The Last Stand (R)

(OOC: It's been a long @ss time, so let's see if I remember how this goes.)

Rimmon

Rimmon awoke with a start. She'd had that dream again. The one she had told her parents about many times, though she stopped telling them once she started noticing the glances they would give one another every time she spoke of it. It wasn't a very clear sort of dream, more like flashes of images. She recognized some parts of it, like what she had been told when speaking of her dream. The fire that had happened when she was younger during the raid on the village. That part didn't bother her. What did bother her was the faces she could only halfway see. A girl who looked like her, and a forlorn man and woman. She shrugged it off, she had things to do that day.

She was one of the lucky ones, she had a small room all to herself (what would have been a closet to anyone with a bit of money). Her parents slept in the kitchen, but they made it work. They didn't have much but at least they had each other. She swept back the shabby curtain that hung above her doorway, a few burlap bags sewn together that served to give her some privacy. Her parents were already awake, so she said a quick hello to them before heading out to the marketplace for the day. She had a small business going, though business is a strong word for "standing in the middle of a dirt road, trying to sell your wares". Her stock mostly consisted of the odds and ends she found around her village, as well as a few loaves of bread her mother baked every morning, plus any flowers she might find on the way. As she made her way to the marketplace, she had a spring in her step. She felt confident that today would be the day she finally sold everything in her basket.

Killian (Previously Sriee)

It was a new day, just like the day before, and the day before that. Nothing felt any different, but Killian could sense a change in the wind before he even knew what would truly be set into motion. He had made a bed in an alleyway the night before, somewhere he felt he could sleep for a few hours and be out of the range of prying eyes. He stood, but did not dare stretch anything but his normal, human appendages. He had a large blanket thrown across his back in order to cover his wings. Of course, there was little he could do about his sharp features or slim appearance, though since Yormars were no longer common, he didn't have to worry about being discovered as often as one might think. He sunk back down into a sitting position against the wall, deciding he would wait a little longer before truly getting a start on the day. After all, where would he even begin?


Rasra

Rasra smirked to herself, she may not have gotten any sleep the night before but she definitely had much more fun being awake. She had been on patrol all night long, and it had been quite the successful few hours. In fact, she thought she may have beaten her own personal record for most prisoners captured in one night. They were currently waiting in the cells deep below His floors. She felt a deep sense of pride of adding new souls under His command. Whether they would go on to become target practice, fighters in the Arena, or workers of some job fitting their status, it didn't matter to her. If she wanted, she could easily use any of them for her own personal reasons but for now, she had priorities. She needed to check in with her master and ensure there was nothing else he needed before she could eat and rest. Before she could check in with Him though, she needed to get together the group that had been under her command the night before. She sent a mental pulse to Meca and Murnar. She was quite fond of Murnar, though she believed that Meca needed to be kept a better eye on, though that was her master's place, not hers, so she didn't speak out about it. She stepped out into one of the courtyards to wait for the other two Servants.

Murnar

It had been a long night, but Murnar was far from being tired. She was used to going on patrols at night, it was one of the few things that truly made her feel alive. Her wings powerful in the night sky, knowing she was one of the reasons people were too afraid to be out during the dark hours. She was glad she had trained since she was able to fly, it meant she was strong enough to lift at least another person into the air with her, maybe two, depending on the person. Plus, they never saw her coming; a demon cloaked in shadows. She loved their screams and sobs as they realized who she was, where they were going, and that they would never again see their loved ones. She had been lazily flying around the border of the palace, but feeling Rasra's presence, she turned and dived down to the courtyard where they usually met after a night out.

Meca

Meca hadn't spent the entire night out with Murnar and Rasra, since he had other duties that needed his attention. Unlike the two Favored Servants, he had responsibilities. The Favored ones had less restrictions since they were trusted and could be trusted to perform whatever needed to be done. As for Meca, his daily responsibilities were not bad but he did have things to do in the mornings, so the nights he went out on patrol were always cut short (which he didn't really mind). In the mornings, he was expected to be back in order to make sure the Guards had completed the check on all new Prisoners. After that was completed, he would complete a round to the kitchens and mines to check with the Guards that all Workers were accounted for. These shifts were done throughout the day, and different Servants would take the shifts different days. After that, he was free for the rest of the day and could do as he wished.

Once Meca felt both Rasra and Murnar had returned, he started making his way to their usual meeting spot, knowing that if he took too long, the two might not be very forgiving. He hoped they had been successful after he had returned to the castle, it meant they would be in a good mood. Even as a Servant, if you piss off a Favored, they can punish you and are typically eager to.

Malruse

Malruse stood over the low stone table, which held a pool of water. (Almost like a bird bath, though no bird would dare wonder into this room.) Intricate carvings wound their way around the table, glowing with a light blue magic, culminating in the blue orb hovering just above the water's edge. It was into this orb that Malruse was looking into. This table could show him just about anywhere, though he had not found a way to look into another time or world, and to anyone else looking in, they would only see their distorted reflection, if they were lucky. If they were unlucky however, they would end up seeing their darkest nightmares come to life and end up blind in the very best of situations. At this moment, he wasn't looking for anything in particular. As he felt the approach of Rasra, Murnar, and Meca, he did a quick wave of his hand and extinguished the orb, which collapsed back into the water.

Rasra, Murnar, Meca

Their meeting with Malruse was quick, and they each went about their own way. Meca went to continue his rounds; Murnar went to the prisons in order to get some "one on one" time, i.e., some blood and gore going on (for her, it worked better than a bloody mary in the morning); and Rasra started towards the dining room in order to get something to eat.

Rasani

Rasani smiled at the young girl. She had been in the kitchens since early that morning. Since she wasn't allowed outside of the castle, she spent most of her time in the kitchens tending to the minor cuts the inexperienced workers ended up with when they first started out or when they were beaten for some reason or another. Plus, the kitchens had some of the herbs she could use for healing, since using healing magic took a lot of her energy. This way, she could still help without depleting herself at all times. The young girl she had just helped had been taken only a few days before and put to work in the kitchens, though she had no clue how to cook. Rasani had helped heal her more than a few times already, but the girl was slowly learning how to use the knives and why she should be careful around the fires.

OOC: Thinking about removing the filters for the site because we all cuss and I really have no issue with most of the words at this point. But here goes roling my first OCs with my current characters

In Amori

Nileve cinched the girth on Azane's saddle an inch tighter. The mare whinnied in protest, sidestepping away. Patting her mount, the queen soothed the creature, "My old friend, I'm headed to war. And war is no place for elders."

"Then why are you going?"

Her lips parted an inch. "Arros, my love, may I remind you I have elven blood in me. Nearly 50 isn't old."

