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Tales of Alidaire: The Struggle

Discussion in 'Statistical Roleplays' started by Masquerade, Jul 19, 2011.

  1. Bin walked into the poorly cared for cathedral with a light smile on his face. It was dirty and broken. It looked as if a poor teenager had run of the place. "Just like home" Bin said aloud. He let out a sigh, it was a comfortable feel, even if it was rather dingy. He scanned the room for a good place to sit down. All of the seating arrangements seemed to at the point of breaking. Even the more stable of the pews seemed too dirty to really take refuge on. As he was looking, he noticed red stains littering the walls. Surely it couldn't have been blood. Surely not in a cathedral. Bin's face dropped it's pleasant expression and started looking around in concern."Say, girls, there haven't been any... 'attacks' here have there?" Bin failed to make eye contact as he said this he was busy fetching himself one of the worn down chairs. He make a flicking gesture at it and set in alight in green flame, which removed some of the mold and structural instability. He carried it back to the group and sat down, pointing back at the other chairs as a way of asking if anyone wanted him to fix up a chair for them.
     
  2. Loresai scanned the cathedral in which the group had taken refuge in. Such a place would be a bane for other vampires, but this one paid no mind. Plus, the dilapidated decorations made it plenty the more comfortable for her. Unlike the rest of the group, she was not too tired from the grueling trip; she could only feel the slightest of strains on her body, which could easily be ignored.

    Almost as soon as they arrived, the ragtags group that Loresai found herself with began to ask a multitude of questions. While interested, Loresai knew when a good time to ask such questions was, and now was not one of those times. Giving a rather annoyed sigh, Loresai herself spoke. "Ladies, please," she started, only paying the least attention to the fact that Bin was a male, "Maybe we should rest a bit before asking such questions. At least a few minutes, if you would." Loresai knew this would seem at odds with her seemingly unfatigued visage, but it truly did not matter to her. Being so hasty under so little pressure could no doubt get them killed if in the wrong place at the wrong time. Unlikely, considering the group had fended off the foul king truly now worthy of the title "Chaos Knight," but that thought was still there.
     
  3. “We have an inkling of what to do to figure out what's got the king like this. We'll inform you and the rest later,”

    The serpentine-avian Nothus had whispered idly in the ear of the Rookie Bowman as she was making her way out of the audience chamber in order to follow the two assassins - whom she now knew by name as Nara and Nerra - to whatever their destination would be. The phrase rung throughout her mind, as she wondered, What the hell does he mean?! Would it not have been more convenient to the cause to just tell us NOW? She could not help but contort her face in visible frustration as the group dashed through the streets. Nara and Nerra seemed to have a clear destination in mind, but Helena had no idea of what this was…

    …At least until they began to slow upon reaching a cathedral on the outskirts of the city. The interior of this once-holy place did not strike her as a place of worship; moreso one which had seen the results of a vicious battle, and decades of misuse. What had certainly been once a gorgeous work of architecture had been reduced to nothing more than a hideout for fugitives… such as themselves, now that Helena thought about it. “Well, I guess this is quite the… homely place,” she said aloud, attempting to catch her breath. Truly, a life of crime was something of intrigue for someone as straight-edged as herself. Prior to a few nights ago, when she heard the voice in her head beckoning her to save Alexandra, she would never have imagined straying from the path of righteousness. It seemed so… adventurous. So liberating. The thrill of being on the run was something that excited her now.

    “Maybe we should rest a bit before asking such questions. At least a few minutes, if you would.” Helena could not help but let out a bit of a chuckle at this. “Tired, are we, old girl?” she said with a wink, not acknowledging that Loresai looked hardly half as tired as everyone else in their group. “I think now is as good a time as any to start out with some questions… and I must say, Mai raises a good point. Just what has Masquerade said to you…” she nodded in the direction of the assassins, “…that he has been keeping from us?”
     
  4. "You have it all wrong," Nerra interjected before her sister could answer. She watched Nara roll her eyes and wave a hand at her dismissively. Nerra stifled a laugh. "Though we are on friendly terms with the baker you know as Masquerade, he was in no way associated with this attempt on Albert's life, though I do admit that he would have aided us in a future one had everything gone as planned," she explained. "Masquerade came in way earlier this morning, talking about delaying the assassination attempt because he had found an alternative." The young girl took a minute to look at the Lady Alexandra, her face weary and her eyes vacant, devoid of emotion. "We now realize what that alternative was, albeit too late to do anything about it now."

