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Post by Sorrum on Jan 18, 2021 7:55:06 GMT -5
Greys hid himself in the shadows as he tracked Orca Team through the mountain tunnel. Twas plain to him why this mountain had been abandoned as the constructed tunnels were optimized for production and threw caution to the wind; hardly anywhere he looked could he see a stable tunnel. Age had worn this place down as well, but more disturbing was the occasional bones he'd come across. The elf slave masters really did not mind beating the humans to death and leaving them to rot as an example to the others. He felt it extreme, but not something he wouldn't do. Orca had encountered the barrier in the mountain's lower levels, and since then they had reasoned it to be the lair of the blight mage and now searched for a way through that barrier.
However, their search was off point. They would gain nothing from piercing the barrier, if even possible. But, they risked discovering the lair of that brat child, whom they would most assuredly overwhelm. Or, even worse, they'd discover the lab, at which case he'd have to step in and kill them, but that would risk destroying the lab. He grinded his teeth as their earth mage came upon a rubble of rock, surmised it was a fresh cave in, and began clearing it. "Damn, they're getting closer and closer." Greys reached for the staff piece in his robe as he planned his attack.
The team had uncovered a dead end. The cave in led to an open room with a bed of dirt and shovels strewn about. "This must be a slave graveyard." One of the team spoke. The fire mage, lighting the tunnel with a flame he held aloft in his hand, shined the torch ball in the room. Mounds of dirt filled the room, filled with the corpses of slaves from the days of Neo-Vane. They immediately noticed some of the graves had been dug up, and the corpses missing. "That's it then. We have our evidence. There's a blight mage in here somewhere." One of the team said. They readied themselves now as they went on high alert, no longer chasing a possibility but a real threat.
The team wore similar silver coats with blue and gold symbols on their chest, black pants and boots, and helmets that concealed all but their faces. One man of this team raised his hand to the others and waved. "In that case, I'm going to report back to the Chancellor right away. I'll return with reinforcements as per usual." Another of the men grunted confirmation.
"We'll corner him and then we'll swell on him." He said back. "I don't think he's behind that wall either. I think we're better off going this way in." He said. The others nodded agreement, and before long they seperated, the man reporting back to Itham taking off through the tunnels at high speed as wind pushed him faster through the dark tunnels. Greys had his mark, and followed him.
In the dark, he would never see the portal appear ahead of him. The man ran down each corridor, slowly becoming more and more confused as he lost his direction. Before long, and completely lost, he realized what had happened. "I see what your game is. Come on out then, and I'll make it quick for you." He goaded Greys into revealing himself, but the dark mage was not so compliant.
"Nay, boy. You may have realized my trap, but it is already too late for you to do anything about it." Greys spoke from the shadows. The mage blasted air at the sound, peeling rock from the cave wall with the force of his gust.
"I'll rip you apart with the very breath you sneer at me with!" The man shouted, but Greys merely laughed.
"You should worry about conserving your own breath." He replied. Water came rushing into the corridor, forcing the man to retreat. But he found nowhere to go. Greys pulled him into a closed tunnel. The man pushed back at the growing flow of water with his magic but could not repel it forever, as it slowly overtook him and washed him away, drowning him in the flow.
"That's one.." Greys remarked, satisfied with his work. He teleported back to the grave room and sunk into the shadows, covering himself with the shade of the rocky wall outcrop, as he planned his next kill. Slowly, his chest rumbled as he stifled his sadistic laughter. "Worry about your own breath..."
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Post by Vic Alriikerson on Jan 18, 2021 13:14:23 GMT -5
As Rion approached Alriik, the half-elf would be doing his best to keep a strong, stoic composure. But his lack of any real restful sleep meant cracks would show: He was exhausted, and tired, and down. “I wish… But, no, I'm still in a funk. Haven’t been having the best few days already before all this, and…” For a second, Alriik's eyes would waver, catching Ember once again. A bead of sweat would fall from his forehead, and he would go back to keeping his eyes forward. “Hey, um… I'm gonna need to talk to you later.” And with that, Alriik would drop it, not speaking another word…
… Until the group was about halfway done with their escort. As Alriik caught back up with the group after purchasing his new hood, he would take a moment before returning to Aqua's side to catch up with Rion. “Hey, um… So…” Alriik would sigh, holding his left ring finger with his right hand and grasping for a ring that was no longer there. “Your friend looks a lot like how my wife…. Did. So… There's that.” He'd take a deep breath, before looking ahead. “So between ticking Terra off, making myself look like a fool repeatedly, and this feeling being so close to home is giving me… I just got a lot to vent about and this is just… Not the time…” He'd groan, looking forward, at the leading group of the party. “Um… But when the time comes, wanna go grab some beers and complain about our problems loudly to one another? I know you got your own share of sh@t on your plate.” And with that, he rushed back to Aqua's side.
In court, Alriik simply kept him head down. He watched Aqua's stress. All he would be able to do for her was place his hand on her shoulder, let her know she wasn’t alone in this. As all rose, Alriik wouldn’t care much for most of the officials named. But it took quite a bit for him to not simply toss the hood aside and give Itham a proper salute as he entered. At least he knew better, to not make a scene. He reminded himself one last time that today was not about him.