Arros leaned in, kissing Nileve on the cheek. "I know. Truly though, you plan to leave Azane behind?"

Nileve pulled herself up into the saddle as she answered, "Truly. I love her dearly, but this beauty isn't leading a charge anytime soon. And with all respect to her, I'd rather a steed that didn't topple in a battle. Could you imagine how that would look in the heat of battle? Me, a foreign monarch, collapsing under a horse against a evil threat."

"Only grimly could I conjure such an image," Arros jested. He held Azane's reins as Nileve adjusted the saddle slightly from her perch. "Though I think your pride would kill you before the beast."

The queen scowled over her shoulder, but they both knew she had no real anger in her. She flicked the reins. "I'll remember that next a beast attempts to climb into bed with me, Nightman."

Hoof beats echoed through the castle yard before Nileve vanished into the streets of Amori. Arros shook his head and turned towards the castle. "Wild woman."

Enroute to Roran

It was bleak in the canyons that surrounded Amori. The nation was protected by mountains on most of its sides. Great for border defenses, but boring for long travel. A even less interesting for a nature mage. Sure, any trained nature mage would tell you that life grows anywhere, but that answer was extremely boring and Lillianiblo elected to ignore it.

"Lady Evesong, do you need anything?"

Lily sighed in the weak manner she carried herself. She had already told her sister she didn't need a guard, but Nileve wouldn't have it. In all honesty, Arros wouldn't either and he had been more serious about the issue. An ambassador should appear with a guard. Lily had argued for too long that appearing without one would make her appear stronger. Nileve had made the matter final by saying that it was a boast that would old encourage an attack and then went about selecting men for Lily's party.

"Colonel, were I in need of something, I could summon it, could I not?" She said it sweetly, but the barbs were there. The colonel pulled his horse away a pace, not answering. "I appreciate the concern, but please, don't concern yourself."

He nodded and fell back. Lily resisted the urge to shake her head. These idiots were only slowing her down. She wanted to arrive earlier than planned. Wanted to find Okie surprised to see her so soon. Wanted to tell Nileve about a raid she had crawled out from barely, but their dear-

"Lady Evesong, there is an impasse ahead. We will need to pause to clear the pass."

Instead she was dealing with this morons.

At a village in Roran

A traveler walked through the streets. She kept her hood up, but anyone passing would be aware that she was watching. And even if they stupid enough to try approaching her, the raven on her shoulder was even more alert. The massive bird cawed idly as people passing by.

"Not a sign of a resistance anywhere," the woman murmured. "What is Nileve supposed to support when she gets here?"

"Does this bird talk back, lady?"

The woman turned her eyes slowly towards the speaker. There was a group of farmers staggering out of the nearest inn. The speaker was reddest faced in the bunch. He sneered even though he could stand up right. "You like talking to c*cks, huh?"

She pulled her hood down. "He does talk, yes. Ravens are extremely intelligent creatures." The bird cawed again.

"Oh, yeah, he don't look too smart."

"I doubt you can see much when you're that inebriated." Crossing her arms, the woman went on, "But ravens are very smart. Some use them for sending secret messages. Others train them to sing operas. They never forget faces, making them very talented spies."

"Ya hear that? She's got a ploughin' black parrot on her shoulder!" The farmers began rolling with laughter. After a long stretch, the courageous farmer piped up, "Come on then, what's it say? You're big black bird, what's it got to say?"

The woman didn't turn her head. The raven, in a voice with just a hint of a rasp, spoke, "Dead man. Dead man." It tilted its head sideways and cawed again.

The farmers laughed again. The woman smiled at the farmers fell over the sinister quote. She drew her hood back up and headed for the heart of the village. "Quite the actor you are, aren't you?"

"I do my best," the raven answered, a much angrier tone in its voice.

"They were harmless," the woman commented, stroking the bird behind its head. The raven didn't reply. "Alright then, pretty bird, let's get back to scouting."

On the outskirts of the same village

"What do you mean you don't know where we are?"

The dwarf paced across the opening they were resting in. Her long braid bounced against her back, the silver band shimmering under the early sun's light. "You have to know where we are, Kan'sa."

"Diana, please relax. I already told you, I don't know. This is not a plane I'm familiar with, nor does the Speaker normally open these planes for no reason. If we are here, and you are with me, then there is something here to gain. But that doesn't mean I suddenly have an understanding of this world. I know very little about yours as it is."

When the dwarf kept pacing, Kan'sa continued, "What if we venture in this village, hm? Perhaps we can find something. This world will have kingdoms. I'm sure there are such thing as lost travelers here as there are in Luminon."

Diana sighed and stopped making her track in the grass. She answered, "Fine, but it's going to be just our luck that we're some kind of sight here. A deer-elf and a midget. The first traveling circus comment we get, and I'm out of here."

"We'll be fine," Kan'sa replied.

"Tell me that when we find that stupid deer of yours."

(ooc: Somewhat uncertain, long starter post no. 3 go.)

Salem & Lorsan

-Village-

The flap on the makeshift mailbox closed with a bang as Salem set the contents inside. He sighed, and tightened the dark blue bag around his shoulder. "One more left."

As he strode through the village, Salem avoided most crowded areas and stuck to the alleys. He made it a habit to map out settlements as much as he could before entering them. Learning how all the nooks and crannies attached themselves to the main layout to make shortcuts just made doing his job that much easier.

The cool touch of Lorsan's scales coiled around his back and shoulders. The old snake was well hidden under the layers of Salem's clothes, but his head poked modestly above, ever watchful. "There is a peculiar drift in the wind today."

Salem scoffed. "You sure about that, Lorsan? I heard a bit of uncertainty there. Maybe you're losing your touch."

"Hardly. Whatever is out there cloaks itself in uncertainty. That is what makes it dangerous. Be cautious."

Salem paused for a moment, then touched the bag at his side. The sounds of the marketplace became louder in the fair distance. "The only thing that I care about is delivering this last letter."

Terra & Feyrean

-Village marketplace-

Terra pushed through the hustle and bustle of the marketplace with high spirits, Feyrean trailing behind. Both rebels hid themselves in plain looking cloaks, with their weapons nowhere in sight. If they were discovered, no lack of horrible things would befall them. Even showing their faces to the populice was a risk, but if Terra was anything, it was headstrong. Feyrean was the more cautious of the two, but even then he thought cowering away in the forest wasn't the most beneficial of actions. The rebel camp they were apart of was getting dangerously low on supplies, and a risk was needed to ensure that they could be strong enough to continue on with their goal.

