DrowsyPangolin

When the Flames Die

Lily smiled vaguely. Yes, her trade had given her a source of income no matter where she went. She glanced towards Maria when she asked about her travels. She had traveled quite a lot, and had learned that not every corner of the world was all that hospitable. She nodded. "Aye, I've been around a bit. Let's see..." She was unsure of where to begin. "Well, when I first left Esterl I visited Castil, to the far south. Nice place, but there were far too many established merchants, I didn't have much of a chance." She brought her hand to her chin. "Then I went to Gris once, in the frozen North. There were a few places that were hospitable enough, but it's bloody cold and most of it isn't what you'd call 'civilized'." She yawned. "Then there's Lyok, to the East. It's not bad, if you can deal with the snakes. I can't speak for the colonies." She sighed. "Lately I've been traveling around Estovet, though."

When the Flames Die

Celeste nodded. "Good man. No sense in spilling blood for no reason." She stared curiously at Rat when he asked about Taggerung. "All we know is what we've been told, but we can surely oblige that information. Haeryn, come tell the man what you know." The man lowered his bow, replacing his arrow in it's quiver. He was thankful they wouldn't have to kill anyone today, not yet at least. He walked over to Rat, keeping an eye on the shadowmages. He glanced to Rat. "From what I was told, he isn't human. Other than that, he managed to kill a member of the Brass Hand, so I'd imagine he's quite dangerous. He also tried to kidnap our Princess, but we don't know why." Haeryn spoke in a gruff tone. Celeste nodded. "Now, if you'd be so kind, would you mind returning the favor and answering a few questions yourself?" She glanced toward the other members of Rat's party. "Who are you, and who sent you after us? Also, what is your interest in this 'Taggerung' ?"

Lily listened to Maria as she spoke, nodding when she mentioned the cloak. The woman went on to mention that she had come from Lachne, the land to the north of Keilaudrin. Lily had been briefed on the general history of the area, and from what she understood it had been reduced to little more than a barren waste. Interesting. Lily turned, putting her back against the bar. Bar stools weren't the most comfortable thing in the world. She wondered exactly what kind of investigator she was. Asking further questions seemed in poor taste. Perhaps she could get that answer somewhere else. "Hmm, sounds like you've had quite a rough time of it." The blonde woman gave a slight frown. "My story isn't nearly as interesting, but I suppose since you were so kind as to tell me yours..." She looked up towards the ceiling. "I'm from Esterl. My father was a silversmith. He died early on, and my mother was sick all the time, so my sister and I took up the practice. We actually became quite successful... but after a few years my mother died. We kept up the family business, but at some point my sister decided she didn't like splitting the profits anymore. We had our words, and I set out on my own. Been a traveler ever since." She smirked. "A bit boring, I'm sorry to say." The real story was much more interesting, but it wasn't something one wanted to discuss in public.

Sophia took a seat, smiling as the man brought them their food and taking a bite out of the muffin. It wasn't as good as the one she'd eaten at the feast, but it was great after having not eaten. She noticed Eva digging into her food as soon as it was on the table. The Princess placed a handful of coins on the table and took a look around the room. There were lots of patrons filing into the inn, going about their daily business. She took note of a young boy looking at her, and soon the boy took a seat near them. The Princess looked towards the boy, smiling brightly. "Hello there, what's your name?" Even after everything, she couldn't help but be friendly. She took another bite of the muffin.

When the Flames Die

Sophia took the menu from the man's hand with a cheerful smile. "Thank you, sir." She ran her finger down the list of foods. Various dishes lined the pamphlet, but her eyes were drawn to a particular item at the bottom of the page. Blueberry muffins. For a moment, she recalled eating a muffin at the midnight feast. For a split second, a frown crossed her face. Everything had been okay then. She shook off the negativity. "Oh, yes sir. I think I'll have a muffin...and ...hmm... some eggs I suppose." She handed the menu back towards her companions. "What about you two?"

Eva didn't even look at the menu. "Sausage, please." She hadn't eaten anything in what felt like days. She noticed Gareth smiling towards her and returned the gesture. She was glad the boy was with them. "What about you, Gareth?" They were fortunate to have met someone so trustworthy in a city that felt like it was built upon lies and secrets. The thought of lies and secrets led her eyes to the bar, where she was unsurprised to find Lily. She seemed to be talking to a dark haired woman that the Tauran didn't recognize.

Lily smirked. It was obvious Maria was exhausted, but she hadn't waited this long for nothing. "Aye, something like that." Her blue eyes glanced from the cloak to Maria as she pulled the garment away. The sly smile the blonde woman wore could've meant anything, but the Scout might recognize that the contents of her cloak weren't a secret at this point. "So what kinda story is it, Maria?" Lily's voice was warm, and she was fighting off the slur with astounding fortitude. "Being that you've had such a hard night, I might tell you one too, if you'd like."