---
After taking another moment to appreciate her town, she finished preparing for the day, gathering her things and walking from her quarters to the front of the school. As she began her trek around the lake, she found herself distracted by the deep, shining gray waters of the lake. As if filled with quicksilver, as the light struck it, it would sometimes shimmer all the colors, deep hues of the spectrum. These waters were the greatest gift given to the Altiim, a gift from the gods itself.
Well, one god in particular. A goddess, actually. Axala would crouch beside the lake, and stare deep into the lake. The waters would shift ever so slightly, the ripples crossing it showing the coldest blues, followed by sharp circles of a bright, erupting red. Axala couldn't help but smile as she observed the phenomenon. Such a precious gift… She would berate any others who would dare, but… She couldn’t help herself. She slowly extended her hand… And placed it within the silver waters. As she felt the deep, cool sensation, she almost cooed down at the waters. Then suddenly, the waters around her hand stiffened, and she suddenly found herself unable to remove her hand from the lake.
Axala recoiled and desperately attempted to pull her hand free from the water, but it would not move. Suddenly, she was being dragged under, her body slammed against the ground as her entire arm was pulled under. Desperately, Axala released a burst of light into the lake, bright enough to cause the entire lake to glimmer and sputter. Within moments, the water would calm, and Axala would pull her soaked arm from the lake, and relax on the ground for a moment, collecting her breath.
Within moments, silver haired sentries were at her side, checking her for wounds. Three clad in the familiar rainbow-colored leather armor, shining weapons at their side, their desperate questions to her drowned out by her confused anger as she stared at the silver coating on her arm. A fourth soldier, this one clad in shining armor, would approach, his words cutting through the swarm of questions , and even her own thoughts. “M'lady, are you alright? Do you need assistance? Should I call for your son?” The mighty warrior would push his others aside, and within a moment, Axala felt his mighty arms effortlessly help her to her feet.
She would sigh, looking the warrior over once. Short, finely trimmed silver hair, a frighteningly large build for an elf, silvered armor made from the hardened silver waters of the lake, and a beautiful hand-and-a half blade. This was Aloran Alum, the Captain of the Silver Knights, and perhaps the only person in this entire village she could truly rely on. “I am fine, Captain, though I appreciate the concern. It seems Altima is in a mood today.” The massive elf would take a moment to gaze around the village, before placing a hand on Axala's shoulder. “Perhaps it would be best to continue this in my tent.” The woman would nod, and follow the Captain back to his quarters. “I will call for a new set of robes for you. Come, we still have much to do today.”
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Post by Arashi on Jan 20, 2021 22:50:50 GMT -5
After a few moments, Silver would slowly wake as Terra spoke. She opened her eyes and looked up to see the girl's smiling face, with a plate full of food on the table near by. The food smelled good, but she didn't have much of an appetite. She was physically feeling better for the most part, but her mind was not.
She looked to Terra, then to the food. The dragon spoke quietly in reply.
"...I could be worse. Thank you for the food, it looks good. I'll...eat it in a little bit."
There was a certain emotional flatness to her voice, but she managed a small smile at Terra. She didn't want the girl to think she wasn't appreciative of her actions, but she just couldn't manage much else right now.
Silver would stay laying down for the time being. She could not get over the fact that she had failed to protect her friend; she was too weak and helpless, just like the time when she could not protect her family from the blight mage that killed them all. A dragon should always be able to guard those they are loyal to, but she had failed and paid the ultimate price, and it almost happened again. What if another powerful blight mage came along, or if that one she and Rion fought came back? And what if that mage killed her friends right in front of her?
And to make it even worse...that very same magic that threatened everything she cared about was a part of her, whether she liked it or not.
Every time she thought perhaps she would get over this, she was wrong.
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Post by Sorrum on Jan 22, 2021 10:37:00 GMT -5
The trial was underway, with Barr now on the stand. The man cleared his throat, and spoke. "As the leaders of our Houses and the top authorities of the country, it falls on us to deliver swift and effective justice to threats domestic and foreign," Barr began. His voice was steady, but sluggish. Due to his age, the man took frequent breaths in his speech. "that includes giving special resource and attention to serious concerns, as is the case here."
"You mean the kidnappings, and the apparent amnesia that affects those who return?" Asked one of the lawyers.
"Yes," Barr replied. "it was my intention to bring the culprits behind this to justice immediately as these factors combined were especially concerning. However, my esteemed colleague Chancellor Nyharllothor revoked my orders as he had plans of his own. He would not discuss these with me, however, which I found extremely out of character and concerning. Weeks had gone by with no development in this situation. Chancellor Nyharllothor had every opportunity to divulge his plan, but as this case grew more serious I felt action was necessary."
"That's when you had him suspended, and arrested, then?" The lawyer asked again. Barr nodded. With a bit of commentary starting from the gallery, the lawyer waited for the noise to die down before continuing. "Would you say this totally explains your actions?"
"No." Barr said sharply.
"Then please explain."