Terra couldn't deny that she loved shopping. Whenever supplies were needed, she was always the first volunteer. As she skipped along the cobblestone, a beautiful weapons stall caught out of the corner of her eye stopped her in her tracks. Silently, she pushed through the crowd and waved Feyrean over.

Feyrean stood by her side as they examined the weapons lining the stall, Terra oohing. He could just picture the drool coming out of her mouth. The weapons were of amazingly high quality; the steel was sharp, and the designs glamorous. He found it quite odd that a stall like this was set up in the tiny marketplace of a small village.

"...And this one here is called 'Dragon's End.' A mighty fine piece, that one is," the weapons seller was telling Terra as he handed her a ginormous dark red sword.

"And how did this weapon come to be? Pulled out of a dragon's end?" Feyrean couldn't resist.

The weapons seller let out a hearty laugh. "No, my friend. It was a much more noble tale."

They didn't hang around to hear the tale, despite Terra's insistence. Instead, they went around from stall to stall to secure the supplies they needed.

Lilura

-Castle prison-

The sweet stench of blood and fear soaked the cold stone walls of the prison; it was a smell Lilura had grown delightfully fond of. For this is where she spent most of her time as a guard for The Dark One. While she had her traditional guard duties, she had special ones as well. Those special duties were conducting rather gruesome experiments on the prisoners, not just for Him, but most importantly for herself as well.

The prisoner in the cell before her was but a human shell at this point; too much was applied. "Now, now, I'm not done with you yet. Get up." A pale green light emanated from her body, and the prisoner's wrinkled face slowly filled up with life.

Aeon

-Village outskirts-

The purple sash that covered Aeon's body was pulled up to hide his face as he leaned over a clear blue stream. It was a calm morning, but there was an uneasy feeling that permeated his entire being and laced his spine with a chill. For a moment, he paused, and let in a shaky breath. It's nothing.

He continued practicing his magic on the stream. He knew it was possible to either corrupt or purify water sources, because his mother told him that once. The rebel camp was looking into ways of using corrupted water as a weapon, but he didn't know how, or for what purpose. Not yet. But he was going to find out.

Kanoan

-Castle worker cell-

The sun tapped on the tall, out-of-reach window in Kanoan's small worker cell. His eyes opened, but not without effort. Another day. Another day to waste my life scrubbing the floors of this pathetic castle. It wasn't even that nice of a castle, either. There's a few fancy rooms, big deal. The rest of it was boring and ugly, not helped by being unwanted reminders of his own personal hell. Hopefully this day is at least better than the last. If it wasn't, he was going to make it so.

Kanoan got up, picked up his gear, and got ready to head towards his assigned zone today, one of which was in the kitchen, if he recalled right. The guards should be doing their rounds by now.

Argia

-Castle-

Argia slowly strode through the castle halls, distractedly looking around as she walked. While the familiar dark decor of the castle never failed to be a treat, something was troubling her, buried deep within. Since her meeting with the guards was complete, she had no more assigned duties at the moment. She didn't like that; Argia felt much more complete when she was productive with her time, to do all she could for her Lord. After all, what good is a light in the dark if it has no one to lead, no one to follow, and merely moves around in the black aimlessly?

(OOC: Correct me if I get something wrong, I'm dead tired.)

Rimmon

It had been a slow day so far. Her little basket was still quite full. She still had a few loaves of bread left, plus the odds and ends that were always a toss up on whether they would sell or not. She noticed two figures in cloaks (Terra & Fayrean) looking through the shops. She didn't immediately recognize the two as regulars, which could easily be because of the cloaks the two had donned. It gave her hope that maybe she could sell at least something to one of them. She put a smile on her face, secured her basket on her arm, and attempted to weave through the crowd to get to them.

Rasra

As Rasra arrived in the dining room, she noticed there was no one in the room, nor nothing she wanted to eat. She wasn't interested in the typical morning type food laid out, so she headed to the kitchen. After being out all night, she was much more interested in dinner than breakfast. She stepped into the kitchen, and didn't have to wait very long for her presence to be noticed.

Murnar

Murnar's face lit up with an evil glint as soon as she entered the prisons. This is where she felt she belonged the most.

"You're starting early, Lilura. Or should I say, you're just getting started? By the looks of that wretch, you're going for round 6 or 7. How many times have you 'started over'?"

Marketplace

The raven left the the woman's shoulder. It spiral up into the air, hopping along from stall to stall, cawing loudly enough to be noticed, but not so loudly as to annoy vendors. Striding through the stalls, the woman watched the bird for a moment before turning to face the merchants around the square. She stopped at a herbalist for a moment and dropped her hood. "Anything for arthritis? I'm not what I used to be."

The herbalist chuckled. "You're not that old yet, my dear."

The woman smiled and dipped her head curtly. "I appreciate it, but I think my line of work has aged me a lot faster. It's a long way to go to Amori." Her voice increased slightly in volume, and she could hear her raven cawing that country's name some stalls over where he perked as a look out. "But one goes where one must to trade in magic."

"Hm, I wouldn't know, though I'm sure you've seen some interesting things along the way." The herbalist handed the woman a bottle filled with a green liquid. "This should help make it better."

The woman nodded and paid. She listened for her raven's caws as she slowly strolled through the stalls, looking for other supplies she really needed.

--

"I need mana stones. Or a mage. Which ever we find first." Diana kept herself in the gap Kan'sa made as they pushed through the crowd. "If we can find those, I might be able to make a map."

"Care to explain how you can do that?"

"It's easy. I can have a scroll transmit a wave of energy that graphs the surface of the surrounding area. It's not names, but it's a start. At least we'll have a better idea of that damn forest so we can find Kil'thian."

"There are situations when that would have been useful," Kan'sa pointed out, stopping at a stall. She bartered for supplies for a moment, saying, "How fortunate they barter in gold as well here."

"Don't think that makes me forget about that barb. I'm sorry I didn't think about making a map when we were being chased by demons," Diana retorted, a little harsher than she had intended.

Kan'sa chuckled. "I meant no offense."

Diana stretched, twining her hands together and resting her head against them. "I don't think the Speaker's messiah ever could."

The Hantheer extended a hand to Diana with a loaf of bread in it. "I wonder if they have crepes here too."

"They don't even have dwarves," Diana replied, taking a bite of the loaf. Before she was entirely finished, she added, "I doubt they'll have crepes."

"I don't believe dwarves invented crepes though."

Diana paused and scowled mildly at Kan'sa. The two grinned, before laughing for a moment. Diana took another bite. "Still, I don't think they have them."

ooc: Ok, so in the novel Diana, Kan'sa, and Kil'thian come from, Kil'thian doesn't have an internal monologue. Thus I've never written from his perspective, so I'm going to have fun, but if it goes too far, let me know. But remember, this is a pompous ass deer that is bigger than an elk.