When the Flames Die

Sophia giggled at Gareth's rumbling stomach, reaching to the table and picking up her circlet and necklace. She slid on her shoes and turned with a cheerful smile. "Yes, let's get something to eat." She realized she hadn't eaten in quite some time, since yesterday afternoon, if her memory served her well. She made a quick effort to at least flatten her tangled hair before walking out the door, trotting briskly down the hallway. Eva followed her out. The trio made their way down to the lobby of the inn, and the Princess approached the bar with a slight smile. She waved down the nearest bartender. "Yes, hello, could we get some breakfast, please?" She fished around in her pocket for her coin purse, eventually removing the small satchel. The room was a great deal more crowed than it had been the night before. Her eyes drifted around, searching the crowd, though she didn't know what she was looking for.

When the Flames Die

Sophia turned toward her friend has he awoke, putting her back to the window. The sunlight silhouetted the girl. Her yellow eyes met Gareth's. Despite his tired state, there seemed to be something more hopeful about him today. It made her feel better, whatever it was. "Well, good morning." She smiled brightly. Her hair was a veritable mess, and she looked a bit disheveled, having just woken up. It was a bit funny to see a princess in such a state. She stretched her arms above her head. "Did you sleep alright?" The girl seemed to be in a better mood today. On the far side of the room, a quick shout pulled her eyes away.

Eva woke with a jolt, and a loud exclamation of "Oh!" she sat upright from the headboard, her hand darting to her side. She froze for a moment, looking around the room and seeing nothing but sunlight and a very confused Sophia. "Oh, um, good morning, you two." She nodded to the Princess and Gareth, scratching the back of her head. She stretched, and heard her back crack. Sleeping sitting up and in an armored vest was not the most refreshing experience. "Some breakfast sound good?"

Lily had been sitting at the bar for what felt like days. The sunlight had began filtering into the room a while ago, and the regulars of the Inn had come in not long long after. She kept getting odd looks from the bartenders, but she supposed a woman drinking until the early morning was a bizarre sight. She had a lot on her mind, but only one thing particularly worried her, and worry wasn't usually a problem. The man, Amos, had seemed to know more than he let on. She had no doubt the man had some sort of motive that she knew nothing about, but the best she could do was wait on her comrades to come back from wherever the hell they'd wondered off too. She had been in better company, that was for certain. She sighed and took a long draught from her flagon, putting it on the table. She'd lost count of her drinks hours ago. Her bloodshot eyes glanced to her side as she saw someone approach. Maria Trinan, back from whatever escapade she'd run off to. She turned toward the woman, looking her up and down. She was disheveled, injured, and covered in wine. "I... I'm not even going to ask this time." She laughed. "I still got your cloak right here." The blonde woman pattered the blue-grey cloak on the bar. Her words slurred somewhat, and she felt a bit dizzy. Maybe drinking all night had been a bad decision.

When the Flames Die

Yeah, usually it's kind of a turn based thing. I.E. One player writes out an attack and the other reacts and/or makes some kind of counter attack. Of course, there are a lot of parties involved in this particular scuffle, so this could get interesting :p

When the Flames Die

Thus ends the longest night in human history.

When the Flames Die

Haeryn's brow furrowed when the mages appeared around them. He glanced around. One. Two. Three. Four. Four mages, as well as the man that now stood before him and his companion. They were outnumbered, and though he didn't show it, the use of magic made him nervous. He turned slowly, bringing the point of his arrow to rest on one of the mages. If he had to strike, he would, but spilling blood here could bring nothing but negative consequences. Still, he had no intention of being captured. An orange light burned in the east. Sunrise was upon them. It seemed he'd led the duo on for longer than he thought.

The brilliant green eyes beneath the white hood followed the appearance of the shadowmages, but came to rest on Rat as he made his entrance. He offered them terms for surrender. A shame they wouldn't be accepting them. The woman took a slow step forward, and a slight smile crossed her lips. The next instant a flurry of footsteps cut through the morning air. In a flash of white she stood in front of the man, within arms' reach. She locked eyes with the rogue, her expression the same as before. Her movement had been extremely quick, but she showed no sign of exertion. After a moment, she spoke, in a voice low enough that only Rat could hear her. "My name is Celeste of Redmoon. I am the Sword of Queen Angelica Octavia, Empress of Lyok. I assure you, you do not want me as your enemy." She made no move, her eyes focused in an unblinking stare. "Now, we can dance, and I can show you exactly what I mean, or you can be civil about this and call off your dogs." The rising morning sun shone bright against the woman's cloak, and illuminated her face. "The choice is yours."