    "See, we're a part of a rebel group, mainly containing assassins and sneaky types aimed specifically for taking down Albert. This group only formed when his rule went...downhill, as you know," Nara said. "The leader of our group, Nigel Ridgeway, ordered us to carry out the assassination today regardless of Masquerade's planned alternative. He was getting restless, and we understand, but seeing the plan that Masquerade had concocted, it would have been much better just to wait it out."

    It was here that Alexandra shook her head. "He tried to save my uncle just like I had asked him," she murmured solemnly, and one of her hands clenched into a fist. "Nigel..."

    "Easy there, milady. We're not asking you to forgive the guy of what he did, but just to understand where he was coming from. After all, you experienced it firsthand. His brutality. His lack of mercy and compassion...," her voice trailed off as she thought about how much danger in which her sister had been put. She couldn't help but feel a bit pissed at Nigel too, but now wasn't the time to start fights.

    Something could be heard coming down the stairs. Nara turned to look at the altar wall. There was a stairwell on the left side leading up. The doorway was barred off with blocks of wood, but they were rent quickly as what appeared to be Nothus and Masquerade came down and entered the chapel. Nothus waved a friendly talon at everyone. "Came through the belltower. Probably not the best idea, but Masquerade left his key in the bakery and now wasn't a good time to go and get it," he said, drawing nearer to the group of people.

    "Yes, I'm growing quite forgetful in my old age," Masq said cheerily as he scratched his head, a bit embarassed. "So was that commotion...?"

    "Yes, that was Nigel's distraction," Nara confirmed. "That was why there were no knights at the castle."

    Masq nodded. He turned to everyone else. "So how is everyone holding up?"
     
  5. Mai listened to the assassins intently. The name Nigel seemed to interest her. How many people were a part of this group? Just how many citizens have gathered their talents together in an effort to overthrow the king?

    Mai turned as she heard people coming down the stairs. She slightly tensed, only to see the curious baker Masquerade and her serpentine savior from Albert, Nothus. She raised an eyebrow to the thought of this man being severely aged. She was about to ask his age, when the inquiry came up whether or not they were fine.

    Mai sighed, leaning on the butt of her sword as it was sheathed on her waist. "It appears everyone seems to be alright. Just winded from the run." she replied. She then looked seriously at Masquerade and the two assassins as her next questions came out like a torrent.
    "First things first, what have you done with the king?" she said flatly, "and second, are we considered assassins as well, enemies of this territory from what we've done?" Mai's mouth became bitter at the thought of her becoming an enemy to anyone but ones of evil. You could say she hated being hated. Not only that, her own reputation to her sensei would be destroyed if word got out about an assassin dragon warrior, bent on causing havoc. She gripped the handle of her sword angrily. She couldn't let that happen, she couldn't let her honor be taken.
     
  6. "Very good," Masq replied, letting out a sigh of relief at hearing everyone was doing fine after the fierce battle of which they had been a part. He expected lots of questions, and Mai really let him have it. "The king is still around, probably broken free of his bonds and awake by now. We would have put him down, but....well, I don't know how to put this. He really wasn't alive. That man was dead. His body and soul clung to this world through sheer willpower...and a strange magic." Here, he paused. "I could see it very clearly as he struggled against my attack. If I'm not mistaken, it was a black magic, and it is that very magic that I surmise is the cause of the king's insanity."

    "You....you don't mean to say...," Alexandra started to say, a horrified expression on her face. How could anyone...it was just impossible!

    "I'm afraid so. Someone is behind the king's insanity, and they purposefully cast some sort of magic to make his mind erratic. It is that very magic that keeps him bound to this world, though he is likely to recover his lost mana and life force so he won't be on his last legs anymore. I don't know what the motivation is behind this twisted plot, but something has to be done. It is most certainly not Albert's fault," Masq explained, crossing his arms, a defiant look upon his face...or at least what could be seen of it.

    "Masq here thinks that a magic that potent has to have a source," Nothus stated bluntly. "And that source has to be somewhere where Albert is constantly exposed to it."

    "The castle...." Alexandra muttered.
     
  7. Mai listened seriously, putting the pieces together. That made perfect sense, up until Alexandra mentioned the castle.

