Outside 46

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Brass Tower]

Straight from goofy grin back to bashfulness, Sylvess shyly turns his head away to hide his embarrassment. A dragon. Another dragon is actually calling him cute! He's probably not far off giggling like a schoolgirl. "I dunno, is there anything else to your tower you wanted to show me? I haven't had a chance to curl up somewhere with a good book since I got here, so if you wanted to recommend something to me, I'd be quite happy to just curl up beside you and just...read. B-but if there's something more, um, active that you want to do then sure! Whatever you want to do!"

[Devixer]

Chapel

Haar isn't squeezing that hard - humans aren't very tasty. But instead, he uses the muscles of his neck to toss the guard to the side and disorient him enough that he won't be a threat.

Faudre walks towards Haar, her grip loosening on her bardiche, before she makes a poor mounting attempt. She makes it onto Haar's back, though, and he lifts off to fly towards where the slaves are fleeing.

Dusty Road

(Closed Scene.)

Several miles from the city, an armored traveler is walking down an abandoned road, leaning on what looks to be a walking staff. Though she doesn't seem to need it to actually walk, if her posture is anything to go by. The woman, Keiko, is dressed in a layered form of plated armor, with several steel plates protecting her torso, arms and legs, but with leather underneath to cover her joints and provide another layer of armor.

She walks down the road, keeping her eyes forward, but darting around for any thing that might pose a danger to her.

[Arkhosia]

[Dusty Road]

As Keiko makes her way down the worn pathway, she may spot something rather out of place; in the middle of the road lies an uchigatana, its blade sheathed within a glossy black scabbard marked by a lovingly painted emblem of a single purple orchid. Other than the polished and well-cared nature of the weapon, there doesn't seem to be anything unusual or noteworthy about it, however.

[Devixer]

Dusty Road

Keiko does spot the sheathed blade laying on the road, and approaches it with more than a little curiosity. What was such a weapon doing abandoned here? Why would it be left to collect dust?

After a moment's hesitation, she takes it into her hands, and starts to partially unsheathe it. Perhaps the blade was worn beyond repair, and its wielder decided it wasn't worth the trouble to repair - though that was a stretch, to be certain.

[Arkhosia]

[Dusty Road]

Unsheathing the blade reveals a product as refined as the case which holds it; a length of shining steel that glints in the sunlight, its edge honed and razor sharp - although if Keiko's eye is keen enough, she might realize that this is more due to a lack of actual use than thanks to constant intensive maintenance. a light, barely-perceptible hamon line accents the sharp cutting edge of the blade, and the black bindings that form its grip are comfortable in the hand.

[Devixer]

Dusty Road

Keiko examines the blade for a moment. A fine example of smithing, if unfamiliar to her. And yet it remained here, completely unused. It came across to her as a shame.

She looks around again, but sees nobody else. She sighs, then holds the sword at her side. She'd have to fashion a strap so she could wear it later, at least for the time being.

[Arkhosia]

[Dusty Road]

The sword does not protest. It's a sword, why would it? However, Keiko might hear a hushed little voice whisper from the blade, barely audible but still perceptible. "Oh gods, finally!"

[Devixer]

Dusty Road

Keiko whirls around at the sound of the whisper. "Is somebody there?" But of course, there's nobody behind her. Still, she could have sworn...

"Bah, now I'm hearing things. Perhaps this new world is getting to me." She turns back around and continues walking.

[bc56]

Horizon Colony

"I'll take you to him. He's probably in the sparring court." The man will lead Anastasia into the black tetrahedral buildings, through winding triangular passages, until they reach a brightly lit indoor space with a green turf floor. In the center of the space, a white ring has been painted on the ground, maybe 20 feet in diameter. In the ring, a bear and a seven foot tall robot with glowing yellow eyes and navy blue piping up and down its limbs are battling each other with staves. Anastasia's guide speaks. "Sir, someone's here to see you. She drove the attackers off." The robot turns, and is promptly smacked across the face by the bear. "That's enough, Sergei. We will resume shortly." The bear, seemingly disappointed, lumbers off to another part of the room. "How may I help you, madam?"