Village Outskirts

Kil'thian despised this forest. It embodied everything of dirt, and filth, and worthlessness. It was a peasant forest, filled with miserable deer and worthless predators who mistook Kil'thian for some pathetic cow.

Kil'thian was a hart. Kil'thian was a god among this world, a deity to the lowly creatures of this horrendous, bleak woods. Kil'thian was not some pitiful doe to be cornered. No fool of a hunter dared shoot at Kil'thian

Kil'thian stepped into a brook. Kil'thian's body shuddered at the icy water. Kil'thian bugled his frustration. Insolence! This river had appeared purely to soil Kil'thian's already insufferable morning.

Where was Kan'sa, Kil'thian's companion and only hope in this dark hell? And that little midget she took as a companion for not reason among that of logic. Kil'thian stood fast, stepping forward through the water. Kil'thian could find Kan'sa and her wily midget and save them all from this cruel world. Thus was the task of Kil'thian, true god of the woods.

To anyone in the vicinity (Aeon, if he would like to be), this was a massive ass deer, doing normal ass deer shit. The horror that no one of this world will ever truly understand the struggle inside a hart's mind. But for a real description, Kil'thian is bigger than an elk. HUGE! His pelt is similar to a tawny deer, but he has a mane like elk do, which is black. His rack, which is pretty damn big to fit his build, is ebony. Truly, this is not a normal deer, but whatever is going on in his head is purely for the enjoyment of the reader and he's really just wading super slow through the water.

(ooc: Lmao, wow. Kil'thian's internal monologue is absolute gold. A relateable deer...er, hart, if I ever heard of one.)

Lilura

-Prison-

The voice that greeted Lilura was one that she had often acquainted herself with. The younger servant was a...regular visitor in the depths of the castle. "Ah, Murnar." The red haired woman turned and bowed in greeting of one of the Dark One's favored. Regardless of how selfish or blunt Lilura was, disrespecting one of His favored servants went beyond stupidity. Besides, she rather liked Murnar. The hold she had over her powerful shadow magic was fascinating. "Unfortunately for our dear friend here, I've just gotten started. Fourth time's the charm, yes?"

The deathly heaves from the cell became louder in response. Lilura glanced at the prisoner with a smirk on her lips. "My, my. How rude. First you fight back, now you interrupt. Didn't your mother teach you ANY manners?" As the pale green light once again laced itself around her, the prisoner's body deflated like a balloon, rasping for the remnants of life stolen before him.

Terra & Feyrean

-Marketplace-

The large burlap sack around Terra's back was getting heavier with each stall they passed, and Feyrean was not happy about that. "We're too noticeable," he whispered

Terra scoffed. "C'mon, Feyr, we're just two raggedy travelers trying to stock up! Quit being so goddamn paranoid."

Feyrean's eyes widened. He furiously glanced around before he mouthed something akin to, 'we're a Fae and a Vlexur wearing ancient, out-of-place cloaks, waltzing around a foreign marketplace loading up a sack that's bigger than your entire body!'

Terra raised her eyebrows. Being able to read Feyrean's lips kept on reminding her what a terrible learned skill it was. She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Just quit being such a fucking whiny baby!" As soon as the words left her lips, she noticed that someone behind Feyrean was pushing through the crowd towards them. At first her eyes narrowed, but as the person came into view, she saw that they were a girl, and she had what looked like a merchant's basket in her arms. Terra's face lit up, and she pushed past Feyrean to meet her.

Salem & Lorsan

-Village Alleys-

"And how do you plan on getting this last letter delivered?" Lorsan's serpentine voice was like sharp steel in the silence of the alley. "It's unlike a delivery you have ever made before."

Salem's pace was quick and measured. "I will. We've been through worse situations."

"I am not saying you won't. You are strong. But blind strength isn't what will get you through this journey. You need to be cautious."

Salem ignored Lorsan's words, merely pressing on. It was a long while before he finally answered. "I am caut-" His words were cut as he tumbled over a shadowed silhouette on the ground. (Hey Killian.)

Lorsan sighed. Suddenly 116 years of weariness finally caught up to him.

Aeon

-Village outskirts-

The waves and ripples of the water mesmerized Aeon. How many times had he practiced by now? At this point, the clear blue of the stream might as well have imprinted itself on his brain. I was so sure this was the way to approach the spell... Aeon sighed and resigned. It pained him to be confronted with his failure, but it was time for a break.

As he sat down on the grass, he noticed something moving down the stream. He blinked. It was...A deer? With black horns? And the size of it...Hahaha...my eyes must be deceiving me. That's what I get for practicing too long without resting... He rubbed his eyes, then looked back. The large, majestic figure was still there, wading through the water. Aeon's face contorted in surprise, and he immediately stood up. Well, this day is certainly playing itself out rather strangely, isn't it? Slowly, the young mage set off to approach the beast.

Kanoan

-Kitchen-

The brush in Kanoan's hand was worn out and faded, and the bucket no better. Even the handle on the brush had become so worn out that a small indent personalized itself for his grip. He didn't mind the mindless aspect of scrubbing floors as much as the connotations of it: Cowering on the ground doing menial, worthless tasks was a slave's work, a concept that intrinsically violated his value of freedom.

As he scrubbed away, he looked up at the kitchen workers. There was that black haired girl with the slight limp, Benny, the woman with the boring eyes...that Fae woman, and a few others he recalled. As he conjured up each one's personal destruction in his head, he noticed that there was a certain unease washing over their faces. Heh, I know that look... It seems like a servant decided to kill some time in the kitchen.

(ooc: That turned out way longer than I thought.)

Marketplace

The woman's raven hopped from stall to stall. He landed above one, watching a pair of cloaked travelers. Not many people traveled under cloaks, and when they did, there were usually a limited number of reasons. Usually those reasons fell under not wanting to be known.

A glossy shimmer glanced across the raven's wings as he studied the travelers. He cawed again, pecking on the top of the vendor's stall once, twice, and then pausing to caw. Just a normal bird.

From the next row over, the woman kept roaming the stalls, listening carefully for her companion to alert her to anything in the area. She kept her ear up for rumors. She found nothing about any rebels, but news about the Dark One's movements were at least useful.

Village Outskirts

Kil'thian turned Kil'thian's head towards the sound coming up the glacier fed stream. What wretched mortal dared approached Kil'thian, lord of all life? Kil'thian faced the measly creature, Kil'thian's amber eyes staring down at the inceduglous soul.

Kil'thian bugled at the whelp, Kil'thian's mane shaking slightly from the call. Let the mortal hear the glory of Kil'thian's voice. Let all the woods hear Kil'thian's might, so they might love Kil'thian and despair for they were not Kil'thian.