    "How is that possible?" Mai asked, surprise on her face. "I know not much of magics, but how could one spell be cast over a whole castle?.. Are we dealing with someone who could truly be that powerful?..." Mai thought more on it, only making her brain struggle with the puzzle before her. It was obviously something that needed to be found out...

    "Are we considered enemies of this kingdom?" Mai asked one more time, seriousness in her eyes. The thoughts of her reputation and honor still powerfully lingered in her mind, and although she knew the answer, she just wanted to make sure. Another decision came to her mind that could affect her place within the small group. Not like they seemed as bonded though. Should she leave the group for the sake of honor? Or should she stick to what she'd started, try to help these people? Mai juggled the thought in her head over and over....
     
  8. Masq laughed despite the seriousness of the situation, though it wasn't a lighthearted one. It was a mere stab at Mai's naivety on the subject of magic. "I am afraid there are people that powerful out there, Mai. They spend their entire lives dedicating to studying and practicing magic. That's why I'm not surprised that someone could do something like this, but I'm wondering why would they do it," he explained, placing a finger to his chin as she spouted her second question which she had asked before, but he got wrapped up in the plot going down at the castle. "In his frame of mind? Albert probably doesn't even realize what happened. That battle drove him to the edge, and his mind suffered the consequences. We are enemies of the law, yes, but certainly no enemies of this kingdom, to Albert, or to anyone else despite the assassination attempt."

    "He means you guys aren't assassins, but it'd probably best if you started sneaking around like ones," Nara said. "It's not wise for you to walk the streets in broad daylight anymore, not with the High Order Knights looking into things," she spat, a bit disgusted.

    The door to the cathedral started to rattle violently causing Alexandra to jump and Nara and Masquerade to draw their weapons. The sound of the door being unlocked came next, resounding through the chapel and the door opened to reveal a man in tattered black robes and cloaks (layered onto each other), his head wrapped in a strip of black cloth so that only one eye was showing which wasn't even visible for there was an odd protruding scope coming out of it with a red lens. This man was holding up another, slightly older gentleman...who looked like he was on the brink of death. His plain white shirt was ripped and covered in blood. His broad muscular chest was exposed in most places, typically covered in wounds. The black shorts he wore were also in poor condition, and his legs had severe burns on them. A face covered in ash looked up and over the group, his green eyes squinting suspiciously at each and every one of them. He nodded ever so slightly and the man holding him closed the door and locked it.

    "N-Nigel!" Nerra shouted and pushed past her sister, kneeling down next to the man, immediately uttering a long string of chants, blessing after blessing of light appeared around him and surged into him.

    "Come now, Nerra. It's just flesh wounds!" he bellowed, laughing maniacally while running a bleeding hand through his ash-covered, naturally white hair. He moved his hand over his face. He used to have a white moustache and beard. It was safe to say he didn't have them anymore. At this, he grimaced. "And who are all these people, eh? You know I don't like strangers here."
     
  9. As the assassin named Nerra retorted on Masquerade's statement, Loresai was about to say that she had been doing such things longer than most, if not all of the people in the room had even been alive. However, as she began, the cathedral's door rattled. Loresai smelled the rich, metallic scent of fresh blood through the door. She smiled with hardly a notice of her demeanor. How could a vampire keep from at least smiling when in the presence of blood?

    The door unlocked, then creaked open. The figures that entered were an interesting pair. One was covered head to toe in robes and cloaks, even his face except for one eye that was even then covered by some sort of telescoping spectacle.

    However, the second was a sorry sight. Beaten and tattered, to the point that Loresai could hardly stand just standing there. However, from the reactions of the others, she knew that it would be best to leave the man alone. She knew by the reactions that this man was Nigel, leader of this small band of rebels.

    "So you are the ever-so esteemed Nigel, are you?" Loresai asked, not hinting at any specific emotion. "I am Loresai Dantasia, omen of death for many." She knew this statement would take the newcomers by surprise. Who would expect such an infamous being to present themselves so openly. However, Loresai didn't care at all.
     
  10. A spell cast upon an entire castle. Now that was certainly a scenario that interested the young wizard. He thought of all the thing he could do with such power; however, his fantasies where soon interrupted with the knowledge with that he just just bordering fugitive status. It shouldn't have come to any surprise to him, but it was a disappointment none the less. Even when the crime went out of hand he still enjoyed his nightly walks, even if they did require he learn magic as self defense. He let out a deep breath. There was no going back now, if magic fixed the bandit problem the perhaps it'll fix this problem as well; and thus, Bin made his decision, he was going to take his studies in magic seriously, though still keeping his unique flare.