[billtodamax]

Horizon Colony

Anastasia glances between the robot and the bear, her eyes settling on the robot in her traditional dead stare. Your settlement was under attack. I drove them off. Remaining unsaid: "and you did nothing". She certainly wasn't expecting to see someone calmly sparring with a bear when she met the leader of this settlement.

[Arkhosia]

Dusty Road

Keiko whirls around at the sound of the whisper. "Is somebody there?" But of course, there's nobody behind her. Still, she could have sworn...

"Bah, now I'm hearing things. Perhaps this new world is getting to me." She turns back around and continues walking.

The sword utters no more words, at least for now. It waits until Keiko gets home, sets up camp, or otherwise settles in for the night before it reveals its true nature.

[bc56]

Horizon Colony

"I know, and I wish I could've done something about it, but it would be me and Sergei against an army, and that's suicide. How do you even hurt the living dead? Where do they come from? How do they move? It's quite mysterious." It should be clear that his lack of response is due to being unsure what he could do rather than unwilling to act. "It was safer just to stay holed up in here where they couldn't get us."

[billtodamax]

Horizon Colony

The skeletons were mindless. The rider wanted a duel, but did not honour it. They are animated through magic. There. No longer mysterious. Anastasia rattles off the longest speech she's ever made - still in the same monotone she always uses. Next time you will fight, not starve. She's not leaving yet, but it seems clear that she believes she's done.

[Devixer]

Dusty Road -> Clearing

Keiko doesn't have the means to make a fire for the night, but she has little problem with that. Once she finds a place where she can sleep, she places her staff and the sword on the ground near each other, and starts to remove the plates of her armor. Once she's down to the traveler's clothing under her lamellar, she sits on the ground to prepare for her meditations.

[bc56]

Horizon Colony

"Magic? As in fairy stories and make believe? Unusual, but consistent with my observations of this planet. What is the best way to deal with such a magical attack?" This seems pretty far-fetched to the robot, but he's seen some strange things since arriving in the Nexus.

[Arkhosia]

Dusty Road -> Clearing

Keiko doesn't have the means to make a fire for the night, but she has little problem with that. Once she finds a place where she can sleep, she places her staff and the sword on the ground near each other, and starts to remove the plates of her armor. Once she's down to the traveler's clothing under her lamellar, she sits on the ground to prepare for her meditations.

Just as Keiko begins to meditate, she may notice the sword... move. the blade slides out of its scabbard a little to reveal about a couple inches of itself, and from the shining surface a pair of beautiful eyes seem to reflect, their irises matching the color of the blade. "Um, hello?" the voice from earlier speaks nervously. When you've never introduced yourself before, doing so makes you feel more than a little shy.

[billtodamax]

Horizon Colony

Hm. That explains several things, at least. I am no mage. Go to Inside, you will see there. With that she considers herself finished, and turns towards the door to leave. Anastasia you have to say goodbye when you leave! That was very rude.

[Devixer]

Clearing

Just before she closes her eyes, she notices the blade unsheathe itself, and that gets her to jump back a bit, out of her calmed position. "What sorcery is this? Does my mind play further tricks on me?" Talking swords with eyes weren't real, everyone knows that!

[Arkhosia]

[Clearing]

The eyes in the blade widen in worry, glancing away with embarrassment. "...sorry, I messed that up didn't I. I've never had to introduce myself before. I'm-I'm not sorcery, no kitsune trickery or anything like that! I'm the spirit of this blade, Murasaki." She stammers out an introduction, still a little flustered. "I'm sorry for startling you! You're just the first person who's touched me in years that ever seemed remotely worthy to hold me, and I'm just so excited!"

[Devixer]

Clearing

Keiko's eyebrows knit together as she regards the sword. "You shall have to forgive me, I am unfamiliar with spirits inhabiting weapons. Another quirk of this world, I suppose." She's rather quick to regain her composure. She was talking with a strange person mere days ago, surely this wasn't much stranger than that.

"I am Keiko, a student of the Path. I am, ah, pleased to meet you. Though if I may ask, what do you deem worthy in a wielder? Surely as long as someone has the arm and the heart to place behind their swing, they are worthy of a weapon."

