Shards of Twilight [Closed]

[encapturer]

Ashley listened intently to Rafael's words, trying to grasp what the situation currently was. In the end, she still felt like she knew nothing besides a few bits and pieces, but she still tried to piece them together.

 

"The High Lady's probably safe for now," Ashley said, answering Cerce's question. Indeed she was, after all, there hasn't really been any news of her in danger, despite there being a traitor in the midst of the camp. "We should probably do what we can to help the situation, and hopefully root out that traitor," she continued, emphasizing the last part of that sentence. "Unless, there is something else that requires our attention... of course," she added, turning to Rafael.

 

Ashley couldn't help shake the feeling that they were being targeted specifically in that attack, however. If they were after Rafael the geists probably could pummel him to death in his state, regardless of his nigh invulnerability. There were no guards coming here, so the healers didn't encounter the spirits, either. What reason someone would have to fight four recruits was beyond her, though. She kept this to herself, since there was no reason to worry the others about something that even herself wasn't sure of.

[Otaku-sama]

Paradox moved back slightly, his body language saying that he was rather offended at Rafael's comment.

 

"Fairy tales? The old stories are a treasure trove of hidden knowledge of the past! Much knowledge was lost in the Dark Ages between the past and present and the old tales hold much of it! You must not doubt them! Angry spirits cannot be stopped unless the proper rituals are performed to appease them or let them rest eternally."

 

Paradox sighed a bit. It seemed that every knight in the camp was a musclebound pragmatist with little appreciation of ancient knowledge.

[Saiba Aisu]

Cerce looked at Ashley, hoping that what she had said was true; that the High Lady wasn't in any danger. He turned with poorly concealed impatience towards Paradox, who was still babbling about ancient knowledge and exorcising the spirits, none of which was any help. "Listen, Paradox," he snapped, frowning as he did so. "I'm sure that you are quite knowledgeable on a variety of unconventional subjects, but your expertise obviously doesn't extend to creatures similar to the ones we've just faced."

 

The dark-haired man grimaced slightly, wishing it wasn't necessary to be rude. "For starters," he said, forcing himself to continue, "you weren't aware that those creatures were known as Geists, nor the manner in which they're created. You also weren't aware of how the creatures reacted when defeated." Cerce sighed and strode over to stand by Rafael, crossing his arms.

 

"My attack style is as arcane as any," he said, "but you'll have to forgive me if I decide to follow Rafael's judgment here - he obviously knows more about our current circumstances and how to deal with them than you do. Now is not the time to bicker about whether or not the 'old tales' exist or question Rafael's leadership. The issue at hand is alerting the High Lady Niobe, catching the traitor in our midst, and stopping whatever's causing the spirits to materialize." He gave Rafael a cool, quizzical look out of the side of his catlike green eyes.

 

"Speaking of which... Isn't it imperative that we go and notify the High Lady? If you're feeling well enough to walk, we could go together..."

[Naimo]

Hyena had remained by the bed, keeping unnaturally quiet, taking in every word she had just heard. She was evaluating things; right now, she could sense a different kind of conflict happening between them ... new against old. Not that she had much time to think about it; when she heard Cerce's words, she got onto all fours again.

 

"Yes, we should tell the High Lady," she agreed. "How dreadful it would be if every second we waste bickering and defying each other only pulls the thunderstorms even further over Avalon." She began to walk, then stopped and looked over her shoulder, as if asking whether they were following or not.

[Guest Ixigo]

Rafael ignored Paradox. Too much pride in your knowledge led in too much of a fall when you found out that that knowledge was insufficient. It was best to work with what you had in hand, rather than theorize and hope for the best.

 

"You needn't worry about Niobe." He said. "Though her eyes cannot see, she can perceive things people like us can't even comprehend. And Alicia can deal with anything that threatens her, probably better than all of you combined. No, the problem lies elsewhere. We've known there were spies in the camp - that much was unavoidable. What we tried to do was discover them without their knowledge, and then allow them to continue their subterfuge while feeding them false information that could provide us with an advantage over the ones who sent them. The method has worked many times in the past, though I must admit our enemy seems skilled at picking up on our countermeasures and removing their compromised agents. This time though, it is different. Despite their audacity with maneuvers such as this one, despite our best efforts, we have not been able to locate the one causing this mess." He spread his arms, as if admitting his own shortcomings on the matter.

 

"At any rate, whoever that person is, he or she remains a threat as long as we cannot identify them. The High Lady has formulated a plan, but your assistance is necessary for it to succeed. Judging by what happened here today, time is of the essence. I'll remain here for a while longer, but you four must hurry to her."