    "And who are all these people, eh? You know I don't like strangers here."

    As Bin was caught up in his self promise, he failed to notice the entrance of Nigel, the one who was said to be in charge of the entire rebellion. He put on his usually routine of attempting to be a friendly as possible. He got up from his seat, walked over to the man and offered to shake his hand, when Loresai spoke. "I am Loresai Dantasia, omen of death for many." What an interesting way of introducing yourself, Bin thought, perhaps he should introduce himself in a similarly interesting way. "Hello there Mister Ridgeway!" He said in a friendly tone. "My name is Bin, and I hear voices in my head." Bin stopped talking. That came out all wrong, perhaps he should have worded differently; referred to himself as a chosen one or an aspiring magic user. "Not to say I uhh... You know what, nevermind." Bin hung his head in the shame of his inability to impress and slumped back into his seat.
     
  11. The old man let out a chuckle, though it wasn't as lighthearted as intended. "So you brought me a bunch of whackos, eh, Masquerade?" he shot at the baker, his eyes gleaming with something that may as well have been anger. "The ones you were gonna trust with your little peace mission? I have a question for ya. Did you have fun fucking yourself this morning?" Nigel gripped his stomach and filled the chapel with the sound of bellowing laughter, going as far as to slap his thigh.

    Alexandra growled and walked up to the old man, slapping him across the face. "Shut up! He did it for me, okay? I was the one that asked him to delay such rash behavior--behavior that you seem to enforce in this little rebel army you've been constructing, Mr. Ridgeway," she yelled at him, a fierce look in her face, yet her royal countenance could not be wiped away.

    "Tch, Lady Valentine, as I live and breath," Nigel replied sarcastically, rubbing his cheek gingerly. Nerra was going to treat it with a spell, but he waved her away with his hand. "Brought her here to ruin everything?"

    "How dull must you be? And you're leading a rebellion? Please," Alexandra said, baring her teeth, her voice deadly quiet. "I want to find out what's wrong with my uncle. Just because I do not deign to kill him does NOT mean that I am aganist you, foolish old man," she explained. She watched as Nigel turned his rather angry gaze towards Masquerade.

    "Me and my hand had a right fine time, but Her Highness is telling the truth," Masq said, feeling Nigel's gaze on him, for his own eyes were closed in thought, a cheeky grin on his masked face. "The only reason that I suggested a delay in the assassination was that the thought had crossed my mind that something might have been influencing the king, and it turns out there was. An extremely powerful magic I thought not capable to be cast by a mere human."

    "You think a Restocasian is behind this?" Nigel laughed, shaking his head in disappointment. "The silly, silly thoughts that go through your head I swear. Sirius, go." The man that had been holding up Nigel disappeared in a split second as if he hadn't even been there in the first place. "Why the hell are we still in this dingy chapel anyway? Let's get to the real base, eh?" Those who have their tongues tied in knots can stick close to me--I don't trust ya. Bin, Loresai, handle the rear, will ya?" With that, the old man went to the right side of the chapel to the wall which bordered the altar, the same one with the staircase leading up. On the opposite side of the wall with the staircase was a statue of an angel in rather horrid condition: covered in moss with innumerable cracks throughout its form. With quite a bit of effort, Nigel moved the statue alone revealing a trapdoor beneath the stone pedestal that acted as the statue's base. He opened the trapdoor, unlocking it with a key first, and an orange glow came from within. "Come on, now. Don't linger. Masq enter last and lock the trapdoor. Otis will cast a reversal spell to put the statue back in place." With his final instructions, the man hopped into the trapdoor, freefalling just a bit before grabbing onto a wooden ladder and climbing down.