Barr rubbed his eyes and looked back at the lawyer, but also at the judges. "Times have been strenuous in The Frontier. To bring matters to a head, I believe much of this lies with the problems between The Heads, myself and Chancellor Nyharllothor. In our society and culture, Man and Elf are sworn brothers and sisters, but looking around no one would think that. In truth, much of this country is owned and ran by elves." Tension quickly grew in the air as Barr continued. Itham felt a knot form in his stomach and chills on his skin as he watched Barr divide the nation right in front of him. "Human lives are short compared to elves. The humans here have not lived the horrors of the before time, when these lands were dubbed Neo-Vane and under control of Elvish slavers and dictatorship. But the elves, they know, as they have. Our Savior, Alya Nyharlothor, The Queen, General Aqua, was herself a top official in that nation before liberating all of us from it's clutches. The Queen helped to establish the government we know today, and in her odd disappearance the question of who should lead the elves in the wake of one so splendid was of high debate."
"Even today, many qualified to step into such a role was ruled out due to history of Vane association. Fear of the Elf Kingdom's return, back to the dark ages of man being drained of his mana to power rune machina, among other horrors. Itham I do not believe was an appropriate choice. His qualifications are not suited to the task." Barr's tone began to change, growing agitated. "In a biography about the chancellor, he was not the type to assume a role of office. He was an artist of little renown, hardly a leader of a country. I cannot say he has not been without his moments, but decisions made by Itham have injured the country as a whole. With the kidnapping and failed rescue of Prince Frederick we saw a disgraceful defeat at the hands of a lowly pirate and our alliance with Berseria dissipate. Itham relied too much on Berseria, believing that it was enough to be friends with the nation most at odds with our former ruler that he allowed our military to become lax to the point where a pirate could defeat them." Aqua, with her arms crossed, lowered her head in shame.
Barr slammed his fist on the desk in front of him, angered. "Pathetic!" he shouted. "Following this, an investigation was launched that discovered that it was the fault of The Frontier's safety and security checks of the Immigration Offices. A mole, sent by Calico, had managed to learn details about the Prince's return voyage that had been in the hands of the captain responsible for the Prince's security. This would eventually lead to the harsher immigration laws being passed, but accompanying this was the terrible trade block and border lockdown. Besides Sandora, in no place in the country may human, elf, beastman, etcetera find foreign goods. This has lead to a drastic decline in the country's economy, which as stated before has been largely in the hands of the elves, putting human men and women at the mercy of these elven merchants."
One of the judges banged his gavel, interupting Barr. "Chancellor Barr. As much as we would like to hear you continue, you are only required to respond as necessary to the lawyer's questions. If you'd like to stop ranting and summarize, you would do us all a favor as I'm sure the defense now has a plethora of options to use in their examination."
Barr sighed, and wiped the sweat from his forehead. When he resumed, his tone had lowered in intensity, but contempt was still present. "Information regarding the amnesia was subjective, but we had a suggested lead. Historical research on Dark Magic has revealed that memory fragmentation is a power available to particularly skilled mages. Blight magic, the story of Urufu and his disciples from centuries ago, came to mind. I could not trust such a tremendous risk to be handled by Itham in this secretive fashion, and when there was no positive results on the table, action had to be taken. That is my reasoning."
Confusion and concern filled the courtroom as Barr's action was considered legitimate. With the events yesterday and the appearance of a dark mage being confirmed and under investigation, the tension on the outside of the courtroom began to reflect inside. Itham sat back in his chair, wide eyed. Though his defense assured him they had a counter argument, he was forced to look back on the decisions he made and questioned if he had done those with passion or concern. Aqua felt her father's apprehension. However, even if Barr had a point, that would not stop her from bringing the Blight mage in. She'd stake her life on it.
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Post by Bloodbane on Jan 24, 2021 19:45:28 GMT -5
Rion tilted his head when Alriik looked away, mentioning that he would need to talk to Rion later. He simply nodded, not realizing that later ended up being right after he returned from getting his hood. He blinked a couple times, not following what Alriik meant right at first until he realized that Alriik definitely wasn't talking about Terra. "I... erm, I see. I can see how that would be rough..." he replied, trying to imagine how it would have to feel if he had seen someone resembling any of the friends he lost, though even then it was nothing compared to what Alriik had shared with the woman he loved and lost. He was a little confused when Alriik mentioned ticking Terra off, but he quickly stated how now wasn't the time, though when Alriik suggested going and getting some beers and talking loudly about problems, Rion chuckled.
"Well, there's not much else I can do until my mana comes back..." he said, before putting a hand up defensively. "Don't worry, it will... it's just that between dealing with the dark magic, and whatever made this happen..." he explained, taking the same hand and putting it into his pocket, pulling out the crystal-encased shell Luke had given him. "I've been pretty tapped out." he would then finally nod at Alriik's offer. "So that sounds like a fine way to spend some time to me." he finally confirmed, before Alriik made his way back up to the front of the group as they filed into the courthouse.
