returned!" the stranger replied, sounding excited and even sporting a smile.

"You don't mean . . ." Jordan replied, not actually sure what he meant.

"That's right! The goddess has returned to Koridai!"

Jordan's surprise and shock could not be contained or concealed when he heard that.

"We heard that she returned a few weeks ago and restored the capital after some anarchists came and tried to destroy the capital and restored the city to new! It was a miracle! And nothing but miracles have been happening ever since!"

"Yeah . . . " Jordan said, his face frozen as it was.

"Well, I best be off." the stranger said, continuing on his blissful way as Jordan stood dumbfounded.

Edited by JRPomazon, 26 March 2012 - 09:25 PM.

[SL the Pyro]

Shadow's mood was faring no better than Jordan's, his brain clearly having issues with having to reboot itself twice in the same week. Seeing that Jordan was having a tougher time of it than him, though... he decided now would be a good time to get going and resorted to dragging his stupefied friend by the arm into a less populated area where they could speak in privacy.

"Geez... this can only mean bad news." he whispered to him, at least trying to keep a calm demeanor. "She came back? After months of disappearance and letting her nation fall into disorder, she just... comes back?"

He put his hand to his chin, taking a moment to think.

"No... I don't buy it. This is Chikara we're talking about here. If she came back, she probably would've be so angry from being defeated that she would've went on a destructive rampage a la the Cataclysm, either through her army or her own power. Surely we would've seen that coming all the way from Calatian, and we didn't. And I definitely would've noticed if something that powerful resurfaced."

He paused to let his hypothesis sink in. Well... it looked like he was going to need to get an explanation for that grand battle a little earlier than planned.

"Jay..." he spoke to him, deciding to settle with that nickname while they were undercover. "It might help me figure out what the hell is going on here if I knew what happened to Chikara in that last battle. You came from Calatia, do you happen to know?"