Crimson Paladin

Blades of Iron Roses: A fantasy Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

Fleuri's gambit had worked. He would no doubt be paying for it later, but for now he was free of both the children and Lilianna. Of course, he would still need to find something productive to do. If anything, his little stunt made it all the more urgent that he dispel the impression that he was intentionally slacking off. No doubt Lilianna was planning suitable payback right now.

Before he could depart, however, another child appeared, one who appeared to be a bit more distraught.

"... Hello! Sir Knights?" she said, a little awkwardly. It seemed like she knew the knights had duties to attend to. But, then again, from her perspective it did look as if the knights were spending their time entertaining a bunch of children... "My friend Mae, she can't find her puppy, so... if you're not busy... she didn't want to ask herself..."

Fleuri's heart sank. He wanted to help. Really, he did. But with Dame Belwiss nearby and already no doubt incensed by having been swarmed by children, it would be wise to not would prioritize finding a lost puppy over ensuring the city's safety. On the other hand, he wasn't sure how to contribute to the city's defense now that the orcs were routed. The only thing calling to him at the moment was this child.

Wait a minute, he thought as he looked at the child. Perhaps it was just the cute pointed hat she wore, but he remembered his concerns from earlier. Specifically, concerns about the siege.

"If I can help, I can, but first I have business with Dame Belwiss," he reassured her, kneeling down to her level. He then stood back up and turned back to Lilianna.

"When you have a moment, Lilianna, I urgently need to speak with you," he spoke, suddenly becoming far more serious. "I'll meet you at the front gate." He was no doubt amplifying his punishment, basically giving her a free opportunity to chew him out, but for the moment, that no longer mattered. With any luck, she'd be convinced by the sincerity of his tone to hear him out.

He turned back to the lone girl, his grim countenance disappearing as quickly as it had appeared, "If we get a chance, or in case we see anything, Where might we find your friend?"

@Raineh Daze
@VitaVitaAR

Blades of Iron Roses: A fantasy Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

"...then the Captain led us in a cavalry charge at the orcs and trolls. We cut the orcs down, and I broke my lance in a troll's skull," Fleuri narrated, the children hanging on his every word. Truth be told, things got confusing in the heat of the battle, so he would have to fill in the gaps, which in this case would probably mean embellishing a bit. It didn't matter, it's not like he needed to get every detail correct.

"What happened next? What did the Captain do?" one of the children asked.

"The Captain sought out the orc chief and engaged him in combat, while the rest of us set to work fighting off the trolls and orcs," The knight answered. "One by one the trolls began to fall, but then an evil mage fired a wicked spell at the Captain. But just before it reached our valiant leader, one of our mages redirected the magic beam into a troll, turning it to ash."

It was at this point that he noticed Lilianna standing there, staring daggers at him. His countenance immediately changed to that of concern.

"Dame Belwiss," he spoke shakily, "I did not see you there. As you can see, I'm...err...helping to keep garrison morale up," he explained. It was at this point that an idea popped into his head, an idea that he would probably regret later on.

"Children," he said, turning back to his audience, "This woman is Dame Belwiss, the Captain's trainer and teacher. If you want to know anything about the Captain, she's the one you want to ask."

@Raineh Daze

Blades of Iron Roses: A fantasy Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

Fleuri was not surprised that he would not be pursuing the sorceress- he was not a mage, nor did he have experience battling them.
On the other hand, he was unsure what to do in the meantime, as defending a city was not Fleuri's area of expertise. He had fought in enough melees to lead a squad of men-at-arms, perhaps, but organizing a siege defense was a bit beyond him. Consequently, when the knights were swarmed by excited children, he was without an excuse to leave, and before he knew it, he was surrounded.

"How many orcs did you kill, sir knight?"

"Did you kill any trolls?"

"How do I get to be an Iron Rose Knight when I grow up?"

"Can I see your sword?"

I suppose this is what I'll be doing, Fleuri resignedly concluded, looking down at all the curious little faces bombarding him with questions. I suppose it could be worse.

"Settle down, settle down everyone," he spoke up, quieting the group as he stepped back. "Gather round, I'll answer your questions, but one at a time, please."

Blades of Iron Roses: A fantasy Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

Fleuri tensed up as he saw the enchantment being dispelled, and let out a sigh of relief when the Earl seemed to have regained his senses. It was quite a stressful ordeal just to witness, and it was unclear whether his ignorance made him more or less fearful that should be warranted. Regardless, it seemed to have been sorted out without any messy results- aside, of course, from the damage that had already been done.

Normally, he'd be uncomfortable with standing before an Earl in dirty, blood-stained armor, he mused. But with everything that happened, he was simply relieved that the Earl was unharmed.

Blades of Iron Roses: A fantasy Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

Fleuri cautiously backed away as Tiral's spell seemed to darken. He knew little of what was actually happening, but Tiral's reaction plus the ominousness of the crystal turning black told him all he needed to know. There was little else he could do besides remain vigilant and keep an eye out for more mundane threats. Pulling his gaze away from the black crystal, he glanced around the room, looking for anything that registered to him as suspicious or out of the ordinary. It was highly unlikely that he would notice anything, but it was still marginally more worthwhile than doing nothing, and either way, they could not afford to underestimate this Dark Lady.