Rion listened intently as Barr made his case, though much like the judges soon ordered, it was difficult for him as an outsider to see what sort of point the man was trying to make with all of this talk of the past. Though one thing did strike him as odd... if there was such a suspicion, why had the guards and Sam not been made aware? He crossed his arms, frowning. "A high-ranked official, suspicious of the involvement of dark magic... yet it seemed like only we had any reason to be wary of this when we arrived." he said quietly. "Though that was thanks to what we had been told... Hmm. Is it even possible for someone to prevent Barr from presenting this information the guard?" he asked, looking over to Aqua. It seemed he was still interested in hearing out the case as it played out for the moment, but the fact that Barr had gone on such a tirade about the past immediately made Rion suspicious of ulterior motives.
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Post by Sorrum on Jan 27, 2021 16:28:16 GMT -5
Itham's defense team spoke. "We'd like a short recess regarding this new development." The judges granted their request, and while on break the teams deliberated their future plans. Barr's emotionally charged outburst did not convince the team he was in the right to imprison Itham and he was in fact an elected official despite his history. The team came up with a new strategy and soon the trial resumed.
Chief Sam was called to the stand, where he was questioned about his investigations into the blight mage and kidnappings. Sam's major input was yesterday's blight mage sighting evidenced by fact of the damages suffered by Silver and Rion, as well as the damage to the surroundings from the dark magic. Then, a researcher from The Reaserch Lab was brought in. None other than Dr. Timothy Harkins sat on the stand, brought to the capital following the Blight mage sighting to collect samples of the magic to safely transfer to the facility. He confirmed the magic was of uniquely dark origin, pointing out the fact that the ground had rotted and lost any faculty it had to support plant life. Even in the sample provided for evidence, he claimed that any insects within the sample would appear to have been deceased for years as the magic completely obliterated the defenseless bug.
Several politicians who were direct subordinates to Itham were called and asked about the elf's habits. There was decidedly no evidence that Itham was leading the nation to destruction, only that his methods of late and decisions stated by Barr could be hazardous. The judges then broke to deliberate their ruling. It seemed today's trial was set to conclude. A painfully long two hours had gone by before the judges retook their stands.
"Under the accusation of misuse of power and neglect, this court finds Itham Nyharlothor not guilty." The beastman spoke, banging his gavel. "Itham will be compensated for his time spent in the Meribian jail and will return to his place of employment. Though if I were to make a personal comment, I would suggest he keep his colleagues and subordinates informed of his actions. If no blight mage had been perceived then this trial could have ended differently." With that, the court room broke into conversation that filled the room from The Head to The Gallery. Journalists and reporters in the hallway pushed to get back to their offices to report the news wide and far, while those outside learned of the events inside and either shouted for joy or disapproval.
Barr grit his teeth while his team did little to console him. Itham however was relieved, shaking hands with the lawyers who'd gotten him through it all. Aqua herself sighed as the anxiety she'd been feeling since they left Sandora melted away. They had only been defending themselves, but she couldn't help but feel this was the first victory they'd had in a long time.
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Post by Sorrum on Feb 2, 2021 4:55:21 GMT -5
Itham sat back in his chair as he felt the weight lift off his chest. "My word, what an ordeal this has been.."
"You can say that again." Aqua said, who'd left her seat and joined Itham at the bench. The lawyers conversed among themselves while giving their client time to be with their family, though they themselves were overjoyed.
"Good job boys! Let's wrap up this paperwork back at the office and hit up the Queen! Drinks on me!" One of them shouted to applause. Voices flodoed the courthouse as they had before the trial in light of the news. Man and elf left to fill the busy street which now began to thin as the trial of the country ended, people had to return to their daily lives.
The elf looked at his daughter with pride. "Let's get out of here before anymore mischief comes our way, eh?" He said, standing up. Aqua happily obliged, and waved for The Dawnbringers to follow suit. He chanced one last look at Barr on his way out, though the man's steamed expression wasn't one he was comfortable with. He'd do his best to mend their broken relationship for the future, though he could not forget this was the culmination of tension in the nation. Regardless, he was happy to leave.
"Lord Nyharllothor, just a moment before you go.." Dr. Harkins intercepted the party at the courthouse doors with Chief Sam at his side. "I don't mean to invade on your reunion with your daughter, but I must report on something immediately."
Itham stopped and bid the doctor to speak. "Please, go ahead." He said.
Dr. Harkins cleared his throat, but spoke quietly so that only he and the Dawnbringers could hear. "There was something different regarding the sample collected from the blight mage's attack in the city. What we found in the Crystal Forest was the typical decay and rot associated with the blight magic of old, but to a lesser degree. What we had found in the city was a much higher, more potent grade. Even now the magic eats away at the city ground, piercing like veins into its surroundings. I requested Sam quarantine the area as soon as I saw the samples. The mage may be more powerful than you imagine."
"What's more.. I found something extremely disturbing." He said with a touch of fear. "The air is completely devoid of mana. Without it, no magic can be used in that space. That sounds familiar, does it not?"
"You don't mean.. Alya's staff?" Itham said, now with hesitation in his voice. Aqua too looked concerned.
"Yes. When The Queen disappeared, her staff did as well. The powerful artifact could draw in mana, compress it, and amplify it to unleash devastation on her enemies and leave ruin in it's wake. The aftermath of it would leave mages pitted against her unable to fight back, one of the reasons she was so feared. I've only found small amounts of the empty pockets, but combined with the blight it poses a real problem to those living nearby."
