Fire Emblem: Eternity of Darkness IC Thread

[Penguinator]

A young, impressionable looking guard comes to watch over the inmates. Trembling slightly, he leans against the wall, trying to maintain his composure.

[TheSummoner]

(Ok... Round 3 - GO!)

Joran leans against the bars of the cell and glances over to the guard.



"Hey buddy, come a bit closer."

[Penguinator]

The demon looks around suspiciously, then takes a single step forward. "Yes?"

[TheSummoner]

"Just a bit closer"

Joran checks the two occupied cells... Egon is sitting on the other side of the cell, not paying attention... Shien is slumped against a wall in his own little world... Chet seems to be occupied trying to do what he can for Shien's wounds. Joran speaks in a hushed tone.

"I'm ready to sell these guys out. I'll tell you whatever you want to know, just don't let anyone overhear. Come a bit closer, I'll whisper it to you. You can tell your masters... You can get all the credit... All the glory..."

[Penguinator]

The demon leans back against the wall, his hand on his lance. "Why should I believe you? They've warned me about you... They say you throw things." He glances nervously at Chet, then adds, "And... and he's a holy man, he could... he could say things at me."

[TheSummoner]

Joran lets out a small laugh.



"You don't know much about holy men, do you? Look at him over there. He doesn't have a staff. He doesn't have a tome. He can't do anything. Hell, if he could, he would've already done it. As for me... Well, what do I have left to throw? A few small pebbles and a handful of dirt. I've got nothing left... I've given up."

Joran turns away from the guard.

"But fine, you don't have to believe me if you don't want. I'll just tell the next guy I see and he can take all of the credit. He could tell your boss and get whatever it is your boss gives the ones who serve him well. Maybe I'll even tell him you were too scared and he'll pass that along... Let your boss know how you failed."

[Xondoure]

Egon sits with his cape wrapped around him like a blanket, resting himself as he half listens to the vain attempts of his cell mate. The edges of his lips tilt upwards but don't quite reach a grin. For one so cynical Joran was not a man to give up easily, at this point he had tried almost everything. For his part Egon listened and waited. He was going to get out of here alive and for that he would need to strike only at the best opportunity with all the strength and luck he could muster.

[TheSummoner]

(Heh, someone has to do it and I'm the one whose been online.

Also, just to make sure, this guard does have keys hanging at his side, yes?)

[Admiral Harkov]

Chet had glanced at the arrival of the guard, returning at first to tend to Shien as the other prisoner began to whisper to him. But mid way sitting by the cell door, waiting for the exchange to end and hoping something will happen. He composes what clothing he has on, considering how far would they reach to try drag objects into his cell as to not miss another chance.

[Starsign]

Buran quietly repeated the words on the group in Narf. He was worried on the idea of cultist-like creeps giving free passage to the Jawisk cultists to Laos. He hoped his group could take care of them when possible...

[Penguinator]

Albert noticed his daughter's lack of response. "You're very quiet, girl. It's a great honor to lead a purging party."

***


The demon took a step forward, then paused and went back. "What's in it for you?"

[TheSummoner]

Joran turns back to face the guard.



"For me? If I'm lucky, they'll just do whatever it is they're planning to do and get it over with."

[Penguinator]

The demon crosses his arms, and grins maliciously. "Hah! Plan involves keeping you alive, boy."

[TheSummoner]

"Dead. Alive. Doesn't really matter. I'm just tired of being stuck in a cell with Prince Pretty-boy over there and nothing but slop to eat. Whatever it is you're planning, just get it over with."

Joran turns his back on the guard again.

"So... You going to listen to what I have to say or should I stop wasting my time on you?"

[Penguinator]

"Depends. What could you tell me that I don't already know?"

[TheSummoner]

"You'd be surprised. I had been traveling with Pretty-boy over there for a few months before ending up in this dump. He's the Prince of Bress you know... Knows all sorts of their secrets and plans... But he's pretty naive. Pretty trusting. Not dumb enough that he'd tell you even you put him through whatever you've been doing to Scarface over there, but you wouldn't believe some of the things he's let slip."

Joran smirks.

"And lucky for you, I'm not bound by any of the loyalties he is."

[Admiral Harkov]

Chet stands by the cell door. When the guard isn't watching tests how far out can reach with his hand, may that be enough he stays put feigning to be exercising his legs, makes one small push motion in another moment when only the guard doesn't look.

[Penguinator]

Chet's hand doesn't quite reach the guard's keys, and the guard pretends not to notice the priest's vain attempts.


"Feh. Nothing in Bress that Boss hasn't already taken care of. Believe me, we already know everything there is to know about Bress."

[TheSummoner]

"If that's what you like to tell yourself, fine. I'll just pass it along to the next guy. But before you go, tell me your name so I can pass it on and let them know not only what information I have but how you failed to get it when offered on a platter. I've heard demons aren't exactly the forgiving type... I wonder what the punishment for incompetence is."

[Penguinator]

"Heh. Try again. If you've got anything on those fools in Kleig, that's what we're looking for."

[TheSummoner]

"Not as much, but I may have picked up a few bits of information that your boss might take interest in. What specifically are you looking for?"

[Penguinator]

"Prince's movements, army size. Routine stuff like that. Planning an invasion, you see."

[TheSummoner]

"Oh, that's all? I was afraid you were after something difficult. For all your supposed knowledge of Bress, you never bothered looking into what they knew about their enemies, did you?"

[Penguinator]

The demon leader only snickered. "Shows what you know. Bress and Kleig have held an uneasy truce for months."

[TheSummoner]

"On the surface perhaps. If there was one thing I would've thought a demon would understand is that on the whole, humans... especially those in power... are scheming, double-talking creatures who almost never show their true motivations.

They may be allied now, but that only means they have a common enemy threatening enough for them to stop killing eachother until that enemy has been dealt with. Maybe it's Laos... Might be Narf... Could even be here. But mark my words, as soon as they've wiped out whoever it is they're after, they'll turn on eachother and use whatever knowledge they may have gained between now and then to try to destroy eachother."

[Penguinator]

"Hah. Of course it's here, everyone is against us. Angels, too. Humans are naturally untrusting. Always willing to backstab each other."

[TheSummoner]

"Indeed. That doesn't stop them from uniting temporarily when needed though."

Joran sits down with his back to the bars and picks up a small rock and begins scratching more drawings into the tiled floor as he talks.

"It's funny really... Once one side grows too powerful, the rest... Individually weak and useless against it... have no problem putting aside their current conflicts to topple it. From warlords to nobility, they all do it."

The drawing begins to take shape. It is a rough map of the continent... Rough drawings of wyverns, knights, horsemen and the like.

Joran begins to mumble to himself while he continues scratching his map.

"10,000 horsemen headed south from Bress ... Another 15,000 joining them at ... Main force of ... meeting ..."

[Penguinator]

A shriek came from the end of the hallway, and the demon suddenly grew nervous. "Aaaaand that's the end of my shift." He started to leave for the other side, when a man with long hair and a cloak appeared from nowhere and ran him through with a dual-bladed sword.


The man held a stoic expression, wiping his blade and snagging the guard's keys. He went a few feet away, letting the horse out of its stall. He came back to the cell, and looked at the inmates. "Yours?" he asked in a gruff monotone, gesturing at the horse.

[TheSummoner]

...

...

...

O_o



"... Yes."

[Penguinator]

The man nodded slowly, then inserted the keys into the cell's lock. "Good." He flung the cell doors open and pointed at the party's weapons. "Go. Quickly."