[bc56]

Horizon Colony

Anastasia is allowed to leave, the robot bidding her farewell and then moving into a state of contemplation.

[Deathkeeper]

[Brass Tower]

Straight from goofy grin back to bashfulness, Sylvess shyly turns his head away to hide his embarrassment. A dragon. Another dragon is actually calling him cute! He's probably not far off giggling like a schoolgirl. "I dunno, is there anything else to your tower you wanted to show me? I haven't had a chance to curl up somewhere with a good book since I got here, so if you wanted to recommend something to me, I'd be quite happy to just curl up beside you and just...read. B-but if there's something more, um, active that you want to do then sure! Whatever you want to do!"

[Brass Tower]

It’s a good thing Sylvess wasn’t talking to someone like Lucy when suggesting something ‘active.’
”Honestly it really only has the necessities. Downstairs there’s the kitchen and the baths. Upstairs is the bed and the lab. I don’t exactly have a gym in here or anything.” Spako admits.

[Earl of Purple]

Chapel

The last guard doesn't try to chase. He's just very glad that Haar decided humans weren't tasty, and didn't decide to try what this particular half-human tasted of- like most of the other guards, he was a half-orc, his tusks and orange-tinted skin hidden beneath a gas mask and uniform designed to conceal the identity of the man within.

Well, there's three groups of slaves escaping right now. The young men, including the one with the shotgun, are headed down the road towards King Jalopy's fort, whilst the girls and other tribals are rushing into the wilderness, headed into the ruined town with speed and surety. The others, former farmers and settlers, are headed away, along the road in the opposite direction to the Raiders and in a seperate direction to the tribals. On the horizon in the direction they head is a faintly illuminated fortified farmstead, six old motorhomes inside a ring of barbed wire fencing and tank-traps.

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Brass Tower]

"Baths? As in multiple baths? A-and a laboratory?" Sylvess is intrigued! "Neither of those reeeeally sound like necessities, Spako." The baths especially! If a dragon wants to get clean, they just fly through the nearest cloud a few times!

Hmm. Multiple baths.

"Are the baths dragon-sized? I guess I'd kinda like to take a dip."

[Arkhosia]

Clearing

Keiko's eyebrows knit together as she regards the sword. "You shall have to forgive me, I am unfamiliar with spirits inhabiting weapons. Another quirk of this world, I suppose." She's rather quick to regain her composure. She was talking with a strange person mere days ago, surely this wasn't much stranger than that.

"I am Keiko, a student of the Path. I am, ah, pleased to meet you. Though if I may ask, what do you deem worthy in a wielder? Surely as long as someone has the arm and the heart to place behind their swing, they are worthy of a weapon."

The spirit in the sword giggles briefly before replying. ”You’re not wrong, but you would not believe how many people want me as nothing more than a nice little conversation piece to hang over their hearth, or a glorified toy to fulfill delusions of being honrabru masters of ninjutsu or some other pitifully senseless nonsense.” The disdain Murasaki feels for her past owners is palpable.

”you’re a little off there, by the way; I’m not just a spirit in a sword, I am the spirit of this sword. Although... I can temporarily project out of it, if you would prefer to speak with me in a more familiar form?” Murasaki suggests helpfully.

[Deathkeeper]

[Brass Tower]

"Baths? As in multiple baths? A-and a laboratory?" Sylvess is intrigued! "Neither of those reeeeally sound like necessities, Spako." The baths especially! If a dragon wants to get clean, they just fly through the nearest cloud a few times!

Hmm. Multiple baths.

"Are the baths dragon-sized? I guess I'd kinda like to take a dip."

Brass Tower

Spako shakes his head, embarrassed.
”The lab is very necessary for a magic user! And it’s just two little pools. Only one is even dragon sized. I wasn’t really expecting to have any guests bigger than Cleo...” he insists.

[Ashen Lilies]

[Dragon Mountain]

"Are we?" Says Cass, deciding now is as good a time as any to make her unnecessarily dramatic entrance. "Here for the same reason, that is?"