"How could it possibly..?" Itham wondered. "No, immediate action should be taken. Sam."
"Yes, m'lord?"
"See those people living nearby are moved to new lodgings immediately. Don't permit any civilians to enter the site."
"Yes, it will be done." Sam said, saluting Itham and taking off through the courthouse doors without another word. Aqua stared after Sam, then back to Itham. The elf chancellor had a dreadful look on his face. Suddenly, she felt their moment of victory was long past. Itham however caught Aqua's eyes, and shook his head.
"There's no way she would be mixed up with this." Itham said sternly. "Harkins, please continue your research and keep me updated." Harkins nodded silently before bidding The Dawnbringers farewell, and followed similarly to Sam. Itham led the group outside where a carriage awaited them. "Let's leave this place for a moment." He said, ushering The Dawnbringers inside, where it soon took off for his manor.
~
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Post by Sorrum on Feb 2, 2021 5:27:00 GMT -5
White and yellow twinkles of light filled the damp open space of the sewer where Greta had made her lair. She laid on her back across a large vine that had grown in the water and lifted her close to the ceiling, surrounded by bulbs and pots of plants like she had placed the child in the day before. Voices came from all around her as the flowers she used to spy with repeated all pertinent information. She rolled her eyes as Itham was announced innocent. "Politicians never get convicted." She whined. "Not that it will matter either way.." A draft of dry wind blew through the tunnel as a portal of darkness opened within. Greys walked through, his eyes shining bright red. His terrifying presence shook her still, as she dropped below and approached him. "Welcome back, master.."
"Tell me what has happened." Greys commanded. Greta relayed the information verbatim, using the flowers to retell the information exactly as it came in their strange cacophony. Greys exhaled sharply before stabbing above with the staff piece at one of the bulbs. It lurched and lowered, and in a show of vile regurgitation emptied its contents: an unconscious young man. Greys kneeled down where the boy laid and wiped away plant bile from his face.
"The plants are working as you'd intended, master. Fully suspended." Greta said positively, only to be replied to with a grunt. Greys muttered a spell as he held his hand above the boy's face, dark energy spiraling like a drill down on him. When finished, Greys raised his hand. The boy looked no different, save for a strange red rune appearing on his forehead, only to disappear moments later.
"Excellent." He smiled, before tapping the plant's "lip" and pointing at the boy again. "Swallow." He commanded. From within its mouth the plant summoned vines to wrap around the man and lift him off the ground and back into it's insides. The plant then stretched high and retook it's place among the horde above. "Purgatory Bells, made to obey Elf." Greys grinned. "What a wonderful thing."
Greta merely stepped back. "Yes, so.. wonderful.."
"Our friends have been warned and the beehive shaken. We need only wait for the day to come. I will release you of my service then, Greta." Greys said. "But take no breaks. I shall return again soon."
"Where are you going this time, my master?" Greta asked. Greys turned to look at her and seemed to contemplate telling her more than she should know, before simply shrugging and opening another portal.
"Why, to get out of this putrid place, obviously." He cackled. Greta grit her teeth, but steeled herself as she pushed another question.
"Why are you doing all this anyway?" She asked, but suddenly wished she hadn't. Greys stopped and turned toward her, and began to float in the air. He hovered silently before approaching her through the air.
"To tell you the truth.."
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Post by Swim on Feb 4, 2021 0:51:54 GMT -5
Across the street from the courthouse there was a café, where a man flipped idly through a newspaper between mouthfuls of tea. Every so often he'd look to the courthouse with curiosity, there was no telling how long the trial would last, and he had no idea whether the human or the elf would come away victorious. Not that it impacted him either way, still it was helpful to have a pulse on the goings on in a foreign land. The next time his server, a young human, came by to refill his tea the man set aside his paper and asked him for his opinion on whether Itham or Barr was in the right.
The boy shrugged. "Who's to say really? Politicians play their games, they try to one up each other and don't pay mind to the regular people who get hurt along the way."
The man had already picked up on the sense of tension within Meribia, he could feel it everywhere he traveled. For all its beauty there was a sickness under the surface, you'd have to be daft not to perceive it. This spat between the two politicians seemed to be just one facet of a larger problem that wouldn't be resolved today, regardless of who emerged triumphant in the court. The man raised the tea to his lips as he considered the implications and was lost in thought.
Some time later there was an outpouring from the courthouse. The first party to exit was the human, Barr. Even from across the street you could tell that his face was red, either from embarrassment or else from so much bluster. It seemed apparent then which party had come out on top. Barr took a few questions from reporters while his wife and son made directly for the carriage awaiting them. After answering a few short questions, probably trying to save face, Barr joined his family and the carriage departed.
A few minutes later the Nyharllothor party emerged, and the man sat up straight suddenly after catching sight of one particular individual. Now was not the time to approach them, no, it would be impossible now while they were surrounded by so many sentries. He could be patient, he would watch and wait, observe their movements and see where they might go next. Back to Nyharllothor Manor he supposed, watching the large party all pile into a carriage and take off in the opposite direction as Barr. The man stood up, stretched and pulled on his coat. He paused briefly to toss some money down on the table, enough to cover his bill as well as a generous tip for the young man who'd waited on him for the better part of the morning. Back to work.