Back to the Marketplace

Kan'sa paused for a moment. Diana looked up at her friend. "What's up?"

"I believe my dear hart is somewhere nearby."

"What makes you say that?"

"I believe I've heard him bugle twice."

Aeon

-Village Outskirts-

Aeon instinctively covered his ears at the sound of the beast's cry blasting through the forest. While the sound was deafening, to Aeon, it wasn't ugly. In fact, it would seem rather beautiful, if it wasn't so loud as to potentially damage his ear drums. As the sound receded, his hands hesitantly fell to his side. Seriously, what kind of creature is this? The cry it let out definitely did not make the size of the creature any more welcoming. Even it's amber eyes towered above him, let alone the strange ebony rack on it's head.

Regardless, Aeon pressed towards it. Just a little slower this time. While approaching, he extended his hand, both as a sign of good will and as a way to perhaps feel any magic in it's presence. Surely, a beast so magnificent is magical?

Murnar

Murnar chuckled. She appreciated the atmosphere the older woman gave. Murnar found herself with a respect for the Guard, which was quite the rare exception. She had no doubt there were terrifically terrible things to be expected from Lilura in the future. She could only imagine the types of things possible once the woman had fully come into her own morose gifts.

"Your magic has always intrigued me. Do you find that their mental prowess seems lessened the more times they are brought back? Wouldn't it be... simply delicious to see just how much a person's mind can withstand, the more times they taste life's cruel fate?"

Murnar hardly glanced into the cell, her mind drawn to more interesting matters; such as just how far she could push someone before they begged her for death, until they begged her to let them take their own lives. To Murnar, in His domain, there are gods and then there are the scum who can worship worthlessly at the very ground they walk on. It was quite easy to see where she classified herself.

Malruse

Malruse tilted his head, looking into the glowing orb once before turning swiftly towards the door. It was not too often that he left his wing, or throne room (if you could truly call it that).

The throne room itself was not ugly, in fact, it could be considered quite beautiful to those who have the eye for such a thing. Rich red curtains hung over large windows looking out over the land, though the curtains typically remained limp, blocking out the light. Along the walls, sprinkled here and there, were different types of both torture and holding devices. These could be used for a variety of things, no matter the type of sin would sate his thirst.

The only true reasoning this room would even be considered a throne room stood at the far end from the door. The seat itself was a fine, dark leather. It would be very difficult to see where the backing and headrest of the throne actually ended and the ceiling began. Sharp, ebony spires grew out from the top and sides of the throne, rooting itself into the walls on either side as well as growing into and across the ceiling. Simply walking into the room, you could feel the dark energy pulsating from the throne itself, as if something dark was tied to it.  

Enough description though, Malruse set off down the hallway. As he moved through the castle, those who had never been in his presence before fell to the ground. His energy alone probed into the darkest fears of those around him, and for those who had not been introduced to it whatsoever, it tended to be too much for them to bear. This was completely fine to him, lesser beings should fall to his feet, anyway. He was headed for the prisons to check up on how one of his Guard's research was going.

Rimmon

Rimmon felt a wave of happiness wash over her when she saw the receptive look on the girl's face.

"Hi! I hope I'm not bothering you. You just seemed like an interesting pair, I thought maybe you were hungry or needed, well, odds and ends! Of course, I also have a few flowers. Fresh picked this morning!"

Rasra, Rasani

Rasani ushered the younger girl behind her, Rasra's temper was famous. Rasani bowed her head in respect and quickly went back to her duties. She knew she wasn't supposed to speak out of turn, and if the Favored Servant needed something, she would get it or order one of them to get it for her.

Rasra lounged in the doorway, enjoying the uncomfortable tension in the room for a moment.

"So... Which one of you wants to explain why everything in the dining room reeks of shit?"

She raised an eyebrow, flicking her white hair back with a quick movement before her eyes settled on Benny. (OOC: Okay, but really what/who is Benny? Is anyone going to hate me if I kill Benny?)

Killian

Killian let out a surprised grunt. Not too many people used these back alleys, so he got up rather quickly. He noticed the boy sprawled out on the ground.

"Are you alright?"

He wasn't a savage of course, so while some may jump to anger, Killian was much quicker to find a diplomatic solution than find a way to fight it out.

Village Outskirts

Kil'thian snorted in disgust. Incredulous fool! Who dare approach the might that was Kil'thian!? Let the mortal stare upon Kil'thian in awe. Kil'thian raised his head, let the bleak sunlight fall upon Kil'thian's awe inspiring rack. The Speaker had made no greater creature than the immortal glory that was Kil'thian. Let this fool gaze in awe upon this beauty.

This pompous bull isn't really magic. Like, as a hart, he isn't magic. But, he's certainly been through something magic recently, as he's stepped between worlds. So there may be some interplaner residual magic on him, but this is just a natural creature where he's from.

ooc: Oh, I made a villain! Dunno who wants to say hi to her.

Worker's Quarters

Ariana let her hair drop. She hated the ridiculous braid Fiona kept their hair in, but she loved the curls it left. And considering she was only conscious every other day, she hardly had time to keep it looking nice.

She stretched, though there was no need. Her body didn't need it. Her body wasn't human, however it looked. Ariana yawned, pulling Fiona's slip off and her own uniform on. She pulled the neck line down on the shirt, scoffing, "Such a prudish look." Running one more hand through her hair, she said, "Suppose I should go see if the boss has work."

(ooc: Special shout out to Xplornet for being an ass and leaving me without internet most of the morning. Also shout out to me for somehow being able to write all of this on my computer's notepad.)

Terra

-Marketplace-

Upon reaching the girl and being greeted by her, Terra immediately leaned over to look inside her basket. She eased back only after a few moments, when the merchant girl's words finally registered. The prospect of buying things always distracted Terra.

"Oh, yeah. I guess we do look kinda interesting, don't we? Feyr, here-" Terra turned excitedly to introduce her partner to the girl's wares, but he wasn't in sight. She shrugged and faced the girl again.

"My partner seems to have run away," she announced rather amusedly. "Name's Terra. Say, you don't have any red flowers, do you? Those are my favorite."

Feyrean

-Marketplace-

Feyrean glared at Terra's back as she rushed off to greet the merchant girl. Why do they always send her? He thought in resigned disbelief. But it didn't matter; trying to reason with her right now would only draw more unwanted attention. He prowled off to the nearest stall to look at its wares: The only thing he could do was fill up his own supply bag and be watchful of any suspicious eyes.

"New to these parts?" The sudden question the stallkeeper prodded him with startled him.