Dragon Mountain

Marshall looks to Cass and back to "Jonathon". He sighs. Fae. He leaves his circle, pulling out a small satchet of milk and a piece of bread along with a third bowl. He places them all in the middle of the circle and begins to speak. I offer you this in exchange for help, earth spirits. I promise not use this opportunity to bind you or keep you. I require your services for a day and a night - we will be even at dawn.

The stone begins to shift and rise in the circle, forming the shape of a badger or perhaps a mole. It stands a foot tall and ambles over to Marshall, who bends down to give it an aimless scritch behind the ears. If you two are also here to raise a dragon from the dead then yes, we are.

[Dragon Mountain]

"Three of uss then, iss it? Are we ssure there aren't more people lurking ssomewhere nearby?" Who knows how many are here for the dragon? Still, no point dawdling, is there? If more are here, they can come and show themselves already!

Damon picks himself up and nods to Marshall, "Well I imagine our sssummoner friend here will make thiss nice and eassy for uss anyway. I wonder why we're here at all." He ponders, glancing at Cass. "I asssume we all learned of thiss through dreamss, yesss? It would sseem yourss was more informative than mine, ssummoner. Who iss thiss fae you sspeak of?"

[Dragon Mountain]

"I had a vision." Cass admits, tapping the bottom of her walking staff against a nearby rock. "I must admit, the raising of dragons from the dead didn't even cross my mind, though." She says, sounding a little cross herself.

"I am here because I'm curious about what I saw, that's all. If these visions were sent to us by another being - this fae you speak of, perhaps, acting according to its designs without knowing more hardly seems prudent. To me, anyway."

[billtodamax]

Dragon Mountain

Marshall levels another stare at Jonathon. He frowns, clearly deep in thought. Cass at least deserved to know, he resolves, before speaking.

I was told... he begins, not entirely happy with the start of the sentence but forging ahead anyway. that a fae called the King of Rags needed assistance in reviving his servant. He... heavily implied it was this dragon, although he never outright stated it. Damn, did Marshall really never confirm that? Troubling. He became proud and was struck down by his enemies. Without his presence warping reality his servants couldn't sustain themselves. The dragon, being the most egregious sin against reality, was forced to sleep. He will need to remedy this failing or his personal power will wane. Can't be a lord without servants! Just stands to reason.

The earth spirit ambles over to Cass and sniffs at her feet.

I intend to help this dragon, at least. He adds, finally, turning to the mountain.

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Dragon Mountain]

"A dragon iss a sssin againsst reality?" Never heard that one before! There's a definite element of doubt to Damon's hiss. "Different dragonss, difference placesss. Perhapss thisss one iss asss you ssay." It seems strange to him, but he's had to rethink his view on dragons recently. They're not all the same.

But Cass raises a very good point.

"If we were all brought here by thiss king, perhapss we are all needed ssomehow? But what reasson do we have to trusst him when he only appeared to you? Why did he only appear to you? What do we sstand to gain from thiss? Do sshe and I get anything out of it, or are we just a necessssary element to the ritual for your benefit and the king'ss?"

*****

[Brass Tower]

"Well I'm soooort of a magic user, and I never had a lab! Maybe that's why I'm not very good at it though?" Sylvess laughs, not afraid to admit this particular shortcoming. "I'm sure your lab is very nice and very useful and I'd love it if you showed off some awesome magic for me sometime. But we've clearly gotta work on these baths, make them big enough for us both to fit in at once."

[UncleWolf]

[Out in The Woods]

Tank doesn't bother to move when Amity starts to squirm out from between them, making it much harder on the short hungover woman. And since Tank is a creature that weighs a ton and change, that means she's going to be disturbing Sugar's sleeping position a lot more than Tank - the wolfen might realize she's struggling to get up.

Out In The Woods

"Nu-uh. Yer staying here, cute an' cuddly." Sugar says tiredly, looping her arm around Amity to hold her tight. "Warm an' snuggly too. 'Sides. If I hold ya here, you won't stand and 'bout kill yaself on yer hangover. Or do yerself in when ya realize just how much of a fool ya made of yerself last night once you got drunk. Shoulda warned me you couldn't hold yer liquor."