[Naimo]

Hyena just took one look, and then at the others. She turned to them, and sat up. "Well, you heard him." She paused. "Let's go!" She was about to get onto all fours again, when she stopped. "Oh yeah, I suggest we run as well." This time she didn't stop; instead she got onto her hands and knees, and ran for it, running like a true hyena would. She was soon seen dashing skillfully through the busy Avalon camp, to the High Lady's tent. When she reached outside, she stopped some distance from it and waited for everyone else.

[encapturer]

"Understood," Ashley said, nodding in approval. All she could do now was listen to High Lady Niobe and do what she could. Although if the she and the other recruits *were* targeted by the spies, then whatever mission she would have to do would be tougher than expected.

 

Ashley followed Hyena outside, walking quickly towards the High Lady's tent. While she understood why Hyena wanted to hurry, Ashley knew that she needed to conserve her energy; their mission would probably begin immediately. After all, she couldn't keep running like Hyena could for a long time and not be exhausted... and everyone will probably need their energy for whatever Niobe has in mind.

[Saiba Aisu]

Cerce rolled his eyes one last time at Paradox before bowing respectfully to Rafael. Hefting his staff in a firm grip, he swept out of the tent at a serene, cool pace which somehow managed to eat up the distance anyways. As he glided along, green cloak flowing in the breeze, a shadow crossed his face as he thought once more of the possible spies and traitors in their midst.

 

Rafael seemed convinced that the High Lady Niobe would be able to defend herself, especially with Alicia around. Cerce briefly brought to mind the cold eyes and soft voice of the female Knight, and grudgingly agreed that any assailant would certainly think twice before confronting her. Still, the appearance of the Geists raised other issues that were not so easily dealt with. Quickening his pace and brushing his gloomy thoughts aside like a cloud, he caught up with Hyena and Ashley, both of whom seemed rather agitated. Together, they waited impatiently for Paradox.

[Otaku-sama]

Paradox was still a little peeved at Rafael, but then quickly found that his friends were leaving, so Paradox bowed deeply to Rafael as he did before and walked out to join his friends. As he walked, he checked the crystal spheres on his staff. Two of them were glowing blue, the other was slowly flashing red.

 

"Hmm...I guess Y needs some rest," Paradox muttered to himself, finally reaching the others.

[Guest Ixigo]

No sooner had the four approached the large tent of Avalon's leader, than a familiar figure walked out to greet them. Valerian, now donning a deep purple cloak in addition to his usual black armor, walked towards them with a knowing smile in his face.

 

"Had fun?" He inquired, then waved any potential replies off. "The High Lady wants to see you" he pointed at Cerce, "and you." He pointed again, this time towards Paradox, who was only just arriving. "It seems you two get the short end of the stick." He smiled again. "You girls are coming with me. We have work everywhere that needs to be done." And with that, the Knight walked away towards the barracks. Falric was waiting near the large building, looking agitated.

 

---

 

The audience chamber was empty, though the door on the far end that was the entrance to Niobe's private quarters was slightly open, indicating that visitors could pass. Behind it, Niobe was sitting on a comfortable armchair in the middle of a makeshift living room, sipping a cup of tea. In front of her was a map laid across an alabaster table with a few, more plain chairs around it. Alicia was standing behind Niobe, her stance always battle-ready even with her sword sheathed. The walls of the room were covered by ornate tapestries, and rich rugs decorated the floor.

 

"You are unsettled. Is something the matter?" Niobe inquired, without turning back.

 

"If I may, my Lady." Alicia responded in her quiet voice. "It seems unwise to send them off to such a dangerous task without adequate preparation. Valerian could handle it instead - or Rafael..."

 

"Are you worried about them? That's unlike you, Alicia." Niobe smiled. "Don't worry. Rafael and Valerian think highly of their abilities. They will fare well."

 

Alicia said no more, so Niobe placed her cup back on the table and leaned back. "Ah. They are coming."

 

=====

 

OoC: Alright, from now on and for the duration of the first mission - at least - you'll be split into two groups, two in each. That will hopefully considerably speed up the RP, and at the same time allow you more flexibility to develop your characters than you had when you had to keep up and coordinate with multiple people.

[Otaku-sama]

Paradox was not happy to see the brute who attacked him again, but still bowed deeply as usual in respect. Valerian split the group into two parts, leaving Paradox with Cerce.

 

"I assume we are going to be recieving our first assignments soon, as our 'testing' seems to be finished," Paradox said to Cerce before entering the tent. The tent seemed to be simply decorated with an alabaster table in the centre. At the table sat two women, one who would be the High Lady.