"Just traveling." Feyrean handed the man the gold, dropped the fresh parchment into his bag, then moved on. As he left, he observed the body language of those around him, slowly shifting the way he carried himself to match. He also noticed the frequent glances the townsfolk gave to him near his chest and back. It's the cloaks, he observed. What, did this town never hear of cloaks before?

Feyrean eventually found that he was blending in more easily with the crowd, and as he slowly walked through the marketplace he turned his attention towards spying out any suspicions. In the far bend there was a woman extorting a man, and a young boy standing by a stall and nervously glancing around. Suspicious, but not what I'm looking for.

On top of a stall he saw a lone raven overlooking the marketplace. Something about the raven seemed odd when Feyrean noticed that there was a group of them near the weapons stall more preoccupied with a trashed loaf of bread. This raven seemed to have other things in mind. Whatever. Odd, but not strange.

Suddenly a man pushed out of the crowd into him. Feyrean's reflexes took over and he managed to step back before he was toppled over.

"Heh...you." The frantic voice that uttered out of the man's mouth belonged to the weapons seller. "Rebel scum!"

Feyrean froze, a touch of fear tickling his stomach before glaring at the accuser with ice.

Salem & Lorsan

-Alleys-

Before Salem's ufortunate tumble to the ground, Lorsan made sure to duck his head under to remain undetected. He and Salem were a team, and Lorsan was ever the man's unforseen, watchful eyes.

Salem rubbed his head and groaned, but the sound of another's voice in the alley quickly put him on high alert. The slender, almost brittle looking figure in front of him seemed more confused than hostile, but Salem let down his guard no less. Better prepared than dead. That was a lesson drilled into his head all these years, only confirmed by experience.

"No, I'm not. I've fallen into pieces and can't get up." There was a sardonic bite to Salem's tone, not helped by the rather pathetic display of coordination he had just demonstrated. Lorsan will remember this for years. Not that the old snake was the type to rub his failure in his face...But the nagging...

Salem leaned against the wall and pushed himself up. "I thought I was the only one with a slumming hobby around here."

Kanoan

-Kitchen-

Kanoan watched the servant out of the corner of his eye. Hmm, dining room...that would've been me...or maybe team b? Not my fault the cleaning schedule is unregulated.

Regardless of how entertaining it was when a servant decided to visit, Kanoan didn't dare voice his thoughts when they were around. Not while a future escape was even a fraction of a possibility. Rasra especially had a temper to avoid if he wanted to live. Though truthfully, the servants didn't scare him as much as their unworldliness unsettled him. Fear wasn't an emotion he felt strongly, if at all. Most emotions ostracized him like that.

Kanoan's heart beat steadily to the rhythm of the brush in his hand, feeling Rasra's gaze roam around the kitchen with what he pictured as a predator sizing up her prey.

Lilura

-Prison-

As the prisoner's body began to decay faster, the magic pulsing through Lilura's body tightened. The closer the subject was pushed to death by the magic, the more pressure it put on the user. It felt like a thousand needles in Lilura's stomach, being tugged on by the strings of her soul itself. Yet the look on her face was one of strong concentration only; this is what she had been training to do, and she wasn't about to fail herself yet. When she had gotten to the point where she wanted to be, she eased off, and the green light faded into a dull glow.

Her attention turned to Murnar, and the corners of her lips were raised slightly at the servant's morbid questions. "Of course, when one's will breaks, the magic is free to completely seep into their soul and lay its claim. When they're hung like a doll swinging between life and death, the nauseating confusion of their own bodies is only expected to break them. But for the creative, it's not the only way." Lilura put her hand to her chin in thought, and smirked. She remembered what her next exercise was going to be.

"Speaking of it, there's a friend a few cells down that has offered to help me on the subject of torture," she started, "though I'm afraid this one here has lived past his usefulness. Perhaps you would like to join me?"

Aeon

-Village Outskirts

Aeon's hand waved slightly in air, concentrating on finding any magical hooks on the creature. If he found a major magical area, he might be able to find a bridge that would tell him what it was.

Sadly, he couldn't find anything. Not anything noticeable, at least. There was the faintest sensation of something strange, yet it was so small he couldn't be sure it wasn't just coming from himself. It felt almost otherworldly. Red...no, some sort of color. But it was merely a whisper.

Aeon became more bewildered by the beast with each passing second. As least it didn't seem hostile...did it? Even the entire animal section in the Istreim library didn't mention anything that might resemble this.

"What kind of creature are you? Some sort of... deer?"

Village Outskirts

The hart has been triggered.

Kil'thian scrapped Kil'thian's hoof. What insult was this! How dare the mortal call Kil'thian, KIL'THIAN! a deer. The mortal would learn for this ultimate insult. Kil'thian surged forward, Kil'thian's rack lowered towards the mortal. The fool would learn or perish, dare it ever insult Kil'thian again.

In a moment though, the hart pulled to a stop. Not because he wanted to, but because he was asked. From the woods, Kan'sa sprung up onto the hart's back, as silent as a cat. Kan'sa leaned over Kil'thian's mane, soothing him.

Coming up the hill, huffing heavily behind Kan'sa was Diana. The dwarf doubled over shortly after, heaving for breath. "Bet he called Killy a deer."

Kil'thian snorted again, his amber glower turning towards Diana. Kan'sa chuckled, turning to the man in front of her. "Pardon my hart, but I think you'll forgive me from stopping him before he attempted to gore you."

Marketplace

"What seems to be the problem?"

The woman had moved, like a shadow, almost blinking through the crowd. But the action likely would have been missed by most people. She stood a step behind the accused rebel, smiling softly as she dropped her hood. "That's a strong accusation on a humble traveler. What if every foreign merchant returned home with tales of accusations like that? Perhaps you would then have a revolution, and some disgruntle trade partners sending their support at that."

Taking a pace forward, she pressed, "So let's speak in lower tones less news gets back to Amorian blacksmiths that their vendors are being threatened, and their fiery queen elects to act. I'm sure you would hate to lose access to resupplies of those wares you're hawking." She was smiling brightly, but the edge was there. A faint history of war on her tongue. Quiet, but there.

The raven landed again on the woman's shoulder, cawing again, "Dead man. Dead man."

Kitchen

"Iiiiiiiiiiii- 'm starving. Suppose the little bitch doesn't eat when she's awake." Ariana didn't care much about being formal or foreboding or a rigid, brooding guard. She didn't care much about anything, honest. Nor was she particularly interested in Rasra being there in the kitchen as she trounced in. Perhaps she would have been smarter to have cared about a superior officer, but it made little difference to her what the elf thought.

