Chapter Six: Flight by Night
Pandes, Vardes 29, Dami-Zept 54, 1:30 HD - 3:30 HD
Location: Campus (The Laughing Hyena, outside Arc-en-Ciel Hall, various bars and beer halls)
Interactions: Onarr Yidlob @Bork Lazer, Leon Solaire @Jumbus, Manfred Hohenfelter, Mayu Iovina [@Bel], Linah Aranda @SilverPaw, Selio Tavares @Bastian
For most of the student body, the fallout from the Conclave was not immediate. It was a subject of gossip that evening. Letters were sent home to family members. The Perrench and Eskandish were fired up. The Jorubans were uneasy and the Kerremans were proud. Yet, the majority of students continued about their business, settling into the beginnings of a routine.
The same could not be said for those with real power. Horik was fuming. The Zenos of Ersand'Enise scarce had time to offer him an honour guard before he stormed out of the city, galloping north towards what had been a safe port in Revidia when he'd first arrived. The Zenos had given him an honour guard that included many young Eskandish from well-known families, such as Anesin of Bjelke and Marlijn and Owen of Vaanse, in addition to foreign escorts from friendly nations such as Paggon and Rettan.
Scarce had the last refrain of 'Green Perrence' finished echoing through the cavernous Arc-en-Ciel Hall than Rouis was off into the night, stepping into his coach and being whisked away south, towards the friendly territory of Perrence. One did not get the sense that he was angry so much as stunned. An honour guard of ten Perrench students and two Zenos rode with him, the strongest - Penny Pellegrin and Jean Lascand - in his very coach.
Jobanzaggah had cut some sort of Eshiran's bargain to not be toppled himself and his displeasure was clear. Prudently, he had paid the onerous port fees of Ersand'Enise to have his personal ship moored at the city's docks. He made for it immediately following the night's proceedings, accompanied by a small guard notable for the presence of Jomurr III of House Ikon.
Meanwhile, the city's small community of Jorubans gathered at the Hyena's Laugh - the only Joruban-owned tavern in the city - both celebrating and discussing over drinks the move that had just been made, their country's new status, and President Yibozo's personal boldness. The rational revolution was to spread and this was good news for most, though some had their misgivings. These, they discussed with varying degrees of openness. The president's personal friends and allies were among them, after all. They would not want to offend. Yet, there were some, who strolled out into the night and made their way towards the Arboretum, who were more openly worried and, within this group, they spoke candidly of their discomfort, the seeds of rebellion fomenting in their minds and slogans forming on their lips. It seemed, from their rhetoric, that one was either with them or against them.
The Kerremans, however, did not share their northern allies' restraint. They gathered in bierhauses around the city in raucous debauchery. It was noted that the kronprinz was in attendance at one. Prinzessin Lina was at another. Their celebrations lasted well into the night, ample quantities of beer - both cheap and fine - being consumed in the process. There were - at most - only a handful among their number who did not join in. Manfred Hohenfelter was not one of these. He knew that appearances needed to be kept up, but he had grave misgivings which he smothered with a beer stein, a false smile, and a forced laugh.
For others, the takeaway was more nuanced. Leon Solaire, a young performer beloved across much of the twin continents but with known ties to the Doge of Revidia, found himself facing the interesting choice of whether to party or not to party and, if so, who to party with. Some Revidians were celebrating their coup, but not all that many. It was simply politics and they were more interested in business. The Perrench were sullen and hostile. The Jorubans were excited in their oft-intellectual way, but the sounds of Ziggurat-spitting competitions and Joruban folk songs could nonetheless be heard sporadically. Not all seemed jubilant, however, a sentiment certainly shared by the many Belzaggic students who gathered to confer and conspire in hushed tones. They stood in solidarity with their Perrench allies.
The Torragonese, in true Torragonese fashion, did not personally gloat, but many of them liked to let loose and had joined the most raucous party of all: the Kerremans were utterly out of control. Drink flowed freely, copious amounts of pretzels, sausages, and sauerkraut were consumed, fußball games occupied the plazas, parks, and streets, and music pumped out into the night. There were impromptu dancing circles, arm wrestling competitions, and fisticuffs. Magusjaegers held increasingly convoluted target-shooting contests. There were dozens of beer pong tables and one beer hall had even set up a
teufelsrad. People coupled up. Youths ran around wearing flags like capes, shouting patriotic slogans, and singing traditional Kerreman songs, for their nation was on the rise. It had earned its place in the sun and they were certain that great things lay ahead.
The same could be said for Torragon, yet their king had sent a subtle message through his speech and body language today that celebrations were to be somewhat muted. One did not bait the bull unless he was certain that he could slay it. Evidently, King Sancho was not. Yet, he had taken personal steps, and two students, in particular, Selio Taraves and Linah Aranda, had received personal summons from him. To what end, they did not yet know.
Location: Near the southern border of Ersand'Enise
Interactions: Seung Eun-Ji @Medili, Carmillia Carbonneau @Animus, Penny Pellegrin
Father was a master actor and the trick to it, Penny supposed, was that he had only partially been acting. Perrence had been removed from that meaningless council and all it had done was make a mockery of the notion that the Five Thrones indeed went to the five greatest nations in the land. Everybody knew it, too. In truth, King Rouis had not been blindsided. He had planned for this moment for years and, by warning Horik of the Doge's treachery last night, had revealed himself to the Eskandish Emperor as a good-faith actor. Their enmity had been only half-falsified; the two did not like each other, but they now found themselves in the same position and how unexpected it would be for two ancient rivals like Perrence and Eskand to ally.