 

"My humble greetings, milady. I am Paradox and Sir Rafael has sent me here. It will be a pleasure to serve you," Paradox greeted formally as usual while giving another deep bow.

[Saiba Aisu]

Cerce cast a last look at Hyena and Ashley as they followed Valerian—to say the least, he was not happy with the way the four of them had been paired—before turning and following Paradox into the Audience Chamber, a door of which was partially opened invitingly. Through the opening, Cerce caught sight of Niobe seated upon her seat graciously, and Alicia hovering behind her like a warlike shadow.

 

He waited until Paradox had introduced himself before bowing respectfully to the Lady. "Lady, we met briefly before. My name is Cerce. I place myself at your service, and at the service of the Crusade of Avalon."

[Guest Ixigo]

"Hello again, brave champions." Niobe addressed them, as usual, a smile caressing her lips. "I can see that you are troubled." Once again, the word 'see' seemed to have an ambiguous meaning here. "But I fear that what you just experienced should no longer distract you. As Rafael has surely told you, there are more important matters at hand."

 

"The Geists you were attacked by" Alicia continued smoothly from where Niobe had paused, apparently fully aware of what had occurred in the tent "are controlled by someone within the camp. However, the process to create them - the process to remove a soul from a still-living body - requires preparation and materials. At first, we thought the laboratory of the person who is creating those Geists was within the city; but recently we've discovered that we were on the wrong track all along."

 

"We have come to believe that the person who performs the gruesome act of banishing the souls of living people has taken up residence in the ruins of an old tower to the southwest of here." Alicia pointed at the map. Most of it was actually blank, with only the location of the camp, the city of New Antioch, and the surrounding regions appearing in detail. A location a fair distance away from the camp had been marked with a red pin. "Then the spy inside the camp can call upon those lost souls and control them."

 

"We need you to infiltrate that tower and investigate the matter. I'm sorry that you cannot be given more time, but it is imperative that it is you who undertake it." Niobe said. "We cannot be certain of anyone's loyalties, since our enemy might employ mind-control and manipulation to twist their minds. Only you, who have not had the chance to be exposed to such influence, accomplish this with certainty."

[encapturer]

"Good luck," Ashley said to Paradox and Cerce before everyone split up. She wondered for a moment what kind of mission they would receive, with those two 'getting the short end of the stick', after all. Even so, Ashley stayed alert as she followed Valerian to the barracks, since her task will probably still be demanding. She looked over to Hyena and smiled faintly, as if to say 'we'll be able to do this', before finally following Valerian.

 

At the barracks, she noticed Falrac, though she only had a vague memory of him. She knew that he was one of the knights here, though. He seemed anxious about something, and Ashley had a feeling it was about the mission.

 

"Ashley Marlen, reporting." she said as she tapped her breast with her right fist, once she was in front of Falrac. This method of introduction was a habit she had from her guard duty days back before the Twilight, and it stayed with her. She tried to suppress it since some people found that method odd, but old habits die hard, after all. Besides, at the time it seemed like the correct greeting.

[Saiba Aisu]

Cerce nodded, his green gaze trained upon the red pin Alicia had indicated—the sign which marked the location of this mysterious tower. He looked at Niobe with a quizzical frown on his face. "You mentioned that we would be infiltrating this tower and interrupting the process through which these Geists are created..." he murmured. "Since this tower is supposedly ruined, I'm guessing there's not much information to be had on its security or any of its possible inhabitants, right?"

 

He scrutinized the map again, noting the distance between the red pin and their current location. "It's fairly close to us geographically," he said, "but I'm guessing that it will take us at least a day or so to get there on horseback." His eyes flashed from the map back to Niobe. "Assuming, that is, that we'll be traveling on horseback...?" he asked.

[Otaku-sama]

Paradox glanced at the map for a few seconds.

 

"Since we are recruits, I assume we going by foot, which should be a three days walk. This seems quite straightforward. We go into the tower and check if anyone is summoning spirits there. Very well then," Paradox half said to himself, "I will have to stop by my tent for some supplies. I will need my book of spells and my potion making kit so I can return souls to their bodies if need be."

[Guest Ixigo]

"My lady, it is quite clear that we have made the wrong choice. This person is too foolish." Alicia shook her head, referring to Paradox.

 

"I am sorry," Niobe inquired, much more politely "but has Rafael not explained to you about the nature of the Geists? I am not aware of where your conclusions stem from, but this is quite a different situation than you described. The bond between a Geist and its body is permanently severed, destroyed when the person is still alive in order to preserve some of the body's functions. It is a gruesome act, and an irreversible one. You cannot return Geists to their bodies - especially not when those bodies have been turned to something else. The only way to deal with them is to destroy them before they manage to harm you. I strongly advise you to stick to that course of action, and not risk your lives unnecessarily."