"Let's suppose someone solves that problem before I fillet them," Ariana cooed, letting her right palm ignite. The fire enveloped her hand, then her forearm, burning the cuff of her tunic. "And trust me, I'd love to burn this ruddy thing, but let's not have to get another tailor involved, shall we?" Ariana watched enough members of the staff rush off before she snuffed the flame. She doubted anyone believed it meant she wouldn't reignite it in a moment. That would have been incredibly foolish.

(ooc: I've taken high school writing and I still don't know how to properly paragraph break ffs.)

Aeon

-Village Outskirts

The turn of events that Aeon had just witnessed did nothing but let loose a waterfall of confusion inside of him that had first only been mild puzzlement. But his mask was stronger, and like a switch had just been flipped, he pushed the confusion away in the face of these new strangers and smiled. It was routine.

Aeon pulled down the sash covering his face and dipped his head. "No doubt. The beast is as terrifying as he is magnificent. I am in your debt, miss...?" He gently gestured in question towards the woman atop the...hart.

Feyrean

-Marketplace-

The raven's echoing rang in Feyrean's ears as a hot anger bellowed in his chest. The coldness of the fear had worn off, and the only thought on his mind was whether or not he would lose everything he had worked towards so far.

The weapons seller stared incredulously at the woman before him, but the threat made him reconsider. He glanced back at his stall and the beautiful weapons along it's shelves. "I've watched the way this little rat and his friend have behaved," he started, " and there's been rumors of some rebel group passing by town. You'd be a fool to think these little 'travelers' aren't suspicious."

The weapons seller gave a second glance back at his stall, then resigned. "Some things aren't good for business," he admitted as he backed away. "But alerting The Dark One into knocking on the village's doors isn't good for anyone. You'll be smart to remember that." And with that, he trailed back into the crowd.


Kanoan

-Kitchen-

Haha, this day just keeps getting better! Two servants in one day. Kanoan didn't exit the kitchen in face of Ariana's threat. No, he had a kitchen to scrub, blah, blah. Mostly, he just wanted to see how this played out. He wasn't too familiar with Ariana's castle antics, but now he was far too curious.

Village Outskirts

"Kan'sa," the Hantheer replied, still atop the hart. Part of her didn't want to dismount because she was happy to see her friend again. The other part was concerned he still might be brooding about whatever the young man had said, likely what Diana had guessed. Though the compliment certainly had calmed him down a bit.

"You must forgive us. We've just arrived from...hm, another world to this." Kan'sa answered. "Kil'thian is my oldest friend, so when we heard him from the village, we hurried to get here at the expense of some well needed rest. I'm glad to see we got here before anything serious happened."

Diana wheezed from where she was still catching her breath. "The re-inflating half-pint is rine, don't worry. She just tried to keep up with a 7 foot elf-woman."

Kan'sa smiled, and gestured towards the collapsed dwarf. "My companion, Diana. My enthusiasm seems to have dried her out."

"And left me, hooooo, really bitter," Diana stated as she sat up, still breathing hard.

Marketplace

"Hmmm, suppose we just assumed everyone in a hood was a spy. I suppose we'd have far fewer holy people. And old women," the woman said, though not very loudly. Shrugging her shoulders, the woman leaned towards the young man beside her. She whispered softly, "Though I doubt he'd say the same if he knew he was speaking to an Amorian court adviser."

The raven cawed once, before tapping the woman's neck. He whispered in an equally low tone, "Or that the raven were a prince."

The two chuckled as the woman leaned away, taking back on their normal posturings. The raven flew off, pecking on stalls as he looked around the marketplace. The woman brushed off her sleeves, speaking normally, "Suppose he's right though in some regards. Likely not very wise for a traveler to stick around. Particularly if they're bound to be stopped for merely looking foreign."

She pulled her hood up and turned away. "Best of luck, traveler. Doubt we'll meet again, but do remember Amori's fiery queen. She likes to trade in steel. It should help with your suspicious trade." With that, she disappeared into the crowd again. A pass by a cart and the woman melded into darkness before appearing a few lanes over, out of sight of the crowd nearest them.

Aeon

-Village Outskirts

Aeon nodded along attentively to what Kan'sa was saying, but not without straining. She was already tall enough, and sitting atop a giant hart only made it harder to look up at her. But that didn't matter to Aeon right now; this talk of a different world was what grabbed his attention. His curiosity was boundless at this point, but he dared not ask all the questions that begged to be asked.  He didn't know these people, and he was a rebel. The lessons of his childhood had already taught him that not everyone was a friend. That's why you had to be sure they were inclined towards you first.

"This talk of another world is most intriguing to me, but I will put my questions aside for now to once again thank you for stopping your friend. While it is unfortunate that you were interrupted of your rest, I would hate to imagine being impaled on a certain ebony rack right now, regardless of how beautiful it may be," he said, glancing nervously at Kil'thian.  

"Oh, right, I did not even introduce myself yet, have I? I apologize. My name is Aeon." He nodded in greeting to Kan'sa, but when he looked over at her collapsed companion Diana to do the same, he raised an eyebrow in concern. "I apologize if I sound rude, but you seem to be having a rather rough time catching your breath over there. If you would like, I could help rejuvenate your energy with my magic."


Feyrean

-Marketplace-

Shortly after, when Feyrean's panic subsided and the initial shock of the scene wore off, his mind immediately raced with thoughts on what had just happened. He looked around quickly to see if he could spot the pair, but the woman had disappeared, and the preoccupied ravens were now back to regular business, flocking everywhere in the marketplace. I guess the loaf is gone. He scowled. Good luck spotting this raven prince now. He set off to find a quiet place to think. This time, he put more effort into blending in with the crowd.

When he found a grassy, shady clearing hidden behind the marketplace, he sat down and immediately started thinking. An Amorian court adviser and a prince...And what business do people like that have here, exactly. I especially have to wonder why they care about the scuffles of some raggedy traveler. They certainly didn't seem hostile. But their true intentions, you can never be sure. You can't even be sure they were who they implied. But the mention of Amori's queen...Is this the chance we've been waiting for? What I've been waiting for?

Feyrean sat there, lost in thought but never distancing himself from his surroundings. The cawing of ravens echoed behind him. Aneirin needs to be informed of this. It was a leader that needed this kind of information. He stood up. It was time to fetch Terra.

Well, only one thing's really sure in all of this, he thought, deadpan. "That weapons seller really didn't like my joke."

Village Outskirts

Diana laughed, though it came out more like another wheeze. She answered, "'Fraid that's not gonna work. Magic doesn't affect me. Not internally at least." She leaned back on her arms for a moment before standing up. "But I appreciate the offer."