    "I guess we follow," Alexandra said with a sigh and positioned herself near the trapdoor before hopping down it as Nigel did. She didn't know what to expect, and screamed as she fell. As she fell, she noticed Nigel wave to her when she passed him and he was pointing to the ladder. She reached out her hand quickly and halted her descent. Her hand was clutching a rung for dear life and she panted a bit. Looking up, she saw Nigel grinning at her and laughing, waving his hand for her to climb down. She glowered at him, but did as instructed. When she reached the bottom, she was astonished. She was standing in a large room with dirt and rock walls and a ceiling the same. They must have been underground. An alcove was on each wall with a fire burning in each, a wooden chandelier filled with lit candles hanging down from the ceiling to adequately light the room. There were quite a few people lingering about. Some were dueling while others practiced magic against dummies and targets. It was obviously some kind of training area for the assassins. She looked back at the ladder and saw Nigel land. She deigned not to look at him as he passed her and instead waited for the others.
     
  12. "We do." Hikari nodded. This course of events had been dragging the group--and herself included into an even greater mess than they would have imagined upon their first meeting when they saved Alexandra, who had just recklessly jumped down the trapdoor without even looking inside. Hikari suppressed a small laugh as she quickly climbed down the ladder--no, slid through the ladder agilely before landing perfectly in the new area, right after Nigel. Sidestepping, the White Knight gazed at her new surroundings. It was a wide, spacious room, enveloped with the sounds of fighting and casting magic. A training area... she thought as her eyes darted to Nigel and Alexandra, who were apparently waiting for the others to arrive. Hikari crossed her arms and did so too.
     
  13. Mai listened to the whole conversation silently, still slightly stuck on the fact that she might be put out as an enemy of a kingdom. She shook her head, wondering why she had come down from the mountains, from her home in the first place if she were to only get caught in this web. She looked curiously at the strange man completely covered in black, wondering of his origins. What was hidden under that cloth? Who was this mysterious person?....

    Her thoughts of this man grew as suddenly the mysterious being disappeared from view like he was never there. She watched as this man named Nigel remove a very broken statue from it's place and revealing a hidden doorway. Curious, Mai walked over with everyone else to see inside.

    "Come on, now. Don't linger. "

    Mai watched as he hopped down the hole, followed by Alexandra and the ally Hikari. Mai stepped up to the hole next, feeling the legs a moment as she judged the distance down. Then, with a solid leap into the air, she dived right through the hole and all the way down, ignoring the ladder next to her. Mai landed on the ground with a loud thud, rolling once and standing up, perfectly fine. She looked around quickly, seeing the vast underground chamber filled with fighting and blasting.

    "...You're making an army of some sort?..." Mai wondered, observing slowly before looking at the man named Nigel. She looked at all the training tools and items, her fingers twitching. This looked slightly like the training post she made.... and she couldn't wait to try it out.
     
  14. Helena shut her eyes and smirked as the whole ordeal with the man named Nigel entering and making a big scene panned out in front of her. Masquerade’s sarcastic retort to the former man’s selfish and arrogant remark simply made her lose her composure with laughter. It was an interesting sight; Masquerade having a superior at all with his clear, vast knowledge… and the idiocy of said superior as a whole. I can understand his position, but his smug-ass tone does nothing for his bloody impressions. She felt her knuckles clenching as she heard the snide, breathy tone of Nigel’s voice utter, “Those who have their tongues tied in knots can stick close to me--I don't trust ya.”

    “Trust is a commodity that I wouldn’t assume someone like you would give out so easily to a ‘bunch of whackos,’ though it would seem that you’ve found a touch to spare for our lovely friends, Loresai and Bin. Good on ya.” Helena said, mocking Nigel with her last remark, as she spat at the ground just before Nigel himself leapt recklessly into the pit below. Not really caring whether he had heard her or not, Helena followed her slightly-better-trusted companions; Alexandra, Mai, and Hikari. She knew that Nigel was a man to be respected, but she didn’t exactly have the highest amount of respect for him herself… despite their relative positions. She strode past Loresai and Bin, and threw caution to the wind as she made the jump down as two of her previous companions had, before reaching out and grabbing a rung of the ladder herself.

    As she reached the bottom - the training area - she began to survey her surroundings. The area was quite robust, and Helena herself thought, I wouldn’t mind working on some target practice… wonder if these areas are open to us yet. She glanced over at Mai and Hikari - two of the others who had seemed to become Alexandra’s personal escorts. The two of them seemed to have such a conflicted opinion on being enemies of the law. “Why so glum, girls? Loosen up a bit; world can’t be all black and white all the time. Enjoy the grey areas while you’ve got ‘em!” She smiled, trying to lighten the mood after the three of them having been stomped on - metaphorically, of course - for their previous silence.
     