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Post by Swim on Feb 4, 2021 0:55:15 GMT -5
Minutes later an explosion rocked the streets of Meribia, shattering the tranquil afternoon. Civilians near the blast cried out in panic as a certain carriage was upended, skidding to a stop on its side. The air was thick with dust from the shattered street below and a foul smell hung over the scene. Bystanders charged in, and working together they were able to flip the carriage and rescue the passengers trapped inside. After dragging the occupants to safety a medical response team appeared on site. A boy and an older woman were placed on stretchers and rushed to intensive care to be treated for their injuries, but there was nothing they could do for the older man who was pronounced dead on site due to trauma to his head.
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Post by Sorrum on Feb 11, 2021 14:55:00 GMT -5
Aqua kicked the carriage door open and jumped out. "Driver, get my father to the manor immediately!" She shouted. She would be joined by the other Dawnbringers who'd made it to the trial as they all looked on the devastation behind them. A smoking crater filled the street and panic tore through the tense air. Chaos ensued around them as people fled. Aqua pushed through the crowd, afraid of what lay ahead.
"No.. Barr!?" She shook. The man's carriage had exploded, taking him with it. Miraculously, his son and wife survived, but they didn't seem without injury. He, on the other hand, was beyond saving. Sentinels tried to maintain a perimeter around the area as they looked for a cause to the explosion. However, Aqua felt eyes on her as she approached. Time seemed to flow differently as the young elf frantically searched the crowd around her, until she saw him, the man who she danced with in Eulene, fought alongside aboard The Shepherd, and had now made his way into her hometown. A sense of dread overcame her as she locked eyes with Vile Rai, who observed the scene with interest, but stood like a stone statue under her gaze.
"Vile Rai!!?" Aqua shouted. The man quickly disappeared into the crowd, pulling his cloak over his head and ducking low. But the mage would not be so easy to shake. Aqua broke into a charge and drew mana into her palms, creating a pillar of ice in the street and climbing high over the crowd, surveying the crowd before spotting the man ducking into an alley. "That way!" she shouted, before sliding down the pillar in a slide that formed below her, she moved fast to keep up with the lightning mage.
Vile looked back to see Aqua turning the corner on the forming ice, just behind him. His feet wreathed in lightning, he treaded faster, zipping across the alley and gaining a lead on her. Aqua kicked herself faster, only barely keeping up with him, until he took a familiar turn. She broke down a narrow corridor between the buildings, gaining speed by angling her ice steeply down, before she whipped around a corner at breakneck speed, somehow cutting off the fleeing mage on the path he took and taking him by surprise.
From her hands, an glyph blasted a glob of frosty, thick mist that flashed across the street, covering it in thick tundra. Vile jumped overhead, intent on leaping past the obstacle, but did not see Aqua tuck around the corner at the last second. Her slid formed a tube and shot her sharply in the direction he jumped, flying directly at the mage midleap. She swung her hands wide, flashing thick bars of ice across Vile's body and snatching him out of the air, crashing down onto the road and rolling as the ice snaked around him, wrapping his arms and legs tight in the shell.
Aqua's own trajectory shot her recklessly airborne. She braced herself as she bounced roughly off a brick wall and down to the street, rolling a bit herself but getting up in time to flash another wave of the restricting ice on the man as he unleashed jolts of destructive force on the ice, cracking the shell with ease.
"What on earth do you think you're doing!?" Vile struggled, calling on more power to shatter the ice around him. Aqua pushed harder, clamping down on him.
"Who are you!? What are you doing here!?" She demanded, struggling to overpower his lightning magic as it cracked another hole in her casing. Vile grunted, before his body flashed with violet markings and shot out bolts of lightning in all directions, destroying the ice bonds and freeing him.
"Telling you isn't going to benefit me in any way." He replied. His energy cracked and bit at the air around him, as a violet aura surrounded him. "But I know what you must be thinking. So I'll tell you now, I had nothing to do with that bombing." Aqua's eyes narrowed as she didn't believe in his answer.
"You're suspicious. I can't believe half the things you say. And you following me here to my hometown? Creepy, to say the least. But my friends said you were there with that Blight Mage yesterday. So, are you in league with him?!" She demanded answers again. This time, Vile shook his head.
"No. I have my reasons for coming here, but I'm not getting involved with that or your race feud. I've got my own things to take care of, so I'll be going now." Vile turned to walk away, before a shard of ice blasted past him and dug itself sharply into the ground. The glyph of ice in Aqua's hand throbbed with energy as mana pooled into her body, her aim fixed on the man who'd claimed to be an archmage.
"I can't let you just walk away now. I've got questions for you, and you're going to answer them." Aqua said, her temper on the verge of breaking. Vile frowned deeply as he stared back at the elf mage, his own magic flaring up.
"Fine. I don't have any reason to fight with you, but I won't hold back like I did on the ship." And in a flash, he closed the distance between himself and Aqua, drawing his saber and preparing to swing.