Penny, seated across from father and Jean Lascand, as was only proper for the only woman in the carriage, leaned over and peered out the window. Jean could be trusted, she had been told, but he did not know the truth of her relationship to the king and matters were still best kept that way. It was awkward enough that Carmille, Yvette, and Madeleine were along. Carmille, in particular, was ever so sweet, but she was sharp too: she
noticed things. Penny had made a joke of it: that eight-plus RAS level of hers was paying dividends! She could practically
feel them wondering, though, and she had honestly begun to wonder - herself - how long she could keep this up. She could see them outside. She practiced her royal wave when one caught her eyes, stifling a giggle, but it was all an act.
Gods, even that Tan-Keoulean girl is here, and she hates me, Penny thought,
I know it."Your majesty," Jean began, and Penny's attention was pulled in his direction.
"I hope it is not imprudent of me, but I had thought to ask -"She didn't even feel the buildup of energy, but the gunshot was starkly audible.
"Your highness, get down!" the girl shouted, but the bullet was not meant for him. It took a moment, but the carriage lurched to the side precipitously. Horses squealed and reared up. Immediately, Jean threw open the carriage door and Penny could feel him draw energy to himself. A split second later, and he leapt over to where the coachman sat. To Penny's shock, a dead body rolled off of it and was immediately trampled by the carriage as Jean struggled to get control. From the forest came more gunshots:
Magusjaegers, the girl thought, but there were dark-clad figures as well: leaping out of trees, emerging from the roadside brush, and... With a crackling groan, a massive tree fell across the road up ahead.
Jean struggled to deflect the two shots aimed for him as they arced and curved around his barriers.
"You!" he shouted at the trio of Carmille, Yvette, and Madeleine,
"One of you take the reins. I'm needed in the fight!" Then, Penny felt it: father drawing energy to himself.
"Papa, no! You're too valuable!" But he leapt out of the coach and into the action. Father was a leadvein, she knew, and he was using those abilities presently. He slammed into a black-clad figure with fantastic force and absolutely shattered it. Shots came for him, but he was already on the move. Not all were so skilled or so fortunate. She saw two guards go down. Jean took a bullet in the shoulder and let out a yelp, struggling with the reins. The carriage was still going quickly. The horses were spooked. It was going to crash!
Penny gathered her crutch and dove out, softening her landing with a kinetic self-draw. Sellswords poured out of the woods and one came straight for her. She put all of the kinetic energy she had drawn into a shove and sent him reeling, fighting down panic all the way. There were still the assassins, she knew. They hid their energy so well. They were quick. She grabbed a sword from the roadside and flung it at one in a kinetic grasp, certain she'd scored a hit, but it seemed to go right through him. She blinked, nonplussed, but another volley of shots rang out. Penny drew in every ounce of energy that she could from her surroundings. She filled herself with it and let out a colossal burst. Trees swayed violently. Some cracked and fell. A maelstrom of rocks, sticks, and debris hurtled into the forest. This was unreal! She could die! Father could die! Yvette, Carmille, and Madeleine could die!
When she looked again, however, she saw the Tan Keoulean girl. She saw her at work and she realized that her own skills paled in comparison.
"Sons and daughters of Perrence!" She shouted,
"around your king!" If they could protect Rouis, then Eun-Ji, Jean's uncle (Zeno Lascand), and the trained soldiers would be free to attack. The next thirty seconds could decide
everything.
Location: The northern border of Ersand'Enise
A day that had started with meeting Leon Solaire could very end up being Marlijn's last day alive. It had happened so quickly: they'd been riding along in the warm glow of camaraderie - the Eskandish, at least - singing war songs and talking in indignant, excited voices. Aside from the presence of some foreign allies among their escorts (she recognized Yimu in the baggage train and Karim on horseback), it had felt like those stories of the old days, and Marlijn - for all that she was no warrior, had grown up on them nonetheless. Lady Anesin rode beside the King and, though he was not Marlijn's king, she was nonetheless awed in his presence. A mountain of a man, he had sat astride a mighty thunderhoof, belting out choruses under the light of four moons.
Then, the first bullet had struck and Kejser Horik had been thrown from his mount. A half-dozen others had been either struck or thrown. With a splitting crack and a tortured groan, a great tree had plunged to the ground ahead, blocking the Godsroad. Cobalt was a well-trained horse, though, and he did not panic like some of the others. Marlijn brought him around and scanned the trees. Shouts of alarm and anger went up from the group and one runaway carriage seemed beyond help. One of the foreigners had pulled a weapon and was ready for what came next, as was Owain and Marlijn's heart pounded with relief that her brother was alright. As for the king... He rose and dusted his clothes off. From across his back, he pulled a pair of mighty broadswords, each meant to be two-handed but wielded one to a hand by the massive figure. Lady Anesin, too, dismounted, and Marlijn could feel a colossal intake of energy from her direction... or was it the king's!? Black-clad figures poured out of the trees.
King Horik launched himself at the enemy with a truly ferocious speed that caught even Marlijn off guard.
"Death for the Death God!" he roared, and behind him rose a chorus of battles cries from the sons and daughters of Eskand.
Fallenreaper
Emeth
BlackRoseSiren
Ti
Not a Sayan
Echotech71
FourtyTwo