  15. Loresai let the others go first as they lined up at the trapdoor, each proceeding to jump down. Close behind, Loresai did not even pause to look down the hole, but simply jumped down with no fear. She crouched as she landed on the basement floor, more of pure reaction than for the good of her joints. As she stepped forward, she looked around at all those that were training underneath the run-down church. As she turned her head, she at once noted the ladder, and immediately gave a small chuckle. "You should probably get that fixed," she said matter-of-factly to the leader of this small army of rebels.

    The pure amount of bodies in the room filled filled Loresai's nose with that wonderful smell that, while weak with only a few humans, because unbearable with a large group, especially a group working as hard as this one. The blood coursing through their bodies, the sweat, it all cascaded into Loresai. A weaker Vampire would be unable to resist such a temptation, but Loresai remained stoic, the only sign of the temptation coming from her licking her lips.
     
  16. Bin followed close behind Loresai. As the vampire jumped down, Bin reached out for the ladder, which was to far to grip. He stared down the trapdoor with a strained face and let out an annoyed breath. Such an entrance was obviously made of those who endure physical training. Bin can only even fight because he had some basic understanding of how to develop magical abilities. Even his diligence in his studies is lack luster... was lack luster. He attempted to climb further in hope of reaching the ladder. He crawled closer and closer until he accidentally climbed too far and fell off. He quickly made a grab for the ladder, but despite his success, he swung into it, hitting his face on a bar. The shock of such a blow to the head caused him to instinctively let go, and he fell to the ground, landing butt first. He showed a expression of pain until he took a deep breath and muttered in a a calm but shaky voice "That hurt."

    He leaned forward and got back on his feet. The room he was now in seemed to be some kind of training area, not exactly his favorite place to be, then again, it would probably be wise of him to ignore such petty laziness and do so anyway at the point, what with being tangentially related to the rebellion, and perhaps joining it soon. He walked over to the others. His first step was a little shaky, but he quickly regained his composure and asked the others jokingly "So how many style points do I get?"
     
  17. There was a rush of wind from behind Bin and Nothus landed right behind him with a flurry of feathers, slamming a talon into the boy's back. "I'll give you ten out of ten," the reptile hissed as he made room for Masquerade to descend the ladder after locking the trapdoor behind him. Nothus strode up next to Mai and placed a talon gently on her shoulder. "I know that look in your eyes, girlie. Like the training area, eh? I have to say I'm not surprised," he commented and laughed roughly.

    "Bah, knock it off, ya goof. I don't tolerate none o' that down here," Nigel snapped only to have Nothus flick his tongue out at him. "Sometimes I wonder why I put up with you damn bakers," he grumbled before turning his eyes sharply towards Helena, finger pointing at her. "This one's got a mouth on her, now don't she?" A grin beset his face and there was a loud sound of an explosion as flames and smoke surrounded Nigel. When it all cleared, the old man was nowhere to be found, but the man from before--the one covered from head to toe in black cloth save for the one eye covered with a scope--was standing in his place coughing despite having his nose and mouth covered with cloth.

    "My apologies," the man stated in a monotone voice, almost as if he were a robot, but he was obviously breathing...maybe. "My name is Sirius. Nigel has plans in need of attending. He told me to tell you to buy some supplies. He has a job for you assassin bakers." Sirius paused. "His words." He took a second to look around. "Hm, seems I don't have to tell the twins what they need to do." Nerra and Nara had slipped away without a trace. There was no telling when or how they managed it, but they did. Sirius raised a hand slowly and pointed to a door on the opposite wall. "Handy stuff." He moved his hand to point at a different door on the wall on the other side of the room. "Armory." He moved over to the nearest wall and placed an open palm on the wooden door there. "Meeting Room. It will be your last destination after you have bought what you need." He nodded his head and disappeared without a trace right before everyone's eyes. No sound. No flash nor smoke. It was as if no one had been giving them instructions at all.

    "Well, shall we split up and meet back here? This place makes me kind of uncomfortable. I don't want to stay any longer than we have to...," Alexandra spoke up.

    "I know it's a pretty rough turn of events, but I think something good will come of it, mainly being Albert remaining alive and us eliminating the source of what's driven him so mad," Masquerade said in an attempt to reassure her. "By your leave, Milady. Assistant bakers," he said to Alexandra first before turning to the others and nodding to them. "Come, Nothus. I've a few words to fire out of a cannon at Nigel." Masquerade went through the last door Sirius had pointed out and slammed it behind him with a hidden fury.