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Post by Vic Alriikerson on Feb 12, 2021 18:44:54 GMT -5
As the situation turned towards their favor, Alriik would relax a bit. All of the evidence pointed away from Itham, and soon, the judge would rule in his favor. Alriik would give Aqua a tighy side hug as the ruling was passed. “See? The worst is over, Cap.” He'd chuckle, and back off, knowing she was soon to be at her father's side, the Dawnbringers with her, indulging in their victory. However, as he stepped away, letting them enjoy their moment, he caught a glimpse of Barr and his men. And an awful, traitorous, vile thought coalesced in his mind. It was a stretch, but… If Barr was right, well… His duty to the Hunters came before any other loyalty.
He would try to stay in the courthouse, but the thought would only fester and swell, taking up his entire mind. He'd recuse himself, and would briskly walk toward the post office, scribbling a note on some parchment as he made his way. Then, the sound of an explosion. Alriik would freeze, dropping the paper, and darting toward the source of the sound. A destroyed cart. Fire. Two wounded bodies. One dead one. Alriik's eyes would flash in anger as the note was caught by the wind, fluttering away into the air.
“Priority 3 to Grand Master Shiro. Itham Nyhorrlothor is Suspect. Requesting Lightfoot transport of the following- *History of the Liberation- Alana Rousseau *Nyhorrlothor Family History as composed by Elliot Reese *On Blight and It's Users- Shaitan Luciferis *Hunter's Mark Trust that I understand the weight of this request and will defer to your ultimate judgment on the matter.
-Uncle Al".
He would make it to the carriage, but before he could do anything, he heard Aqua's call of Vile Rai, and saw her rise above the crowd. He would dart after him on her command, but something felt off. Vile was probably a red herring. There had to be someone else. By the time he caught up with the two, she had him on the back foot. He was about to tell her to calm down, when Vile betrayed some information. Back on the ship, huh?
He would dart at Aqua, but Alriik would quickly dart in the way of Aqua, putting his greatsword-covered back toward Vile, and shouting the words “ASH PLUME!” at the top of lungs. As soon as the words escaped his lips, a burst of flame would erupt from the blade at Vile, in an attempt to get him to back off. Alriik would grin, drawing the still-burning great sword and turning to Vile. “Back on the ship, huh? Hi Thunderbolt. How's your pal Calico?”
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Post by Bloodbane on Feb 15, 2021 1:34:08 GMT -5
As the trial concluded, Rion sighed in relief, though the revelation about the spaces barren of mana and the facts being tied to a staff of some sort brought a look of concern to his face. "... That mage was using a piece of some kind of staff; if what we learned was true... could they be the same thing?" He wondered aloud, not knowing enough about Aqua's mother or the weapon she wielded to know for sure, but if the blight mage had a way to effectively remove mana from an area, then could that be the source of his current circumstances? Since the attack, he had recovered well enough physically, but something seemed to be keeping him from drawing mana; a bitter irony given the crystallized magical energy that was bound to his body. 'Why is it taking so long...'
It seemed that the ordeals were done for the day, but Rion soon found himself raising an eyebrow as Alriik took his leave briefly. Was something else bothering him? He said nothing for the moment, following the others into the carriage that made its way back to the Manor. At least... that was the plan.
Rion soon made his way out of the carriage with the other Dawnbringers, but before he could really process the situation, Aqua immediately had taken off after Vile. 'Something isn't right... First the Shepherd, now he's here... is he after us for some reason?' he felt somewhat suspicious of Vile's presence here, but it was only recently that he found out he had been around after the battle against the dark mage. If his goal involved attacking the Dawnbringers, would that not have been a more opportune time to strike? He sighed briefly as everyone rushed ahead, finding himself forced to break into a sprint to keep up with the others. He made it to the scene of the fight just in time for Alriik to intervene, but when he heard what was said, he frowned.
"So that was you back there... and you're here now. Was it because of you that we were attacked before?" he inquired, though soon looked over to Alriik. "I'm... going to need to borrow Shirosame again." he said, not willing to admit he was going to be at a heavy disadvantage if he couldn't draw mana. By the looks of how quickly Aqua rushed after Vile, it wasn't like that information was going to give her pause anyway...
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Post by Swim on Feb 16, 2021 2:39:10 GMT -5
While Barr was saying his piece Terra watched with some level of derision. For such a serious matter she thought the man's sluggish and labored way of speaking made it unnecessarily hard to follow. She couldn't help but notice as he critiqued Itham's plan that he offered no concrete way forward as an alternative. It was easy to be critical, it was another thing entirely to have your own vision for the future.
He did have one point, even though Terra had tried to fool herself into looking past it before, but she could no longer pretend that the elves in Meribia didn't tend to live more comfortably than the humans. On some level it made sense, their longer lives gave them more time to accumulate wealth, and Terra didn't immediately see what was to be done about that. After all, she didn't need perfection. It was certainly a fun opportunity getting to live like royalty in Nyharllothor Manor but she'd be happy enough if she could just have her basic needs met, not having to struggle to feed or shelter herself. How exactly this all related to the amnesiatic children and the Blight mage though Terra never heard, Barr's voice had such a monotonous cadence to it that she couldn't help but zone out at times. She was relieved when he finally yielded and allowed Itham's defense to proceed.