---

Sophia jolted up in her cot, breathing heavily. Her sleep had been fraught with terrible dreams, despite the wine's best efforts. Her eyes darted around the room in a panic, half expecting to find some ominous figure standing over her. Instead, she awoke to a tranquil room slowly being filled by warm sunlight. She sighed. She'd made it through to another day, at least. The girl turned, allowing her feet to hang off the edge of the bed and looked towards the sunlit window. It was a beautiful sunrise, she thought. Even nature had it's ironies. She looked over towards Eva, who evidently had fallen asleep sitting up. The woman's head was slumped downward, her hair hanging in her face. The Princess quietly stood up, taking a moment to steady herself. She tiptoed across the room and looked out the window. Outside, Mullen's streets were bustling with life, as if nothing had happened. She wondered what the new day would bring. Her eyes glanced to the table where she and Gareth had placed their belongings. The sunlight shown brightly against the well-polished helmet. Sophia shook her head. She looked towards the other bed and whispered. "Gareth, Gareth are you awake?" Her soft voice floated through the room like the lilting tune of a songbird.

When the Flames Die

As soon as Haeryn exited the inn his hand flew to his face, removing the steel mask that had previously covered it and placing it somewhere within his cloak. The removal of the mask revealed the man's face. His skin was quite dark, and his features were fierce. A long scar ran across his left eye, which had a milky white color, suggesting it might have been blinded in whatever incident had caused the scar. He had short black hair and a bit of stubble. His good eye was a deep shade of brown. A recurve bow and a quiver of arrows were slung onto his back. The man made his way down the cobblestone street, and began meandering down a number of alleyways, seemingly at random. His wanderings continued for quite some time, until he made his way to the far side of town, into the outskirts of Mullen. He stopped for a moment at what appeared to be a ruined house, but turned and kept walking, making his way out of the city. Once outside, he cut off of the main road, and headed into a nearby patch of trees. By this point he'd been walking for at least an hour, and the night was growing old. He made his way into the dark recesses of the forest, keeping the same steady pace he'd maintained for the majority of his journey. After some time walking in the forest, he came to a stop at a small clearing.

The clearing was illuminated by moonlight, and a single oak grew in the center. A woman in a hooded cloak of pure white leaned against the bark of the great tree, her face eclipsed nearly entirely by her hood. Haeryn stopped a few paces from the woman and unslung the bow from his back, placing the lower end of it on the ground and resting his hand on the top of it. The woman spoke with a tone as smooth and cold as glass. "Haeryn, you're finally back. Did you speak with Eva?" The man nodded and replied in his low, gruff voice. "Yes, I did. She said she brought the Princess to the Inn after they were attacked on the palace grounds." The woman looked up slightly, revealing a pair of bright green eyes beneath the hood. "Who attacked them?" Haeryn cleared his throat. "She claims their assailant was called 'Taggerung'. According to Stonewater, he was not an ordinary man... In addition, I bring more bad news. Apparently Jezin Tremora, of the Brass Hand, fell to this 'Taggerung', along with two of the Princess' servants." The woman shook her head. "This is troubling... while she is outside of the palace grounds we will keep watch over her as best we can, but we cannot risk revealing ourselves, not yet." Haeryn replied. "Stonewater suggested using Tosli's... talents and forging a decree to legitimize our presence here." The woman's eyes flashed towards Haeryn. "I will take that option into account, but as of now any drastic action is dangerous. We cannot provoke a war here." The Blackcloak nodded. "And the boy?" The gruff man replied. "Stonewater said he's been guarding the Princess, she claims she hasn't told him anything." The woman chuckled. "Somehow I doubt that."

The woman stood up from her leaning position against the tree and took a step forward. A tuft of red hair was visible beneath her hood. "Well, now to the matter at hand. How long have those two been following you?" She looked out into the forest. "Since I left the inn. I took a long route to be sure they were tailing me." "Any idea who they might be?" Haeryn shook his head. "No clue, they don't seem to be from the Palace though." The woman smirked. "Good. Well then..." She took another step forward and raised her voice, its clear, glassy tone cutting through the forest. "Reveal yourselves now, and state your purpose here... or die where you stand." As soon as the word 'die' left her lips, Haeryn turned on a heel, whipping an arrow from the quiver at his back and bringing his bow to the ready. The woman made no visible preparation for any kind of combat, but most of her body was hidden beneath her cloak.

Uldor, Land of Glory. (High Fantasy)

Fitch continued stuffing his face with chicken, and his eyes slowly but surely wandered out the window. He began daydreaming as he ate, hearing a conversation about thanks and repaying debts, but it seemed miles away to him at that point. He was off somewhere on the sea, chasing after some great leviathan... and also eating chicken, but that was beside the point. Eventually he was jostled from his daydream by a new sound, the sound of a man shouting. He heard something about a speech, and the President. He turned towards his friends, completely oblivious to whatever they'd been speaking about. "Aye, do you lot think we should go to that?" He motioned towards the window, where the town crier was passing by.