 

"You will be provided horses." Alicia continued. "And enough supplies for three days. It shouldn't take more than a day to travel there, so they should be enough. We have already arranged for those provisions, so you can depart immediately. Your task is simple: enter the tower, investigate, kill anything that needs to be killed, and get back." She then turned to Paradox.

 

"Play with your pagan rituals if you'd like," she said, disdain evident in her tone "but you probably won't be around to complain to us if they don't work."

[Naimo]

Hyena followed Ashley, now walking rather than running. She returned Ashley's smile with a not-so-lopsided grin, and like Ashley, stopped before Falrac. She sat upright, and bowed with her head only. "I am Hyena." She looked up and, whilst wondering what their mission was, waited patiently for further instructions, her grin now looking lopsided again, though her eyes were not as wide. She used her foot to scratch her elbow slightly, though briefly.

[Guest Ixigo]

Damn. Why exactly do I have to do this again? Falric asked himself this question for the umpteenth time. With Valerian looming over him, that sardonic grin on his face, and a pair of "Sentinels", one of which had some sort of power that had caused that awful screaming crescendo earlier, and neither Niobe or Rafael anywhere in sight to keep things in check - suffice to say, Falric felt quite unnerved. The girl with the animal mannerisms using her foot to scratch her arm, of all things, didn't help in that regard.

 

"Thanks for responding on such short notice." He said formally, bowing slightly in response to Ashley's greeting. It brought back memories from his time as a general. He almost smiled - maybe she was a Sentinel he could finally get along with. But that would have to wait. "I'm sorry for the chaos you've been through since you got here - but you'd better get used to it, as it will only become worse." He smiled to take the weight off his words, true as they were.

 

"Unfortunately, your first mission is quite imperative." His expression darkened slightly. "A supply caravan was supposed to reach the camp three days ago, but we haven't heard a word from them. We've sent scouts amongst the path they were supposed to take, and we've indeed picked up on their trail, but it breaks off a good two days' ride away from here. We've sent a small platoon, but they've been locked down by bandit attacks. With all our forces tied down at the moment, wee need you to get there and pull them off their stalemate."

 

"Of course, we'll send suitable escort. There's no telling what lurks in the shadows. You are to reach the stranded platoon, disband the brigands that are plaguing the region, and follow up on the mission to recover the lost caravan. We're in constant need of supplies, so this loss is not one we can afford - unless we want to starve." He tried to make it sound like a joke, but his smile was forced.

[Naimo]

Hyena stopped scratching and looked at Falric, taking in every word. "So, let me make sure I understood your orders," she said. "You want us to find the caravan, and hope for the best bandits don't tie us down like they did to the platoon you sent, and that no one starves?" She paused, then tilted her head almost 45 degrees to her right, her grin just expanding, her pupils rolling slightly. A short, sharp cackle left. "Sounds good."

[encapturer]

"Bandits..." Ashley muttered under her breath as Falric spoke of them. She did not like those who forcefully took things from others, and relished the chance to punish more of their kind. These were most likely tougher than most she had to fend off, since they fought Avalon soldiers to a standstill.

 

"That's our mission?" Ashley was surprised at the apparent simplicity of the task she and Hyena were about to do. She had to remind herself of the times she currently lived in, and that there is nothing these days that are that simple. "I take it we will be leaving immediately, then," she quickly added on, trying to downplay the surprise in her voice originally.

[Otaku-sama]

"The gods of old are more powerful than you wish to acknowledge, but I assume that now is not the time for theological debating. I will now gather my supplies. I will return when our mission is complete," Paradox replied as respectfully as he could while holding back his disgust of how ignorant everyone around him was. He bowed deeply and left the tent.

 

Paradox walked back to his tent. He gathered his large box of herbs, his cauldron and his leatherbound book of spells. He packed them into a burlap sack and headed back to where Cerce was, waiting for him to get ready.

[Saiba Aisu]

Cerce rolled his eyes at Paradox as he left the tent, tossing him a vexed look that indicated all too well what he thought of his 'ancient Gods'. He turned back to Niobe and Alicia, and his expression suddenly grew serious. "You mentioned that the souls of the Geists couldn't be restored to their bodies..." he began. "Then you said that this was especially impossible if their bodies had been 'turned into something else'."

 

His green gaze hardened. "Are you telling me that the corpses of the victims are being reanimated or transformed through necromancy? Should we be prepared to encounter the undead on our mission?"