The deliberation period was the worst part of the trial. Two hours of tense whispering amongst those in attendance. Terra tried to keep her composure to keep her friends' spirits high. She caught Frida's eye a few times and flashed an encouraging smile. Eventually though Terra grew too restless to sit still and got up to stretch her legs. Once outside Terra exhaled a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. It had been way too stuffy in the courtroom, the warm breeze and sunlight on her face reinvigorated her somewhat, and she took the moment to stretch and look around the plaza. There was a nice café across the street, she wondered idly if Frida had ever eaten there. Once this was all over she was really looking forward to exploring Meribia with her friend and getting to see all of her favorite places.
A door slamming shut caught Terra's attention, she turned towards the carriages in the street and noticed Vafiel Barr emerging from one. Terra felt conflicted for a moment, unsure if she should speak to the boy, and if she did what she would even say. Should she ask him how he was feeling with regard to the trial and whether he agreed with his father? Probably better to avoid the tricky subject altogether, maybe compliment him for the skill he'd shown in yesterday's duel? The opportunity was lost, Vafiel didn't seem to notice Terra in the crowd and headed back inside. After a few minutes Terra returned to her seat as well, carrying little glasses of water for those of her friends who hadn't left the bench.
When the not guilty verdict was delivered and the trial had concluded Terra was overjoyed, jumping up from her seat and excitedly hugging Frida, Rion, Alriik, the defense team and everyone else around them. It was finally over and they could put this all behind them. As much as she was relieved Terra couldn't imagine what Itham and Frida were feeling now as she watched father and daughter sit and talk quietly together.
Their jubilation would fade a few minutes later when Dr. Harkins delivered his grim speculation that the Blight mage they sought might have power comparable to Frida's mother, might even be using her staff. If that were the case them did that mean that Alya Nyharllothor was..? Terra pushed the thought from her mind. She'd already decided that she was going to see this through to the end. She'd seen what had happened to Silver and Rion, but that wasn't going to scare her into backing down. If she couldn't overpower the Blight mage that only meant she'd have to fight smart and carefully.
Terra boarded the carriage with her friends and settled in for the ride back to Nyharllothor manor but their trip was cut short by a blast from a few streets over. Terra jumped out and followed Frida as she pushed her way through the terrified crowd. The other carriage had been flipped on its side, flames still burning. One look at the occupants told Terra that this had been no accident. But who would have done such a thing? "Vile Rai!?" Terra heard Frida's cry of shock and rage, and she turned around in time to see the elf take off in pursuit.
Frida was moving faster than Terra had ever seen. She wanted to shout at her friend to slow down, but she knew that they couldn't afford to lose Vile. Terra was struggling with the crowd, who were at first running away from the burning carriage and now running away from the dueling mages. After fighting through them and making way to an alley Terra coiled her legs and with a burst of fire magic she blasted herself up to a rooftop and continued to chase in the direction Frida and Vile had gone. She could see the flashes ahead of ice and electricity clashing, and as she boosted herself over a roof she could see Vile charging at Frida, saber drawn. Thankfully Alriik was close enough to negate the attack but Terra was enraged nonetheless. While Vile defended himself from the flames of Alriik's blade Terra wreathed her body in fire and leaped off the roof, propelling herself downward like a missile and barreling into Vile's left flank.
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Post by Albireo on Feb 27, 2021 23:01:46 GMT -5
Meribia Courthouse > Battle Against Rai Saito Saito had elected to take an inconspicuous spot in the court proceedings being in the crowd, silently listening on. He did not wish to involve himself or draw any attention to himself, for his own reasons it would be best if his face was not seen or reported, having already changed his name for the time being. Still, it seems there was far more to magic than he truly understood. It was surprising, despite his experience in dealing with magic users, as intriguing as some of this was, the importance of much of it flew over his head, though the staff they mentioned did interest him. It wasn't unreasonable to think there could be other items with magical abilities such as that. He was jolted from his train of thought by an explosion, quickly turning his head in the direction of it, leading out to the street. Following everyone out at his own pace, walking rather than rushing out, though hand on his weapon, ready for any sudden event as he cautiously stepped out. "Vile Rai", so he was called... That was the man Alriik seemed adamant was his friend, and yet here he was. He did not hear what they were saying, but Alriik didn't seem the type to lie about his friend. One can only hope this was a misunderstanding, including the carriage attack, yet even so... A fight was occurring, this much was not a misunderstanding. Saito took a step forward, bending his sword's angle forward as he reached for it, but before he could pull it out he stopped himself... Right now his priority was staying hidden, yet his first instinct was to step in. He grunted at his own circumstances as he decided to simply get closer. If he got involved in a fight in Meribia itself at a high profile confrontation, it may cause him problems in the near future... Still... This was a good opportunity, to see how these 'Dawnbringers' fight together. He could already see Alriik joining the fray, and another who was earlier identified to him as Rion. From the crowd he could see someone running in too but no clear visual... Perhaps another of their number? Regardless, he would have to restrain himself and watch for now.
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