Blades of Iron Roses: A fantasy Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

Fleuri listened closely to what the Captain had learned. He glanced over at the Earl, whom Fanilly had spoken of as if he was not present. I wonder if he is capable of grasping that he has been enchanted. It must be quite a bewildering feeling to have one mind's clouded and be unable to realize it even as others address it in the same room.

From what he had just heard, this Dark Lady didn't just set up trap, but had also cast a spell on the Earl to make him completely unfit to lead the city's defense. In other words, she had meticulously planned this out prior to the siege.

Captain," he spoke up as soon as he had the opportunity, "The local fairies described a "Dark Lady" having scoped the area out for a good vantage point before the battle near where that spell was cast from. They also claimed to have seen her skulking around the Old Falthier ruins. Assuming our information is correct, this must be the same woman.

"And if I may, Captain," he continued, "This reeks of a set-up. If she wanted the orcs to make it into the city, why didn't she blast the gate or cast a spell on a gate guard? It sounds like she set the stage for a stalemate instead, putting as many people as possible in peril so that we- or you, specifically- would show up to save them, and charge right into the range of that magic attack."

The thought that this lady exploiting the Captain's dedication to protecting the people of Thaln made Fleuri's blood boil. They could not- they would not- give up protecting the people regardless of the peril involved, but these vile machinations needed to be stamped out as swiftly and decisively as possible, before more innocents were caught in the middle. Fleuri felt a twinge of helplessness knowing he was of little use against the arcane powers of their adversary. And he still had no idea who this enemy was, beyond the vague description of a dark sorceress.

@VitaVitaAR

Blades of Iron Roses: A fantasy Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

At the gates, Fleuri dismounted and walked into the city. According to the captain's healer cousin, they were to report to the castle, while it was a hassle to navigate through the still-congregated crowds, Fleuri, having visited the city before joining the Iron Roses, had little trouble finding the way leading to the castle.

The city hasn't changed much since I was last here, he mused, looking up at the castle. And thanks to us, it looks like it'll continue to be that way. It was a good feeling to stop and look upon the results of the Iron Roses' handiwork, to remind oneself that what mattered wasn't the corpses and blood-splattered battlefields they left behind them, but the people and settlements that were preserved in the process.

Blades of Iron Roses: A fantasy Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

So she may be at Old Falthier, he thought. Fleuri knew little of the ruin, but he didn't need to in order to realize that this was valuable information. They would need to take this information to Fanilly and Tythae as quickly as possible, because every moment they wasted would mean more time for the Dark Lady to recover from her failed attack and plan something else. They couldn't be sure what further tricks this mysterious adversary may still have up her sleeve, but they at least had some faint idea who she was and where she may be hiding out.

He put his helmet back on and gripped the reins of his horse, turning it toward the direction of the city. "I'm heading into the city to meet up with the Knight-Captain. Hopefully the locals are done parading their saviors around."

"Oh, and fairies? Don't put yourselves at risk. We wouldn't want to be responsible for any of you getting hurt" he finished before trotting away.

Blades of Iron Roses: A fantasy Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

Fleuri cringed as he watched Tiral flicked the fairy on the forehead, knocking the tiny creature back. To a human, it might not seem like much, but to a fairy, he thought, it must be like getting struck by the end of a trebuchet arm. He hadn't caught why Tiral was angry or what the fairy had done to warrant a response, but it seemed to be an out of place act regardless, especially for an Iron Rose. The fairies' response to this act only seemed to make it look even less justifiable.

"Tiral, was that necessary? What could she have possibly done to you to justify that?" he piped in after Klaus filled him in, slightly upset.

Even if the fairy did somehow have it coming, it was prudent that the Iron Roses not antagonize them. If these fairies saw anything related to this attack, the knights would need to know, even if it meant walking on eggshells as to not displease these childish beings. I suppose it's up to me to try and mend things, Fleuri thought to himself as he removed his helmet and carefully plucked a single scarlet feather from the plume.

"Thank you Feeree, you've been most helpful. It's not much, but here's a little something for your trouble," he said as he rode forward, offering the feather to the fairy. "Sorry about my friend's behavior."

Regarding this information, it was quite disturbing if it was true. A human sorceress of some sort, leading orcs? It'd explain how they got into Thaln while simultaneously unable to actually accomplish anything. Surely, he reasoned, sorceress or witch capable of getting orcs to do their bidding must be extremely powerful, and likely very influential as well. I wonder if Tyaethe might know anything relevant about this, he wondered. If this person's true target was the Iron Roses, then perhaps the Immortal Knight- having battled the order's enemies since its inception- could be able to recognize this mysterious foe's description or handiwork.

Blades of Iron Roses: A fantasy Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

As Fleuri drew closer to the other knights, he was able to discern what they were doing- they were speaking with fairies. From what he knew, they were beings of magic, native to Thaln's forests, childlike and perpetually immature by human standards but not malevolent. Depending on how long they had been watching, they may have some information regarding whatever was going on, he hoped. Assuming, of course, that they were feeling cooperative and had not been offended in some way.

He brought his horse to a stop as he reached the group. "Klaus, it's good to see you no worse for wear," he said as he rode up alongside her, raising his visor. "I'm afraid I am a bit out of the loop at the moment. What happened out there? What was that beam?"