    "Yeah, he's pissed. Better be off before the janitor's stuck cleaning blood off the damn walls," Nothus said morbidly, taking his taloned hand off of Mai's shoulder and nodding to her and the others, following Masquerade into the door heading to the meeting room.

    Trusty Vendor

    Herb (Recovers 10 HP upon use) / Gold: 20 / Stock: 5

    Mana Shard (Recovers 5 MP upon use) / Gold: 35 / Stock: 5

    Antidote (Removes Poison and Severe Poison upon use) / Gold: 30 / Stock: 3

    Life Crystal (Revives fallen character with 20% Max HP) / Gold: 150 / Stock: 2

    Chest Key (Unlocks treasure chests) / Gold: 120 / Stock: 5

    Rebel Arms

    Blue Saber (Unique saber capable of passing knowledge of an enemy's skills to the user for learning. Increases ATK by 2 and INT by 1; equippable by Alexandra; Stores 1 Enemy Skill which can be used in place of a basic attack; skill still requires MP) / Gold: 105 / Stock: 0

    Ravage Bow (Sturdy bow made out of a common wood, it focuses on pure offense to destroy enemies. Increases ATK by 3; equippable by Helena; Damage output +5%) / Gold: 85 / Stock: 0

    Power (Lightweight knightsword capable of dealing deft blows quickly and in slight succession. Increases ATK by 2; equippable by Hikari; Basic Attacks +1) / Gold: 90 / Stock: 1

    Earthbound (Enormous greatsword infused with earth mana. Increases ATK by 4; equippable by Hikari and Mai; Earth elemental) / Gold: 100 / Stock: 0

    Serpentbane (Tempered sword made from the scales of horrid reptiles gone berserk, their vengeance lingers on inside the blade against their own kind. Increases ATK by 2; equippable by Hikari and Mai; Damage to Reptiles +5%) / Gold: 85 / Stock: 1

    Everyday Parasol (It looks just like an umbrella. There's no way there's a blade in that. No way. Increases ATK by 2; equippable by Loresai; Critical Hit Rate +5%) / Gold: 90 / Stock: 0

    Performer's Wand (The wand of a performer, it bolsters the trickery of the holder's moves. Increases INT by 3; equippable by Bin; All skills gain a small chance of Confusion) / Gold: 105 / Stock: 0

    Battle Dress (Specially designed dress with the frills shaven off and the original design altered to make it perfect for battle. Increases DEF and SPR by 2; equippable by Alexandra) / Gold: 95 / Stock: 1

    Scaled Vest (Vest formed from a soft material and then coated with hard scales from an unknown monster. Increases DEF by 2 and SPR by 1; equippable by Helena) / Gold: 75 / Stock: 1

    Sprite Shield (Iron shield coated in the a thick layer of magic obtained from woodland sprites. Increases DEF, SPR, and Evade by 1%; equippable by Hikari; 5% chance of Shield Block) / Gold: 85 / Stock: 0

    Steel Mail (Heavy body armor forged from durable steel. Increases DEF by 4; equippable by Hikari) / Gold: 85 / Stock: 0

    Iron Plates (Poorly crafted plates to be worn under clothing for defense, they still serve their purpose quite well, being forged of pure iron. Increases DEF by 2; equippable by Mai) / Gold: 50 / Stock: 1

    Crimson Petals (Beautiful kimono of a pale, creamy white color smeared with what appear to be petals as if they were floating on a breeze, blood red in hue. Increases DEF by 1 and SPR by 2; equippable by Loresai)

    Faith Robes (Robes to be worn by clergy, they were salvaged from a broken down church. Increases SPR by 4; equippable by Bin) / Gold: 85 / Stock: 1

    Current Gold: 67
     
  18. Mai looked at the serpent for a long moment, her mind slightly buzzing. Nothus was such an interesting creature, none that she'd ever seen before. He had placed his warm scaly hand on her shoulder, and although it seemed slightly odd to her, she wasn't afraid nor shrugged away from the obvious oddity of nature. She nodded to Nothus, smiling before turning back to look at the training area. "Training has been my life back at the sanctuary. You can say it's a hobby of mine."