[Tempest Dahlia]

A cloaked woman briskly walked down the hallway, her black heels clicking loudly on the marble floor. She had been summoned to the audience chamber: Perhaps she was a bit late. She wore a black, long cloak, with a hood over her long, curled hair. Not a piece was out of place: From her flawless makeup to the perfect black bell-dress she wore underneath.

She had reached the chambers, and knocked on the door slightly, a small, innocent smile perfectly positioned on her face.

[Guest Ixigo]

OoC: This will probably be my last post for this year, so I'll wish everyone a happy new years in advance. I'll set you all on your mission, so you can build up on that by yourselves, but my next post will be a while now.

 

=====

 

((Cerce & Paradox post)):

 

Niobe remained silent as Paradox departed, then sighed softly.

 

"That man has learned a lot, but he has forgotten something important - no matter how much you know, there will always be something beyond your grasp. A portion of wisdom lies in accepting that fact, and listening to what others who may possess the knowledge you lack have to say." She seemed sad, as if recalling some personal experience.

 

"You cannot rely on him." Alicia said suddenly - it was the first time the female Knight was addressing one of the recruits specifically, instead of talking to Niobe or briefing them about the mission. "His pride will lead him to mistakes - and mistakes here can, and will, be fatal. You are not to risk your life over his foolishness."

 

Niobe then addressed Cerce's concerns. "Necromancy, I do not think you have to deal with. At least not in the terms you are thinking of. But there will be dangers - make no mistake. Even if you don't find the person responsible for creating the Geists - that place has a mysterious aura. It feels wrong to one who has been touched by the Ethereal Twilight; no, even regular humans feel uneasy as they approach. It is certainly a dangerous place. Humans are not the only beings touched by the Twilight, as I'm sure you are aware. Animals and beasts, plants, and even the Earth itself has been afflicted."

 

"What one can accomplish with bodies that have had their souls stripped is not known to us, as we neither tamper with nor have had the chance to investigate such dark matters. We've seen examples of reanimated corpses, but we believe that is something different. Your friend's tricks might work on those, perhaps, but not with the Geists. Whatever the case, you can expect to encounter challenges the likes of which you've never faced before."

 

Alicia paused for a bit, before continuing, for the first time something like - hesitation? - entering her otherwise neutral tone. "Still, you have managed to stand up against Rafael, even with aid. And though he has his flaws, Paradox fought well against Valerian. Those feats cannot be ignored. We believe you can accomplish this mission."

 

"If we did not," Niobe added "we would not be sending you."

 

---

 

OoC: Your horses and supplies await you in the stables, in the same place that Ashley and Hyena are heading (see next part of my post) to begin their mission. Therefore, you may meet up before you depart.

 

=====

 

((Ashley & Hyena post)):

 

"Oh, our little birdies seem rather confident, Falric." Valerian chuckled. "They won't think much of a task that a dozen of our best soldiers have been locked down into for two days. Maybe we ought to send them alone, hmm?"

 

"The High Lady's orders were to assign an escort." Avalon's general replied dryly. "Kael, Narth! Come here!" He commanded, and from the structure that served as the barracks, two soldiers appeared. They were already clad in the silvery-white breastplate and armor of Avalon's warriors, each carrying a shield and spear on their back, and a short sword was sheathed on their waists. They saluted in a similar manner to Ashley's, bowing slightly first to Valerian, then to Falric, and then to the two new recruits.

 

"Reporting for duty, sire." The one on the left - a stocky, well-built fellow with hazel eyes and short-cropped black hair - said formally.

 

"This is Kael," Falric announced as Kael saluted again "and this is Narth." The second soldier, a tall, leaner man whose dark brown hair was showing signs of grey, and whose deep black eyes had probably seen a lot more years than his companion, inclined his head politely. "They may not be... Sentinels..." he wrung his tongue around the word a little, though with discomfort rather than disdain "but they have skill and experience. They will protect and aid you in your mission. I'm sorry we can't send more with you, but we are greatly short-handed right now."

 

"My ladies, the horses are saddled and waiting for us." Kael said. "Supplies and necessities have already been packed, so you needn't worry about those. Unless there is anything else you need in the camp, we can begin right away."

 

"Try not to get in harm's way." Valerian smirked. "It would be so unfortunate if something were to happen to you."

 

---

 

OoC: Feel free to RP your departure etc. For the purposes of advancement, you may control the two soldiers assigned as your escort in your posts. The stables where your horses and supplies are waiting are behind the barracks. Cerce and Paradox are also heading there.