Kan'sa noticed Aeon's craning neck and slid off Kil'thian's back. She kept her arm thrown over the hart to keep him steady. Her doe ears twitched for a moment as she stroked Kil'thian's back, confident he was calm. "No, but perhaps he could charge some of your mana stones."

"Kan'sa, you can't just ask random strangers for magical favors," Diana replied.

"True, but I do believe I saved this one's life." Kan'sa smiled, meaning the comment only lightheartedly. "I don't suppose we could ask you for some mana?"

"How about we start with where the hell are we?"

"Ah, yes, you had questions for us about our world. We have some about yours."

Diana pressed her head in her hands. "That's not what I meant." Shaking her head, she said to Aeon, "Forgive the messiah here. Sort of person who likes to believe there's good in everyone."

"There is good in everyone."

The dwarf just gestured her hand at Kan'sa as her point was proven.

Aeon

-Village Outskirts

Aeon watched their banter with a smile, and chuckled modestly. They seemed like quite an interesting duo. And they truly don't seem to know where they are, he thought. Based on everything I know, I see no reason to assume that what they speak of about different worlds is false. Even their appearances seem rather strange. But still...I have no lack of questions. Perhaps he should have been a bit more dismissive or scared of the idea that there was a world different from his own, but the time Aeon spent with his mother guaranteed he knew that there was no lack of strange or unsettling possibilities when magic was in the picture. If they are from another world, they wouldn't know of the biases of the Dark One, or the rebels, or anything of the sort. That's good; I can use that. Perhaps I could even let them know of my rebel alliance sooner, without worry.

"I definitely have many questions. Truthfully, my mind is jumping over itself with them," he admitted. "But first, I will charge these mana stones for you. When that is done, I will answer all the questions you may have about this world. That's the least of what I can do." He took a couple breaths to prepare himself. Since Aeon didn't have his staff with him, he had to use his natural magic. Even after all these years, casting his own magic without a conduit was somewhat difficult. "A payment for making sure my insides didn't prematurely see the light of day," he joked. "Just tell me what needs to be done."

Village Outskirts

Diana sent a sideways glance at Kan'sa. "Speaker's Will..." She stuck her hand into her pack and pulled out a handful of pale stones. "They store magic, doesn't matter what kind. They can store a lot of mana, so don't feel like you gotta fill them all. One or two is fine."

"Oh, magic would be a good first question!" Kan'sa said. "Whether it's legal or not. And if it is, what kinds are legal or not. Hate to run into another Astiorian situation, hm?"

The dwarf grimaced. "Let's not bring up Astior. I'd be more worried though if we'd found ourselves in something similar to Kalmaran. Death mages running around in the wild with semi-legal operations." Diana turned away, adding softly, "Not that I didn't know some good death mages."

Kan'sa smiled brightly. "Generally understanding magic would be good. Hate for you to get back into runecraft and then we start a war."

Diana nodded, though she didn't answered, still thinking about their visit to Astior.

Aeon

-Village Outskirts

Aeon noted the strangeness of the stones. He wasn't familiar with them, though there might've been something resembling them in his mother's study at some point. He couldn't recall. And neither did that matter right now, either.

He closed his eyes and breathed in and out. "It seems that you two get yourselves into quite the predicaments in your world," he observed, steadying his shoulders. "No kinds of magic are outlawed here, as far as I am aware. Although I cannot say you will be especially pleased to hear about why that may be." A dull green glow cloaked his body, and he pictured himself leading it along into the stones like a roped connection.

Village Outskirts

"Getting into trouble is practically Kan'sa's job," Diana said, paying close attention to Aeon's magic. Runecraft and enchanting was her only major skill. She needed to make sure she would still be able to do it. Understanding this world's magic was an important step in that.

"My task is to prevent trouble, not to cause it," Kan'sa corrected.

Diana shrugged. "Not how it usually plays out."

Aeon

-Village Outskirts

After transferring a fair amount of it into the stone, the pressure of Aeon's magic kicked in, quite literally. What first had felt only like a light jab began to spread out and tug on his insides, sapping the energy from him. He held on a few more moments before he acknowledged its queue, let go, and prepared to move onto the next stone.

"I do not doubt that Miss Kan'sa is fully proficient at preventing trouble, if my case is an example to go by," he pointed out amiably. "Regardless of our skills, it's only natural that some situations we may find ourselves caught up in become too tangled for easy handling. Though for some, these entanglements happen perhaps more frequently than we wish." His tone was a tad sheepish, yet it was spoken with experience.

The dull green light returned as he began to concentrate on a second stone.

Malruse

((darkness darkness emo emo))

Murnar

Murnar felt a twinge of excitement stir within her while watching the woman work. She stepped a little closer to Lilura with a purr,

"Of course. Your work is most enjoyable to observe. What kind of activities do you have planned for your next.. toy?"

Rimmon

"Oh, your partner disappeared? Oh well, I'm sure they'll catch up!"

Rimmon held the basket out for the girl to see all that she had. There wasn't much, but it was enough if someone needed something in a fix, kind of like a quick stop for small necessities.

"It's lovely to meet you! I'm Rimmon. I think I should have one or two red flowers, let me see!"

She dug around in her basket for a moment, and pulled out a solitary red flower.

"Ah, here we go! This would look lovely in your hair!"

Rasra

Rasra raised a single eyebrow at the intrusion. Half of her was amused at the girl's antics, but the other half was annoyed at being interrupted.

"Who the fuck are you?" She asked, a bite in her words.

Rasani

Rasani coiled back, she didn't like dealing with Servants normally and nothing good ever came of having more than one Servant in a room at a time. She tried to keep her head down and keep the young girl out of sight so she didn't end up as a target if one of the two cats got angry at the meek mice.

Killian

Killian let out a snort.

"Well, let me see if I can find some rope so you can tie the broken pieces back together."

He leaned up against the opposite wall so he could get a better look at the other.

"Well, when you've got nowhere else to go, an alley becomes quite the comforting place. At least the wind is typically blocked. Now, what brings you through these dark parts?"

Village Outskirts

"You don't know the start of it," Diana replied, laughing a little. "You're talking to the certified World Walker. Speaker sent and all."

"And my Catalyst," Kan'sa added with a slight smile. Diana twitched her nose, looking away. She shifted uncomfortably at the title. Kan'sa didn't comment on it. "But very astute. Trouble rarely seems to come alone, though neither do blessings."

"Philosophical bunch, huh?"

Kitchen

"Ain't that the fucking question of the century," Ariana scoffed as she prodded her construct. It was almost flesh. Almost. Would have fooled most people, but under fire, a fire she now produced for the hell of it. Let Fiona deal with the burns.

"Hungry, that's what I am," Ariana decided, killing the flame again.