    "Sometimes I wonder why I put up with you damn bakers,"
    "...He has a job for you assassin bakers."

    Mai seemed to hear enough. She scowled at the titles she'd come under. Assassin. Baker. Whackos. She gripped her fists tight, irritation obviously displaying her face. This Nigel person was really getting on her nerves. She was a proud Dragon Warrior, or at least an aspiring one for now. Mai relaxed suddenly as the scaly feeling on her shoulder rolled off, and she looked in the direction of Nothus to see him departing. She smiled slightly at him as he left as a silent and proper farewell, then came back to her frustration.

    She looked at the others a moment, then sighing out her frustration. "I'm no baker, nor an assassin. I'm a proud warrior." She muttered, then proceeded to the armory. She went over to the selection of weapons, looking through the tools of death hanging or lying about. Then two weapons seemed to catch her eye. She approached the first, a slim sword with a slight sheen like that of a lizard's scales. She gripped the handle, feeling a slightly heat to it, like beings were within its blade. She swung it around, feeling a distaste for reptiles suddenly. She took a step back, realizing this and placing the sword back.

    She placed it down, approaching the second sword. It was a massive weapon, the blade twice as big as any she'd seen. Mai had the slightest impression that the sword had a special attachment within the earth, almost like it was part of it. She gripped the handle, hefting the broadsword into her hand. It emanated power, the strength of the ground under her. She sized it up to her a moment and swung it around. She liked it, the power of the blade surging in her hand. Sturdy, powerful. She looked at the man owning the shop, pulling a small pouch from under her dragon embroidered cloth and tossing it to him.

    "This blade is mine." she said simply, walking off with the sword resting on her shoulder.

    [Mai buys Earthbound for 100 gold.]
    [672 gold left]
    [Mai puts Earthbound as current weapon]
     
  19. Hikari proceeded to enter the only armory available, under the name "Rebel Arms", which was quite fitting considering they spot they have found themselves at. Examining the equipment available for sale, she came across a peculiar shield, and so she quickly picked it up to examine it. It was sturdy, apparently made from iron, but it also had a particular coating--magic. The White Knight smiled, taking note of the shield's price--85 Gold--before starting to browse through the defensive garments. Hikari came across a quite heavy-looking body armor, but at just 85 Gold like the shield she just got, it would be a waste to not make the purchase.


    Hikari buys and equips Sprite Shield! (-85 Gold)

    Hikari buys and equips Steel Mail! (-85 Gold)


    After a couple of minutes, she emerged from the shop, brand new shield and armor glinting in the candlelight. Apparently, their next destination would be the Meeting Room as the man called Nigel told them, but she figured she would wait for everyone first.
     
  20. This one's got a mouth on her, now don't she?

    The man named Nigel had said as much with a grin on his face. Perhaps she had amused him, perhaps she had upset him. Either way, she remained unfazed by it; in fact, it was nice to have the ego filling the room disappear after his presence had made the conversation almost seem… forced. Not that it wasn’t already forced between these companions, but Helena was glad that they seemed to be meshing a little bit more… at least, aside from Mai. Even Hikari seemed slightly resigned to her descent into the realm of criminal activity, if her lack of a voice was any indication, but Mai… Mai seemed to be vocalizing her opposition at all possible moments, especially as she purchased a weapon from those who were providing her shelter. Helena shook her head sadly. The girl may be stubborn, but you’d think she’d at least have the decency to have a little respect for what she is being offered…

    Strolling over to the very store that Hikari and Mai had gone previously, Helena enquired about the fancy bow that was on display. It was sturdy, and it looked much more powerful than the bow she presently had slung over her shoulder… Yes, this would do her quite well, indeed. “Sir, how much for the bow?” She asked, with notable interest. The shopkeep merely pointed at the price sitting slightly beside the weapon… to which Helena responded by throwing down the necessary amount of money.

    “Thank you, good sir…” she stated in a voice that sounded almost like a satisfied purr. Removing her old bow from her back, she replaced it with the purchase she had just made. It was satisfying, indeed, for the rookie bowman to be wearing such a wondrous piece of equipment.

    {Helena buys and equips Ravage Bow. (-85 Gold)}

    {Previous Equipment: Wooden Shortbow: A basic bow with no particular traits to set it apart from any other. [+1 ATK] [Range: 4 cells]}
     

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